Vancouver, CA | How Sunrise Records became the last music chain standing: In today’s Big Story Podcast, most of the large record chains of the heyday of physical music are gone now. If the chains haven’t vanished entirely, most of their stores have, and the last few are disappearing one by one. But somehow, not Sunrise Records. In recent years, the chain has been expanding across Canada, buying up Canadian HMV outlets and now boasts more than 80 stores and hundreds of employees. Richard Trapunski is the digital editor at Billboard Canada. He wrote a piece for The Walrus about Sunrise Records and its ability to thrive in the streaming age. “A lot of the people who are still buying vinyl are not necessarily older people who still have their record player and are buying albums by the Beatles or classic rock bands. A lot of them are Gen Z and are young listeners,” said Trapunski.
Stroudsburg, PA | The Record Store: Veteran Owner Tells Us the Only Way to Collect: In this series launch, we’re profiling Main Street Jukebox in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. …An hour from my mountain home outside New York City, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania’s Main Street Juke Box is keeping the old-school independent record store tradition alive and proud, complete with store windows plastered with flyers for local events and faded classic album covers. Through the door and winding around the wide front counter, there are tall stacks of records (presumably to be filed), a collection of magnets, featuring both James Brown’s and Axl Rose’s mugshots, the counter’s front collaged with more classic covers, from The Stones’ Goats Head Soup to Popeye’s Songs About Health, Safety, Friendship & Manners. A red and black Public Enemy poster covers a mysterious back-room door. Under the cash register, a sign reads: “No refunds. All Sales final.”
Decatur, GA | Decatur CD and Vinyl comes through in a pinch: …when my dad requested Dolly Parton’s Rockstar for his birthday earlier this month, I hopped online as usual to place it in my imaginary cart and go about my day. But I quickly encountered a problem: apparently, everyone else was excited about Parton’s foray into the world of rock -n- roll and the CD was sold out on every website I tried. It wasn’t until I was driving in downtown Decatur that it dawned on me to give Decatur CD and Vinyl a go. The store, stuffed to the brim with every compact disc and vinyl record you could imagine, opened in 2003 and has been a staple in the community ever since – even being featured in a New York Times article about Decatur as a place for trendsetters. I breathed a sigh of relief when the clerk told me they had two copies left and quickly bought the gift for my dad. “Thank God y’all are here, I couldn’t find this CD anywhere,” I remarked while checking out. “Next time, try us first,” responded the clerk with an all-knowing grin. Good advice – and good thing Decatur CD and Vinyl saved the (birth)day.
Winnipeg, CA | Vinyl score: Minimalist dream subsumed by newfound infatuation with LP records. Peter Dul was among the scores of music lovers who spun by the late, great Sound Exchange in November, to attend a clearance sale being staged at the one-time vinyl mecca. The Portage Avenue shop, which closed following the death of owner Jeff Bishop a few years ago, boasted close to 200,000 titles during its heyday in the 1970s and ’80s, when Bishop’s dad Tom, Sound Exchange’s founder, was in charge. Dul, the owner of Duly Records, a used-record store conspicuously situated inside an Ellice Avenue flea market, arrived there like everybody else, hoping to score a few hidden gems. The 55-year-old’s mindset began to change, however, when the parties responsible for the sale recognized him, and let him know that besides what could be seen on the main floor, there were tens of thousands more records and assorted treasures in the basement. “I’ll tell you what,” Dul announced after taking a closer look. “You guys finish what you’re doing up here and when the sale’s through, I’ll buy everything that’s left, including what’s downstairs.”
Negaunee, MI | Yooptone Music hosts pop-up record show: Yooptone Music brought a sample of its record collection to Campfire Coffee Saturday. A representative said Yooptone Music sells records, musical instruments, and more. The store currently has about 10,000 vinyl records in stock. Organizers said Yooptone Music plans to do more pop-up shows throughout the year. Yooptone Music Co-owner Jake Kuhlman said browsing records with a coffee is a nice way to spend a wintery Saturday. “I brought new and used records. A lot of seventies and sixties rock, but also I’ve got some jazz and country and some hip-hop,” Kuhlman said. “Just a little variety of what we offer at the store in Marquette.” The pop-up show also offered CDs and cassette tapes.
Burbank, CA | Green Day Visits Run Out Groove Records During Listening Party To Everyone’s Surprise: On January 13th, Run Out Groove Records in Magnolia Park, Burbank, hosted a unique and unforgettable event. The local record store was one of over 200 worldwide to participate in a listening party for Green Day’s new album, “Saviors,” offering fans a special preview a week before its global release. However, the event’s highlight was the surprise appearance of members of the band Green Day themselves. The iconic band was in Burbank for a music video shoot and chose to visit this “mom and pop” record store, bringing an unexpected thrill to the fans gathered there. Ellen Rehak, one of the store’s owners, expressed her astonishment: “The answer to the big question we get is no; we had no idea they were coming! There were people standing outside who actually saw them before [co-owner] Jeff and I realized they were in the store.”
Minneapolis, MN | Chalamet as Dylan? Electric Fetus customers weigh in: The actor, who visited Duluth and Hibbing this week, is playing the music legend and native of Minnesota’s North Country in an upcoming biopic. Record store shoppers were divided on whether Chalamet should sing Dylan’s songs or use dubbed audio. Minnesotan fans of Timothée Chalamet were ecstatic to say the least after word spread that the celebrity actor made a surprise visit to speak with drama students at Bob Dylan’s alma mater, Hibbing High School. But how do fans of the Minnesota native and authentic musical legend feel about Chalamet playing the role of the singer-songwriter in an upcoming biopic? And, maybe more importantly, do they think it’s a good idea for him to sing and emulate Dylan’s unique voice? (Dylan, for the record, seems to be OK with it, as he’s an executive producer on the project.)
Boise, ID | Humanities student facilitates Idaho music archives partnership: The Record Exchange, located in downtown Boise, is working with Boise State’s Special Collections and Archives at Albertsons Library to establish an archive of the store’s history and the local and statewide music scenes. It aims to highlight and preserve local music history through the lens of Boise’s longtime record store. The partnership was initiated by Cora Lee Oxley, a Boise State senior. Oxley grew up in Letha, Idaho, and will soon graduate with a degree in humanities and cultural studies, with an emphasis in public humanities and a minor in English literature. She’s also a former employee of the Record Exchange. Musicians based in Idaho, or with ties to the Gem State – especially Boise and the greater Treasure Valley – are encouraged to submit their music.
UK | Rise in vinyl sales at concerts gives indie artists a vital lifeline: Musicians are finding that selling their records at gigs is no longer an afterthought, but is providing a crucial revenue stream. As soon as Roxanne de Bastion comes off stage, there is one thing on her mind – getting down to run her merchandise stall. “The quicker the better – sometimes it feels a bit like those scenes in Spinal Tap, rushing down corridors to find how to get there,” said the singer-songwriter, whose latest album was produced by the former Suede guitarist, Bernard Butler. On a recent tour, selling copies of You & Me, We Are the Same afterwards “was the difference between making a loss and being able to pay my rent for three months.” Selling vinyl and merchandise at gigs is no longer an afterthought for artists – sales there are starting to rival more traditional methods. About half of De Bastion’s annual income from music sales comes from selling vinyl at gigs, while most of the rest comes directly via her website. Her experience is shared by most artists not selling out arenas.
