Liverpool, UK | Rough Trade confirms opening date of new Liverpool store: The owners want the store to reflect Liverpool’s “rich and diverse music scene.” An independent music shop will be opening its biggest UK store in Liverpool later this month. Rough Trade, which opened its first store in London in 1976, sells a wide range of vinyl records, including limited and rare editions, as well as music, books and merchandise. It also hosts gigs in-store. The new shop, located on Hanover Street, will comprise two floors, with the ground floor housing the record store and café, which will serve Dark Arts Coffee. The first floor will feature a dedicated venue space with a capacity of 290, as well as a bar stocked with a selection of Signature Brew beers on tap. As part of the staggered launch, the ground floor will open at 10am on April 18, with the first floor and venue space open fully from May, when it will kick off its live in-store events programme with a busy month of shows, including headline slots for Jordan Rakei, Villagers, Bess Atwell, Alfie Templeman, and Seasick Steve.
Macon, GA | Fresh Produce Records keeps Macon’s counter-cultural hub going strong. A brief stay in Portland, Oregon, left William Dantzler wanting to bring the amazing musical experience he had to his hometown of Macon. So he did — opening Fresh Produce Records downtown. “When I lived in Oregon I attended an experimental music show at a food co-op grocery store and had an epiphany about the importance of creativity in building community and decided to focus that intent in Macon, my hometown,” he said. “This energy was amplified by the Fresh Produce era of Riggonia and Macon Noise and the record store model proved to be the perfect vehicle to carry out the mission of establishing a countercultural hub that Macon could be proud of.” Opened in 2013 with business partner William Rutledge, the record store offers records, tapes, CDs, turntables, tape decks, CD players, speakers, guitar accessories, music books, concert DVDs, store merchandise, posters, memorabilia, vintage magazines and more.
Des Moines, IA | Owner of Highland Park’s Red Rooster Records blames rent hike for sudden closure: Highland Park’s Red Rooster Records—a staple of Des Moines’ music scene for almost 20 years—has closed. Matt Storms and Steve Moberg opened the store at 509 Euclid Ave. in 2005, their senior year in college, as vinyl records experienced a revival. In a Facebook post, Storms said the store had closed because the rent suddenly escalated. Storms pledged to keep selling records, cassettes and CDs online, including through Red Rooster Records’ Facebook and Instagram pages. Storms could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Outstanding gift certificates and store credit will still be honored, his post said. “I wish things would have resolved differently, but I had to make a quick decision and do what was best for myself and my family,” Storms wrote. “Thank you again to all my customers throughout the years. I couldn’t have made this dream a reality without you all and I’m looking forward to working with you again soon.”
Sydney, AU | Impressed Recordings To Launch Brick-And-Mortar Store In Sydney: Fittingly, the grand opening will take place on Record Store Day. Impressed Recordings—a boutique record label operating out of Sydney (Eora)—have announced the launch of a new brick-and-mortar record store, which they’ll open, fittingly, on this year’s Record Store Day (Saturday April 20). The shopfront and wide-spanning “music hub” will be held at Impressed Recordings’ HQ of 93 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo. In a press release, it’s said the concept comes from the label’s effort to embrace “the enduring appeal of physical music and community in the midst of a vinyl resurgence”. It’s declared the space will be “a curated haven to create experiences and a home to connect musicians with listeners”, and described boldly as “a new oasis for music enthusiasts.” In addition to “a curated selection of exclusive Impressed releases,” the shop will carry an assortment of second-hand vinyl and “a hand-picked selection of rare music books.”
Denver, CO | Free and cheap things to do in April: Rocky Mountain Record Show. Vinyl is back in a big way. And for music collectors, it’s a dream come true at the Rocky Mountain Record Show on April 6 and 7 at The Denver Sports Castle (1000 Broadway). The show brings more than 75 vendors together to offer more than 150,000 records in a fun atmosphere, celebrating collecting culture. While the show focuses on vinyl, there will be other recorded media for sale, as well as music memorabilia and ephemera. Shop to the tunes of vinyl-only DJs on site. A full bar and food trucks will also be available. Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $10 on Saturday. If you’re on a budget, entry is free on Sunday. However, you must RSVP in advance, with a two-ticket limit. rockymountainrecordshow.com
Philadelphia, PA | WXPN-FM Celebrates Philly’s Music Scene with Exclusive Vinyl Release for Record Store Day: In a melodious tribute to Philadelphia’s vibrant music community, WXPN-FM 88.5 is set to release “WXPN Homegrown Originals Volume 2,” a curated 12-inch vinyl LP featuring exclusive performances by ten of the area’s most promising artists. This limited-edition treasure will be available solely as a gift with purchase at eleven select independent record stores on Record Store Day, Saturday, April 20, 2024. Following the overwhelming success of its inaugural Homegrown Originals LP last year, WXPN, Philadelphia’s public radio station, is amplifying its support for local talent and record shops with an even bigger and more diverse collection this year. “The positive response from last year’s release was truly heartwarming, enabling us to expand our project to feature more artists, press more copies, and partner with more stores,” shared John Vettese, WXPN Local program host and the mind behind the album’s liner notes.
West Leeds, UK | New West Leeds venue for Man About Town’s Vinyl Picnic: Local men’s mental health and suicide prevention project, Man About Town has found a new venue to hold its fortnightly Vinyl Picnics. The first Vinyl Picnic since late last year will be held on Sunday, 21 April at Carole’s Kitchen café in Tong Road. A poster advertising the event states the picnic is ‘for the benefit of men, not at the exclusion of women’. The philosophy behind the Vinyl Picnic is for men to meet in a safe space to socialise and listen to records played on a portable record player. Participants are welcome to bring their own vinyl, group facilitators also bring records to play. The Vinyl Picnics run alongside walks on alternate Sundays, from 10.30am to 12.30pm. The project has been running for almost five years and also holds a music group that meets on Wednesdays at 10am at Woodhouse Community Centre.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Incredible Musical Episode Is Getting the Vinyl It Deserves: The fabulous original songs of “Subspace Rhapsody” have never sounded, or looked, so good. Of all the highs Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ sophomore season pulled off—intense action, Vulcan drama, familiar faces, and plenty more—perhaps one of the most delightful of all was “Subspace Rhapsody,” its earnestly cheesy all-singing, all-dancing musical showstopper. And if you’ve had the soundtrack streaming non-stop since last year, we’ve got great news for you. io9 can exclusively reveal that Lakeshore Records is going to release the complete 11-track score for the episode on a black vinyl record, with artwork inspired by the poster released for the episode at San Diego Comic-Con last year forming the cover. As well as the original songs from the episode, penned by Kay Hanley and Tom Polce, the vinyl will also include the a capella rendition of Jeff Russo’s Strange New Worlds title theme from the episode, as well as the credits melody of several of the original songs.
Frankie Knuckles’ ‘House Masters’ to be released on vinyl for the first time: All proceeds from record’s limited run will be donated to the Frankie Knuckles Foundation. Defected Records has released a limited edition vinyl of Frankie Knuckles’ compilation album, ‘House Masters’. Split into ‘Volume One’ and’ Volume Two’, the record includes a huge variety of Knuckles’ classics and remixes such as ‘Your Love’, ‘The Whistle Song’ and remixes for Chaka Khan and Sounds Of Blackness. First released in 2015, ‘House Masters’ vinyl debut comes following an initial digital and CD run—however the record is no longer available in either format due to licensing restrictions. Marking 10 years since the pioneer of house music’s death, the release will see all proceeds donated to the Frankie Knuckles Foundation as it was when it was first released. The foundation focuses on music in schools, LGBTQIA+ youth, homelessness, AIDS research and many more subjects.
