Ellensberg, WA | A rare find in Ellensberg: An amazing used record shop. I promised you something special in Ellensburg and here it is. On my way home from my trip to Yakima last weekend I stopped in Ellensburg to visit a guitar shop that turned out to not be in business anymore. (At least not in Ellensburg.) and stumbled on a used record store. Old Skool’s. 308 N Main. The store has been in its current location for about 18 years. Moved. After moving from a previous location 7 years before. The proprietor is Carroll Cox. Music lover and collector. Before starting this business, she worked in social services, and one day she decided she needed a change. The first impression you get when you’re looking in from outside is “This is just a little bit trippy, let’s go take a peek.” Then when you walk in, the first thing you see is records everywhere, piled on the floor and racks, leaning against the wall. There’s a huge selection all used. (she can special order new for you as well). There is a stereo set up behind the counter playing something.
Asheville, NC | The Record Store: Neighborhood, Community, and Celebrations in the Blue Ridge Mountains: A profile of Harvest Records in Asheville, North Carolina. In the early 2000s, Matt Schnable and Mark Capon were pals attending James Madison University in Virginia. They knew they wanted to launch a venture after finishing school, and they decided on a record shop. “But we were also hoping to create a space beyond just selling records,” Capon recalls. “In college, we were involved with promoting shows and with the college radio station community. And community appealed to us as much as retail.” Schnable concurs. “Going against some preconceived notions of record stores, we wanted to create a comfortable environment where people could hang out, meet up, exchange, be a part of something.” They decided on Asheville, North Carolina, a hip city of under 100,000 in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Bowling Green, OH | Family dream comes true with the opening of Goat Records in downtown BG: A dream shared by a father and son has come to fruition in the opening of Goat Records in downtown Bowling Green. Radio professional Mark Gedert, 57, has spent a lot of time, and money, at record stores, since he first fell in love with music lying in front of his family hi fi console. His son, Alex Gedert, 27, picked up that love from his father, as a young teen scouring his father’s collections for audio treasures and accompanying on vinyl hunting trips. The younger Gedert worked for Allied Records for six years. Not surprisingly they’ve been spinning around the idea of opening their own used record store for about five years. …“It really comes down to a love of records,” Alex said. He’s the manager of the store. Family friend Phil Brice will also work in the store.
Scotland, UK | Record Store Day 2024 in Scotland: When is it, shops, available records, how to buy, and can you buy online Vinyl is now outselling CDs for the first time in over 35 years – meaning that this year’s event celebrating the reinvigorated music medium is likely to be more popular than ever. Record Store Day has become a major event for vinyl lovers since the inaugural event in the US in 2007 sold barely more than 10 different limited edition pressings by artists including Death Cab for Cutie, R.E.M. and Stephen Malkmus. Now over 200 independent record stores across the UK take part each year, selling thousands of copies of exclusive vinyl, from new releases to old classics. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event.
Glasgow, UK | Up-and-coming band announce show at Assai Records in Glasgow: The Howlers, known for tunes like Lost Without You and Nothing To Lose, will be performing at Assai Records in the city’s Sauchiehall Street on Friday, May 10. The show will follow the release of the band’s new single, Cowboys Don’t Cry. The track comes from the group’s debut album, What You’ve Got to Lose to Win It All, which will drop on May 17. Speaking on the new tune, frontman Adam said: “Cowboys Don’t Cry is a track that speaks to the experiences and feelings that many young people go through as they try to work out who they are in the world. “As a young boy I never really felt like I belonged anywhere, struggling socially to understand what was going on around me, there were times I would walk home from school in tears due to how I felt isolated, alone and misunderstood.”
Teens love vinyl. They tell us why. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), 43 million vinyl records were purchased in 2023, outselling CDs for the second time since 1987. Vinyl record sales also grew 10% to $1.4 billion, marking their 17th consecutive year of growth, and accounted for 71% of physical format revenue sales, the RIAA said. CD and cassette sales, for context, first overtook vinyl sales in 1988 and continued to reign supreme as the preferred physical formats for music consumption in the ’90s and aughts. The supposed vinyl resurgence — some argue that it never actually left — has also effectively ushered in a younger, eager group of teenage collectors. Teens flock to social media to show off their meticulously curated collections, build community with enthusiasts their age, and search for and sell coveted presses. Rather than seeking out albums that were initially released on vinyl, teenagers are focused on collecting new releases, specifically albums that have been released in the past decade.
Canandaigua, NY | Vinyl Record Night at OCHS: Vinyl Record Night at Ontario County Historical Society with Canandaigua Record Exchange. Join us, after hours, on April 25, 2024 from 6pm-8pm for some great music curated by Canandaigua Record Exchange. During this event you’ll be able to view some artifacts from our collection brought out especially for this event. Enjoy a final viewing of our current exhibit, Let’s Go Have Fun! Recreation in Ontario County 1900-1965, which closes at the end of April.
Boston, MA | The ultimate guide to independent bookstores in Greater Boston and beyond: You’re never too far from a great bookstore if you live in Greater Boston. The recent independent bookstore boom has not only revived the local bookstore, it’s also reimagined what a bookstore can be. That’s evidenced by the more than 50 shops across Greater Boston recommended by Boston.com readers in a recent survey, many of them moonlighting as cafés, record stores, gift shops, and more. The modern bookstore isn’t just a place to find a new book—it’s a community gathering space. We heard from 1,501 readers who shared what they love about their local independent bookstore. Since the last time we asked readers to share their favorites, they’ve added 13 additional shops to the list, including Barrow Bookstore in Concord, Little Bee Bookshop in Ayer, Escape Into Fiction in Franklin, and more.
Buffalo, NY | Downtown Central Library selling 25-cent books, vinyl & more: The Central Library in downtown Buffalo is offering people a chance to pick from thousands of books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl, audiobooks and other print materials for 25 cents each. The Used Book Sale will take place on the second floor between April 11 and 13. Thursday’s sale will go from 3-6 p.m., while Friday and Saturday will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone truly looking for a bargain can bring their own bag and fill it up for just one dollar. “There are no limits!” the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library wrote. Proceeds from the event will go toward buying new reading materials for all 37 Buffalo & Erie County public libraries.
