Nashville, TN | The Ernest Tubb Record Shop Has Closed Again, And One Nashville Musician Perfectly Summed Up Why: “…These are thoughts I’ve had since the beginning. Everyone saw the writing on the wall with that place from the first day, and I’d predicted we’d have our gig through the end of January anyway because they were making mistakes musicians have seen happen all too often on Broadway, so my prediction really only came true two weeks earlier than expected. …The owners and planners essentially half assed every decision made in the bar, and boots on the ground management was just trying to survive. It’s like the owners wanted the clout of “Saving Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop,” but didn’t properly invest in what it means to preserve that legacy.”
Brisbane, AU | Glitter Records Consigns 150 Vinyl Albums to The Institute of Modern Art: Glitter Records, a well‑known spot for vinyl culture in Brisbane, has consigned 150 records to the Institute of Modern Art in Fortitude Valley. This marks a new collaboration between the city’s independent music scene and one of its major contemporary art institutions. The Institute of Modern Art is based in the Judith Wright Arts Centre in Fortitude Valley. For more than forty years, it has presented exhibitions, public programs, and publishing projects. It supports experimental and critical artistic practice. The Institute of Modern Art Shop extends this work by offering artist‑made goods, books, and other cultural objects that sit alongside its exhibitions. Riley Fitzgerald, owner of Glitter Records, said the partnership began with a simple request from Shae Craze, Gallery Coordinator at the Institute of Modern Art. The collaboration creates a link between two creative communities.
Milwaukee, WI | Step inside Milwaukee’s newest vinyl lounge and bar, The Deep Groove: Physical media is exploding in popularity, and there’s a new vinyl bar and lounge that has opened on Brady Street in Milwaukee. Step inside The Deep Groove. It feels like a jazz era cocktail space. There are vintage chairs, intricate tin ceiling work, and hundreds of records to play. Its soft opening was January 15. “I have been telling people we are upscale. We are not uptight,” Henry Dunsirn, the manager, said. That means no TouchTunes. Good music, quality cocktails, and light apps are the recipe. It’s definitely nice inside but still approachable. Customers can come in their best dress or a Packers jersey. That means no TouchTunes. Good music, quality cocktails, and light apps are the recipe. It’s definitely nice inside but still approachable. Customers can come in their best dress or a Packers jersey.
San Francisco, CA | Vinyl records are seen at Bay Area restaurants, but seldom heard: The “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” peeks out over the head of the host at a hip restaurant on the Embarcadero. An Amy Winehouse LP sits on the counter of a trendy spot in the Mission. The dining room of a slick wine bar displays a Stevie Wonder album like a prized possession. It’s tempting to see the visibility of records at restaurants as a sign of the resurgence of physical media. Vinyl sales have grown for 18 consecutive years; in 2024, the industry sold $1.4 billion worth of records. But over the last few years, I’ve noticed more and more records on display in Bay Area restaurants and coffee shops, yet few actually spinning them—it’s vinyl as decor, not music.
Liverpool, UK | I visited the hidden vinyl bar on Liverpool’s most beautiful street: The bar exists in a world of its own under a dreamy city centre passage. hidden vinyl bar, with floor length curtains preventing outsiders from peering inside, is well worth seeking out. Simone’s Cocktail Club does little to advertise itself, you might not even realise you’re on the right street, but stepping through its doors feels like entering an entirely different world. Tucked away just off Castle Street and Dale Street lies arguably the most beautiful street around, Queen Avenue. Home to a collection of Grade II listed buildings, old-fashioned shop fronts, Georgian lampposts and thriving independent businesses, a stroll down this cosy passage feels like taking a step back in time.
Alexandria, VA | Making Vinyl conference to bring global record industry to Alexandria in May: Annual summit draws 750-plus attendees from more than 20 countries; Metallica-owned Furnace Record Pressing to host facility tours. The global vinyl record industry will descend on Old Town Alexandria this spring when Making Vinyl, the premier conference for record manufacturers and industry professionals, hosts its first-ever Washington, D.C.-area event. The conference is scheduled for May 27-29 at the Westin Alexandria Old Town and will feature three days of panels, workshops, and networking sessions focused on vinyl manufacturing, sustainability, supply chain issues, and packaging innovations. “We are thrilled to welcome Making Vinyl to the DC area—and to our hometown,” said Ali Miller, CEO of Furnace Record Pressing, in a social media post announcing the event.
Lansing, MI | Music lovers browse vintage vinyl at Lansing Record and CD Show Saturday: Music enthusiasts connected over shared passion for vintage and new vinyl at event. Tens of thousands of vinyl records were available for browsing and buying at the Lansing Record and CD Show on Saturday at the Quality Inn University. The event brought together music lovers to connect over their shared passion for vinyl records, both vintage and new releases. “There’s just tons and tons of used vintage vinyl and there’s also new vinyl too,” show promoter Rodney Branham said. For many collectors, the hobby represents a lifelong passion that started in childhood. “The love of records is with everybody that’s here and myself. I grew up spending every penny of my allowance on records, and I’ve kept buying records,” Branham added.
Sounds on 45: How the jukebox is making a modern-day comeback. Rock ‘n’ roll tech riding the vinyl revival. “People do tend to be pretty stunned when I tell them what we do,” says Chris Black. “They’re amazed these things are still even being manufactured.” And yet, Sound Leisure, the third generation family business of which Black is managing director, can’t make enough jukeboxes at the moment – those colourful, playful, but seemingly anachronistic and outmoded record-playing boxes iconographic of Americana. After all, the first multi-selection coin-operated phonograph was introduced way back in 1906. …Indeed, Sound Leisure and Rock-Ola are the last two manufacturers of vinyl record-playing jukeboxes, anywhere. Both are enjoying something of a Covid bounce, with people investing in their homes and in home entertainment, but with bars and other hospitality venues also buying jukeboxes to tempt us back into going out.
Bandcamp bans AI generated music: ‘We want musicians to keep making music.’ Direct-to-fan platform Bandcamp said it will ban artificial intelligence-generated music and audio from its platform including any use of AI tools to impersonate other artists or styles. The company made the announcement in a post on Wednesday (January 14). “Something that always strikes us as we put together a roundup like this is the sheer quantity of human creativity and passion that artists express on Bandcamp every single day,” the platform said. “The fact that Bandcamp is home to such a vibrant community of real people making incredible music is something we want to protect and maintain.” Bandcamp said music and audio that is created “wholly or in substantial part by AI” will no longer be allowed on the platform. The company will also enforce existing policies against any use of AI tools to copy other artists or styles. The company said: “We want musicians to keep making music, and for fans to have confidence that the music they find on Bandcamp was created by humans.”
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