Vancouver, CA | From Digital to Disc: How Gen Zs are reshaping their music listening habits: Even with digital music available on streaming platforms like Spotify, Gen Zs are drawn to records. Vancouver’s oldest independent record store, Neptoon Records, looks a little different than it did 20 years ago. Back in the early 2000s, the store’s shelves were filled with CDs and cassette tapes, with a few vinyl records on display. Today the store has an abundance of records, which are now their main products. “Instead of people consuming new music via CD, they are consuming vinyl. So, half the store is filled with new vinyl,” said Ben Frith, co-owner of Neptoon Records. Frith along with his father Rob have been running the store since it opened in 1981. Ben has been engrossed with the family business all his life and has witnessed the shift in customers buying new albums released on vinyl.
Solihull, UK | Vinyl rock shop opens: Knowle gets niche music shop run by former mental health nurse: A rock and heavy metal-loving former NHS mental health nurse is opening a music shop for vinyl enthusiasts. John Ellis is launching Slow Century Records on Knowle High Street this Saturday (Nov 8). The shop will feature a curated selection of new and pre-loved records across the rock, metal, prog and alternative sounds genres. It will also stock musics from Midlands-based artists. John spent more than 20 years as mental health nurse across the West Midlands. …Slow Century Records is a chapter that brings John closer to home. “Music has always been about connection—whether that’s helping people through a tough time or sharing a record that means something,” said John. “Slow Century Records is about slowing down, listening properly and rediscovering the joy of music with other people.”
St. Louis, MO | Tom “Papa” Ray gives record stores their due with ‘Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow.’ The PBS show from the DJ, musician, and owner of St. Louis’ Vintage Vinyl recently snagged two Mid-America Emmy nominations. Tom “Papa” Ray has never had to look far to find a friend—especially when there’s a record spinning in the background. …It’s this love of music and all things vintage that carved out an extraordinary life for Ray—and ultimately inspired him to create and host the PBS series Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow, which airs Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. on Nine PBS. Since getting its start in 2019, the docuseries has notched two seasons and 12 episodes to its name, with its globe-trotting protagonist decamping from his Gateway City home base to such cultural hubs as Detroit, New York, Seattle, Atlanta, and even as far as the UK.
Los Angeles, CA | Hello, yellow brick road: Elton John thanks record store owner for random act of kindness. Elton John was recently reunited with an important artifact from his illustrious career. Elton posted on Instagram a photo of himself and Alex Rodriguez, who owns the LA record store Record Safari and curates vinyl for Coachella. In the photo, Alex is handing Elton an orange vinyl album in a plastic sleeve marked Trident. “Every so often, there are acts of kindness that remind you there are still a lot of good people in this world,” Elton captioned the post. “Alex Rodriguez … recently came across the original acetates from the first recordings of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. They’re still in their Trident Studios sleeves, in beautiful condition—a real piece of history.” …”Instead of selling them or keeping them for himself, Alex reached out and offered to return them to me personally. While they’d be valuable to anyone, to me these recordings are truly priceless, and I am incredibly grateful for his kindness, generosity, and his love of music.”
Dorset, UK | Clocktower Records Ithaca LP charity auction hits £2,000: A rare record considered a ‘holy grail’ for collectors has already fetched more than £2,000. There are just a few days remaining on an auction to buy an ‘unbelievably rare’ record from 70s psychedelic rock band Ithaca. The band’s 1972 LP—A Game For All Who Knows—was only pressed 99 times and is being auctioned off by Bridport record store Clocktower Records. Originally unearthed in a east Devon charity shop, the record store has been running the auction to raise money for the Seaton and District Hospital League of Friends—where the fabled vinyl was discovered in August. Mark Ollier discovered the record whilst volunteering for the charity and was immediately drawn to the record and decided to do some research. Upon discovering it could be a rare edition, he turned to Clocktower Records to validate the vinyl and help facilitate the sale of the rare record.
London, UK | How “Vinyl Bitch” became an important part of London’s vinyl community: Meet vinyl enthusiast Madison True, a DJ, music producer and the founder of Vinyl Bitch, which organizes vinyl events and workshops that focus on FLINTA turntablists and vinyl record enthusiasts. Vinyl enthusiast Madison True is a DJ, music producer and the founder of Vinyl Bitch, which organizes vinyl events and workshops that focus on FLINTA (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans and Agender) turntablists and vinyl record enthusiasts. Vinyl Bitch has quickly become an important part of the vinyl record community in London, England. As a guest on the Goldmine Podcast, Madison True describes the mission behind Vinyl Bitch, and talks about the importance that DJing continues to have on the vinyl format, the term “turntablism” and demystifying the turntable itself.
Chicago, IL | Chicago Vinyl Connection: Crate diggres unite! The Promontory is hosting a massive record fair offering vinyl in all formats—LPs, 12″s and 45s—from a slew of local dealers. The stacked lineup includes Pilsen’s 606 Records, soul and jazz specialists Miyagi Records and many more. DJ Symba, Mo Mami and other local emcees will be spinning throughout the event.
The Style Council / Café Bleu special edition: The Style Council’s 1984 album Café Bleu, is reissued as a 6CD special edition featuring unheard material, including early demos, alternate takes, and unreleased songs. The band’s debut (the band being Paul Weller and Mick Talbot) showcased a new sound for Weller, a cosmopolitan blend of jazz, soul, and was released a year after their first single (‘Speak Like A Child’) and a few other non-album singles that were issued in the US (and a few other territories) as a mini-album Introducing The Style Council. …The 6CD special edition includes a book with new sleeve notes from Gary Crowley. The 3LP vinyl edition offers the expanded Introducing… album on LP 1 (less tracks than on the CD version), the album proper on LP 2 and then a third LP that combines more tracks from the expanded Introducing… with some of the demos.
‘The Best of Keane’ Coming to Vinyl: Initially released in 2013, the greatest hits collection features nearly every single from the British indie band’s first four studio albums. A compilation from the British indie band Keane is coming to vinyl soon. The Best of Keane features greatest hits like “Everybody’s Changing,” “Somewhere Only We Know,” and “Is It Any Wonder?.” Initially released in 2013 to celebrate the band’s 10 year anniversary, the album debuted at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart. A limited edition Aqua Blue 2LP vinyl version of The Best of Keane is out on November 21. The 20 song collection features nearly every single from the band’s first four studio albums, Hopes and Fears, Under the Iron Sea, Perfect Symmetry, and Strangeland.
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