UK | Sound investment: John Lewis teams up with Rough Trade to sell vinyl: Decision to stock records in some stores and also sell online dovetails with rising demand for turntables in its shops. Alot of adjectives have been used to describe the middle-class favourite John Lewis but rock’n’roll is probably not one, until now. The department store chain is teaming up with the indie music retailer Rough Trade to sell records. In doing so it becomes the latest big high street name to bring back vinyl as Britons swap Spotify playlists for the crackle and warmth of listening to a physical LP. Last year, WH Smith reintroduced records in 80 shops after a three-decade hiatus. While John Lewis might be the go-to place for curtains or a new fridge-freezer, music fans head to Rough Trade to immerse themselves in music. Its stores host pop-up gigs and sell coveted vinyl reissues alongside the latest headphones and rock star autobiographies.
Paris, FR | Paris’s best record shops: where to find the rare gem? Whether you’re an avid collector, a vinyl enthusiast or simply curious in search of new musical discoveries, Paris is brimming with record shops from a wide variety of backgrounds. From jazz and rock to electro and hip-hop, here’s a detailed guide to the best places to find your favorite LPs. Despite the rise of streaming, vinyl is enjoying a considerable revival. Music lovers still appreciate the authenticity of analog sound and the uniqueness of each edition. Paris, a true capital of culture, is no exception to the rule, offering a multitude of record shops, each with its own identity. Whether it’s a store specializing in electronic music, jazz or indie rock, each Parisian record shop offers a unique experience, where you can discover classics as well as little-known nuggets.
Albany, NY | The surprising place you can find great vinyl records in Albany, NY: If you love vinyl and you haven’t been to this spot, you’re missing out on an opportunity to find some really great records. In the day and age of streaming music being the easiest way to enjoy all of your favorite songs there are still people who love to hear them on physical media. CDs and vinyl records have become a novelty thing for so many younger people who didn’t grow up with those forms of media. It’s all making a comeback. Recently I started to fall back in love with vinyl. It wasn’t something I ever really collected or listened to. Growing up in the 90s I was a CD kid. I had a huge collection of CDs and I remember going to places like Coconuts, Record Town (before it was FYE), and Best Buy when that came into the Capital Region. After getting a record player from my partner and my kids over Christmas I am fully obsessed with getting as much vinyl as possible. I found a place in Albany that is a great spot to pick up some classics.
Atlanta, GA | Editor’s Journal: Loving Atlanta. Peaches Records, H. Johnson on WABE—there are plenty of reasons to love Atlanta. My monthly ritual in college was a drive into Atlanta to make the rounds of the rich array of record stores across the city. My favorite haunt was Peaches, a warehouse-sized store that prided itself on having the back catalog of just about every music artist imaginable. This was long before iTunes and Spotify. There was a sense of exploration and discovery from walking into a record shop that’s sadly absent in the digital age. Most often, I had a couple of target albums I knew I wanted; after that, I could spend an hour or more flipping through the bins of albums in search of something that would catch my eye. The store also had an area for “cutouts,” albums that had flopped on the market and could be had for a buck or two. I’d usually walk out with five or six albums: a couple of certainties I knew were good and the rest experiments.
Missoula, MT | Missoula’s annual gigantic sale of vinyl records: Ironically, I just walked out of a vinyl shop in Ogden, Utah. The perks of being the Voice of the Lady Griz is visiting different towns and cities’ vinyl shops. Each one is unique in its own right. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy anything. There were a couple of records I had my eye on like a Bill Withers Greatest Hits vinyl and The Offspring’s “Splinter” record. Yes, it’s a wide range, I know. Back to Missoula, we go for the Annual Roxy Record Sale. This year’s “gigantic sale of records, movies, books and other media,” takes place on Sunday, March 2nd from 8 am to 3 pm at Missoula’s Senior Center right across the road from the Roxy. Entry fees span from just $2 to $5. For you early risers you can pay $5 to get the first hour of thrifting before the rest of us swarm the place from 9:01 am to 3 pm ($2 entry fee during this time). If you’re not in the market for more records, you could still utilize the sale by donating used records you don’t listen to anymore.
Edinburgh, UK | Labels getting carried away with vinyl pressings: I never thought I would say this but I need a bigger shop. Until recently I had been thinking we at Avalanche Records would need more space for CDs as we currently have a small room of CDs that we can’t get out on the shop floor, but since Christmas the record companies and labels have realised that while nobody can doubt the popularity of vinyl, they may have got a little carried away in the numbers they have pressed up on admittedly classic titles. The good thing is that because these are well known titles that have either been priced too highly or been pressed in too large a number, they are price sensitive. In both cases dropping the price will lead to more sales. With those that have been overpriced to start with the customers are still there to buy if they feel the price is more reasonable. For those titles that have maybe sold well but not well enough there will be a second wave of customers who will buy if they think they are getting a bargain.
Patsy Cline ‘Lost Recordings’ Collection To Be Released On Record Store Day: A treasure trove of unreleased material from Patsy Cline will be released on Imagine That: The Lost Recordings (1954-1963), a revelatory new collection from Elemental Music/Deep Digs due out on Record Store Day (April 12). The limited edition two-LP set, produced in association with the Patsy Cline Estate, features 48 unissued tracks, all faithfully transferred, mastered and released for the first time. They cover the full breadth of the singer’s artistry, from her first days as a professional musician with Bill Peer & the Melody Boys and Girls in the early ‘50s to the peak of her popularity, just weeks before she tragically died at the age of 30 in a plane crash. Drawn from radio broadcasts, TV shows, and demos, the meticulously restored performances cast a fresh spotlight on Cline’s powerful voice in an intimate, unadorned way.
This two-in-one Bluetooth turntable and wireless speaker might just be a serious vinyl lover’s dream: Dip your toes into the world of vinyl listening with the Mixx Audio Analog System 5. Audiophiles on a budget can now spin records and stream wirelessly with Mixx Audio’s new all-in-one Bluetooth turntable and wireless speaker combo. The Mixx Analog System 5, priced at £299, combines a Bluetooth-capable turntable with a pair of versatile Bluetooth bookshelf speakers, offering a complete vinyl listening experience without breaking the bank. At the heart of the Analog System 5 lies a true audiophile’s dream – two separate wireless speakers with 50-watt RMS power that deliver a rich, immersive hi-fi sound experience. These speakers effortlessly pair with the included record player, allowing you to dive into your vinyl collection without any hassle. In addition to Bluetooth support, the speaker system features RCA connections and Optical Input, along with adjustable bass and treble controls.
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