Portland, OR | Devout Rcrds Reopens on NE Glisan: On April 26th, Devout Rcrds held its grand reopening in its new location at 7115 NE Glisan Street after a long hiatus. This highly specialized store focuses on metal music in all its varieties. Redevelopment pressures forced the shop to move several times within Portland’s Inner Eastside, and the pandemic caused the owner to close the shop for years. However, better leasing opportunities in Montavilla are giving this store a new life in an area that has regularly welcomed this genre of music store. Store owner Stevie Floyd keeps a lowkey shop and depends on a particular type of customer seeking her extensive collection of underground metal, death metal, black metal, and doom metal. “It’s not for everyone. I don’t wanna waste people’s time or mine. It’s a very niche thing,” said Floyd.
Toronto, CA | Toronto woman opens store of her dreams in hidden coach house: Walk by and you might just miss it: Nestled behind The Greenwood Café is a charming coach house that has been transformed into a record lover’s paradise. Local resident and music enthusiast Courtney Radic officially opened the doors of her new record shop, called Baxters Vinyl, in January. Radic, who once ran a small local newspaper, has been a passionate record collector for approximately 15 years. “My love for music has always been there,” she told blogTO. “The hobby turned into a business, almost organically and naturally, and unfolded during the pandemic.” Previously located at 198 Sammon Avenue, just north of Donlands subway station, Baxters Vinyl specializes in relocating records and record collections, preserving vintage vinyl, and putting sought-after albums into the hands of collectors.
Des Moines, IA | Vinyl Cup Records expanding to new location, celebrating Beaverdale roots: Vinyl Cup Records, a hidden gem in Beaverdale since 2018, is preparing for a major move to a more visible and spacious location. “It is roughly 5,000 square feet,” said Luke Dickens, the owner of Vinyl Cup Records. Currently tucked away with minimal signage and located upstairs, the store has built a loyal customer base and stands out with outside-the-box thinking. “We partner with an artist or a label, and we have a limited release that you can only get from our record store,” Dickens said. The move will take them to the former Back Country location, about three blocks away. As a result of the relocation, the Omaha and Cedar Falls locations will close, consolidating the focus back to Beaverdale. Despite the changes, the store plans to keep its core charm intact. Earl, an Australian Shepherd, the beloved store mascot, will continue to be a store fixture.
CT | Vintage Store Day is being held for the first time next month. These CT stores are participating. Less than two weeks ago, record stores around the state of Connecticut celebrated the annual shopping holiday of Record Store Day, which included special releases from Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Elton John and Charli XCX among others. Next month, vintage stores will get their own special day. Vintage Store Day will be held for the first time ever on Saturday, May 17. The goal of the holiday, which was founded by Chicago-based stores Lost Girls and Rare Form, is to provide “an opportunity for local, brick and mortar businesses to lift up these beloved specialty stores, boost sales and celebrate their communities,” according to a news release. Nearly 600 stores across the U.S. and Canada will be participating.
Gladstone, MO | Gladstone record fair hits all right notes with music lovers: This weekend is the third year for the fair. Vinyl enthusiasts and music lovers gathered this weekend for the Gladstone Vinyl Fair, a lively celebration of all things musical that proved there’s still magic in physical formats. From vinyl records, CD’s, and cassette tapes, attendees were on the hunt for new sounds and nostalgic treasures. “Here’s some tapes!” exclaimed James Teeter, owner and host of Blacklite & Absinthe Records, as he welcomed visitors to the event. “This might be the event where you find something that inspires you, heals you, or is just cool enough to show your friends!” Shoppers like Jena Campbell were all smiles as they flipped through the stacks. “This one’s a good one,” Campbell said. “This one is only $5!” she said, showcasing a record she was excited to score. With digital streaming dominating the music scene, many visitors expressed a longing for tangible items that they can hold onto.
Pop-up book-inspired vinyl jacket adds a whole new dimension to Ok Go’s new album: Music has always been about more than just sound, with album artwork serving as a crucial visual companion to the auditory experience. From the psychedelic covers of the 1960s to the iconic imagery of classic rock albums, these visual elements have helped forge deeper connections between listeners and the music they love. …The resurgence of vinyl records has breathed new life into album packaging, with artists and designers seizing the opportunity to create physical experiences that digital platforms simply cannot replicate. OK GO, a band already renowned for their visually innovative music videos, has embraced this renaissance with their latest album “And the Adjacent Possible,” featuring a revolutionary vinyl jacket design that transforms the simple act of opening an album into a moment of wonder and discovery that perfectly complements their boundary-pushing musical approach.
Surrey, UK | Vinyl collection of 30,000 sells for £132,000: A collection of vinyl records amassed over 60 years has been sold at auction for nearly £132,000, almost double the expected amount. The two-day sale was run by Ewbank’s in Send, Surrey. The vinyl collection had been the life’s work of an unnamed collector, who had recently died. Auctioneers had estimated the “jaw-dropping” collection would sell for about £80,000. A Peel Sessions collection, featuring artists including Jimi Hendrix, Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, Nico and Stiff Little Fingers, was expected to fetch between £800 and £1,200, but went for £4,680. Meanwhile, a collection of Rolling Stones albums expected to sell for up to £400 went for £1,235, and a box of records by 90s artists, estimated to sell for between £300 and 500, was sold for £1,430. …And a copy of the Spice Girls’ album Spiceworld, which had an estimated price of £340 to £360, sold for £780.
‘Sinners’ Albums Score a Vinyl Release From Mutant This Summer: Both the soundtrack and score by Ludwig Göransson are getting the deluxe treatment. In Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” music has an elemental power—not just the incredible score by Ludwig Göransson, but the blues songs that make up the soundtrack, which transport you to a different time and place. And if you’ve been wondering where the vinyl versions of the two albums (the soundtrack and the score) have been, we can exclusively solve that mystery. Mutant, in partnership with Sony Music Soundtracks, will debut the physical releases of the original soundtrack and original score to “Sinners” later this year. …As Mutant said in its official release, “The original score album by Academy Award winner Ludwig Göransson is a masterclass in genre. Blending guitar-driven blues, folk, gospel with horror film elements—all combined to make one of the most engaging, unique and powerful film scores in recent memory.”
Vinyl succumbs to Loudness War: more than just collateral damage! The vinyl record is an analog medium. How can it be affected by the loudness war? This translates into a reduction in the quality of the vinyl record, which is collateral damage from the loudness war. We’ll use Prince’s Purple Rain as an example to describe this phenomenon. However, let’s start by looking at what’s happening to digital versions. Indeed, loudness war is a phenomenon linked to the digital medium, which consists in music becoming louder on a digital support. As with digital, it’s impossible to exceed the maximum level, so we try to increase the average level, but this results in a reduction in peaks, and therefore dynamics. The waveforms below illustrate this phenomenon.
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