Digital fatigue is showing up in our music consumption—and Gen Z is ditching streaming for vinyl crackle: The best way to listen to your music is actually 50 years old. There are more and more people investing in analog listening and embracing retro in their lives. This is despite streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, giving us all the music in the world right at our fingertips. I suppose sometimes having algorithms throw music at you doesn’t feel entirely authentic. So, could nostalgia be the death of music streaming? Not even close. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, paid subscriptions to streaming services grew to 106.5M accounts. But vinyl sales are also 9.3% up on the previous year, making it the 19th consecutive year of vinyl sales growth in the U.S. It’s undeniable that people are intrigued by the format. So why could this be happening?
Tacoma, WA | Country band frontman to open used record store on Tacoma’s Antique Row: Get your turntable ready. A new record store is coming to downtown Tacoma. Armchair Boogie Records is expected to open early next month on Antique Row, sharing a space with Savoy Special Vintage at 740 Broadway. It’s fair to say store owner and local musician Matt Kimball knows a thing or two about what he’s selling. In addition to releasing a vinyl-only album with his band the Kimball Superstars earlier this year, Kimball worked at Hi-Voltage Records & Books for nearly 11 years, before deciding to open his own store. “I didn’t really want to [sell] new records anymore. I’m just focusing on used,” Kimball said.
Paul McCartney’s ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’ to be celebrated with nationwide record store release parties: Paul McCartney’s new solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, will be celebrated with record store release parties across the country. The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer revealed a list of record stores hosting the events May 29-31. The Instagram announcement noted that the parties will include postcard party favors and tote bags that come with the purchase of the album, plus a chance to win an undisclosed “special prize.” Those attending will also have the chance to purchase a special limited-edition silver vinyl variant of the album, which will only be available at the parties. The Boys of Dungeon Lane, dropping May 29, is McCartney’s first solo album since 2020’s McCartney III.
Bristol, UK | Standup Alistair Clark to perform at Rough Trade on his tour of record shops: Liverpool standup Alistair Clark spent nearly a decade selling vinyl in an independent record shop before pursuing a full-time comedy career. Now, he is combining his twin passions with a tour of his solo show around indie record stores and grassroots venues around the country. On The Record will visit Bristol’s Rough Trade on May 22. Blending standup, storytelling and a host of musical references, it’s a show full of stories from a world that Clark still keeps close to his heart. The tone shifts between “funny, nostalgic and quietly moving” as he explores the magic of record stores, and the communities of music fans that surround them. “What began as a job,” he reflects, went on to become “a defining part” of his identity. “The show explores what it means to leave that behind.”
Eric Clapton Walks Off Madrid Show After Vinyl Toss: Eric Clapton cut his Madrid concert short on May 7 after an object struck him in the chest as he was leaving the stage, prompting the guitarist to scrap what appeared to be a planned encore. The incident took place at the Movistar Arena during a stop on his European tour, and Clapton did not return after the interruption. As Metro reported, footage shared on social media shows a vinyl record—still in its packaging—being thrown toward Clapton moments after he finished “Cocaine,” with the singer visibly jolted as it hit him and his expression changing before he exited. …Metro said Spanish outlet El País claimed the fan did not intend to harm Clapton and had attached a note of affection to the record, but that Clapton “became angry” afterward and dropped the encore.
History of London Records explored in new podcast series: The five-part series features contributions from Pete Tong, John Niven, Goldie, Phil Hartnoll of Orbital, and more. The story of London Records is the subject of a new podcast series titled Hit That Perfect Beat. Named after a Bronski Beat song released on the label, the five-part series explores three decades of the label’s history and its position at the intersection of pop music and underground club culture. Hosted by journalist Siân Pattenden and produced by Podmasters, the podcast features contributions from music industry figures such as DJ Pete Tong, broadcaster Miranda Sawyer, screenwriter, author and former London Records A&R John Niven, and DJ/broadcaster Sean Rowley.
Milwaukee, WI | Contest winner bringing new vinyl record lounge to South Milwaukee: Many in the South Milwaukee area visit Grant Park and walk the Seven Bridges Trail to unwind. 7 Bridges Record Lounge hopes to help people unwind a different way—with classic vinyl. Tyler Colby entered South Milwaukee’s “Space Race” contest through Renew Towns. Many entrepreneurs submitted business plans to the contest with the hopes of winning a year of free rent of a South Milwaukee storefront. The community voted on its favorites but the final winners were selected by a panel of judges. “I feel so lucky with the whole thing,” Colby said, calling this contest to help motivate small business innovation “an incredible thing.”
Salisbury, UK | Vinyl-only disco to celebrate 40th anniversary of Tactless Discotheque: A night of music and dancing is set to raise thousands for a cause close to many hearts. The Chapel in Salisbury will host the 40th Anniversary of Tactless Discotheque—a vinyl-only disco raising funds for Salisbury Hospice—on Saturday, June 20. The event is organised by long-time friends Jonty Newbery and Charlotte Jane Grimaldi Phillips, co-hosts of the I Can Cope podcast, who hope to sell all 450 tickets and raise £4,500 for the charity. Charlotte Jane Grimaldi Phillips and Jonty Newbery co-host the podcast I Can Cope. Landlord of The Duke of York pub and creator of Tactless Discotheque, Jonty has been a fixture of Salisbury’s music scene since the mid 1980s. He launched Tactless in 1986, DJing around the UK for a decade before building and opening The Chapel nightclub in 1997.
Benton Harbor, MI | Southwest Michigan Record Show at the Mendel Center: Vinyl collectors and music fans can dig through thousands of records and music collectibles when the Southwest Michigan Record Show returns May 16, to Grand Upton Hall at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center. Now on its fourth season, the show continues to grow as a destination for music fans, with a strong lineup of quality vendors and a deep selection, including a mix of returning favorites and new dealers. This spring’s event features 25 vendors from five states, with 70 tables filled with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, record supplies, and music memorabilia. “This show is still being discovered, and that’s part of what makes it exciting,” said event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio. “We’ve built a strong group of experienced vendors, so whether you’re just getting into vinyl or digging for something rare, there’s a real opportunity here to find something unexpected.”
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