Leeds, UK | The Vinyl Whistle, Headingley: Leeds record store reopens following overnight burglary: A Leeds community has rallied together after a record store was broken into overnight. The Vinyl Whistle on Otley Road in Headingley was broken into in the early hours of this morning (Wednesday) and had its till stolen. Store manager Adam White said that CCTV shows the thief breaking in through the front door at 2.49am, adding: “He was literally in and out in a minute. He’d clearly done it before. “He just took the cash drawer and fortunately left all of the valuable vinyl records.” Mr White added that it appears that a restaurant nearby was also targeted by the burglar around the same time. …Mr White said: “The response from everyone has been really nice. Headingley is full of very good people who’ve been really supportive.”
San Diego, CA | Fuzz Coffee & Records Coming to North Park: A trio of coffee alums and vinyl obsessives are opening their dream business in San Diego’s buzziest coffee ’hood. Who hasn’t daydreamed of one day opening a coffee shop slash record store slash plant shop slash creative community hub? (It can’t possibly just be me.) Rather than simply fantasizing about it, a trio of local musicians and coffee experts are manifesting that Millennial dream. Seancarlo Ohlin, Jonas Reichert, and Christopher Darton had watched fellow musicians and creators leave San Diego in pursuit of what they considered more culturally rich destinations. “We’ve been in the San Diego scene for a really long time,” Ohlin says. …North Park’s not short on coffee spots, but Ohlin thinks the vinyl-meets-java concept will set Fuzz apart. “We know there’s an audience for what we do,” he says. And he’s adamant about one thing—it’s not a listening bar. “A lot of people are expecting that, and there is a lot of that going on around San Diego right now. It’s very cool, but our focus is pressing records and selling records.”
Brussels, BE | Hidden Belgium: Grey Vinyl Treasures. Marthy Coumans travels around collecting rare vinyl by obscure niche bands. Originally based in Breda, he now runs a record store at Korte Nieuwstraat 6 in downtown Antwerp. His store has become a mecca for obsessive music fans, DJs and collectors. The stock includes freakbeat, garage psych, reggae, ska and Belgian beat. You name it, as long as it’s not James Last. Marthy even has a stack labelled ‘Expensive Shit’ for the vinyl nerds. Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium.” He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
Inverness, UK | Inverness music shop Union Vinyl closes doors after more than a decade in the city centre: An Inverness city centre vinyl treasure trove has been forced to close its doors amidst rising costs and a “massive downturn” in sales, aggravated by the cost-of-living crisis. Union Vinyl’s owner Nigel Graham announced this morning that the Market Brae Steps shop will permanently close after it became unsustainable to run the business. …Commenting on the announcement, the business owner shared his frustration at being forced to shut down a business he loved, which he initially launched with his late mother. “Everything has doubled in price. Even the poly bags and plastic sleeves for the albums…everything doubled. “Every penny that we took in went back into the shop. I never took a wage out of that shop for the last four years. It was all to pay wages and keep the shop afloat and buy stock. “As an independent shop, you don’t really get any breaks at all.”
Worcester, UK | New record shop and tearoom among new shops opening in Malvern Hills: A new record shop, tearoom, and boutique gift shop are among the new shops set to open across the Malvern Hills Towns and villages in the area, including Malvern, Upton, and Witley, have opened a selection of new businesses, with more set to open soon. The new businesses include Rock on Son Records, a record shop in Upton. The Secret Garden tearoom in Great Witley is also new, alongside the Strawberry Tree boutique gift shop in Great Malvern. Little Olive’s Play Café and Jasper & Pip, a home, fragrance and clothing shop, both of which are in Great Malvern, are also new additions. Councillor Beverley Nielsen, portfolio holder for economy and tourism at Malvern Hills District Council, said: “It is great news to see new businesses opening in our district.”
Bury, UK | Author shares memoir of music scene in towns: An author has shared his personal memories of the Bury and Bolton music scenes. Chris (C J) Smith, an international education consultant, launched his book at Wax and Beans Coffee Bar and Vinyl Record Store in Bury. The book, “From Soul To Soukous (via Manchester) A Personal Voyage of Musical Discovery,” is described as part memoir and part travelogue, with music as its central theme. At the event, which took place earlier this month, Mr Smith shared his experiences of working on international development projects in post-conflict or fragile environments. More than 40 guests attended the event, where Mr Smith spoke about the challenges of getting published. He also shared anecdotes from his international work and read short extracts from his book.
Glasgow, UK | Record Shops of Glasgow: 22 classic albums & singles that Glaswegians first bought in a Glasgow record store. These are some of the first albums which our readers bought at old Glasgow record stores. We are taking a trip down memory lane to remember some of Glasgow’s old record shops that are no longer with us by remembering some of the first albums we bought out of them. Buying your very first album is a special experience, and a moment people don’t forget. We asked our readers to tell us what the first album was that they ever bought and where they got it from with plenty of people getting in touch to share their memories. Many of the albums included will be recognisable as might some of the names of the old record shops.
David Lynch Auction Includes Tons Of Instruments, Vinyl, & Collectible Memorabilia: It’s been a little over five months since we lost David Lynch, and now the legendary filmmaker’s memorabilia is up for auction. Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) announced the David Lynch Collection today, and it includes instruments, records, and more collectible items. Lynch’s vinyl collection consists of albums related to his films as well as his own personal records, which include Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Bobby Vinton, Chris Isaak, the B-52’s, and more. As for instruments, there are a lot—guitars, keyboards, trumpets, violins, plus gear like amps and pedals. “Julien’s and TCM are honored to represent and offer to the public for the first time this incredible collection of one of the greatest and most revered filmmakers of all time, David Lynch,” Catherine Williamson, the managing director of entertainment at Julien’s Auctions, said in a press release.
St. Petersburg, FL | St. Pete DJ Austen van der Bleek is back from Detroit and bringing his new records to Bar Mezzo: He plays a free set this weekend. Austen van der Bleek is known for putting a modern spin on original Chicago, New York, and Detroit house during his sets. Fresh off a trip to Detroit—the birthplace of techno—van der Bleek brings his unique tastes (and record store finds) back to the Bay area this weekend. Many argue that EDM was a European trend, but it was in Motor City basement studios and abandoned Detroit warehouses where many subgenres began, and thanks to artists like van der Bleek that history won’t be lost. Van der Bleek—who explores the stories of underground cultural movements in his performance—was voted best DJ for Best of the Bay in 2019 and has continued performing in the Bay area since. There’s no cover to see Austen van der Bleek play Bar Mezzo in St. Petersburg on Saturday, May 31.
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