Brandon, MB | New Record Store Set to Spin Into Brandon Shopping Scene: Music lovers and collectors will soon have a new destination to explore as Sunshine Records prepares to open its doors at Shoppers Mall in Brandon. The new store is expected to offer a wide selection of vinyl records, CDs, movies, collectibles, and pop culture merchandise, bringing a unique retail experience to shoppers in the city. The addition comes as Shoppers Mall continues to attract new tenants and diversify its mix of retailers. The mall is home to more than 80 stores and services and remains one of western Manitoba’s largest shopping destinations. Sunshine Records will provide a welcome opportunity to browse both new and classic albums without leaving the city.
Altadena, CA | Rebuilding Their Collection: Altadena Record Shop helps fire survivors build music catalogue. Altadena Musicians, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals affected by natural disasters replace lost instruments, has opened the Altadena Record Shop, giving fire survivors who lost record collections an opportunity to rebuild them for free. The record shop, located inside the Altadena Music Center, officially launched with an open house on May 30 and will offer monthly shopping sessions beginning Saturday, June 27. “We don’t have the ability to replace everybody’s entire record collection but at least we can give people a little bit of joy and let them have the experience of shopping without the price tag on top of it,” Brandon Jay, founder of Altadena Musicians, said.
Tempe, AZ | Gritty Tempe record store saved from shuttering. What’s next for store. Michael Pawlicki was pretty sure he’d have a buyer lined up for a smooth transition by the time he spent his final day behind the counter at The Ghost of Eastside Records, also known as Double Nickels, on June 30. Now he does. Darren Skarecky, who owns Grace Records in Gilbert, is buying the business. “We’re firming up details and hoping to take possession on July 1 to expand Grace Records into Tempe,” Skarecky says. The plan is for the Tempe store to retain the Double Nickels name for now. “Mike has done an amazing job of being very connected to the overall music and record culture in Tempe, so we want to try to retain that vibe and the history of record culture in the state of Arizona with the Ghost of Eastside,” Skarecky says.
UK | Qobuz And Rough Trade Announce Global Co-Promotion Partnership: While vinyl records continue to thrive, like all physical media, record stores have to work harder than ever to compete with streaming services. As the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them, which explains why Rough Trade, the famous independent record store, has announced a deal with Qobuz, the France-based streaming service. As part of an initial two-year deal, Qobuz will be the music service playing in Rough Trade’s nine stores across the UK, US and Germany. The two companies will also collaborate on in-store events and live performances.
Las Vegas, NV | New vinyl record store now open at Westgate Las Vegas: The Vinyl Pharmacy is a one stop shop for vintage and new release vinyl records. The store also has a large selection of CD’s, cassettes, DVD’s Blu-Rays and much more. They also carry original and reduction movie posters for any film fan. They are the only record shop that sells records inside a Casino and Resort. The shop is located right inside the Westgate Resort and Casino near the back entrance closest to the parking garage.
Denver, CO | What we saw at Elijah Wood’s ‘fantasy-themed’ DJ set: Sexy Smeagol, sexy Gimli, regular taters. One does not simply walk into a DJ set played by Elijah Wood. Mostly because the Sunday show at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom immediately sold out when tickets were released. Only around 1,000 lucky people were able to catch the intimate set. Wood has been spinning under the moniker Wooden Wisdom with his friend Zach Cowie for over a decade. At Cervantes, the duo spun an eclectic mix of international records from their personal collection. “We have no plan,” Wood announced to the crowd when he took the stage. Wood was at Fan Expo earlier in the day, celebrating 25 years since the release of “The Fellowship of the Ring” with fellow “Lord of the Rings” costars.
Reykjavík, IS | Reykjavík Record Shop Releases New AAIIEENN Double Album: A new Icelandic electronic music release has arrived from Reykjavík Record Shop, with musician AAIIEENN unveiling his third studio album, Phonetically Ayen, on vinyl and digital platforms. AAIIEENN is the musical project of Hallmar Gauti Halldórsson. According to a press release, the new record draws inspiration from 1990s electronic music and IDM (Intelligent Dance Music), presenting a collection of tracks across a double album format. Released on blue and white vinyl, Phonetically Ayen is the latest addition to Iceland’s growing electronic music scene.
A record player that spins on air—and other vinyl essentials: The turntable poses a tricky engineering challenge. A vinyl record is placed on top of it and, upon that, a needle that runs in grooves to produce the tiniest of vibrations, which in turn generate a very sensitive, low-level signal. Even the slightest of external tremors will impact the sound in some way, and huge amounts of effort have been expended by high-end audio companies over the years to neutralise these effects. …The platter of the Air Force IV is substantial—9kg of solid aluminum—but when you press the 331/3 or 45 buttons on the unit and the platter begins to rotate, it’s actually floating on a thin layer of air produced by a silent electric pump. No friction, no vibration, no noise.
Sequim, WA | Record show set for another spin in Sequim: Collectors and music connoisseurs will convene for the fourth annual Sequim Record Show this weekend. Organizer Gary Butler said there will be 30-plus vendors with vinyl albums, CDs, cassettes, and miscellaneous music memorabilia. “It’s fun to look through collections,” Butler said. “I’m always blown away by what some people have.” The show takes place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, June 6 in the Guy Cole Event Center, 144 N. Blake Ave., in Sequim’s Carrie Blake Community Park. Entry is free and a live DJ will be spinning records throughout the day. Vendors include seasoned sellers as well as collectors looking to lighten their shelves.
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