UK | ERA expands membership to wider entertainment industry: Digital entertainment and retail association ERA has opened membership to the wider entertainment industry. The move is in response to growing demand for its insight, analysis and event services, according to a statement. A new upgraded affiliate membership tier will allow companies to join outside its core member base of digital services and retailers selling music, video and games. A series of associate member tiers based on turnover will allow access to companies of all sizes with revenues of less than £1 million to more than £100m. Affiliate membership of ERA offers benefits including access to ERA’s consumer tracking study, now in its 12 year; its bespoke research strand, whose early work covered superfans; and weekly, monthly and annual analyses of music, video and games market data. Membership also offers preferential rates for submissions to Record Store Day, as well as discounts to the Record Store Day Album Of The Month programme.
Philadelphia, PA | Local entrepreneurs celebrate National Black Business Month: SOOK Vinyl & Vintage. As August winds down, plenty of local entrepreneurs are celebrating a successful National Black Business Month. The history of the annual celebration goes back to 2004, when engineering entrepreneur Frederick E. Jordan and scholarly publishing editor John William Templeton joined forces to empower Black business owners and push for equity in entrepreneurial fields. According to Aisha Waters, founder of Space & Grace Yoga and Wellness in Mt. Airy, this month brings an opportunity for local residents to make an impact. …Rashied Amon, owner of SOOK Vinyl & Vintage in Mt. Airy, also understands the importance of keeping small Black-owned businesses afloat. “As far as Black-owned businesses, it’s important to support in order to sustain,” Amon said. “If people appreciate the businesses that they visit, they should be intentional about supporting businesses that they’d like to see stay around.”
Poughkeepsie, NY | Darkside Records finds a new home in Poughkeepsie this fall: The popular area record store is currently building its new store at 32 Cannon Street. Founded in January 2011 by Justin Johnson and Roberto Hull, Darkside Records quickly became the Hudson Valley’s largest brick‑and‑mortar independent music store. Originally located on Main Street, the store relocated in January 2016 to a spacious 6,000 sq ft facility at 611 Dutchess Turnpike. …Darkside Records celebrated 13 years in January 2024 and around the same time announced plans to move the business again, to another location at 32 Cannon Street which was home to entertainment spot Revel 32, where WPDH held its Kings and Queens of the Hudson Valley Cover Bands contest in 2023. City of Poughkeepsie posted on Facebook an update on Darkside Records. They featured the restoration of 32 Cannon Street becoming Darkside Records in their Buzz newsletter, and included some photos of the construction. Darkside Records plans on opening the new spot this fall.
Manila, PH | 7 Places To Buy Vinyl Records In Manila: Just getting into vinyl? Or building your collection? These seven Manila spots have everything from new releases to vintage gems. Vinyl has been making a steady comeback, thanks to the analog boom—with today’s biggest artists embracing the format just as much as those who came before them. People have all kinds of reasons for loving records: some prize their unique sound signatures (they tend to sound fuller, richer, and more dynamic); others enjoy the interactive, deeply intimate connection that vinyl fosters between listener and artist. Most enthusiasts fall somewhere in between. And whether you’re just getting into the hobby or looking to grow your library, here’s the good news: Manila is home to a thriving vinyl record scene that will only continue to grow. Here are seven spots where you can get your plaka fix, encompassing everything from new releases to secondhand classics.
Limerick, IE | Vinyl Sessions to return to Record Room to celebrate the sound of Limerick’s thriving music scene: The acclaimed Vinyl Sessions return to the Record Room on Catherine Street for a brand-new series of live recordings. Following the success of Live at Record Room Vol. 1, which sold out its summer 2023 run and won widespread praise for its authenticity, the producers have confirmed that recording for Volume Two will begin later this month. The project, curated by venue proprietor Eoin “Rocky” O’Shea alongside mastering engineer Richard Dowling of WAV Mastering, continues its mission to capture the current pulse of Limerick’s ever-evolving music scene. …The Vinyl Sessions will be recorded across four consecutive Thursdays, beginning 28 August, with three acts performing each night. One track per artist will be chosen for inclusion on the limited-edition vinyl, due for release at Limerick’s Merch and Record Fair at The Commercial this December.
Bloomington-Normal, IL | Bloomington-Normal record stores host live music and ‘just trying to do something nice, okay?’ For over 20 years, Bloomington-Normal record stores have been bringing art and culture to the community. Two mainstays, Reverberation Vinyl and Waiting Room Records, have built a following by hosting live music in their shops and the community. Waiting Room Records is hosting its 4th annual free music fest, We’re Just Trying to Do Something Nice, Okay? at the Connie Link Amphitheater at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30. The show will raise donations to support Clover’s Cat Club, an animal rescue service in Normal. A Labor of Love: Live Music and Local Record Stores. When you walk into Reverberation Vinyl or Waiting Room Records, you’re greeted by walls of sound and culture. Some if it you may be familiar with—a Nirvana record on the wall or a poster for an upcoming Tyler, The Creator album—but for the average listener it’s a feast for the senses.
Grand Rapids, MI | ‘The old days’: New VHS store aims to create new memories in West Michigan: A local business is trying to generate both nostalgia and new memories for generations of movie fans across West Michigan. Mark and Abigail Ritzema are partnering with Rob Grimes to open BarderTown Video in Wyoming, located on Porter Street near Byron Center Avenue. The store will provide VHS tapes and VCRs, while also offering HDMI adapters for people to connect the equipment to their TVs. “The general purpose of the store is to create a library,” Grimes said. “Possibly in the next few months to next year or two. A library of one of the largest permanent media rental sections in West Michigan, where people can experience the old days.” …“We’re going to set up a package where you’ll be able to rent a VCR and five movies all for one low price, and keep them for a week and just enjoy it.”
San Francisco, CA | Good Taste: Cooking with vinyl at Side A. A San Francisco restaurateur moonlights as a DJ on her own sound system. Good Taste is a menu for eating well in the Bay Area. This week, it’s also a recipe for where to go for music that’s presented with as much love as the food: Side A (2814 19th Street, SF). DJ and music industry vet Caroline Brown and her chef husband Parker Brown opened their restaurant-slash-vinyl listening bar Side A on May 1 in the former Universal Cafe space in San Francisco. They were met with a popular response from the public—many of whom are seeing records for the first time—and glowing reviews from restaurant critics and the DJ community alike. Side A’s trick placing equal value on the music, which comes out of a fresh Tub sound system from New Zealand, and the food: Parker’s edible bangers, like his bone marrow-assisted cheeseburger, cheese fries dripping with smoked trout roe and caviar, and a small but mighty carrot cake with pecans, are just the jam.
Marquette, MI | Vinyl record show Aug. 30 in Marquette: A vinyl record show will take place from noon until 11 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, Aug. 30, on the main floor of Blackrocks Brewery, 424 N. Third St. in downtown Marquette. Thousands of new and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and T-shirts will be available. The Endless Summer Festival will feature 13 musical acts on multiple stages, 14 creative local artists and four food trucks serving a variety of food. Attendees are invited to speak with Jon Teichman and Geoff Walker about trading old records and tapes for new favorites, or finding an unused media collection a new home. All are welcome at this free, all-ages event, presented by the NMU Vinyl Record Club.
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