Auckland, NZ | Historic Record Store Marbecks Says Goodbye to its Shopfront: One of Auckland’s most iconic record stores, Marbecks, is closing its physical doors after more than nine decades. For decades, the retailer has been a cornerstone of Auckland’s music culture, known for its knowledgeable staff, carefully curated collections, and the sense of discovery it brought to music fans. It is far from saying goodbye, with a move to an online-only model. Hoping to mark the beginning of a new chapter for the retailer, the online platform will continue to ensure customers can access the best in music, delivered straight to their door. Plans are also underway for special Marbecks pop-up events at festivals and music gatherings around New Zealand, keeping the spirit of the store alive. According to Roger Marbeck, founding family member, the decision reflects the changing ways people are discovering music.
Leeds, UK | Plant & Deck: Record and houseplant store takes root in new Leeds home with grand reopening party. A much-loved Leeds shop that blends houseplants with vinyl records has found a new permanent base after months of uncertainty. Plant & Deck is celebrating its return today (September 13) with a grand re-opening party, featuring local DJs, discounted records and plenty of greenery. The concept was born in 2022 from founder Phil Warner’s twin passions. “I’ve always wanted to work in a record shop, but you don’t really make much money selling records, so you need something else to kind of give it a reason to exist,” Phil told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “And I thought, Oh, you know, I love house plants as well. So house plants and records, and it could be called Plant and Deck, that would just be… silly, wouldn’t it?” What began as a tongue-in-cheek idea quickly became a fixture in the city’s creative scene.
Manchester, UK | Fans queue down the street as former Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall arrives in Greater Manchester town: Huge queues gathered as former Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall came to Greater Manchester to celebrate the release of her debut album. Around 150 fans queued down the street to see the pop star and get a chance to have their albums signed by the IT Girl singer. The queue stretched around 50 metres down the high street as fans gathered to show their love for the singer. The trip is part of Jade’s busy promo tour for her new album. Jade rose to fame in the iconic girl group Little Mix when they won the X Factor back in 2011. On Friday (September 12) Jade released her debut solo album That’s Showbiz Baby! to fans’ delight. The album has received praise from music critics and fans from across the world.
New York, NY | Not Just for Students: The Juilliard Store Welcomes the Curious and Creative: The indie shop is packed with gifts and books for anyone, and every purchase goes toward scholarships for Juilliard students. As indie gift shops have become increasingly rare in New York City, the Juilliard Store, nestled between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue on West 66th Street at Lincoln Center, has not only endured but evolved into much more than a just a place for performing artists to buy sheet music. The store offers beautifully designed mugs, cards, puzzles, journals, funky socks, apparel, and other gifts, alongside a wonderful collection of books about the performing arts, including memoirs, novels, biographies, and how-tos about overcoming stage fright or managing the business of being an artist. Rainy? Chilly? Stop in for an umbrella or a beanie. Need a last-minute birthday party gift? Find cute stuffies like the Juilliard penguin, or toys to get kids excited about music.
Deal, UK | Starting from scratch: Deal team to change the music industry with Eco Vinyl. In the unassuming seaside town of Deal, something revolutionary is happening—quietly, creatively and with deep-rooted purpose. Evolution Music Ltd, an enterprise born from a passion for music and the planet, is leading a green revolution in one of the most unexpectedly toxic corners of the music industry: vinyl records. Founded in 2018 by Marc Carey, Adrian Clarke and a collective of likeminded creatives, Evolution Music has developed Evovinyl, a bioplastic alternative to traditional PVC records. Not only is Evovinyl fully compostable and far more environmentally friendly but it also works with existing pressing machinery—a breakthrough that could accelerate sustainable vinyl production industry-wide. The seeds of Evolution Music were planted not in a lab or boardroom but in the principles of permaculture—a design system rooted in earth care, people care and fair shares
Blur announce 30th anniversary vinyl reissue of ‘The Great Escape.’ It features a collection of rare B-sides and bonus tracks from the era. Blur have announced details of a 30th anniversary vinyl reissue of their album ‘The Great Escape’. Check out the details below. It comes as this year marks 30 years since the band’s fourth album arrived on September 11 1995, and marked the highly anticipated follow-up to their 1994 hit album ‘Parklife’. It contained singles like ‘Country House’, ‘The Universal’, ‘Stereotypes’, and ‘Charmless Man’, and debuted at the top of the UK album charts. To celebrate the milestone, Blur have announced that the album will be released in brand new Half Speed Mastered Double-Disc Coloured Vinyl Edition. It will arrive on December 12 via Parlophone and is available to pre-order here. In the 30th anniversary edition, the first disc features the 15-track standard album, while disc two contains a collection of rare B-sides and bonus tracks from the era, several of which are previously unreleased on vinyl.
The Best Of Everything But The Girl: 16-song compilation is the duo’s third career-spanning set. Everything But The Girl are to release a new career-spanning compilation on their own Buzzin’ Fly label in November. The Best Of comes as a single CD or 2LP vinyl (with audio newly mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios) and features songs from 1982’s ‘Night And Day’ (standalone debut single) to ‘Nothing Left To Lose’ and ‘Run A Red Light’ from in 2023. It’s their first such compilation since 1996’s identically titled The Best Of, which is now updated to include songs from 1999’s Temperamental, 2023’s comeback album Fuse, the mash-up single ‘Tracey In My Room’ from 2002 remix compilation Like The Deserts Miss The Rain and their cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s ‘Corcovado’ from 1996 charity compilation Red Hot + Rio, later released as a single in 2002. The duo’s first singles compilation, Home Movies: The Best Of, reached No 5 in 1993.
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Soundtrack Pressed on Vinyl by Milan Records: The soundtrack for “Wednesday” Season 2 will be released on vinyl December 5 from Milan Records. The album features 14 score selections composed by Chris Bacon (Heretic, “Bates Motel”) along with standout tracks from the show, includin “Bad Moon Rising,” “Don’t Fear the Reaper, and “Zombie.” Also on the tracklist are cello soli performed by Wednesday Addams, “Dance of the Knights” from Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet, and TikTok star Bella Poarch‘s covers of “Zombie” and “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Priced at $34.98, it’s pressed on purple and black blended transparent vinyl, housed in a pot-glossed sleeve along with a poster and lyric insert. …Jenna Ortega stars as Wednesday Addams, who must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem.
Clutch to Release Fully Remastered 10th Anniversary Edition Vinyl of ‘Psychic Warfare.’ Time is a merciless bitch. One minute you’re a happy go lucky twenty-something and the next you’re staring down the barrel of your 40s and wondering where the fuck all that time went… No? Just me? Okay. Well, this latest bout of existential dread was set off by the announcement that Clutch‘s Psychic Warfare was getting a 10th anniversary remaster and I distinctly remember getting that album when it first came out. Has it already been 10 years?! Yes, it has and Clutch are celebrating by putting out a new version of the album, complete with a redesign and completely remastered version of the record. Set to be released on October 2, this special edition is available exclusively through the band’s webstore and features a 12″ LP pressed on purple smoke colored vinyl.
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