Glasgow, UK | Alessandro from Revival Recommends—Vinyl and Coffees: In March, 22-year-old entrepreneur Alessandro Alonzi opened the doors of his dream project, Revival. More than a coffee shop, Revival is a fusion of his passions: the menu in fact pairs coffees with records. When you enter the shop, you are hit by the smell of freshly ground coffee beans and a carefully selected vinyl collection (which are also available to purchase!). As a recent Business graduate, student days are not a far memory for Alessandro. Reminiscing on his time as a student, he tells me: “At University, I was the guy people dreaded getting connected to the speaker. I honestly have no idea why!”. And I don’t either, since Alessandro has immaculate music tastes and exceptional music knowledge. I then challenged him to pair moments of student life, with coffees and vinyls. Here’s Alessandro’s picks!
New York, NY | Two Bronx shops featured in new book ‘Vinyl NYC,’ highlighting independent record stores: Two legendary Bronx shops are featured in the new book “Vinyl NYC,” photographed by James T. and Karla L. Murray with text by music journalist Hattie Lindert, which takes readers inside the best indie record stores across all five boroughs. The book was released Sept. 9 and features Casa Amadeo in Longwood, the city’s oldest continuously-running Latin record store, and Moodies, serving the Bronx’s Caribbean community since 1981. Moodies was formerly located at East 225th Street and White Plains Road but is currently moving to an unannounced location. “Vinyl NYC” highlights 33 1/3 independent stores—the “one-third” being Academy Records Annex in Greenpoint, Brooklyn—in homage to the standard vinyl playing speed of 33 1/3 revolutions per minute, according to the book’s introduction.
Geelong, AU | A new record store has rolled into Geelong: Crate diggers at the ready—this fresh wax fitout is full of your favourite artists. Meet Wax Wizard Records—your favourite vinyl playground. There’s nothing quite like descending into a basement bandroom, one that is plastered wall to wall with music memorabilia and 12.375 inch squares stacked side by side like picture frames. That’s exactly what new record retailer, Wax Wizard Records have set out to achieve with their Amazing Mill Markets display. Located on the lower level of the Geelong multi-level warehouse site on Bellarine Highway, and soon to be at the sister location in Daylesford, Wax Wizards taps into the retro feel of the thrift store whilst offering a quality range of new and used record titles. Welcomed by a vibrant psychedelic wizard and mushroom mural, Wax Wizards Records has a melting pot of music classics, new releases and underground finds.
Shoreham, UK | ‘Everything must go’—Owner of independent store in West Sussex announces ‘difficult decision to permanently close.’ A vinyl store in Shoreham is holding a closing-down sale. James Anderson’s second Slipped Discs store opened in Shoreham High Street in April 2024. It has lasted just 17 months, with a social media post announcing the ‘Shoreham Swan Song Sale’. “After a wonderful year and a half of sharing our passion for new vinyl with you, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our Shoreham branch,” a Facebook post read. “We want to thank you every one of you who has supported us and helped create a community the joy of music on vinyl. “To prepare for our VINYL curtain call, we are launching our closing down sale. “This is your last chance to grab some incredible records from our shelves…”
Nashville, TN | Nashville Record Store Says ‘Most’ Of Its Taylor Swift Vinyls Stolen By Woman Caught On Video: A family-run Nashville record store is seeking the public’s help after a woman was caught on camera stealing nearly $1,000 worth of Taylor Swift records. Romeo Records and Cafe said on Facebook Wednesday that the “dishonest customer decided to leave without paying,” and shared images from a security video. “Look what you made us do… You stole our Taylor vinyl, but you can’t shake this off. Now your Reputation is on display And now we’ve got Bad Blood,” read one caption alongside a photo of the woman reaching into her shirt. “Wanted: For stealing more vinyl than Scooter Braun,” read a caption next to an image of the woman holding a stack of at least 10 records while reaching for more. “She got away with most of our Taylor Swift and a few more,” said the store, which has only been open for a few months.
Cheonan, SK | Indulge your appetite for vinyl records at this new cafe in South Korea: Music lovers in South Korea will find recently opened Vinyl is the perfect place to enjoy the warmth of LP records. This English-friendly cafe opened its fifth branch in July in Cheonan, a city famous for the Independence Hall, a museum of Korean history, and the local walnut snack. Just a 30-minute drive from Camp Humphreys, the city has become a popular destination among U.S. service members. Vinyl is close enough for a quick escape from the world. The exterior invites you with cozy wood design, while the inside welcomes you with warm lighting and walls full of LPs. During my visit on a recent rainy day, the large windows gave the place a spacious feel and a cozy mood. It was a beautiful atmosphere in which to dive into the music.
Auburn, MA | VINYL! The Worcester Record Riot! 1000s of LPs & CDs for sale! At The Auburn Elks, Sun Oct 26th. The Worcester Record RIot RETURNS! It’s a MASSIVE vinyl record POP-UP sale! Over 40 dealer tables in one room! Great music and family fun. LPs, CDs and 45s. Door prizes too! Don’t miss it! A giant record store lands in Auburn MA! Dealers from far and wide converge for a giant music sale! LPs and 45s and CDs too. All types of music from punk to funk to country to classic rock, hip hop, soul/jazz and more. Dust off that turntable and come on down. Regular admission starts at 9:30 AM ($5) with early admission at 8 AM ($10). Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!
Plainville, CT | BIG VINYL SALE! The Plainville Record Riot! Sun October 19th! 1000s of LPs/CDs. Multiple dealers! VINYL ROCKS! It’s the Plainville Record Riot! 40+ tables of LPs, CDs & 45s. A giant record store under one roof. 10,000 LPs in one room! Sunday October 19th. Meet you in the bargain bins! Did you just buy a turntable? The Record Riot is a PERFECT event for you. Dealers from New England and beyond will bring all sorts of musical surprises. From punk to funk, classic rock to hip hop and soul/jazz too. Cheap records and expensive vinyl too. CDs as well, plus 45s for your jukebox. $5 admission at 9:30 AM, $10 early at 8 AM. Plenty of free parking! Hope to see you diggin’ in the crates!
The Beatles’ ‘Anthology 4’ Is Now Available As A 3LP Or 2CD: The collection of unreleased demos, rare sessions, and new mixes will be available in 2CD and 3LP formats. By popular demand, The Beatles‘ Anthology 4 will now be available to order as a standalone 3LP and 2CD. The Beatles Anthology collection, recently expanded to four volumes, was previously announced in 12 LP Vinyl, 8 CD boxset, and digital configurations. These 2CD and 3LP editions of Anthology 4 will also arrive November 21. Newly curated by Giles Martin, Anthology 4 features 13 unreleased demos, rare sessions from 1963–69, and new mixes by their original producer Jeff Lynne of Grammy-winning singles “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love.” Both are placed alongside the band’s most recent UK No. 1 hit single, 2023’s Grammy-winning “Now And Then,” the last Beatles song.
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