VIA PRESS RELEASE | In early 1993, the legendary Johnny Cash found himself between contracts in his then nearly 40-year career and recorded an album’s worth of songwriting demos at LSI Studios in Nashville of songs he’d written over many years. LSI at the time was owned by his son-in-law Mike Daniels and daughter Rosey, and he wanted to help the family financially while also record some songs special to him. Not long after the fruitful session, Johnny met producer Rick Rubin, and the recordings were shelved as the two embarked on a prolific musical partnership that revitalized the Man in Black’s career that would last the rest of his life.
Some thirty years later, John Carter Cash, the son of Johnny and June Carter Cash, rediscovered the songs and stripped them back to just Johnny’s powerful, pristine vocals and acoustic guitar. Along with co-producer David “Fergie” Ferguson, the two invited a handpicked group of musicians that played with Johnny, including guitarist Marty Stuart and the late bassist Dave Roe, along with drummer Pete Abbott and several others, to the Cash Cabin, a hallowed space in Hendersonville, TN where Johnny would write, record, and relax, to breathe new life into the tracks, taking the sound back to the roots and heart of the songs.
Releasing June 28th via Mercury Nashville/UMe, the simply and aptly titled Songwriter, features songs written solely by Johnny Cash, one of America’s greatest songwriters and storytellers. Returning the focus to Johnny’s own songwriting, the 11-track collection showcases the breadth of his writing, one that has always represented the great expanse of the human condition: there are songs of love, family, sorrow, beauty, spiritual salvation, survival, redemption, and of course, some of the lighthearted humor Johnny was known for, all sung in his unmistakable, trademark, resonant voice.
Songwriter will be available to stream and download, as well as on CD and a variety of vinyl options, including standard black and several limited edition color variants. Songwriter is being previewed with the release of the first single, “Well Alright,” an upbeat and infectious tune about finding love in of all places, the laundry mat. With its humorous lyrics, galloping beat and taut acoustic upright bass “Well Alright” is prime Johnny Cash, harkening back to his ‘50s hits such as “Get Rhythm,” “Five Feet High and Rising,” “Cry! Cry! Cry!,” and “Big River.”
Pembrokeshire, UK | New Dead Sea Records vinyl store opens in St Davids: Situated in the heart of St Davids, Dead Sea Records adds a new dimension to the city’s lively music scene. This cosy vinyl haven might be the second smallest record shop in Wales, but it is making big waves with its well-chosen collection of vinyl records that span a variety of genres. The shop assures that there always will be something new for customers, thanks to a focus on maintaining quality and rotating stock regularly. Dead Sea Records’ owner, Christian Senior, spoke of the uniqueness of owning a small store, stating: “We believe that being small has its advantages. “Our compact space allows us to maintain a diverse selection of vinyl records while also providing a cosy and intimate atmosphere for our customers to explore and enjoy.” Mr Senior also emphasised the store’s role as a community hub where music lovers can gather, exchange their interests, and find new favourites: “We’re more than just a record shop; 
Burlington, VT | Soundbites: Burlington Record Plant On the Move. Justin Crowther comes across as a humble man. Speaking about the decade-long history of the business he helped launch in the Queen City’s South End, the owner and founder of Burlington Record Plant claimed little credit for his venture’s accomplishments. “I don’t like to talk about legacy or things like that,” Crowther said about starting a boutique pressing plant in Burlington in 2014, as vinyl began staging its grand 21st-century comeback. “But if there’s one thing I’m proud of, it’s coming up with the idea to make the first record ever in Vermont.” Crowther concocted that dream while touring with his former band, Waylon Speed. According to him, he knew 
Kingston, ON | Call him Kingston’s real record keeper: store owner marks 44 years of music: As vinyl records enjoy resurgence thanks in part to Record Store Day, Brian Lipsin recounts 44 years of musical challenges and changes. Record Store Day is always a special day at Brian’s Record Option, the iconic and old school record store that has been a staple in downtown Kingston almost as long as the limestone itself. Only this year, the annual day of vinyl appreciation—which began in 2007 in a bid to keep the medium alive against the emerging digital music world—happened to fall on the anniversary of the day Brian’s owner, Brian Lipsin, opened his shop on April 20, 1980. 
Paris, FR | Paris Vinyl Sale 2024, the giant vinyl sale at the Bastille Design Center: Attention Parisian music lovers! The Paris Vinyle Sale returns to the Bastille Design Center on Sunday, May 19, 2024, with 
Nashville, TN | Chuck Indigo, Becca Mancari, Many More Rock Out on Record Store Day: The Groove and Vinyl Tap hosted blowout shows Saturday with a massive variety of live music. Records are fun to own, and if that’s the extent of your relationship with them, that’s fine. But shopping for them at a mom-and-pop spot where humans decide what to stock and rubbing elbows with others who share your interests (or have totally different ones) add lots of layers to the experience. That creates one more way to build a community with your neighbors, and that’s what Record Store Day is really all about. The boatload of Nashville musical talent on display on what turned out to be 
Toledo, OH | Vinyl lovers turn out for Record Store Day at Culture Clash: The scratch on this year’s Record Store Day was the chilly weather, but the group of four who showed up at 5 a.m. outside of Culture Clash Records with their own propane heater came prepared to deal with the cold. Todd Green, 61, Nathan Ables, 48, Trevor Ables, 22 and Grayson James, 12, all from the Adrian area, trekked down to Toledo before the early morning light, prepared to be first in line ahead of the 200 other patrons who would queue behind them for the limited releases associated with the event. “The first time we didn’t show up so early,” Nathan Ables, the originator of the tradition back in 2010, said. “We were way back in line, and I missed some things that I wanted. “So that’s why we started making a point 
London, UK | Vinyl enthusiasts spin into action on UK’s Record Store Day: It was 8.30 am (0730 GMT) and the line was growing in front of Flashback Records in the Shoreditch neighbourhood of Britain’s capital. Saturday marked the UK’s annual Record Store Day, created to support independent outlets, and vinyl enthusiasts were eager to get their hands on special reissues and new releases. 
NZ | Music lovers celebrate vinyl on Record Store Day: It’s the biggest day of the year for record stores throughout the country, with music lovers out in force. Record Store Day has been held annually since 2007 to celebrate independent record stores and the music they sell. Many artists release special records to mark the day. At Real Groovy in Auckland, there was a magic show, face painting and a street party, while at Flying Out Records, local musicians including Luka Buda, Ebony Lamb and Thee Golden Geese performed in-store all day. At Aotearoa’s longest-running independent record store, Slow Boat Records in Wellington, a queue started forming at 3.15am. Co-owner Jeremy Taylor told Music 101 that Record Store Day was “
Nashville, TN | Paramore surprises fans at Grimey’s in East Nashville for Record Store Day: Alex Barry lined up at Grimey’s Records with her four best friends at 8 p.m. Friday night to be at the front of the line when the vinyl shop opened Saturday for Record Store Day. Behind Barry is a line of hundreds stretching down Trinity Lane. “It started to drizzle when we got here,” she says, “and then the rain started to come down. It was like 2 a.m. so those of us in line marked ourselves and waited in our cars in the parking lot.” Running on three hours of sleep, the Belmont student couldn’t wait for 10 a.m. to come soon enough. She wanted to get her hands on a Paramore record. The band of Hayley Williams, Taylor York and Zac Farro is the opening act for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour. The trio will dazzle for 51 shows across Europe, but today they are the Global Ambassadors for Record Store Day, a title Swift had in 2022. “I love Paramore,” Barry says unaware they are 
Chicago, IL | Chicagoans build community while seeking special vinyl on Record Store Day: On Saturday, music-lovers visited local record stores for their favorites among more than 380 exclusive releases, including projects from Pearl Jam, David Bowie, the Beatles and Paramore. For some Dusty Groove customers, Record Store Day began with coffee, doughnut holes and a magician. On Saturday, dozens lined up outside the record store at 1120 N. Ashland Ave., which provided the free refreshments and entertainment before opening its doors at 7 a.m. By 10 a.m., the store was still humming with activity as vinyl-lovers sought out their favorites from the more than 380 exclusive releases, which included popular projects from Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan, Pearl Jam, David Bowie, the Beatles and Record Store Day ambassador Paramore. But for many customers, the 17th annual celebration of independent record stores was more about community-building and nostalgia rather than the special titles. Several mentioned the joy in spending time with loved ones, meeting new people and 
Record Store Day is about more than just the releases: A lot of music fans will be lining up at independent record stores across the country for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 20, but the day is about more than just landing that special release. “It’s almost like Record Store Day is two different days in one,” RSD co-founder Carrie Colliton tells ABC Audio. “In the morning, it’s all about, ‘Oh, I got this special treasure.’ … But the second half of the day is a party, and a celebration of stores and what they do in the community all year long.” RSD started in 2007 and artists like Metallica, Dave Grohl and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy were early supporters, but for RSD co-founder Michael Kurtz, it was when Paul McCartney emailed them after an in-store appearance that he knew they had made it. Kurtz notes, “That was the moment I think we all were like, ‘Holy crap, one of the Beatles likes us,’” adding it made them realize they “
Miami, FL | 8 Best Record Stores in Miami: From hip-hop to jazz and rock to electronica, Miami has a plethora of record stores catering to every kind of vinyl aficionado. Miami is one of the best places in the U.S. for record collectors. Sustained by a buzzing DJ scene and a class of shop owners who know the city’s scene well, South Florida’s outstanding options for diggers and vinyl fans rival, and even surpass, those of bigger cities. Specialty shops for dance music, reggae, and high-quality vinyl can be found in Miami, along with multigenre and community-oriented spaces that understand the unifying power of music in a diverse city. Here are the eight best record stores in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, in alphabetical order. 
A call to arms to stand strong and persevere during trying times, Stay Positive is based upon the title track of The Hold Steady’s acclaimed 2008 fourth album, a longtime fan favorite and staple of the band’s jubilant live shows. The new 32-page book for readers of all ages follows the path of a humble armadillo who discovers along the way how music can pull together a disparate cast of characters. A lesson in tenacity and maintaining a positive attitude when encountering adverse situations, Stay Positive ends up in a unified celebration that mirrors the triumphant joy of a Hold Steady performance.
