Author Archives: TVD HQ

Asheville, NC | Record-pressing facility Citizen Vinyl opens in downtown Asheville: This year is proving a difficult time to run most businesses, let alone launch a new enterprise. But the team behind Citizen Vinyl — a collaboratively envisioned vinyl-pressing plant, performance space, record store, craft cocktail bar and eatery — is moving forward with plans to debut the facility on the ground floor and mezzanine of the Asheville Citizen Times building. Its opening is set for Thursday, Oct. 8. “I’m quite hopeful and excited about the opportunities [of] the project,” says local producer Gar Ragland, the company’s founder and CEO. The Citizen Vinyl team is “very interested to position ourselves to be a post-pandemic community resource. We can work closely with the independent musicians in town to give them some opportunities, when it’s responsible to do so: to perform, to get their records pressed and to partner with them to promote those recordings.”

Record Store Day: 10 of the best vinyl albums to tell someone you love them: Telling somebody you love them can be most daunting. Quickly you come to realise there’s only really one positive response, and you in particular are unlikely to hear it. Because, let’s face it, you’re no poet. You’ll probably mess the whole thing up and push them away, and then you’ll be alone like you always knew you would be. But there is music, the great communicator, conveying the grandest messages, often in the simplest terms. Sharing music is an exhibition of love in itself, a display of thought and understanding of the recipient, and channeling the verses of this planet’s finest lyricists can help us convey those emotions more readily. Here, we’ve made it so you don’t even have to go to the effort of finding that somebody else to express your affections on your behalf, by selecting ten albums with loving titles readily available to buy on vinyl. All you’re left to do is figure out whether in that case you ever really loved them at all.

UK | Idles Announce Intimate Record Store Tour For Spring: Idles have announced an intimate UK instore tour for spring. The Bristol band will head to small venues next April in association with record stores in the corresponding cities. The run kicks off on April 12 with a show presented by Vinilo Records at the 1865 in Southampton and wraps up with a brace of hometown performances at the Louisiana for Friendly Records. Tickets are on sale now, priced from £12. The announcement comes ahead of the release of Idles’ third LP, ‘Ultra Mono’, due out this Friday (September 25). The dates will precede the band’s massive UK and European summer tour, which includes four nights at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. Tickets for these dates are already on sale.

Empire Records Style Is Still So Relevant 25 Years Later: The cult classic might be over two decades old, but the style is all we want to wear this fall. What would ’90s nostalgia be without the beloved coming-of-age flick? From Clueless to Cruel Intentions, the decade informed wardrobes, triggered sexual awakenings, and catapulted the careers of Hollywood mainstays like Brittany Murphy and Reese Witherspoon—but few teen classics were well-received by critics. Empire Records was nothing short of a flop when it hit theaters in 1995 (exactly 25 years ago on September 22—feel old yet?), but it soon grew into a cult hit—and what the movie lacked in critical merit, it more than made up for in the costume department. Despite spanning just one day of teenage dirtbags’ misadventures working at an independent record store, the film’s sartorial influence has now spanned over two decades, with no signs of slowing.

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UK | Vinyl sales increase year on year in the UK despite pandemic: Sales are expected to increase further ahead of two Record Store Day ‘drops’ in September and October. UK vinyl sales have continued to climb in the UK despite the dramatic impact of COVID-19 on the music industry. New figures from the Entertainment Retailers Association – who manage Record Store Day in the UK – reveal that last month’s RSD ‘drop’ on August 29 saw vinyl sales rise 3% year on year with 2.7 million units sold so far in 2020. Vinyl sales have been steadily increasing in recent years, but this increase is a particularly impressive feat for the format after the pandemic caused Record Shops to close for several months. The pandemic also meant adjusting this year’s Record Store Day – usually a one-day event in April – to a series of three ‘drop’ dates, the next of which is on Saturday, September 26. Over 200 record stores will take part in ‘Drop 2’, selling limited edition vinyl releases from artists such as Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac and Declan McKenna.

Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN | Twin Cities record stores gear up for vinyl event of the year: The second of three drops celebrating this year’s annual Record Store Day is coming up this Saturday, Sept. 26. Record players find themselves at home on dorm side tables and in apartment living rooms. They’re best enjoyed on solemn evenings or during study hours. Whether it’s grandma’s record of Lionel Richie or a vinyl of Harry Styles you found on sale at Urban Outfitters, listening to your favorite music on vinyl sets a mood that Spotify can’t replicate. Record Store Day (RSD), which began in 2008, is the one day a year that indie record stores get a moment in the spotlight. This year’s original RSD was postponed back in April and then again in June due to COVID-19 concerns. Now, RSD has been broken up into three separate days: Aug. 29, Sept. 26 and Oct. 24. This Saturday, Sept. 26, will be the second day of RSD special vinyl drops. To prepare for the upcoming drops, Twin Cities record stores are gearing up with hot vinyl finds and rare music couture.

Arlington, TX | A Record Store in Arlington Digs Through Dallas DJs’ Vinyl Collections: A new and used record store, Growl, is blossoming in downtown Arlington along Abrams Street. This retail space has cycled through different phases over the last few years, trying to figure out what it wants to really be when it grows up. With low ceilings, a cement floor, bars on the windows, and a hint of patchouli in the air, it certainly gives off an old soul-rocker vibe. A few years ago when Division Brewing moved into the building behind it, it was a vintage tchotchke shop. The store eventually packed up and left, so the owner of Division Brewing, Wade Wadlington, snagged the space. Since the store and brewery shared a common courtyard, it made sense to envelop the space. For a while, they sold comic books and collectibles. However, when the brewery started hosting live music in the courtyard, rain, cold winters and hot summer days demanded a climate-controlled area for the bands. So it started to serve as more of a music venue.

Grand Junction, CO | Record Store Days is a celebration of music and vinyl: Record stores are like few other businesses, but the industry was just as affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus closed down stores and forced the annual celebration of collecting music — Record Store Day — to evolve from one day to three over as many months. Aug. 29 was the first installment of Record Store Day 2020 for Triple Play Records at 530 Main St. Even with the looming threat of the virus, people stood in line outside the store, socially distanced and wearing masks, waiting for their chance to be let in and get their hands on some exclusive releases. “We do our best to make sure everyone gets what they want. It’s a fun time. You support local business, and there’s a rush when you get the only copy of a record,” said Matthew Cesario, general manager of Triple Play Records. “This year, they delayed (Record Store Day) to three days over three separate months. We didn’t have to cover the costs of the releases in one week, rather we can split it up. I think that’s going to help us out a lot.”

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Dubai, UAE | Where to buy vinyl records in Dubai: Sales of vinyl are outstripping that of CDs. Gone all hipster and got yourself a turntable but not sure where to get vinyl to play on it? We hear you. But with news that records are outselling CDs in the USA for the first time since the 1980s it’s getting easier to find records everywhere. Here in Dubai it’s no different, with more and more places selling the 12-inch discs of joy. …Raw Music Store: A real treasure trove of music – with everything from Turkish folk music of the 1950s to the latest Radiohead release available, and loads in between. There are second hand and new vinyl available, as well as turntables and all kinds of accessories. The Flip Side: Perhaps the only true record shop on this list – this Alserkal Avenue hangout is where the cool kids go to get their music. The focus is mainly on electronic, world and funk music, with a side order of jazz and rock thrown in. There are often live sets here, too…

Winnipeg, CA | The vinyl countdown… Planet of Sound is in its own orbit around the world of music: Planet of Sound owner Dave Wright holds the Pixies album Trompe le Monde that has the Henderson Highway store’s namesake song on it. Wright says ‘vinyl is definitely on the upswing and has been for a while.’ According to a press release issued last week by the Recording Industry Association of America, for the first time since 1986 — the year songs such as Madonna’s Papa Don’t Preach, Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer and Falco’s Rock Me Amadeus were topping charts all over the globe — sales of vinyl records outstripped sales of compact discs for the initial six months of the year. Hey, Mr. Mister, it wasn’t even close. The RIAA report stated that between January and June, audiophiles doled out US$232.1 million on vinyl albums as compared with just less than US$130 million on their digital counterparts. And while that bit of news was music to the ears of Planet of Sound owner Dave Wright, it certainly didn’t come as some big surprise. “Vinyl is definitely on the upswing and has been for a while…”

Edinburgh, UK | Taylor Swift helps out Edinburgh record store with exclusive signed CDs: Edinburgh record store sells out of exclusive signed copies of Taylor Swift’s new album in less than two hours. An Edinburgh record store received a helping hand from global superstar Taylor Swift after a limited number of signed CDs showed up at their shop on Thursday. Assai Records on Grindlay Street received a surprise when they got a ‘very finite’ amount of the singer’s latest chart-topper Folklore, which was a surprise release from the artist during lockdown. After announcing the shop had stock of the limited signed CD, copies of the album had sold out in less than two hours. The ‘Record Store Folklore’ deliveries have been sent to various independent record shops, notably in the United States but more recently the UK, reportedly to help local music shops who have lost business due to the coronavirus pandemic. The album, signed by Taylor Swift herself, retailed for £16.99 and those lucky enough to grab a copy could not reserve it or order it by paying over the phone or online and had to physically visit Assai Records to purchase.

Edinburgh, UK | ‘It just went absolutely crazy’: Dundee record store ‘blown away’ after Taylor Swift sends signed albums: A Dundee record store has received a shock delivery of signed album sleeves from one of the world’s biggest pop stars. …Assai owner Keith Ingram said the delivery came as a complete shock. “We were not expecting it at all. We heard about signed CDs being sent to independent record stores in America but didn’t give it much thought. “On Wednesday morning a woman phoned us — I’m not even sure who she was — and she asked if we wanted any. Assai, which specialises in vinyl, does not usually cell CDs, let alone pop albums. Keith praised multi-Grammy award winner Swift for the “amazing” gesture. “For such a huge star to do something like this is really amazing. “She’s made a point of supporting stores like ours which is really nice. The response has blown me away. “We’ve had messages from across the world saying they wish they lived in the UK to come in and buy one.” “I’m still not sure why we were chosen by her team — maybe they chose the first store in the alphabet!”

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ZZ Top releasing limited-edition white-vinyl ‘Live from Texas’ reissue next week: ZZ Top will reissue its 2008 concert album Live from Texas on Friday, September 25, as a limited-edition two-LP set pressed on white vinyl. Only 1000 copies of the colored-vinyl edition of the record will be available. Live from Texas was recorded at the Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas, in November 2007, and initially was released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray the following year. A standard vinyl edition was issued in 2010. The 17-track collection features renditions of ZZ Top’s biggest hits and most popular tunes, including “Got Me Under Pressure,” “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” “Cheap Sunglasses,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” “La Grange” and, of course, “Tush.” You can check out a video of the band performing its 1975 tune “Heard It on the X” from the Live from Texas concert now at the Eagle Rock YouTube channel.

Pixies Announces Limited Edition Vinyl Single Featuring Unreleased Songs “Hear Me Out” and Cover of T. Rex’s “Mambo Sun” Pioneering alternative rock outfit The Pixies have announced that they will be releasing a new 12″ record featuring the tracks “Hear Me Out” and a cover of the T. Rex song (originally from their 1971 album Electric Warrior) “Mambo Sun.” This special edition record will be pressed on yellow vinyl. According to a press release “Hear Me Out” will feature vocals from bassist Paz Lenchantin. “‘Hear Me Out’ is about things not turning out the way we hoped, but knowing that it’s going to be ok regardless,” Lenchantin said in a press release. “Black started the melody phrases on an old organ. I loved it right away, so he asked me to take a pass at the lyrics. The song has an evocative melody that inspired the lyrics to come out straight away.” The group released three unearthed demos from their Beneath The Eyrie LP, “The Good Works of Cyrus,” “Please Don’t Go” and “Chapel Hill.” This LP was released last year and saw the group achieve moderate critical praise, with some outlets considering it their best record since their reformation back in 2004.

Ryuichi Sakamoto’s third album, Hidari Ude No Yume, to be reissued with unreleased instrumentals: It’s the first wide release of the Yellow Magic Orchestra member’s third solo album. Ryuichi Sakamoto’s third solo album, Hidari Ude No Yume, is being reissued by WeWantSounds this fall. Translating to “Left-handed Dream,” Sakamoto co-produced the record with British producer Robin Scott in Japan’s Alfa Studio in 1981. The intent behind the record was to create something pop-focused, following the experimental B-2 Unit and the seminal 1978 album Thousand Knives. After the LP’s 1981 release in Japan, Epic Records released it a year later, but not without significant alterations. Two tracks, “Sara No Le” and “Living In The Dark,” were omitted on that edition, while “Relâché,” “Tell ‘Em To Me” and “Venezia” were given English lyrics. An additional English track was also written specifically for the European edition, “The Arrangement.”

Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Quake’ Score Gets Its First Vinyl Pressing: As reported by Game Informer, the original Quake soundtrack just got its first-ever release on vinyl. Composer and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor announced the news in a tweet on Wednesday. “Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any weirder,” Reznor said. “The Social Network and Quake are available on vinyl and shipping now! Who had that on their 2020 bingo card?” The $35 package comes with two LPs, with three “sides” containing 10 tracks. The listing says the record has been remastered and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. According to a 1996 write-up in Billboard magazine, Reznor became involved in Quake when he sent tickets and backstage passes to the devs at id Software. “He’s a big Doom-er,” said Mike Wilson, id’s VP of marketing at the time. “We designed this reissue to include a booklet containing essays from id Software’s John Carmack and American McGee,” the store listing says.

Boris To Reissue Two Albums Via Third Man: ‘Absolutego’ from 1996 and ‘Amplifier Worship’ from 1998 are being released digitally for the first time. Boris are physically and digitally reissuing two of their early albums: 1996’s Absolutego and 1998’s Amplifier Worship. The remastered reissues, which are coming via Jack White’s Third Man Records, mark the first time that either album has been made available digitally, while both albums will also be pressed on limited edition coloured vinyl (opaque red for Absolutego and lime green for Amplifier Worship). Absolutego, Boris’ debut album, was originally released as a continuous 60-minute piece, and was later given an additional vinyl and CD release via Southern Lord in 2010. This reissue on Third Man will include updated album art and the full record spread across one-and-a-half LPs, with 1997 recording ‘Dronevil 2′ filling out the other side of the second vinyl. First released in 1998, Boris’ second album proper, Amplifier Worship, will see its first-ever reissue in this round of releases. It will come with minimalistic album art from the first-press Japanese CD. Third Man will release Absolutego and Amplifier Worship on November 13, 2020.

Dundee, UK | Former Groucho’s staff to keep the music playing with new Dundee record store: Tayside’s music loving public has received a much-needed boost with news a new second-hand record store is to open in the city centre. The new business has been set up by three former staff members at Groucho’s – Frank Mills, Morag “Moog” Rogers and Lee Scott – who have been working for the past few weeks to prepare the Union Street shop for opening. Their former boss and close friend Alastair “Breeks” Brodie passed away just over a year ago and the staff had kept his store running until the lockdown in March.’ After becoming jobless in the summer, Moog, Frank and Lee got together and decided they all wanted to continue in the trade and maintain a second-hand record store presence in the city centre. While their new shop is a completely independent venture, Moog revealed they might have been working in the same shop two years ago. “When the lease for Groucho’s was running out in 2018, this place came up and Breeks looked at it but his illness was such that he just felt he couldn’t do the big move. His lease got extended so we stayed there until lockdown.” When the vacant premises at 13 Union Street became available they seized the opportunity.

Wooster, OH | As one record store spins out, another is poised to fill the void: Just as the city’s only dedicated record store closes its doors in less than two weeks, another is poised to fill the void. Josh Lehman, owner of Operation: Fandom and Blackbird Records, will open a combination of those two Wooster stores next month along East Fourth Street, sandwiched between The Clubhouse and City Grille & Bar. Operation: Fandom, launched in 2018, specializes in toys, collectibles and pop-culture merchandise. Lehman took over Lucky Records earlier this year, changing the name to Blackbird. In addition to toys, sought-after collectibles, movie merchandise and autographs, the newest addition to the historic Carrousel District will have turntables, CDs, cassettes, and both new and used vinyl. “Almost everybody that’s into records has that Beatles or that Pink Floyd because it’s been around for 50 years, but these other newer, trendier things, we try to carry too,” Lehman said. “So, we just try to do it all, really, and make sure somebody that comes in finds something they enjoy.”

Houston, TX | Memo’s Record Shop has collection of Latin music and memorabilia that you can’t find anywhere else: Guillermo “Memo” Villarreal grew up with a love for music and has spent the last more than 50 years sharing his incredible collection with the city of Houston. Memo opened his record shop in 1968, selling music you couldn’t find anywhere else in the city. He’s seen the music industry move from records to 8-tracks to cassette tapes to CDs. The types of music have also grown. You can now find Mariachi, Conjunto, Caribbean, Salsa, Merengue, Tejano, and much more in the aisles of the store. Memo Record Shop #1 also has a vast collection of Latin movies. Memo said, “If we don’t have it, it doesn’t exist anymore.” Memo’s business has grown into a museum of sorts over the years as well, with hundreds of photos, autographs, and guitars hanging on the walls. His most prized possession is a signed guitar from Carlos Santana. “Music for me, it’s my life,” Memo said.

Singapore, SG | The new Singapore restaurant with 3,000 vinyl records and the most dangerous wine in the world: Nestled directly above Michelin-starred restaurant Nouri’s Chinatown shophouse is the inventive multi-concept space called Appetite complete with a kitchen, art gallery and living room where you feel like you’re at home but you’re not. Imagine having a good dinner with friends while chilling out on sofas, drinking some incredible wine, and admiring art on the walls and the crackle of some cool vintage records playing in the background. Then imagine you’re not actually at home but on the second floor of a plush shophouse in Chinatown. That’s the concept behind Appetite, the innovative new offshoot of Michelin-starred restaurant Nouri which is located right above the latter’s premises on Amoy Street. Appetite was first conceived as the restaurant’s research and development arm back in 2018, a mere year after chef-owner Ivan Brehm opened award-winning Nouri’s doors. Now it’s a multi-concept space, Brehm tells CNA Lifestyle, for “people to reconnect with things like knowledge, food, music, art and each other in a more direct, less transactional way.”

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