Author Archives: TVD HQ

Richmond, VA | Vinyl Revival: Richmond record store owners weigh in on vinyl sales surpassing CDs for the first time since 1987: Hey what do you know, according to RIAA, vinyl records have surpassed CD sales for the first time since 1987, with approximately 41 million vinyl albums sold last year compared to 33 million CDs. We figure this happened years ago. While streaming services continue to dominate the music industry, accounting for a vast majority of recorded music revenues, the resurgence of physical music formats, particularly vinyl records, has captured the attention of music enthusiasts and collectors alike. We decided to go to the source and ask local Richmond record store owners a few questions.

Hanover, PA | York County vinyl record store reopens after 24 years of closure: A new vinyl record store, named Squid Wax, officially opened its doors to the public earlier last month. The not-so-new Squid Wax record store, owned and operated by Hanover native Shane Warner, first opened its doors to the rocking world of Hanover back in 1997. The then 24-year-old Warner had previously worked as a manager at a franchised record store named Record Town, which was located at the North Hanover Mall. After managing Record Town, he finally decided to own and operate a shop of his own. Warner’s nickname growing up was “Squid,” and a slang term for vinyl records is “Wax” – hence the store name, Squid Wax. …Now, 24 years later, Warner, whose an insurance agent by day, decided to leap back into the record business by leasing a space on 43 Rear Frederick Street, which was previously leased by his wife for her massage therapy clinic. “In a way this is a redemption,” Warner stated. “I failed once, but life is short, so why not [reopen]?”

Billings, MT | Billings record store sees vinyl sales grow exponentially: At Cameron Records on Central Avenue, you’ll find everything from Pink Floyd to Taylor Swift. The store has seen a record number of sales each year since it opened in 2019. Nationwide, sales of vinyl records recently surpassed CD sales, and that’s no surprise to Cameron Records owner TJ Goodwin. “At any given day, we’ll have between 10 and 15 thousand records in the store,” Goodwin said. Cameron Records is a haven for vinyl record hobbyists, and the old pastime has new life. Goodwin said record sales topped more than 40 million nationwide last year. “This has not just been an uptick over the last couple of years, it’s grown 10%, 14%, 15% over the last few years. It’s been exponential,” said Goodwin.

Philadelphia, PA | Vinyl Record and Retail Store, Latchkey is Hosting an In-Store Throwback Market With 80’s & 90’s Themed Memorabilia: Independently-owned vinyl and retail store Latchkey ( 1502 E Passyunk Ave.) just announced that they will be hosting their first first-ever makers market “Latchkey Presents: A Makers Pop-Up Shop,” on March 25th from 11 am to 4 pm. Guests can expect an extensive showcase of local artisans and vendors setting up shop in-store and as well as some outdoors. Latchkey owner Marc Faletti will also be on-hand with his own one-of-a-kind line of up-cycled and artfully repurposed clothing under his label Lyrical Vintage. This market is the perfect spot for fans of music and vintage to come together to enjoy locally-sourced wares, goods, and more, including VHS, art, textiles, and vintage clothing. Those attending Latchkey’s inaugural A Makers Pop-Up Shop can mingle and purchase items from numerous vendors and artisans, in addition to Latchkey’s collection of expertly-curated records, collectibles, candles, jewelry, games, and other 80’s and 90’s-themed memorabilia.

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Stamford, UK | Rock On Records set for relaunch in All Saints Street, Stamford: A renowned record shop is set to open in Stamford this week. Rock On Records is to welcome its first customers at 4 All Saints’ Street on Thursday (March 16). The first record shop in Stamford for more than a decade, it will open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm, with all profits going to charity. Rock On built up a cult following among music fans and musicians in London from 1971 until its last remaining shop, in Camden, closed in 1996. Its customers included legendary musicians Bob Dylan, The Clash frontman Joe Strummer, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, and BBC Radio’s champion of independent music, John Peel. The new shop will cater for all kinds of music fans from the casual buyer to serious collector. It will specialise in vinyl and rare merchandise, as well as cassettes and a select range of CDs. Ted (80), who once also managed Thin Lizzy, will work in the shop one day a week.

Hove, UK | Hove: Capsule Records new store and coffee shop opens in Western Road: A new record store with a coffee shop inside has opened in a busy city centre street. Capsule Records has opened in Western Road, Hove. The store is run by a “passionate team of music lovers” who are able to help customers and guide them towards new LPs or labels. Sarah Hennessy co-founded the shop with Lawrence Bleach and Simon Skevington. She said: “We are really happy with the beautiful, relaxed space we’ve created here at Capsule. It’s somewhere people can drop by for a coffee, listen to great music, have a meeting, have a browse and hopefully indulge in the sheer joy that is discovering a new LP or label.” …“We have sourced some of the best LPs and compilations we can, from old favourites to undiscovered gems,” said Sarah. “Vinyl is something that transcends age. We welcome people who have been collecting for decades, and young music lovers just starting out on their journey of discovery.

Lincoln, NE | Local record store reflects on vinyl’s growing popularity: Whether it comes from age-old nostalgia or running with new trends, for the first time since the 80s vinyl records have outsold CDs. The data comes from The Recording Industry Association of America which found records had around $8 million more in sales in the past year. Stores like Lincoln Vintage Vinyl have seen similar trends in both purchases and a growing consumer base. Co-owner Craig Bartels said it’s been incredible to watch vinyl records come back into popularity. “It’s amazing, every year we have been in business we’ve increased in both inventory and sales,” he said. Bartels said he’s seen customers of varying ages stop by the store. From teenagers looking for the latest album to members of Generation X that want to hear bands like AC/DC on the turntables they remember. “I’d say about half of the customers that come in here are under 30,” Bartels said. “We get a lot of teenagers in here buying records with their parents.”

Godfrey, IL | RiverBend Records riding vinyl resurgence: For the first time in three decades, vinyl records last year outsold CDs, according to industry reports. RiverBend Records owner Billy Hurst said that’s easy for him to believe. Vinyl is hot, the Godfrey businessowner said, noting records are made using a heat process. Now sales figures make the form of physical media even moreso. “I believe vinyl actually outsold CDs last year,” Hurst said, adding both vinyl and CD sales are up. “It’s all tied to people just wanting a form of physical media — something they can hold, look at and enjoy the artwork, read the credits, et cetera,” he said. “Something that they can keep and possibly even pass on to their kids someday.” About 41 million vinyl albums were sold last year, outpacing the sales of 33 million CDs, according to the Wall Street Journal. Business Insider has stated that vinyl outselling CDs — according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) annual revenue report — occurred for the first time in three decades, highlighting a “remarkable resurgence” of the physical music format.

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Vinyl record sales top CDs for first time in more than 30 years: “Music lovers clearly can’t get enough.” Vinyl records are back and more popular than ever. A new report found that vinyl record sales continued their more than decade-long growth in 2022, and for the first time in more than three decades, outsold CDs in the number of units. The report, published by the Recording Industry Association of America on Thursday, found that physical formats of music saw another year of overall growth in 2022, totaling $1.7 billion. Making up nearly three-quarters of that growth were vinyl records, which saw a 17% increase in revenues for $1.2 billion. This marked the product’s 16th year of consecutive growth, RIAA said. It also marked the first time since 1987 that more vinyl records were sold than CDs, which saw a revenue decline of 18% in 2022. The group said that 41 million vinyl albums were sold last year, compared to 33 million CDs. But physical copies continued to do better than downloads, which once again saw a decline in revenues.

Essex, UK | The Essex record shop that doubles up as a cool cafe: If you can’t find the record you want just ask. Vinyl records have really had a revival in recent years, with many modern albums now getting record releases. Certainly, something you don’t get from only streaming music online is the joy of searching through a record shop for that hidden gem and lucky for us one vinyl store here in Essex is the perfect place to do some vinyl hunting. Hey Joe, in Brentwood, is a bit different from others as it also doubles as a coffee shop as well as selling a huge range of records, all brand new. When I heard about Hey Joe I knew that I had to go along to check it out. I have recently got a record player and have been meaning to go and look for some records, not that I needed an excuse to pop along. Hey Joe can be found in the Baytree Shopping Centre, right at the entrance so it is very easy to find. It had a great vibe to it as soon as I walked in so I was excited to try it out.

Berwick, PA | Record store bounces back with a new location: After losing a thousand record and his old storefront due to water damage, owner Mark Collier has finally reopened WaxPax Records. From Dolly Parton to the Beatles. Hip-hop to country to punk, WaxPax Records sells music across the decades for everyone. Collier is just happy to be back. “With friends that have been with me for years and new friends I just made today, it’s one of the most incredible moments of my life, thank you so much for being here,” said Collier as he addressed his store. Collier first opened WaxPax in September of 2021 down the street. A burst pipe last December forced him to close. Fans of the store were excited to see the new location open. “I’m very happy, I’m very happy,” said Jarid Jopling of Scranton, Lackawanna Co. “I love supporting it. When he told me about the grand opening I absolutely had to be here.”

AU | Ball Park Music, Confidence Man and more feature in Australian Record Store Day 2023 releases: Releases by Peking Duk, Ocean Alley, Polish Club, Underground Lovers, GUM and Ambrose Kenny-Smith – along with a new ‘Bluey’ soundtrack album – are among other local Record Store Day highlights. Releases by Ball Park Music, Confidence Man, Peking Duk, Ocean Alley and Polish Club are among the Australian records that will be available as part of this year’s Record Store Day on April 22. Those include a seven-inch vinyl containing Peking Duk’s two most recent singles: last year’s ‘Spend It’ with Circa Waves and this year’s rework of Savage Garden‘s ‘I Want You’, featuring newly-recorded vocals from Darren Hayes himself. Ball Park Music’s 2011 ‘Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs’ favourite ‘It’s Nice to Be Alive’ will also be available as a seven-inch single. Confidence Man’s ‘Re-Tilt’ remix EP will be available on vinyl, while Ocean Alley’s 2018 album ‘Chiaroscuro’ will be available as a translucent orange double-LP. Polish Club’s ‘Nye_2020_megamix.Exe’ will be available as a transparent pink LP.

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US | Vinyl Hits Major Sales Achievement For First Time In More Than 30 Years: It’s official: vinyl has outsold CDs in the US for the first time since 1987, according to a new report from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Music consumers bought more than 41 million vinyl units in 2022 compared to 33 million CDs, which is up 3% from 40 million units in 2021. CD sales were also down a whopping 28% from 47 million. Interestingly enough, pop ruled the vinyl landscape. Taylor Swift led the pack, selling an impressive 945,000 copies of Midnights, followed by Harry Styles’ Harry’s House (480,000), Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR (263,000), Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city (254,000), and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (243,000). Though records may be the preferred physical method for fans to listen to music these days, streaming still reigns supreme. As the reports shows, streaming accounted for 84% of the music industry’s $15.9 billion overall revenue.

UK | UK recorded music revenues rise for an eighth successive year in 2022: The BPI, the representative voice for independent labels and major record companies across the UK, today reports that UK recorded music revenue1 rose by 4.7% year-on-year to reach £1.32 billion for the full-year 2022. This figure, which also includes revenues from synchronisation (sync) and public performance2, represents an eighth consecutive year of growth and is up by 36% on the £968.6 million reported in 2017. This is the highest nominal annual amount on record, though, when adjusted for inflation, the figure falls hundreds of millions of pounds below the total reported in 20063 – the first year which includes sync and public performance. Growth in 2022 was again fuelled by climbing streaming revenues, which rose 6.3% year-on-year to £885 million and which now account for 67.2% of industry revenue – up from 66.2% in 2021. The rate of streaming growth and record label investment in A&R and marketing is enabling a great many more artists to succeed through music.

Boston, MA | Record Store Opens on Joy Street: The opening of Music Research Library at 42 Joy St. on March 1 apparently marked the return of a record store to Beacon Hill for the first time in more than 40 years, but the store itself had been operating in Providence, R.I., for around six and a half years prior to their move to Boston. The store buys, sells, and trades “mostly vinyl,” along with a small selection of cassette tapes, with a focus on jazz and hip hop, said Zachary Warf, who owns and operates Music Research Library together with his business partner, Vasili Kochura. “We love jazz, and we love hip hop,” said Warf. “We love a lot of music from all over the world.” Warf and Vasili have traveled “all over Europe,” including to Italy, France, and Spain, and also visited Japan in search of the eclectic selection of music found at Music Research Library. The store also buys records, with an emphasis on jazz and hip hop. As for the store’s name, Warf said it seemed like somewhat of an obvious choice. “We’re doing music research every day. It’s kind of our job.”

Los Angeles, CA | A window into LA’s budding scene for Latin vinyl records: In an age that’s seen the rise of digitized music and streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, physical media can seem like a relic of an era gone past; one where records spun on turntables in nearly every house in America. However, in recent years, old-school vinyl has reasserted itself back onto the music collectors’ scene. 2022 marked the 17th consecutive year that record sales grew, benefitting record shops and vinyl pressers alike. At Sonido del Valle, a shop in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, the vinyl comeback has mostly come in the form of Spanish-language records that underscore the area’s rich Latin American roots. Most of the shop’s offerings are used, and many are more than half a century old. “LA has a really long and rich history of Latin record labels that have been here since the beginning of recorded music,” said owner Rene Perez, who has been running the shop for around five years. “I was just sort of drawn to it. And that’s what kind of made me want to start specifically focusing on that as our main thing.”

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Brooklyn, NY | Tower Records’ long promised ‘creative space’ is finally ready for its debut: The Tower Records reboot is not a store, but the space will host live performances and album signings beginning later this month. Tower Records is (finally) ready to reopen in Williamsburg. But don’t expect a traditional store. The legendary music retailer announced that Tower Labs — a “creative space” for musicians and entertainers that will host live performances, interviews and album signings — will make its public debut on March 24. It might not feature endless rows of vinyl, but the company said in a release that it will “once again be a staple of the Tower experience.” The Brooklyn opening marks the storied brand’s first new physical space in about 16 years. At its peak, the chain operated roughly 200 record stores in 15 different countries before over-expansion and the internet led to the shuttering of all of its physical locations by 2006. Williamsburg was chosen because it’s known for “art and music” and the retailer is weaving itself into the neighborhood by working with nearby live venues to “establish an intimate space for performing acts to convene and socialize before and after shows.”

Akron, OH | JuJu Bonz Records opens in Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood hopes to grow with the community: The vinyl album simply refuses to die. Vinyl’s gravestone has been carved and re-carved many times since the advent of 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, downloadable digital formats, and finally streaming. But that big ol’ 12-inch hunk of wax seems to have an eternal hold on music lovers and hip folks who enjoy utilitarian if outdated functional furniture pieces such as a turntable. It also doesn’t hurt that those albums come with super-cool covers with big pictures and that there’s usually something interesting to look at on the inner sleeve while you listen, like lyrics and proper credits for all us nerds (“Ooh, mastered by Bob Ludwig, cool!”) …The store is called JuJu Bonz Records (989 Kenmore Blvd.) and is owned and operated by Julia and Chris Bentley. The couple previously owned Buzzbin Art & Music Shop in Canton, which housed Frankenstein Records. Now, the couple has moved north up I-77 and has taken over Kenmore’s Live Music Now venue, which will soon be rebranded as Buzzbin and is conveniently located across the street from JuJu Bonez.

Carlisle, PA | Got Vinyl? Record Pop-Up Brings the Intergenerational Heartbeat to the Hub: The Jam’s 1982 hit record “A Town Called Malice” blasts from a nearby stereo, invigorating the atmosphere with its spunky new wave flair. A hodgepodge of vinyls and classic film posters are scattered about, spurring onlookers to gather in close-knit crowds in search of a desired possession. Is this a scene from your local record store; the beloved gem of your hometown? No, it’s WDCV’s annual Pop-Up Record Shop, which was assembled outside of the HUB Bookstore on Feb. 28. The eclectic assortment was brought in by long-time salesman Dennis Gotthard, a resident of Carlisle who has been an avid collector of records for decades. A newfound love for vinyl among the younger generations is what keeps his business exciting, and what has kept him coming back to Dickinson’s campus for years. “I’m 80 years old. I’ve been collecting records since I’ve been 14,” Gotthard said. “I have 70,000 and counting, and I got serious about selling about 25 years ago.”

UK | The 15 best Record Store Day releases 2023 – Pixies, T. Rex, The 1975 and more: Beach House and Brian Eno feature in our top RSD release picks. So, that turntable this vinyl revival encouraged you to purchase or revisit (or simply keep using!)… well, it’s almost that definitive time of the year when it deserves to spin some new records. In addition to Boxing Day, of course, and, well, every Sunday afternoon of the year. Indeed, Record Store Day 2023 is just weeks away! The annual celebration of records and everyone involved in it takes place on Saturday 22nd April and, keeping with tradition, will see hundreds of records – over 400, in fact – become available to purchase on that day. Since the full list of exclusive RSD releases was announced, the What Hi-Fi? team has been discussing which ones they’d be prepared to elbow an elderly crate-digger out of the way for in order to add it to their vinyl collection – and perhaps you have been too (though probably without the elbowing part because you are an upstanding member of society).

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