Author Archives: TVD HQ

Huntington, WV | Lost Huntington: Davidson’s Record Shop: In the 1950s, rock and roll burst on the nation and revolutionized the music scene. America had never heard anything like it before. Characterized by a heavy beat and simple melodies, it was an amalgam of black rhythm and blues and white country music. While their parents may have hated it, youngsters loved it and flocked to buy rock and roll records. Rock music became the soundtrack of a youthful generation. And young rock fans in Huntington knew the best place to get their hot hands on the latest rock 45s by Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and, of course, Elvis was Davidson’s Record Shop at 907 4th Ave. The little shop was always busy after school let out each day and on weekends was strictly standing room only.

Warsaw, PL | Elektra – reading room at the Mazowieckie Institute of Culture. Vinyl records, comics, albums: Hundreds of vinyl records, comic books and art albums on the shelves. Next to it there are comfortable armchairs, turntables with headphones, desks on the mezzanine, and stylish posters on the walls. In the renovated building of the Mazowiecki Institute of Culture at Elektoralna Street, a reading room for Elektra words and sounds was created. As the originators themselves say, Elektra is a “temple of analogue culture”, a place that “combines the functions of a literary salon with the atmosphere of an independent record store”. And they were inspired by the collection of records from the library that used to function here. – It turned out that the library also rented vinyl records. We inherited a diverse set of speeches by Lenin or songs in honor of the party, but also Polish jazz, entertainment music such as Skaldowie or Grechuta or Polish poets reciting their poems – said Aleksandar Ćirlić, one of the hosts of the new space, during the meeting with journalists.

Amsterdam, NL | Rush Hour hosting five-day used record sale: With thousands of records for less than a fiver. Amsterdam’s Rush Hour is hosting a five-day record sale, this September. While Rush Hour originally planned to host the sale over just one day, the five day event will see 1000s of records on sale, with new additions being added each day. Record prices are also a steal, with all records being sold for €3 each — equivalent to £2.50. “Too much stuff that needs to go out. We are cleaning the basement!” The sale will be held from the 8th September to the 12th, from 11am-6pm.

12 Soundtracks You Need to Hear on Vinyl: Despite the convenience of digital technology, an increasing number of music fans are turning to – or returning to, as the case may be – vinyl as their preferred method of listening to and purchasing albums. As Variety recently reported, vinyl sales soared nearly 30% in the U.S. last year, outpacing CDs for the first time since the mid-80s, and the movie soundtrack genre has benefitted greatly from that unlikely resurgence. Adding fuel to this comeback story are a number of specialty labels, like Waxwork Records and Mondo’s Death Waltz Recording Company, that cater specifically to film buffs and soundtrack collectors. And that’s understandable when you consider the many practical and aesthetic similarities between vinyl and traditional 35mm film. After all, both are analog formats, beloved for the warmth and richness of their sound and image, and both inspire nostalgic feelings based on our formative listening and viewing histories. So if you’re looking to build or expand your own soundtrack collection, here are 12 titles that deserve a spin on your turntable.

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Farmington, MI | Dearborn Music to open new record store in downtown Farmington this week: It was earlier this summer when we first broke the news that Dearborn Music would be opening a new location in downtown Farmington. It’s a banner year for the Dearborn-based record store, a cultural touchstone for music fans throughout the region and beyond. Sales and specials have helped celebrate the store’s 65th year in business all summer long. Now owners Rick and Kevin LeAnnais have something else to celebrate. The brothers, who bought the business from their father in 2001, will open the doors to the new Farmington location this Thursday, Sept. 2, at 10 a.m. The store will operate under its normal business hours through a “soft opening,” with the official grand opening celebration being planned for later in September.

Chicago, IL | Love of arts leads couple to open store: Chantala Kommanivanh and Mallory McClaire both have a love for the arts. Kommanivanh is an artist whose work has been featured locally, and McClaire has a background in cultural affairs and event programming. Together, the local couple has now opened a new record store in East Beverly. Beverly Phono Mart, 1808 W. 103rd St., hosted its grand opening on Aug. 28-29. Besides selling records, the shop will also feature art exhibits and host live music. “We both love music,” McClaire said. “It’s a shared passion of ours. And to be able to build a business in our community is really important. It’s about the records themselves, but also the community aspect of it and getting to meet new neighbors who also love music.” McClaire, a Beverly native, and Kommanivanh, an Albany Park native, said they grew tired of having to drive north to visit record stores, though they have shopped at Beverly Records. But even worse on those long trips north, sometimes, shops were closed.

Fond du Lac, WI | Mad Hatteur on the move 48 years after opening little record shop that still vibes like the 70s: One of the state’s oldest record stores is still going strong in Northeast Wisconsin, after half a century of selling vinyl and an eclectic assortment of potpourri reminiscent of the 1960s and ’70s. Mad Hatteur Music in Fond du Lac recently moved down the street to a corner lot at 459 S. Main St., the former location of F1 Computer Systems. Owner Mike Bigsby has been with the throw-back vinyl shop for 48 years, after former owner Chuck Rhodes hired him for what was his first part-time job. Bigsby purchased the business six years ago from Rhodes, who died July 13. Mad Hatteur began back in the heyday of rock ‘n roll. After a short stay at a Forest Avenue location near Main Street, Rhodes opened at 231 N. Main St. in 1973, with $2,500 worth of stock and business partner John Stitt.

BMG Reports Record Half-Year Earnings As Vinyl Overtakes CDs for the First Time: During 2021’s opening half, BMG generated a record €296 million (approximately $349.34 million at the present exchange rate), with a streaming-driven recorded-earnings uptick having offset a plateau in publishing income, according to a newly released financial analysis from the label and publisher’s Bertelsmann parent company. Berlin-headquartered BMG’s operations across Q1 and Q2 2021 accounted for roughly $350 million of Bertelsmann’s $10.27 billion (€8.7 billion) in total revenue – up from about $332.84 million (€282 million) during the same stretch in 2020. Moreover, BMG’s H1 2021 earnings, as was also the case for those reported in H1 2020, represent the 13-year-old music company’s “best first-half performance yet.” Predictably, streaming – which has helped each of the Big Three labels enjoy double-digit year-over-year revenue growth in 2021 – played a key role in BMG’s performance in all of 2020 as well as H1 2021.

Europe Vinyl Records Market Report 2021-2025 with Focus on UK, Germany, Netherlands: The vinyl records market in Europe is poised to grow by $96.68 mn during 2021-2025, progressing at a CAGR of about 6%. The market is driven by the increasing demand for vinyl records of old music and songs and increasing number of promotional events. The report on vinyl records market in Europe provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current Europe market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The vinyl records market in Europe analysis include product segment, distribution channel segment, and geographic landscape. This study identifies the aesthetic appeal of vinyl records as one of the prime reasons driving the vinyl records market in Europe growth during the next few years.

New Orleans, LA | New Orleans’ First Record Store/Former Workplace of Louis Armstrong Destroyed by Hurricane Ida: As Hurricane Ida evaporates, Louisiana officials are taking stock of the damage done to New Orleans and its surrounding area.One such loss from the storm is the Karnofsky Shop, a pawn-shop-turned-New Orleans’ first record store that was the site of endless inspiration for a very young Louis Armstrong in the 1910s.“Every time we would come in late on the little wagon from buying old rags and bones, when they would be having ‘supper’ they would fix a plate of food for me, saying you’ve worked, might as well eat here with us,” Armstrong famously recalled of the store owners, who took him under their wing.The owners – the Karnofskys – also funded the purchase of Armstrong’s first cornet and – as the legend goes – the famous jazz musician wore a star of David for the rest of his life as a sign of gratitude to the Karnofsky family.The building was located at 427 S. Rampart St.

Longview, WA | Talking Business: Growing indie music scene centers around Stash Records in Longview: Acity sandwiched between two popular indie music scenes has few live music venues, or places to buy records, CDs or cassettes outside of big-box retailers. Tyler Wilson is hoping to change that. Portland and Seattle are known as breeding grounds for new musicians and genres, but Wilson is planting the seeds for local indie music in the middle. “Longview seemed like it needed a record store,” he said. The Vancouver transplant opened Stash Records on Commerce Avenue in August 2020 to sell used and new records, CDs and cassettes, as well as vintage high-end speakers. Like all good record stores, a community followed. “There is a purposeful sense of community you feel in Longview that you don’t get in Vancouver or Portland,” Wilson said. Wilson has held two live shows featuring Longview indie artists, and plans to hold more free, all-age shows inside the 1,300 sq. ft. store.

The LP turns 70 – good news for record fans: “Vinyl has been writing a success story for over a decade,” said Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Music Industry Association (BVMI) Florian Drücke of the German News Agency. “What started in the niche has now grown into a real market segment.” On August 31, 1951, Germany’s first LP with 33 1/3 rpm was presented at the German Music Fair in Düsseldorf. After decades of boom, the LP media fell into crisis in the 1990s with the advent of the digital compact disc. According to the association, only 700,000 records were sold in 2011, but in 2020 it was more than four million. “For many, this is certainly based on the desire to slow down in a largely digital environment, but also on the haptic experience,” explains Drücke. “It now goes beyond hunting and collecting and extends to all genres. It’s a beautiful and truly remarkable success story.” The expert does not see any danger for the LP in the streaming trend: “For us, it is less a question of knowing if the disc will go out or not, what matters is that it exists as long as it has added value for the fans. That does not exclude that you are a mixed user and have digital music. “

Victoria, BC | Lyle’s Place, destination music shop for nearly 40 years, is closing: For nearly 40 years, Lyle’s Place in the 700-block of Yates Street has been an institution for music lovers of all stripes. While it’s been a destination new-and-used record shop on that block since it opened in 1982, Lyle’s has also been a second home for many, a school for those looking to broaden their musical horizons, a marketplace and meeting place for musicians and for years it was the place to get tickets for shows of all sizes in the city. It has also been the centre of Janice and Rod Lyle’s world since they opened the door in 1982, four years after starting a book shop in James Bay. Rod Lyle, who suffered a major stroke four years ago, said a confluence of factors ranging from his own health, family priorities, increased rent due to rising taxes and the effects of COVID have forced his hand. “It’s just time,” he said Monday, while preparing the inventory for a clearance sale that will start this week. “We’ve had a great run. It’s becoming too much for the two of us.”

DJ Shadow Announces 25th Anniversary Remaster Of Endtroducing. First released in 1996, the record is a genre-defying masterpiece that has helped redefine sample-based music. DJ Shadow’s groundbreaking debut album, Endtroducing, is a genre-defying masterpiece that has helped redefine sample-based music. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Island Records are releasing a special remastered vinyl edition of this groundbreaking record, plus a 7″ single featuring isolated elements from the album. The forthcoming Endtroducing 25 Abbey Road Half Speed Mastered edition will be released on September 24 on gatefold, double 12″ vinyl and features totally remastered audio taken from the original master tape and cut at half speed – a technical, specialized process that results in significantly more detailed, high quality sound. “I was so happy to have recently discovered the original DAT tape that served as the final mix source of the album, and was able to provide it for the remaster just in time for this release. When comparing the new version with the old, I was shocked at how many audible details were revealed that I had completely forgotten about”, says DJ Shadow.

Raleigh, NC | Raleigh music hall has followed strict COVID protocols. An outbreak occurred anyway: The Pour House Music Hall & Record Shop will close for two weeks after a COVID-19 outbreak — a blow to the longtime downtown Raleigh venue that had followed strict pandemic rules. The music hall announced the news on its Facebook page Wednesday, noting that half its team had the virus. It will reopen Sept. 8 and offer refunds for shows until then. Work continues on rescheduling the canceled shows. Starting on Aug. 13, the Pour House began requiring vaccinations or a negative COVID-19 test for those attending concerts. Masks were required at all times except when patrons were drinking or shopping in the record store. “We understand this … sucks,” said a note on the Pour House site. “Like BIG TIME … SUCKS! Especially after getting a glimpse of life returning back to normalcy.”

Bloomingdale , NY | Vinyl and plastic: Bloomingdale record and toy store sells nostalgia, connection: A new store opened up in Bloomingdale earlier this month, and it’s become a haven for music lovers, people looking to get in touch with their inner child and collectors around the area. The proprietor, Tim Branfalt — he goes by “Timmy B” — is an energetic music lover, conversationalist and “curator” of the vinyl and toy museum, Black Dog Records, that he established on state Route 3. On any given day, Branfalt can be found pacing around his store, flipping through the 4,000-or-so records, eyeing the Masters of the Universe toy collection in a glass case and reveling in the nostalgic space he’s created. The eponymous black dog of Black Dog Records is a boxador named Griffey Richard, after Seattle Mariners player Ken Griffey Jr., though he’s sometimes introduced as Griffey Richard, Esquire. “He’s my legal counsel,” Branfalt said.

Joni Mitchell’s 1969 Carnegie Hall performance gets first 3LP release: With live renditions of ‘Chelsea Morning’, ‘Cactus Tree’, ‘Both Sides Now’, ‘Urge For Going’, and more. Joni Mitchell’s 1969 Carnegie Hall performance is being released for the first time, via Reprise this October. The performance came almost a year after the release of Mitchell’s debut album — Song to a Seagull — and was the then 25-year old’s her first major concert. It features renditions of some of her most beloved pieces, including ‘Both Sides Now’, ‘Chelsea Morning’, ‘Cactus Tree’, ‘Both Sides Now’, ‘Urge For Going’, ‘Morning Morgantown’, and ‘The Circle Game’. Alongside Live at Carnegie Hall 1969, Mitchell also recently reissued her first four albums in a 4xLP collection titled The Reprise Albums (1968-1971).

Pearl Jam Release Ten And No Code Anniversary Editions: Pearl Jam have released a pair of newly-remixed anniversary editions of their 1991 debut, “Ten”, and 1996’s “No Code” albums. Both records were issued on August 27 – five years apart – with “Ten” marking its 30th anniversary and “No Code” its 25th milestone. The anniversary editions were fully mixed by Pearl Jam producer and sound engineer Josh Evans in Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio to provide listeners with an immersive, sonic experience. …”Ten” went on to sell more than 13 million copies in the US, while “No Code” earned the Seattle outfit their third straight US No. 1 album. Pearl Jam have also recently released a 25th anniversary 150-gram vinyl edition of “No Code”, marking the first time the album has been available on the format since its original release and the first time the album is being mastered specifically for vinyl.

Wheeling, WV | Nail City Record: The heartbeat of downtown Wheeling: Jon Napier began collecting vinyl records early in college. After what grew into a profound love for music, the arts and live entertainment, he and his partner opened Nail City Record in the heart of downtown Wheeling, West Virginia. Napier, a Wheeling native, graduated from West Liberty University with a B.A. in Business Administration. Afterward, he moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he lived for two years. While in the Denver-Metro area, Napier found inspiration in the vibrant small business community throughout the region. With a desire to pursue entrepreneurship on his own, he moved home to start Nail City Record. Then, on Halloween of 2017, his dream turned into reality. Napier and his partner moved into one of the central office buildings downtown and reimagined the space. Coupling their love for the past, they’ve used the historic site to propel their industry into the future.

Wilmington, NC | With return of School Kids Records, is Wilmington in a golden age for vinyl? The last time anyone bought anything at School Kids Records on Kerr Avenue in Wilmington, George W. Bush was in his first term in the White House and Eminem, Missy Elliott and Puddle of Mudd were radio staples. Until Aug. 19 of this year, that is, when School Kids reopened at 1001-A Kerr Ave., just a few doors down from where the shop closed in early 2003 after 25-year run in Wilmington. On Friday, Wilmington musician and former School Kids employee Jennifer Lea Long was browsing the aisles as Eddie Todd, a former School Kids employee and now business partner, welcomed a visitor. Todd summoned fellow business partner and record collector Steve Levine, from the back. Along with Duane Ingram, who opened the original Wilmington location of School Kids Records on Dawson Street, Todd and Levine comprise the ownership triumvirate for what Todd calls “the newest, oldest record store in town,” or what Ingram calls “the biggest little record store in Wilmington.”

Floyd County, VA | Floyd County record store home to world’s largest collection of bluegrass, old time recordings: Did you know that a local record store is home to the world’s largest selection of bluegrass and old-time recordings? The County Sales record store holds the coveted title, and the shop has thousands of CDs and records to choose from — you can even find a selection of local artists. The business is run by musicians who are happy to offer guidance. “You know they can come in and say, ‘I want something with a banjo in it,’ so we’ll often point them to the local music because there is so much great music in southwest Virginia,” said Ashlee Watkins, a sales associate at the County Sales record store. It’s also been in the community for over 50 years and counting.

Peterborough, ON | Record year for record sales for Bluestreak in Peterborough, Ont. For more than 30 years, Bluestreak Records has been a musical staple in Peterborough, Ont. The vinyl shop houses tens of thousands of records, CDs and even cassette tapes. “I just love music so much,” said owner Tim Haines. “Second to live music, listening to records or CDs is fantastic. There is music for every moment or from every time in your life.” Haines said that includes navigating a pandemic and even with retail shutdowns, he has seen an increase in sales. “I’ve had my busiest year ever, even with all of those times shut down I still had an excellent year,” he said. “I think it is because everyone was staying at home and cooking and wanted to listen to records while they were cooking.” He said he has also seen an increase in vinyl popularity in the past five years. “They do sound great,” said Haines. “Maybe there is just something about a little less of everything all of the time, you can just choose a side of a record and listen to that.”

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Tokyo, JP | Symphonic Distribution Partners with Qrates to Expand Vinyl Services to Full Roster of Independent Artists and Labels: Qrates, the world’s premier destination for fast, hassle-free creation, financing, distribution, discovery, and sales of vinyl records, has partnered with Symphonic Distribution, the latest leading music distributor to provide its independent artist and label clients with discounted access to Qrates’ end-to-end services, from crowdfunding through to fan fulfillment. This deal gives all of Symphonic’s clients access to vinyl creation and sales, giving them the ability to capitalize on one of the most lucrative and fastest-growing formats in the music industry today. …Because Qrates has direct relationships with pressing plants, it is able to turn around orders more quickly than other companies, with priority given to independent artists and labels. And with free warehousing in North America and the U.K., artists and labels can choose whether to have Qrates handle order processing, storage, customer support, and distribution for them.

Adelaide, AU | Clarity Records is expanding into the shop next door: Cult Hindmarsh Square record store Clarity Records is expanding into an empty bricks-and-mortar space next door, and plans on also throwing (sometimes boozy) gigs on weekends. Clarity Records is much more than just a record store. After opening on Pulteney Street in 2010 as a specialist music shop – slinging vinyl, CDs and other music merch to die-hard punk and hardcore fans – it morphed in 2015 when the business launched annual music festival A Day of Clarity. Clarity co-owners Matt (also known as Footy) and Laura Hovarth are deeply embedded within Adelaide’s underground music scene. They both run the festival, record shop and all its affiliated appendages, such as the self-titled record label that manages bands such as Hydromedusa. Unsurprisingly, in 2021, the business needed space to grow. That’s why last year Matt and Laura decided to lease the vacant 100sqm retail space next door to sell more records – now from artists spanning other musical genres such as jazz, soul and funk – and offer a space for permanent live music.

Has the pandemic created a brief blip or permanent shift in traditional media consumption? There are plenty of articles, whitepapers and reports out there that have been tracking the changes in media consumption over the past year and, perhaps inevitably, an acceleration further into certain digital channels is quite apparent. But for a while now, having read and heard various things, I’ve been musing over whether this tells the whole story. A frequently recurring theme that has been present over the past year has been one of nostalgia, and it got me wondering whether this has begun a trend toward an occasional hankering for some traditional media, or is it merely a fad; a symptom of these extraordinary times. …The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) reported in December that sales of vinyl records in the UK had reached their highest since the early 1990s. Now, this was following a trend in growth for the 13th consecutive year, but given the frequency and depth of lockdowns during this period and people’s focus on their finances in other areas, this is some achievement.

Warner Music Is Worth a Spin: Record label’s stock has lagged behind even as consumers are paying up for music. The nice thing about being Warner Music these days is that the company still does well even when listeners go old school. Streaming is now the main driver of the music business, accounting for about 83% of the industry’s $12.2 billion in U.S. revenue last year, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America, or RIAA. But the industry is also seeing a strong uptick in sales of vinyl albums, which generated nearly $620 million in U.S. sales last year—up 29% from the previous year. That is the highest sales figure for the vinyl format in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1988. …But as Tim Nollen of Macquarie put it, Warner is “having it both ways” of late. Vinyl demand powered a 155% surge in physical music sales to $130 million in the company’s fiscal third quarter ended June.

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