Niagara Falls, NY | Local record store pairs with Underground Railroad Center to educate all during Women’s History Month: There are so many iconic women in Western New York. Women that broke barriers beyond the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area. People like Minnie Gillette, Mary Talbot, Louise Bethune, and so many more. But some historic women of this area could be unfamiliar to some people. That’s why Daredevil Records is teaming up with the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center to host its first ever Women’s History Month Scavenger Hunt. The tasks are fun and something to do with your friends, while also an incredibly educational experience. There are 11 clues for the scavenger hunt. It starts out at the record store, but leads you around Niagara Falls, showing off different landmarks, and teaching everyone about the rich history women have in Western New York. “It’s a very deep history here, and it’s important to learn about all the brave women here that have done incredible things,” Daredevil Records employee, Edyta Chorostkowska said.
Cincinnati, OH | Best selection of experimental music at a record store: Torn Light Records is quickly rivaling Shake It and Everybody’s as one of the best record stores in Cincinnati. Located on Ludlow Avenue, Torn Light has a terrific selection of new and used records, plus a constantly replenished stock of new acquisitions in front of the counter that’s always worth flipping through. Not many record stores give you a sense of the staff and owner’s personal tastes like Torn Light does. They have a thoughtfully curated section of experimental and noise music, modernist composers like John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen, as well as a nice little nook of books tucked in the back, with an eye towards, again, the experimental. Think Georges Bataille, Leonora Carrington, Nicholson Baker and more. And if you aren’t sure what to look for, the staff is always playing an interesting record you’ve likely never heard before, and that just might steer you in the right direction.
Lubbock, TX | Records outsell CDs for first time since 1987, Lubbock store contributes to growth: For almost two decades now music fanatics have been traveling back in time through vinyl records. This form of music has seen a record-breaking growth. According to the Recording Industry Association of America’s, Vinyl records outsell CDs for the first time since 1987. “Records have been on their way back for about 15 to 17 years now. It’s been a slow climb and actually very rapid climb in the last 10 years, so for it to totally take over CD’s, it’s not surprising at all,” said Doug Stapp, owner of Ralph’s Records. Just last year, vinyl’s have sold 41 million albums compared to 33 million CDs. “It’s bigger, you can actually listen to it. You don’t have to lease it on your phone. You actually own something, you can stare at all of the artwork, you get to read all the liner notes, all the fun stuff that goes along with music which is very important to music,” said Stapp. The growth is something that Ralph’s Record is no stranger to, operating for over 43 years with the largest sales coming from young adults.
Boston, MA | New store brings vinyl records to Beacon Hill: There’s a new music store on Beacon Hill selling some very old, and very cool, records. What’s happening: After six years in Providence, Music Research Library reopened at 24 Joy St. on Beacon Hill March 1. Co-owner Vasyl Kochura tells Axios a lot of the Rhode Island shop’s clientele were coming down from the Boston area so he and business partner Zachary Warf decided to find space downtown. He says the foot traffic on Beacon Hill is already better than expected. What they’re saying: “We love obscure records from around the world and we try to curate music for deep listeners who are interested in exploring different sounds,” Kochura said. The shop has listening stations where customers can preview a record before buying it, a feature that’s not always available in modern record shops. Beyond albums, soundtracks and singles, the shop specializes in “library music” — recordings of generic stock music used in the production of movies, TV shows or ads. Kochura said MRL pays top dollar for records, especially collections.