Category Archives: A morning mix of news for the vinyl inclined

Saginaw, MI | Audiogazing sells music of the past: A music lover in Saginaw is turning back the clock with his record shop. Joseph Weber opened Audiogazing on Michigan Avenue in Saginaw. He says the name comes from just sitting back and drifting off into space is where the name comes from. Weber has always had a passion for music. “It goes all the way back to when I was the kid on the bus with the boom box,” says Weber. “I was the school DJ going to school every morning on the bus.” He calls himself a “record store rat,” saying he hung out at the turntable as much as he could growing up. After retiring from the automotive industry, he decided to take a leap of faith. “I just happened to be glancing through one day, and there was an article that said vinyl would be making a resurgence,” he explains. Weber opened up a booth at the SVRC marketplace in Saginaw in 2018. The space quickly got used up in about eight months.

New York, NY | Vinyl makes a comeback, record store experiences increased demand: Jamal Annasr has been on Bleeker street in Greenwich Village selling records for more than 30 years, and he’s seen the items in his shop go in and out of demand. “There is a big demand for what you call vintage. Came back to life definitely,” Annasr said. He tells FOX 5 as his gets older he finds the customers dropping getting younger and younger demanding records older than the store itself. “Really people miss that vintage look on the physical copy of vinyl. Buying a vinyl you buy a whole idea. The lyrics’ artwork sound, the whole idea which is great,” said Annasr. It’s not just vinyl records making a comeback. “I feel like vintage in general is coming back. A lot of denim a lot of distressing, a lot of grinding dirty revisited things are coming back,” one shopper shared.

“It has a legacy without parallel”: Inside the new book charting the history of Island Records: Author and Island Records former head of press Neil Storey has promised his new book tracing the illustrious history of Island Records is as “definitive as can be.” Hitting shelves this month, the first volume of the Island Book Of Records documents every album released on the label between 1959 and the end of 1968, with insight coming from a host of names including the legendary Chris Blackwell. Very much an essential for vinyl lovers—not least because the hardback book is vinyl-sized—each Island release is fully illustrated to include labels, booklets, die-cut covers and foreign editions as well as “scheduled but ultimately unreleased LPs”. This is on top of a 20-plus page illustrated discography of 45s and EPs, subsidiary label LP releases, gig adverts, record release flyers, magazine covers, concert tickets, Island’s LP adverts and much more.

UK | Scottish vinyl pressing plant Seabass Vinyl to begin production in December: “…We’ve had massive support from everybody, it’s been so good. The independent record shops have been amazing, Assai Records (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee), Orange Moon (North Berwick), Green Cat (Dunbar), Monorail Music, (Glasgow) they have been spreading the word and been so supportive on our journey from the very beginning. We put posts up across social media and we’ve had a lot of traction there as well. People have been contacting us and sending us messages of support, including from some labels. Overall, the support has been tremendous from everybody from all over the place, but specifically from within Scotland. We have the partnership with the SAY awards as well (Scottish Album of the Year). Seabass Vinyl is sponsoring the Sound of Young Scotland award and we are pressing the winner’s first album as a prize. That has helped to increase the buzz in Scotland specifically, which is great…”

Read More »

Nantwich, UK | Nantwich independent record shop promotes local musicians: Nantwich independent music store Applestump Records has launched a new Youtube channel to help promote local artists, writes Jonathan White. The store, which sells new and second-hand vinyl records on Barker Street, is run by Steve Cook. He launched the Youtube channel last month and the sessions are all recorded live inside his Applestump store. A new Applestump Sessions episode is released every Friday and several local artists have already been recorded performing. These include Oli Ng, Cathy Jain, Ben Owen, Leon (aka Something Followed Me Home), Jonah Shaw, Abbie Ozard, Jonathan Tarplee and Nastee Chapel. There will also be future sessions from Tim Lee, Lisa T, Sam Lyon and Crowspeak.

Kansas City, MO | Westport’s It’s a Beautiful Day is more than just a simple music-politics-apparel-repair-art-queer-vintage shop: While many KC record stores have come and gone, one plucky shop on Broadway has stood the test of time for over thirty years. Fires, floods, and pandemics have all tried to derail the store, but to no avail. As you walk into It’s a Beautiful Day, you are instantly greeted by the familiar smell of incense, pro-choice and anti-hate bumper stickers, a Grateful Dead Mural, and so much more. It’s a Beautiful Day is a family-owned and operated record store and hippie boutique at 3918 Broadway Blvd. Co-owners Fran Stanton and Erik Branstetter have spent decades cultivating one of the coolest artistic pillars in an ever-changing city.

Springfield, OR | Best record store on Main Street in Springfield: Sure, Eugene has many great record stores, from the iconic House of Records to the hip Moon Rock Records. But Little Axe Records is Springfield’s answer to my age-old weekend question: Will I find a Steely Dan record for my collection? Usually, the answer is no, but whenever I’m at Little Axe Records, I always find something else to keep my spirits up, whether I’m looking for an affordable copy of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska or a rare John Coltrane pressing. The Springfield store was opened by the Portland-based Little Axe Records in 2019, and it’s more than just a place to grab the usual rock, blues, hip-hop and jazz records. You’ll also find international music released by the label; music that you can peruse through and take a trip around the world.

Athens, GA | Micky Dolenz to host in-store event at Wuxtry Records: Micky Dolenz, a former member of the pop rock band The Monkees, will host an in-store event at Wuxtry Records’ Athens location on Friday, Nov. 3. The event will celebrate the release of Dolenz’s upcoming EP, “DOLENZ SINGS R.E.M.,” that will come out the same day. Wuxtry Records was the meeting place of ‘80s rock band R.E.M. and a significant location in the history of Athens music scene. The cover art of the EP even features the storefront of Wuxtry Records in the background. Athens mayor Kelly Girtz will be present at the event and award Dolenz with a key to the city, according to a press release from 7a Records. “Micky Dolenz is part of the great circle of creativity that includes our beloved town of Athens, GA,” Girtz said in the press release.

Read More »

Chart data collection change will under-report physical sales by 95%, say indie music stores: Indie music stores and labels are sounding the alarm over plans by Luminate, the music data provider for the Billboard charts, to change how it calculates physical sales at independent music outlets. …As of December 29, 2023, Luminate will shift from its current “modeled methodology,” which takes sales from a sampling of stores and applies weighting or a multiplier to calculate total indie physical sales and to a direct representation of sales reported by indie retailers. Billboard hails the change as an “improvement” and part of Luminate’s “continued mission to provide more accurate data to the music industry.” But indie music stores, labels, and distributors say that it will result in the collapse of indie sales figures, since only 5% or 72 of the estimated 1400 indie stores report sales to Luminate.

Liverpool, UK | Jacaranda Records set to open Liverpool’s first Japanese-inspired vinyl listening bar this week: Jacaranda Records is reopening its original record store and Liverpool’s first vinyl listening bar upstairs at The Jacaranda on Slater Street. The upstairs of The Jacaranda has undergone a complete refit which will allow the area to be used as a record store and co-working environment during the day but will also allow it to moonlight as the city’s only vinyl listening bar. Though in the same premises, The Jacaranda’s main bar and its vinyl listening bar could not be more different. While The Jacaranda’s main bar is internationally renowned for its rawkus-overdriven-good-time atmosphere the first floor new bar will create a cosier candle-lit atmosphere encouraging face-to-face across-the-table conversation and interaction. The bar will aim to be welcoming and vibrant without being overbearing and will have a modest seating capacity of just 21 people.

Lancaster, UK | New independent vinyl record shop set to open in Lancaster: An independent record shop will be opening soon in Lancaster. Forty Five Records will be in the Kings Arcade, Lancaster next to Leonardini Gelato and alongside Lapel menswear. Forty Five Records made an announcement on their Facebook page that after an eternity of searching they have found a place to call home. A spokesman for the business said: “We’ve begun work on our record shop in Kings Arcade, King Street, Lancaster. “Over the next few weeks we’re putting together somewhere we hope seasoned vinyl collectors all the way to people who’ve never touched a record player will feel welcome. “Whether you’re into the most underground garage track or want the latest chart topper in vinyl, we have you covered. No egos, no judgement, just good music.”

Huntsville, TX | Volume Music is Opening Soon: Volume Music was founded in the Woodlands in 2019 by Tiffany and Joel Cochran, two industry professionals whose lives revolve around music. Expected to open at the end of October at 1213 University Avenue, their new location will be the first record store in Huntsville since Hastings closed in 2013. Featuring new and used vinyl records, cds, and cassettes from a wide range of genres, their presence on the downtown square is a welcome addition to Huntsville’s retail offerings. …Merchandise will include an ever expanding array of concert shirts, adult coloring books, posters, stickers, album frames, crazy socks and misheard lyric tumblers. …“We have one group of guys who come see us every week, and other locals who have become regular customers, so we decided that opening a new location here would be a perfect fit. The first time we saw the space, we thought it looked like our record store belonged there.”

Read More »

UK | Vinyl sales increased 51 per cent thanks to National Album Day: In honour of National Album Day’s ’90s theme, a number of albums from the decade were reissued on vinyl, including Tricky’s ‘Maxinquaye’ and Blur’s ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’ Vinyl sales have reportedly increased by 51 per cent on National Album Day thanks to its 1990s reissues. National Album Day, which took place on October 14 this year, was jointly organised by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA), and presented in association with audio partner Bowers & Wilkins and broadcast partner BBC Sounds. Music Week reported that the Official Charts Company recorded a 51 per cent increase in vinyl sales on National Album Day compared to the previous week. Nearly half of the 40 best-selling vinyl albums over the last weekend were releases exclusive to National Album Day, such as Blur‘s ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’, Jeff Buckley‘s ‘Grace’, and Paul Weller‘s ‘Wild Wood’.

Worthing, UK | New cafe and record shop opens in Stanford Square: A party has been held to celebrate the opening of a “vinyl café.” Vinyl Audio Café first opened in Worthing in July serving coffee and food while also serving as a music venue and record shop. To mark the opening, owners Mark and Emma Picard held the first of their parties in Stanford Square with scores of people gathering to listen to the music and enjoy the afternoon. Speaking about the event on Sunday, October 15, Mark, 48, said: “It’s a real passion project. We were asking ourselves ‘what can we do with our love?’ and for us it gives us a bit of freedom. “The block party was really nice, everyone extended their arms out and got involved. “Going forward we want this to be multi-faceted. We’re still growing and every day we have people coming in and discovering us.”

Orono, ME | Orono’s newest addition to town: Lizard Dog Records: A new sign popped up just off the corner of Pine and Maine Street last week. In big, neon green letters laying on a black backdrop are the words “Lizard Dog Records.” Under the sign and through the front door, which feels much more like a side door, lays a wall of speakers and the store owner, Joe Belisle, spinning a record from his 500-record-tall “to listen” pile. A neon green wall accents the black painted walls, and wooden crates filled with records as well as CD and cassette selves line the perimeter of the store. A large photo portrait of an Australian Shepard named Lizard hangs on the wall across from the towering speakers. Lizard Dog Records is one of the many stores that opened in downtown Orono this fall.

Brighton, UK | Pip Blom play live in Brighton record shop: Before Sunday night, I had only ever had the privilege to encounter two shows at Brighton’s beloved Resident Music record shop, once for electrifying Squid in June, (Review HERE) and once for the enigmatic Penguin Cafe in July; (Review HERE) now, I can add another to what I hope will be a growing roster in my personal gig repertoire, in the form of Netherlands-based indie pop trio Pip Blom! Formed no less than seven years ago, Pip Blom have enjoyed relative success off of a three-album streak (2019’s ‘Boat’, 2021’s ‘Welcome Break’ and the new baby, 2023’s ‘Bobbie’). While the band itself has not been around for too long, lead vocalist and the band’s titular namesake Pip has been blessing Dutch ears with material as far back as 2013.

Read More »

Global Vinyl Record Market Sees Increased Demand, Fueled by Rising Disposable Incomes and Urbanization: The “Vinyl Record Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2023-2028” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. The global vinyl record market, which reached a size of US$1.7 billion in 2022, is poised for substantial growth in the coming years, with an anticipated market size of US$2.8 billion by 2028. …Several key factors are contributing to the growth of the global vinyl record market: Rapid Urbanization: Urbanization is on the rise globally, and vendors are adopting omnichannel retailing practices to expand their consumer base. Music Enthusiasts and Collectors: Music collectors, audiophiles, and DJs value vinyl records as prized possessions, using them for concerts, shows, and music recordings. Vinyl records also hold significant cultural and historical value in the world of music…

Collingswood, NJ | Collingswood Record Shop Inner Groove Debuts House Label with Lost Soul Album Re-Release: You Hear Me Knocking wasn’t an instant classic when it first hit record store shelves some 50 years ago, but thanks to the neighborhood record shop, audiophiles can check out a rare work in a limited re-release. Behind the counter of Inner Groove Records in Collingswood, store manager Steve Maygers spends a lot of time learning about people through their record collections. …“It’s a personal narrative; music touches everybody’s life in a different way.” Maygers hears a lot about the collections his customers are building, but he might even hear more about the ones they no longer have. Divorce. Flooding. Extended borrowing. Outright theft. A record collection can disappear from your life a lot of different ways. But if you run a record store, you stand a good chance of seeing things a second time around.

Austin, TX | Living in Stereo relocates, reopens in South Austin: Living in Stereo, a record and mid-century modern furniture shop, has relocated and reopened in South Austin. The shop is owned by Austin natives Robert and Enzo Johnson. Living in Stereo was previously located at 4361 S. Congress Ave. and opened in September 2021. Robert Johnson noted the new space was a lot bigger. “We envisioned doing something bigger, so this is it,” he said. Living in Stereo sells vintage stereos, vinyl records, coffee, mid-century modern furniture and collectible artwork.

Washington, DC | An Artist Is Recreating Classic DC Album Covers: Alex Halaszyn’s solo show is a comics ode to Washington music history. Recently a shopper at the Chevy Chase DC record store art sound language was chatting with owner PJ Brownlee about a book for sale. It tells the story of Arlington’s Inner Ear studio, and the customer mentioned he’d recorded there with a long-ago band. The group’s name, he told Brownlee, was No Trend, so the owner whipped out his phone to show him some artwork that will be shown in the shop this weekend: Artist Alex Halaszyn has recreated the covers of dozens of classic DC-area albums in his distinctive style. One of them was No Trend’s “Teen Love” seven-inch single from 1983. “He was kind of dumbfounded,” Brownlee says. “You know, you feel like you’ve stumbled into a dream. I’ve seen this with people who really get what I’m doing.”

Read More »

Santa Clara, CA | Your New Favorite Record Store is Just “On the Corner” No one knows the name of the record store nestled just two doors down from Park Station Hashery, but it’s no mystery what they sell there. With its rounded black-and-white sign out front reading“RECORDS,” On the Corner Music does a fantastic job at marketing its merchandise, but do Santa Clara students really know what’s behind the door? Upon entering this cozy used record store, newcomers are immersed in the nostalgic scent of box after box of assorted 60’s, 70’s and 80’s vinyl. The space is filled with the soft crackling of a jazz record that store owner Jeff Michael Evans has just taken out of its worn cardboard sleeve. …“Vinyl was the normal media at the time,” Evans said, recalling the early days of his collection. Despite the rise of CD’s in the late 80s and early 90s, Evans noted that vinyl was still very popular among kids at the time, primarily due to its lower price point.

Grand Rapids, MI | DJ plans Grand Rapids’ first Black, woman-owned record store: Grand Rapids’ first Black, woman-owned record shop is coming to the city’s Southeast End neighborhood with a targeted opening next month. Della Soul Records will offer a space for vinyl enthusiasts to buy and sell records at 1220 Kalamazoo Ave. SE in what owner Della Marie Levi describes as a “quirky, eccentric and colorful” space. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Levi took her love of music to a new level, learning the art of DJing on vinyl records. By becoming DJ Della Soul, Levi also found a new way to connect with her late father, who she described as an “avid vinyl listener.” “When he was in his chair with his cocktail and his vinyl records playing, he was in such a beautiful zone,” Levi said of her father. “That was his way of relaxation and rest, and I learned good music through him.”

Ocean Springs, MS | Maynard’s Music dedicating Little Free Record Store in Ocean Springs: Pretty soon music lovers will be gaining access to classic and vinyl records at one local library thanks to this music shop. This Saturday, Maynard’s Music is dedicating a free community record shop to the Ocean Springs Library System. Visitors will be able to donate and share their classic CDs, cassettes, vinyl records, and other music formats with the community. The music box will be placed in the lobby area of the Ocean Springs Library. Matthew Comstock, the owner of Maynard’s Music, says this music shop is the only one in the region. “This will be the first one that I know of in this region that offers a little free record shop as opposed to a little free bookstore. So yeah, this is the only one that I know of in this area. It was a little tough because we had to find a location where its inside. You know it has to be protected from the weather, the records can’t get hot or wet or anything like that. So, we’ve been working with the public library. They’re very excited about it and we are very, very, very excited about it.”

HK | Is Hong Kong seeing a vinyl revival? Record store owners see a growing trend among young people: HMV and Hong Kong Records might have disappeared in 2018 but vinyl is making a quiet comeback in independent music stores and even bars. Many consider vinyl albums a thing of the past, condemned to the dustbin of history thanks to the popularisation of first CDs then music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and YouTube Music. Hong Kong’s former record giants Hong Kong Records and HMV both closed the last of their retail locations in 2018. To some, it seemed like the end of an era. But analogue music did not completely go away. Vinyl records have been making a quiet comeback in Hong Kong, in both local independent music stores and the homes of dedicated audiophiles and collectors. It’s not just a Hong Kong trend. Luminate, a US-based entertainment data company, released a report in July showing that US vinyl sales were up 21.7 per cent for the first half of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022, and had been rising for 17 consecutive years.

Read More »

Bastrop, TX | New Romantic Comedy Love and Vinyl to be Presented In Downtown Bastrop Record Store: Don’t miss this unique play, running from November 2 to November 18, 2023. Lost Pines Theatre Guild will present Love and Vinyl, a new play by Bob Bartlett. Set against the backdrop of a charming vintage vinyl shop, this quirky romantic comedy will run at Astro Record Store in Bastrop, TX from November 2 to November 18, 2023. Love and Vinyl tells the story of long-time friends Bogie and Zane, who meet for an evening of browsing at their favorite record store to indulge in their shared passion for vintage vinyl. As they explore the shop’s treasures, they encounter Sage, the store’s new owner. What unfolds is a delightful exploration of life, love, loneliness, and the music that connects us all.

Detroit, MI | Jett Plastic Records celebrates a decade of rock ’n’ roll with this weekend’s Jettblast Fest: The local label was founded by Jarrett Koral when he was just a teenager. What were you doing when you were 14? Back in 2012, local music fan Jarrett Koral founded his own record label. In the decade since, Jett Plastic Recordings has made a splash by putting out more than 75 vinyl discs by local acts like Bootsey X and Kenny Tudrick and plenty of national ones, too, like actor Macaulay Culkin’s band the Pizza Underground. Koral is celebrating 10 years of making records (they grow up so fast!) with this weekend’s Jettblast Fest, featuring 20 bands across two nights of rock ’n’ roll at the Lager House. Highlights include Patrick Pentland of Canadian power-pop band Sloan on Friday, with the first ever U.S. show by his new group Fuzzed Out…

Atlanta, GA | Rapper Gucci Mane, record store reminds fans that records aren’t dead during signing event: On Oct. 17, rapper Gucci Mane made a special appearance at a CD and vinyl signing event, coincidentally sharing the name with his record label, 1017. The event, which saw the release of his new album “Breath of Fresh Air,” drew in crowds, including many families, as fans gathered to meet the renowned artist. The event took place at DBS Sounds, a local record store with a history spanning nearly 30 years, making it one of the longest-standing Black-owned record shops in Atlanta. The owner of DBS Sounds expressed his delight in celebrating Atlanta’s hip-hop culture while taking the opportunity to correct some common misconceptions about the music industry. Tobago, the owner of DBS Sounds, emphasized the enduring significance of record sales and their role in supporting artists.

Olivia Rodrigo Releasing Secret Tracks Record Store Day EP Pressed By Jack White’s Third Man: When Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album GUTS came out last month, four different non-album cuts were hidden across four different vinyl variants. Today, Rodrigo announced that those “secret tracks” will be released on a 7″ for this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday. The vinyl was pressed by Jack White’s Third Man Pressing plant in Detroit. “I’m a big [Third Man Records] fan and I”m so stoked to have my songs on their vinyl!!!” Rodrigo wrote on an Instagram post, in which she also shared a photo of her giving White a haircut backstage at Brooklyn Steel. Rodrigo said that Jack White (and St. Vincent) were among her mentors when making her new album. The GUTS secret tracks 7″ will be available on 11/24, aka Record Store Day Black Friday.

Read More »

Cross Plains, WI | Record pressing plant celebrates success in Wisconsin: For the first time in more than 90 years, Wisconsin is home to a vinyl record pressing plant. Owner Dave Eck said he’s always been a vinyl guy, even when many were throwing their records away. “All the labels, all the distributors, they wanted CDs; they didn’t even want to deal with the hassle of vinyl,” Eck said. “But I was just like, ‘We got to do the vinyl.’ You know, I was just always gung-ho about vinyl.” Eck was already in the business of mastering and cutting records as the owner of Lucky Mastering. He’s worked with some big-name talent, cleaning up their final studio recordings before the music is pressed into vinyl and mass produced. That’s where he noticed a bigger need. “The vinyl resurgence started getting so strong that my customers couldn’t get turnaround at the pressing plants,” Eck said. “It was literally 12 to 18 months turnaround for even 100 or 1,000 records.”

Troy, NY | The Roundabout Records Roundup—Sound House Records Edition: …Between online record-buying, parenting a three-year-old and the start of the school year, it took me until last Friday night to finally find an afternoon where I could take the 20-minute drive down to Troy to spend an hour browsing at Sound House. …Sound House, which opened in 2021, is the closest thing our area has to a true boutique shop. It is CLEAN and so are the records (used records are ultrasonically cleaned, which saves nitpicky collectors like me the trouble of doing so at home). The lighting is also ideal for checking condition, and the size of the shop is perfect for a two-hour dig. The shop had completely turned over its merchandise since my last shop, so it was cool to hit the bins.

Manchester, UK | The return of the Vinyl Frontier society: “There’s infinite potential for conversation.” From Nina Simone to SOPHIE, all manner of music gets a fair hearing at Manchester’s premier album book-club, and this year’s committee are looking to expand the weekly music discussion group even further. Like so many of Manchester’s smaller societies, Vinyl Frontier ceased to exist during the COVID-19 pandemic. …A self-described “book-club style music society,” Vinyl Frontier socials are pub meet-ups centred each week around a different album, a premise not well-suited to the guideline constraints of the COVID era. …Vinyl Frontier resumed activity in the 2021-22 academic year, hosting socials every few weeks with around 10 to 15 people attending. In the last year, however, numbers have exploded, with 35 to 40 people attending the weekly meeting, and more popular weeks packing the venue completely.

UK | Vinyl Destination: Tale Of Bus: Have you ever dreamed of packing in your day job and hitting the open road in a campervan? Dutch DJ, booker and collector Daan Donk got that same itch and made it a reality. Having entered the party scene at the tender age of 19 through a role as DJ and booker at beach club Woodstock ’69, Daan had worked in the events side of the music industry for nearly a decade before bureaucracy allowed him to take a step back. “I had helped to set up a beach venue in Berlin and my five-year plan was to be there every summer,” Daan explains. The venue’s license fell through, leaving Daan with hours to fill for the first time since he was a teen. “I always wanted to have a campervan, and I was jobless,” he says. “I wanted a van and to have decks in it so it would be the ultimate DJ camper for myself.”

Read More »

Wallingford, CT | Connecticut’s Redscroll Records Keeps Southern New England Plugged In: In the heart of the great state of Connecticut, there is an unassuming building that houses one of the greatest musical assets the state has ever seen. Redscroll Records is an established safe haven for the state’s music nerds, quickly becoming a breeding ground for local and well-known musicians across a plethora of genres. Redscroll is single-handedly changing the perception of Connecticut’s art scene, providing countless records, tapes, and CDs to the public while also building an indie label to release some of the highlights of their bustling art scene. Glide had the opportunity to ask Rick, Co-owner of Redscroll Records, some questions about his shop, the story behind the record label, and everything in between. Check out our full conversation below.

Leeds, UK | New Farsley record store puts crowd in a spin on opening day: As of Saturday Farsley now has its own record store. Record Plant opened at Sunny Bank Mills – and it was packed when I dropped in on opening day. To find out more about why, in a digital age, a “purveyor of new and second hand records, memorabilia and pop tat” was needed I caught up with Jaimie, JP, Col and Choque as they were restocking after the weekend and getting ready for their first instore gig by the artist “Someone” on Tuesday night. …The aim is for Record Plant to be physical shop with the backup of online sales to come soon. Records will be available in-store first, so locals get first chance at rarities and exciting purchases. There is an eclectic mix for sale across all genres and time periods, and stock will evolve to both meet current demand and inspire new interests.

Berlin, DE | Berlin record store Hard Wax to relocate to Kraftwerk: The fabled record store will move to its new location, also home to Tresor and OHM, at the end of the month. Hard Wax has announced that it will be leaving its home at Paul-Lincke-Ufer after 27 years, and moving to a space within the Kraftwerk building. The beloved Berlin-based record shop announced the news via X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. The store will be open in its new location in Mitte, sitting between Tresor and OHM at the Köpenicker Strasse complex, on October 30. After 27 years of service at its current venue, Hard Wax are moving due to plans for the Kreuzberg building to be redeveloped. Resident Advisor has reported that the entire building, also home to the 28-year-old cutting house and mastering studio Dubplates & Mastering (D&M), is set to be turned into luxury flats.

Philadelphia, PA | Brewerytown Beats to close permanently: North Philadelphia record shop Brewerytown Beats will officially shut down operations before the end of the year, citing financial woes and license and inspection issues. North Philadelphia record shop Brewerytown Beats, which housed a catalog full of funk, hip-hop, and soul music and collectibles, will officially shut down operations by the end of the year. The announcement was made on Friday on the Brewerytown Beats Instagram page. The organization posted an image of the store with the words “Brewerytown Beats closing for good by 2024″ over the photo. The post’s second image was a snapshot of the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspection’s Cease of Operations notification, which outlined zoning, electrical, fire, and license violations at the shop’s 1517 N. Bailey St. location. The notice also cited that any operations after 8 p.m. on Oct. 6 are illegal. Currently, the store is not open for business.

Read More »

Agusta, GA | Grantski Records reflects on community support from the past seven years: Grantski Records has been helping people find vinyl records for seven years, and for the past few years they’ve been in Downtown Augusta. Not only can you find records but they also have musical performances at the venue as well. For “Your Hometown Road Trip” we caught up with owner, Evan Grantski and talked with him about his journey, and what it’s like working his dream job. “…I’ve always been a lover of music and a collector. My parents collected, my brother collected, both my brothers, and, so, I just got into to it, and I thought that Augusta needed something where, you could go and buy records from newer bands. I just started buying collections and I would set up at Sky City, which was a venue a couple years ago. We would do like little popups. I would do porch sales and sell online.”

Lincoln, UK | Spinning through time with vinyl, tapes and CDs: How Lincoln keeps analogue music alive: Local music collectors champion physical formats: In the buzzing era of instantaneous digital music streaming, where Spotify and Apple Music dominate the auditory landscape, a resilient and passionate tribe finds solace in the evocative crackles and pops of vinyl, the tactile familiarity of tapes, and the durable charm of CDs. We spoke to a Lincoln record store owner and four other music fans about changing trends and what they love most about rotational media. Jim Penistan is the owner of Back to Mono on Guildhall Street in Lincoln and owns around 5,000 vinyls and thousands of CDs. …A move to a different location on Guildhall Street followed in 2015 before he relocated back to his original spot four years ago, selling new releases on vinyl as well as old favourites, tapes, CDs and more.

Spokane, WA | Rewind: Local music lovers are hitting play for the cassette tape: Move aside vinyl, another retro music format has spun back into the local spotlight. As emblematic to 1980s culture as the boom boxes and Sony Walkmans that played them, cassette tapes are back in vogue. With modern recording artists such as Taylor Swift embracing the trend, a younger generation of music fans has jumped on board this old-school bandwagon and some local music stores are now seeing a surge in requests for cassette tapes and their vintage playback devices. “I think the demand for cassettes is starting to really kick in. We’re going to start buying more and more of them,” said Mike Messinger, who owns Big Foot Records in Spokane. “It’s like vinyl right now. The demand is so heavy that a lot of stuff is coming out from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Canada, United States, it’s all over the world right now,” said Messinger, who has been selling cassette tapes faster than he can unbox them.

Blacksburg, VA | Physical media is important in the streaming age: If you use the internet, you probably use some sort of streaming service. Whether you stream movies on a platform like Netflix, or you’re checking out a new album on Spotify, streaming has impacted physical media in some way. While the sale of vinyl records has steadily increased since the late 2000s, it still pales in comparison to the “sale” of music through streaming services. The same goes for movies as well. Why wouldn’t you partake in streaming? It’s cheap and convenient, and all the media you could ever want is at your fingertips for the price of one CD or Blu-Ray once a month. Streaming is useful and has its perks, but there’s a world in which streaming and the collection of CDs, vinyl and DVDs can be used in tandem with one another.

Read More »

Manheim, PA | Vintage audio & record store relocates in Lancaster County: A locally owned vintage audio components and vinyl record store recently relocated to a new storefront in Manheim. The Turntable Store is owned and operated by ‘Max’ Isneria, who was born and raised in Naples, Italy, and moved to Pennsylvania about 21 years ago. According to Isneria, he previously worked in the banking industry and was also a practicing attorney while he lived in Italy. Max says that he first opened The Turntable Store back in 2016 at 29 North Main Street in Manheim. He later moved his business into a slightly bigger space on 54 South Main Street, which is where he remained up until recently. According to Isneria, his newest storefront on 45 Market Square is “bigger and better” than his previous locations, and because of the 2,500 square foot size, he was able to make some major improvements.

Lyndhurst, UK | Lyndhurst record store launches young artists vinyl crowdfunder: The founder of a Lyndhurst record store has launched a crowdfunding club to help young and emerging artists get their first break. Fran Jones, who run the Black Star Records shop in Lyndhurst is currently running a crowdfunder to enable London singer-songwriter Ella Bleakley (21) to release her first vinyl LP. Fran who launched the shop and associated independent record company Black Star Records during the pandemic, says many of his customers are teenagers who are interested in buying vinyl rather than simply downloading music. He said: “When I started the shop I was always aiming to reach the point where we could support young artists to get a record.” “I started building an online community and, when I reached 1,000 members who were regularly buying records, I knew I had enough support in place to use it as a crowdfunding platform to help young artists.”

London, UK | RA and The Right To Dance to host pop-up charity record shop, Dig Deep, in London: All proceeds will go to War Child. Resident Advisor has teamed up with The Right To Dance to host a pop-up charity record shop next month. Taking place on November 25th and 26th at East London venue All My Friends, Dig Deep has been made possible through donations from Shanti Celeste, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, Dr Banana, Angel D’lite, !K7, Toy Tonics and fabric, which has donated two of only five test pressings of Kode9 & Burial’s recent 12-inch. The full list of DJs, collectors, labels and distributors will be announced next month. Dig Deep will also feature a prize draw, which will be made on November 26th. The winners will be notified via email. Prizes include an unreleased Four Tet album and Audio-Technica turntables, slipmats and tote bags. It’s the second time RA has partnered with The Right To Dance, following an emergency Afghanistan fundraiser in 2021 that raised more than £20,000.

Tenby, UK | Another One Bites the Dust—Pembroke record shop My Generation closes as cost of living spirals: “Time has sadly come to say goodbye to all our loyal and generous customers from near and far,” say Mark and Maria at Pembroke record and retro shop My Generation. They say the cost of living crisis and the increase in vinyl prices have made it impossible to keep the business viable. It’s a real shame as the three-room store is a treasure trove of retro gifts, new vinyl and record players. It has a wide selection of carefully curated album titles that recalls the days of WHSmith record departments, where nearly every title you encounter is a classic. They had recently added a small assortment of secondhand LPs at budget-pleasing prices. …The announcement comes after a number of local shops, including Wilko in Haverfordwest, Avantcarde and Dai’s Fruit and Veg in Pembroke Dock, have closed their doors as the cost of living rises and internet-based commerce presents invisible competition in the high streets.

Read More »

How important is the vinyl boom to the music industry? …Aside from the obvious appeal of being a record collector, vinyl has also had a significant positive impact on the music industry as a whole. For instance, music has always been an art form for expression, and vinyl captures the very essence of this sentiment. There’s something timeless yet nostalgic about artists utilising the vinyl format for their music, and it makes the entire fan experience that much more elevated. Additionally, vinyl records offer a broader range of incentives for fans to make music purchases. For instance, if an artist releases a limited edition pressing or includes special prints within the sleeve, it can enhance fan engagement with the broader artistic concept.

AU | QBD Books To Start Selling Vinyl: “We find that vinyl record consumers and book readers have similar interests, and so for us, the alignment with Sony is a natural fit.” Popular bookstore QBD Books has partnered with Sony Music and is expanding to the music market, selling vinyl records in 30 stores across Australia. On Monday, 13 November, QBD Books will take over the old Dymocks Booksellers shop at Sydney’s Broadway Shopping Centre, with grand opening proceedings commencing from 10 am AEDT. “Our industry is worth around $1.7B and supports over 10,000 jobs – and in fact, we’re now seeking new full-time and casual staff to join QBD Books Broadway in the leadup to the busy Christmas trading period,” QBD Books CEO Nick Croydon commented in a statement. “At the same time, our bookstores have become an avenue for associated industries to thrive, and to this end, we’re excited to announce that we are partnering with Sony Music to stock vinyl records in up to 30 of our stores, including Broadway.”

Kansas City, MO | Manor Records returns with a new store in West Bottoms: Locally beloved music label Manor Records held a soft opening for a new brick-and-mortar record shop in West Bottoms over the weekend. The show included Manor family artists True Lions, Supermoto, and Khrystal. Since closing its bar location in Strawberry Hill this past March, the label has restructured its leadership team and business model to more effectively support local musicians. Members of the new board include President Shaun Crowley, Vice President Skylar Rochelle, Secretary Kayla Jarrett, and Treasurer Connor Randell. Together, the team decided that with the new storefront, they would omit the complexities of bar inventory and upkeep. They have shifted the store to be a limited liability company, or LLC, which Crowley says more easily allows the record store profits to be donated to the label’s nonprofit.

Ogden, UT | Visiting Lavender Vinyl: Lavender Vinyl, located on Ogden’s Historic 25th Street, is a record store that many community members have gathered at for several years. Lavender Vinyl was established in 2016 by Blake Lundell and Kye Hallows. Customers can find thousands of records both new and used from every genre and decade. Lundell and Hallows shared a passion for music from a young age. Lundell was a longtime customer at Graywhale Entertainment, Utah’s largest independent record store with locations in Riverdale and Taylorsville. Lundell started working at Graywhale in 2007, where he met Hallows. “I was mostly buying CDs at that point, but once I started working there, really both of us got into vinyl,” Lundell said. “I just couldn’t stop buying records.” After working at Graywhale, Lundell and Hallows decided it was time for them to open their own independent record store.

Read More »

Red Lion, PA | York County record store owner unveils new Rock N’ Roll museum: A locally owned Rock n’ Roll music museum with thousands of records and memorabilia, recently made its debut in York County. The newly unveiled Tom’s Homegrown Rock N’ Roll Museum is owned and operated by Thomas Anderton who is originally from Birmingham, England, but moved to the United States back in 2000. According to Anderton, he has been personally collecting a wide variety of music memorabilia for the past several decades; anything from 60’s Rock N’ Roll, Jazz, Blues, Punk, and Reggae, all the way up to today’s most popular hip-hop music. …In 2006, Anderton unveiled his first business called Tom’s Music Trade, which is a record store that is located at 28 North Main Street in Red Lion. According to Anderton, Tom’s Music Trade buys, sells, and trades a wide selection of over 65,000 different albums, cassettes, and CDs, in addition to memorabilia.

Houston, TX | Serious Sounds and Crumbville, TX merge to bring music, sweets to Third Ward: The bakery recently became the new home for the longtime record store after its closure. For 30 years, Serious Sounds was a South Park staple. Located on MLK Boulevard, right next to 610, the record store was a haven for neighborhood folk who wanted to pick up an album but didn’t want to go to a far-out part of town to get it. That’s why South Park native Marketta “MusicLady” Rodriguez opened it in 1991. Years ago, fresh from graduating at the University of Texas in Austin, Rodriguez was incensed that there wasn’t a nearby record store around that had the Phyllis Hyman record she wanted. “Crack had hit the neighborhood pretty bad, so a lot of the businesses had moved out,” Rodriguez, 56, said. “I literally drove to Meyerland, and I was pissed the whole way. I felt like I didn’t have to leave my neighborhood to buy an artist that looked like me.”

Tallahassee, FL | My favorite record stores in Tallahassee: Vinyl sales have recently spiked over the last few years due to the younger generations bringing back record players, causing an increase in demand for vinyl stores and vintage looks. This resurgence of vinyl lovers is great for anyone who likes art, music or anything vintage. There have now been a slew of stores and events happening in town that cater to the vinyl crowd because of demand. If you’re new in Tallahassee and looking for a place to browse the stacks, here’s three of my favorite spots for vinyl around town. Retrofit Records is an independent Black-owned business that has been open since 2011. As Tallahassee’s oldest record store, they are fully stocked with both new releases on vinyl and a vast vintage collection, including first editions and specialty prints.

Lyndhurst, UK | Record store boss launches fundraiser to help young musicians: An independent record store has launched its first crowdfunder to support young, unsigned, and emerging musicians. Black Star Records founder Fran Jones, who runs a shop in the New Forest, is encouraging artists to use the community as a way of funding and accelerating their success. The first featured artist to release a crowdfunded vinyl LP is singer-songwriter Ella Bleakley. Named after the US jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, the talented 21-year-old will perform songs from her debut album, Somewhere Green, at the store in Lyndhurst High Street on Saturday, October 14 at 2pm. Fran said: “Releasing a vinyl LP that sells over 500 copies—without being signed—is a massive thing and should be a very enjoyable journey for any young artist. “Black Star Records is supporting Ella to achieve this dream. Once the crowdfunding target of circa 250-270 sales has happened, at a cost price of £14.99, then we print the record.

Read More »

Odessa, TX | Endless Horizons announces its closure on Oct. 21: “We don’t want you to be sad because we are grateful for being able to serve this community for 48 years. Come on by and let’s make some final memories together.” Endless Horizons Record and Tapes have announced in a Facebook post that they are closing their doors. The last day of operations will be Oct. 21, they are having a 50% off closing sale. Their hours of operation is Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. In the post the longtime Odessa store says, “We don’t want you to be sad because we are grateful for being able to serve this community for 48 years. Come on by and let’s make some final memories together.”

Wilmington, NC | Business Owner Amplifies Local Music: Patrick Ogelvie loves his records. If it wasn’t obvious by the collection in his store, Flux Audio/Video, where his thousands of vinyls cover the walls, his fixation is even more obvious when he talks about his work in Wilmington’s music industry. Ogelvie, 53, moved to the Port City in 1993 after he graduated from Indiana University. At school he studied audio engineering and sought to continue his passion in Wilmington. He quickly opened a recording studio out of his house on Market Street, where he could help emerging local bands put together a mix on a budget. Wilmington was known for its film industry at the time, the 1990s and early 2000s, after movies such as Blue Velvet and Firestarter were released years prior, but it was the grunge rock music scene that caught Ogelvie’s eye. Back then, the music industry here was far bigger than it is now, he said.

Rochester, NY | Needle Drop Records now open in Brighton: Needle Drop Records has made the move from the South Wedge in Rochester to 1780 Monroe Avenue in Brighton; right next to The Sheffield. Record collectors remember the old place in the South Wedge as “cramped.” For owner Russ Torregiano, that was the biggest reason for the move from his old space of about 12 years: getting more space. “12 years of a store, it really gets cramped, because you keep buying stuff,” he said. Torregiano says he crafted Needle Drop Records to cater to records that were hard to find elsewhere: “I kind of wanted an underground record store, Rochester had a lot of great stores and still do, but nothing really specialized in punk, metal, and hardcore at the time,” he said. While that’s still a focus, he has expanded over time. This new space will help him continue to do that, while keeping the things that made it special along the way, like the Simpsons artwork on the back wall.

Florence, AL | All the Best Block party in Florence, AL: Record store and coffee shop, All The Best, celebrated 10 Years of Single Lock Records with their second block party. Now this wasn’t just any block party. To say Kristy and Ben of All The Best know how to throw a party is an understatement. The Florence, AL, community as a whole was represented here with local restaurants providing food and local stores selling their wares. There were three bands/artists scheduled, each of which was joined by special guests. All of the performers are on Single Lock Records’ rota and based in the Florence, AL area. First up was Speckled Bird. Speckled Bird is comprised of members of Belle Adair, Alabama Shakes, Della Ray, The Prescriptions, and John Paul White’s touring band. What a way to kick off the evening’s festivities! Their sound is very chilled and indie-influenced, which led to a very relaxed and enjoyable first performance of the evening. They are joined on stage by special guest Duquette Johnston for a few numbers.

Read More »

Hackney Wick, UK | Vinyl Destination: Rook Records. Launching as an online store in 2016 and a YouTube channel in 2018, Rook Records has spent the last seven years finding its identity. Now, armed with a collection of US imports and a variety of second-hand treats, the store has opened its real-life doors to London’s vinyl community. Rook Records’ first physical location has coincided with a pivot in its specialisation. “Last year we started importing a lot of bulk stock from the US and changed the focus of the business into much more secondhand records,” explains Julian Gascoigne, co-owner of the store. …Having moved its base of operations to a Hackney Wick storage unit last May, Rook was faced with the decision of whether to open up its basement space to customers. “We were already in the online space, we’ve now got this space that we’re already here processing stuff,” Gascoigne says. “It just seemed like a no-brainer for us.”

Coeur d’Alene, ID | Coeur d’Alene record store the Long Ear celebrates 50 years of kickin’ out the jams: The Long Ear began with love at first sight. Deon Borchard went to an audiophile swap meet in Southern California in 1971 looking for 8-tracks by the band Spooky Tooth, but she left with much more than that. “I was walking down an aisle on the lookout for those 8-tracks,” Borchard says. “At the end of that aisle, there was this guy standing there, and he just had a spark. Everyone around him was smiling, too, like his energy was rubbing off on them.” That’s all it took. “I stopped dead in my tracks,” she says. “I was instantly in love.” Borchard went home that night and told her cousin that she had met the man she was going to marry, and she was right. Six months later, Deon and Terry were married. “In that first summer we must have gone to 40 concerts together,” Borchard says. “Music was so integral to our life.”

Liverpool, UK | Liverpool’s Dig Vinyl expansion sees opening of Wirral store: Liverpool’s Dig Vinyl announced its latest expansion with the addition of a new shop on Banks road in West Kirby. The new shop marks a milestone in Dig Vinyl’s decade-long journey, having undergone three expansions including it’s move within Bold Street, Liverpool. The shop will stock the usual diversity of genres, eras and sounds that its customers have come to expect including rare finds from American, Japan and beyond. In support of curating stock that caters to the preferences of local customers, the West Kirby store will see an extension of Dig Vinyl’s partnership with Birkenhead music venue Future Yard, committing to stock releases by the emerging artists and local talents who grace Future Yard’s stage. Dig Vinyl will also continue to partner with Future Yard on the organisation of the quarterly CRATE Vinyl & Craft Beer market.

Mansfield, OH | Operation Fandom & Blackbird Records celebrating 3rd anniversary: Operation: Fandom and Blackbird Records are celebrating three years of business in downtown Mansfield. The stores opened in October 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, so owner Josh Lehman said the staff didn’t get the opportunity to design the store as it was originally planned. “A lot of the shelves and displays we wanted were all on backorder, so we just made do with what we had,” he said. “But we’ve been working to set up new shelves and bring more light in here, so it looks a lot nicer.” …Lehman said staff are adding new Pokémon cards to their shelves, new and used vinyl records and thousands of $1 stickers. “It will be exciting to freshen things up and give our customers more merchandise,” Lehman said. “The floor is definitely more shoppable now and we have plenty of new and exciting items.”

Read More »