CA | Vinyl records outsold (and out-grossed) CDs in Canada again last week: It’s fascinating to read through Luminate’s weekly music consumption stats, especially when it comes to the sales of vinyl vs. CD. Vinyl has been on a tear in Canada since the beginning of the year, selling 43.4% more units than in January 2023. For the month, 127,688 pieces of new vinyl were sold across the country. Compare that to CD sales, which sit at 117,136, a 15.3% decline over the same period last year. And because vinyl is more expensive than CDs (crazy, I know), the revenues it generates are substantially higher. What year is this again? Let’s focus on just last week. Canadians bought 26,023 vinyl albums (+10.3% from the previous week), not counting sales of used records through indie stores and record stores (those are pretty much impossible to track). Meanwhile, 26,701 CDs, just 678 units more and 17.2% more than a week earlier. I’m going to give credit to Green Day for that with the release of their Saviors album.
Oslo, NO | “It was more run by idealism rather than good business sense.” The story of notorious Norwegian record store Helvete. Euronymous quickly built a sense of unity, especially from mid-1991, when, with the help of friends including Stian ‘Occultus’ Johansen (of early Norwegian black metal acts Perdition Hearse, Abhorrent/ Thyabhorrent and briefly Mayhem) and Marius Vold (of Mortem and Thorns), he opened a record store in Oslo. Named Helvete, the Norwegian word for hell, its primary role was as a focal point for the scene, providing a place for those in the scene to hang out in the day and party or sleep during the night. “Øystein told me straight after Dead shot himself, ‘We don’t want to have the house anymore, but I’m thinking to start a shop in Oslo’,” explains Marius. “‘Yes, you should do that, a place where we can hang out’. So he called me again when he started it and said, ‘Come down.’
Danville, IL | Danville’s newest dispensary to sell cannabis with a side of music: Seven Point Danville cannabis dispensary CEO Brad Zerman will take advantage of the vinyl-record upswing when he opens his business this spring. “We’re going to have new and re-released vinyl of all genres throughout the store,” Zerman said. The vinyl will be displayed on the walls adjacent to the cannabis displays. In keeping with the music theme, concert videos will be streamed with music playing throughout the store. Vinyl sales have continued to climb in the last decade and a half. In 2023, American consumers bought more than 49 million vinyl albums, a 14 percent increase from the year before. Zerman said he believes consumers want vinyl because “there’s no comparison between the whole experience.” “There’s no art or special lyrics that bands put on the cover” of CDs and other packaging, he said. Seven Point—named because the leaves of many varieties of cannabis have seven points—will open April 20. “That’s the international pot holiday.”
Winchester, KY | Ale-8-One Releases Popular LoFi Vinyl Featuring Popular ASMR Elements: In collaboration with advertisement and production company Powerfulbeats, Kentucky’s iconic soda brand Ale-8-One launches a unique LoFi vinyl experience. The Vinyl offers a captivating blend of LoFi music coupled with ASMR elements, the ultra-popular sensory audio experience that has taken over social media. Powerfulbeats founder John Power, whose work includes Ale-8-One’s recent musical jingle, played an integral role in bringing the Vinyl to fruition. With an extensive portfolio of big brand creative campaigns, Power delivers an immersive sensory audio experience. Key Features of Ale-8’s double-sided vinyl include a selection of LoFi Beats and a compilation of sounds from the Ale-8-One factory in the ASMR format.
And small wonder, because the Sensational Alex Harvey Band were simply too esoteric gonzo in the grand tradition of unapologetic English eccentrics for mass consumption. Pub rock heroes with progressive rock tendencies who weren’t afraid to shamelessly camp it up for the Glitter kids, SAHB liked to keep the punters guessing, as 1973’s Next demonstrates.
Milwaukee, WI | Bullseye Records will close, reopen under new ownership as Irving Place Records: After nearly 20 years, change is coming to a certain record store at 1627 E. Irving Pl. on the East Side. But don’t worry—the change won’t be too drastic. The venerable Bullseye Records will close its doors on March 31. According to a press release, longtime owner Luke Lavin will “pivot” from the record store game and “go on to a different path which will find him doing some soul-searching and considering new employment.” Enter longtime (and sole) Bullseye employee Terry Hackbarth. With the blessing of Lavin, Hackbarth—along with friend and fellow musician Don Kurth—has bought out Bullseye’s current inventory. Hackbarth and Kurth will reopen the store as Irving Place Records. The pair is aiming for a grand opening on April 20, 2024—Record Store Day. “I mostly look at it as carrying on 
Starkville, MS | Scott Thomas is keeping music alive: Scooter’s, owned by Scott Thomas, is not just a record store. It’s a dream brought to life. Thomas, known fondly as Scooter, opened the store in 2017. The nickname was an unlikely choice for what would come to be the name of the iconic store, but Thomas has cultivated a space that goes beyond just selling a record. From classic rock to the soundtrack of Wicked, Scooter’s boasts an extensive collection that reflects the diverse tastes of its clientele. Each record tells a story, and Thomas is always eager to share his wealth of knowledge with anyone who walks through the door. For Thomas, it’s all about the music. He always knew that he wanted to own a record store or at the very least be involved in one, but with the popularity of them dwindling and more people turning to CDs or streaming platforms, Thomas just didn’t think that it was feasible. Little did he know that in a decade or two, records would once again be all the rage and he would finally be able to 
Los Angeles, CA | In West Adams, High-Fidelity Record Store Serves The Historic Jazz Community: High-Fidelity Records is nestled next to shops and business in a changing area of West Adams, an unexpected sight as you walk or drive by. But when you step in, take in the music in the record shop and meet the owners, you understand why it 
Shepherds Bush, UK | Shepherds Bush DJ moves soundsystem night to Goldhawk Road pub: A Shepherds Bush DJ is moving his popular soundsystem night to Goldhawk Road. Dan Green – who DJs under the name Daddy Long Legs – is moving his 
Exene Cervenka’s great punk poetry and wild cat yowl, which meshed in a wonderfully off-kilter way with John Doe’s deep pipes, Billy Zoom’s hyperactive rockabilly guitar, and D.J. Bonebrake’s pounding rhythms all contributed to make X the first LA punk band to make a reputation for itself on both coasts. They were smarter, and seemingly more personal, than their LA compatriots. Black Flag dealt in satire, as did Fear, but X gave you the impression that they weren’t joking around, and were really on the down and outs: “We’re desperate,” they sang, “Get used to it.” Only Darby Crash, who burned himself down like a mad farmer might his own cornfield, could even come close.
