Erie, PA | Legenderie: Records and Coffee House. Rocking and roasting for their grand opening. There are some things that just go together—wine and cheese, Lennon and McCartney, and a cup of coffee while listening to records. When it opens on Sept. 13, Legenderie: Records and Coffee House will combine the love of music and the love of the bean (and a little bit of McCartney and Lennon, when it’s in stock). Located in the former Coffee Culture building at 5761 Peach St., Legenderie aims to provide their customers with unique coffee drinks blended with a one-of-a-kind shopping experience for vinyl records. The business is owned and operated by husband-and-wife duo Ishmael and Allana Trainor, both born and raised in Erie. After living in Arizona and returning during the pandemic, they embarked on realizing their dream of owning a business by combining the two things they love.
Atlanta, GA | Indie record stores to check out in Atlanta: Vinyl is alive and well in the year 2024. What once was the mainstream way of listening to music has evolved into a unique hobby shared by hardcore music aficionados and casual physical media collectors alike. Independent, or “indie,” record stores remain at the heart of the music industry by promoting local artists, fostering a space to discover new music and creating a network of music fans in the community. Thanks to the collaboration of these indie record stores, they are able to host the tremendous international event Record Store Day in April each year where exclusive vinyl pressings are distributed, causing huge crowds to show at the very early hours of the morning to line up hours before the doors open. In 2023, the event caused album sales that week in the United States to hit 2.92 million. Thousands of people go out to support their local record stores on Record Store Day, a goal that must be carried on year-round.
London, UK | Rough Trade to become ‘Tin Pan Alley’s’ first ever record store: Two iconic music names combine, as legendary music store Rough Trade will open their new UK branch on arguably the most famous music street in the world – London’s Denmark Street, once known as ‘Tin-Pan Alley.’ This will be the very first time the iconic street has had a record shop. Rough Trade will join the many instrument shops and music venues on the street, making it even more of a must visit destination for music lovers. Rough Trade Denmark Street opens mid October. Over two floors, the state of the art store will carry a huge selection of curated vinyl across all genres for avid collectors. As customers are welcomed in, they will find books, clothing, merchandise and limited edition one offs alongside the vinyl offering. Although the Denmark Street store will not offer a live performance space, it will host album signings and work in partnership with neighbouring venues and The Lower Third to contribute to Rough Trade’s existing out-store events programme.
Tampa Bay, FL | Jay Marley spins for Tampa Bay vinyl charity event: Some familiar faces will be back in the Crowbar courtyard. Less than two weeks after the end of Ol’ Dirty Sundays at Crowbar, some familiar faces are back in the courtyard, this time for charity. Just like last year, Jay Marley spins and he’ll be joined by artists Indy Rock & Luisa Padro, plus chef Clamaster Jay as producer Spontonola and Stay Humble’s Reid Shecterle sell vinyl. Two bucks from each record go to Recycled Tunes, a nonprofit that donates musical instruments to underprivileged school music programs, founded by Gasparilla Music Festival. Donations will be accepted at the Tampa Vinyl Charity event happening at Crowbar in Ybor City on Thursday, Sept. 19.
Sainte-Maxime, FR | Musical conference: 70 years of long-playing record, a history of the vinyl record: As part of the International Day of Music, musical conference on the history of the vinyl record. From the first phonograph cylinders to the latest vinyl records, it is a real journey into the world of music and its different styles that is offered to you by Thierry Arnaud of Cosmic Trip, record store in Draguignan. A commented listening made from a selection of iconic vinyls chosen for their sound quality, their relevance in the history of music and sometimes even for their graphics! Because the arts of line also slip into the graphic design of emblematic album covers to be discovered…
This Might Be the Most Unique Loudspeaker Klipsch Has Ever Made: An up-and-coming audio brand teamed up with Klipsch for a limited-edition take on the Hersey. Klipsch isn’t exactly known for new speakers. Its most famous model, the Klipschorn, was patented in 1946 and remains in production nearly 80 years later, with only minor modifications since that fateful debut. So when the heritage hi-fi manufacturer does do something different, like team up with Devon Turnball of Ojas, whose highly coveted audio gear is in Supreme boutiques as well as Mark Ronson’s living room, you stop and listen. Meet the kO-R1 — a collaborative, two-way loudspeaker from Klipsch and Ojas that builds off the platform of another iconic Klipsch model, the Heresy, but goes in its own direction in both aesthetics and sound. According to Turnball, the COO of Klipsch’s parent company, Premium Audio Co., reached out to the self-proclaimed “DIYer” on Instagram to kick off the project. “I think if I had approached Klipsch, it would have been an unlikely project,” Turnball said at a recent launch event in New York City. “Luckily, it just happened in the reverse direction.”
CDs up, downloads down? Latest data from the States suggests a revival for every physical format: And it’s largely down to Gen Z consumers. Proof if proof were needed that if you hang around for long enough you become ‘vintage’: After the vinyl revival and the cassette revival, CDs, it seems, are on the way back. That’s the message from the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) mid-year report. CD sales in that time period totalled $236.7 million, nearly three times the income generated by downloads at $87.8 million. In 2023 there were 36.83 million of the things sold, an increase of 2.7% from 2022. It seems that after years of falling sales, their decline has been reversed. The interesting thing is that the CD comeback seems to be largely the work of younger consumers. According to the French industry group SNEP, 43% of CD buyers are under 35. Vinyl is still rising in sales, but with prices of a vinyl album pushing £30 these days, cash-strapped Gen Z consumers may be turning to the CD album as a cheaper alternative.
Gwen Stefani’s ‘Love. Angel. Music. Baby.’ Celebrates 20th Birthday: Hits like ‘Hollaback Girl’ and ‘Rich Girl’ will soon be available on a vinyl repress of Stefani’s solo debut. Gwen Stefani’s 2004 solo debut, Love. Angel. Music. Baby., is ringing in its 20th anniversary with a vinyl repress. The 5x platinum album includes the #1 hit “Hollaback Girl” as well as beloved singles like “Cool,” “Luxurious,” and “Crash.” The Love. Angel. Music. Baby. repress arrives on 45 RPM 2LP neon pink vinyl. Love. Angel. Music. Baby. kicked off Stefani’s solo career after the singer made a name for herself as part of the rock band No Doubt. Stefani said during the promotion of Love.Angel.Music.Baby. that she set out to make a “guilty pleasure album” full of singles, and by all accounts she succeeded. The album’s electro-pop introduction, “What Are You Waiting For?,” peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 and landed a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It also introduced listeners to the Harajuku Girls, Stefani’s dancers and entourage throughout the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. era.
