VN | Vietnamese vinyl vendors that any music aficionado needs to visit: You might think that the 12″ record is a thing of the past, but it’s having a major resurgence with more and more looking to get their hands on a physical copy of their favorite album of all time. When I am not writing about the ever-blossoming travel industry, I spend my spare time trawling through YouTube channels and forums in search of the perfect soundtrack for any moment. On a recent trip to Vietnam, I got the opportunity to combine the two and head out on the back of a motorbike (with a helmet of course) to some of the best-kept secrets in the ‘land of the ascending dragon’. So if you’re headed to Vietnam, or have a client with an eclectic ear, here are my top recommendations on where to find some music that’s a little more off the beaten track.
Leesport, PA | Record Riot draws hundreds of vinyl and CD lovers to Leesport: From The Beatles to Blind Melon, music enthusiasts find their favorite artists. It was a lifetime ago when the Beatles played before a fanatic crowd of young Americans on the Ed Sullivan show, but watching that historic musical moment on television is something Quentin Black will never forgot. “I saw that and I was sold,” he said of the night his Beatles fanhood began. Now 67, Black continues to collect Beatles albums and singles on vinyl, which is why on Saturday the Hazleton man drove an hour to Leesport for an event he hoped would bring him new Beatles treasures. He and several hundred others attended the Record Riot at the Leesport Farmers Market, where there were dozens of tables manned by vendors selling albums, compact discs and music memorabilia. The event was staged by Record Riots, a New-Jersey based company that will hold 18 such events across the Northeast this year, said owner Stephen Gritzen.
Releasing records on vinyl is getting too expensive for indie musicians: A million years ago when I was in university and shopping for music at places like Krazy Kelly’s on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, I remember being shocked at seeing a new single album on sale for $10.99. Prices had been creeping upwards–$6.99, $7.99, $8.99–for the last few years but to see one selling for beyond ten bucks (about $30 in today’s money) and being outraged. Fast-forward to today and despite the continued rocketing popularity of vinyl, it’s never been more expensive. It’s almost impossible to find new vinyl for $30 today; we’re more likely to spend $40 and beyond. I’ve seen Tragically Hip albums in the bins priced at $70 dollars. Why? The usual excuses are trotted out. Supply chain issues. Lack of pressing plants to fulfill all the order. Superstar acts are commanding pressing schedules. But let’s not discount pure greed on behalf of labels. All of this is conspiring to hurt indie musicians who certainly could benefit from the margins realized by selling vinyl.
Luminate’s Decision Could Hurt the Vinyl Record Industry: Have you ever wondered how Billboard gets its data for its charts? They get it from a company called Luminate. Luminate is also responsible for reporting data on sales. Not just vinyl record sales but also streaming and digital media sales. Even radio airplay. It’s a big deal. What we’re concerned with is the reporting of vinyl sales, which has brought in over a billion dollars in revenue this past year, according to a recent Forbes article. A billion in revenue. A billion. It’s great news for vinyl records. Luminate has always been responsible for delivering that great news. When you hear good news like that, it gets attention. It helps bring about more sales. If you hear a market is healthy and bringing in revenue, more folks will jump on it. Both sellers and buyers. So, bring on the good news. However, Luminate reported a couple months ago that it is changing how it reports this data. It’s a big deal. And not in a good way.
The percentage of music on streaming services that was never played in 2023 is staggering: One of the great things about streaming is that it provides you a seemingly endless amount of content that you can listen to all within a specific platform, but how much of that content do you take advantage of? According to the 2023 Luminate year-end report, there is an absolutely staggering amount of music that never even got touched (or clicked on) over the course of the 2023 calendar year. Luminate is a company with over a 30-year history of measuring music consumption and providing insight research. They’re also the provider of data for Billboard. And recently, Luminate’s VP Head of Global Helena Kosinski offered a visual year-end report breaking down some of the key figures and trends of the past year. Among them, was a look at the overall availability of “ISRCs” (which stands for International Standard Recording Codes) and how many of them are consumed. It was during this breakdown that you could see the very rare top of the pyramid, where Kosinski revealed that only 10 songs from 2023 had over a billion streams globally to date. But with such a tiny peak, the pyramid has a massive bottom.
Hammonton, NJ | Vinyl Brewing crafting new beer in town: Before Vinyl Brewing Co. opened in 2017, Jim Sacco was creating beer at home with friends. Later he partnered with his aunt and uncle to open Vinyl Brewing Co. “I took my love of brewing and my love of music and sort of combined it into one thing here,” Sacco said. Sacco started experimenting, brewing craft beer at home in his 20s because he didn’t enjoy the taste of regular domestic beer. “Right now, one of our most popular beers believe it or not is Lowlife. It is sort of my take on a Miller Highlife, so all the years of not liking the taste of regular domestic beer, now that’s what I make and it’s pretty popular,” Sacco said. When it comes to new ideas for beer, Sacco said he looks to see what’s popular at other breweries or sometimes an idea pops into his head that he will write down. Vinyl Brewing Co. tries to always keep 13 beers on tap with some being sours.
UK | In Pictures: BBC vinyl archive auction. Dip into the BBC archives. The BBC is auctioning thousands of items from its archive. With a listing full of rare vinyl, equipment and BBC memorabilia, the auction–run by Omega Auctions–is a treasure trove for collectors and BBC fans. “This does not constitute the entirety of the BBC’s vinyl archive which is very much still intact. This is largely the duplicate copies of LPs – so that collection can be moved and better stored for the future,” Omega Auctions explains. We take a look at some highlights from the first auction.
2023’s Best Record Covers: Art Vinyl Awards announce winners: Art Vinyl has revealed the winners of the 19th Best Art Vinyl Award held tonight (11th Jan) at the Hari in Belgravia, London. Securing first place was University Professor Michelle Henning for her captivating cover art on PJ Harvey’s album I Inside the Old Year Dying (below). Henning’s intricate work, which (apparently) involved months of preparation and combining multiple photographs, received high praise. Speaking about her creation, Henning remarked, “I just needed one stick… a simple single object would give it the feel of the classic album covers I admire.” The second-place winner is Melodie McDaniel for her striking black and white baptismal concept photography for Gabriels’ Angels & Queens – Part II (below). McDaniel, known for her work with icons like Madonna and Rihanna, was inspired for the concept by lead singer Jacob Lusk’s religious background.
Philadelphia, PA | “A Philly Special Christmas Special” raises over $3 million for Philadelphia organizations: Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen – and part-time Christmas carolers – Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata helped raise over $3 million with their second album “A Philly Special Christmas Special,” according to a news release. Over 60 organizations received donations, including Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Ronald McDonald House, Philly Goat Project, Gender Justice Fund of Philadelphia, Philabundance and Toys for Tots, among others. …”I am overwhelmed with gratitude that we were able to double the amount of money we donated last year,” Connor Barwin, a former Eagles linebacker and shares executive producer of Vera Y Records, said. “It was a special group of people that came together to make this record, and I am proud to see that diversity represented in the range of organizations this record has been able to support.” “A Philly Special Christmas Special” was released on streaming services and sold as a limited edition vinyl on Vera Y Records.
