Cambridge, UK | A love letter to Andy’s Records where 90s kids in Cambridge spent far too much money: Countless hours could be spent in one of Cambridge’s finest record shops. With the renewed interest in the classic record shop in recent years, coupled with the vinyl revival which has seen increased sales of vinyl records, there’ll likely be many people looking for a local outlet to contribute to this resurgence. It’s therefore a shame that music lovers moving to the county during this new wave never got to experience the joys of Andy’s Records. Along with Parrot Records and Jay’s Records and Tapes, Andy’s Records was a firm part of a thriving aspect of Cambridge’s shopping offerings. So many Cambridge kids in the 90s would spend all of their pocket money at the beloved shop. CambridgeshireLive readers over the years have lamented the loss of Andy’s Records, with one person saying “Mill Road was never the same once Andy’s Records went”. Others say their teen years were spent at this shop.
Kearney, NE | CDs and vinyl hit the right note for Buffalo Records: More buyers are coming around to an old way of listening to music, according to one Central Nebraska record store. Outside the street, on the bricks, you’ll find a black and white sign for a record store, but once you take a step inside, things are not so colorless. “Things like Pink Floyd. These are brand new seals of those records and a new copy if you wanted to start fresh with one of those.” Buffalo Records Co-Owner Bryce Jensen said his business offers a different take to buying music. “You pick out a record, you take it and put it on the turntable and you sit down and spend some time with it.” The store features records from all genres of music including rock, funk and soul. Jensen said records bring sort of a classic feel when listening to music. “I think that’s something that a lot of people are enjoying and in the last several years, it’s really surged a lot with people getting nostalgic for older music and in times that were different and better than they are right now.”
Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids Public Library launches vinyl collection: Vinyl records are being added to the Grand Rapids Public Library collection at the West Side and Main Libraries. “We had been exploring adding vinyl to our collection for some time and we saw this as an opportunity to create an experience,” remarked Jen VanderHeide GRPL’s Collection Services Coordinator. “These new spaces are relaxing spots to listen to vinyl, leisurely browse, and discuss great music.” According to the library, both the West Side and Main Libraries have stations for visitors to listen to albums and use turntables. Additionally, patrons can borrow portable record players and check out up to five records at one time. “This is a great way to explore new music without the investment,” continued VanderHeide. “Whether you prefer your music on vinyl, CD, or streaming, GRPL has thousands of titles to borrow for free.”
Kolkata, IN | From Indus Creed and Susmit Bose to Arinjoy Trio, A New Record Label is Bringing Indian Rock to Vinyl: Kolkata’s Free School Street Records is founded by Aveek Chatterjee and Rajiv Pandey and have partnered with Manu Trivedi in Mumbai. To say that Kolkata resident and entrepreneur Aveek Chatterjee is a vinyl collector would be an understatement. He owns over a thousand LPs, some of which he inherited from his parents’ collection. “We had a vintage Garrard record changer made in the U.K. in 1975. It could stack up to seven 45s and it was fun to watch them drop one by one from the changer and the forward & return functions of the tone arm,” he told The Revolver Club in an interview. Although Chatterjee got swept up in the cassette tape and CD waves through the Eighties and Nineties, he continued to build his record collection. After all, Kolkata had its share of marketplaces for vinyl collectors. The most notable one through the ages was Free School Street, a locale that Chatterjee frequented and credits as responsible for shaping his love for music.
Colchester, UK | Vinyl sales at the highest since the 1990s– what does this mean for the future of music? An interview with DJ, music producer and undergraduate of composition for film, games and other media. Louie Butcher talks on the impact of the growth in vinyl sales over the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of music. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen some businesses soar, whilst others entirely crash. The vinyl industry, however, has seen the highest amount of sales since the 1990s. According to the British Phonographic Association, “vinyl sales rose by 11pc in 2021… overall music consumption in the UK increased for a seventh year running with a rise of 2.5pc”. So, what is all the fuss about?
Brighton, UK | Penelope Isles play live in Brighton record store: Brighton based Penelope Isles dropped their second Bella Union long player today and in celebration the band headed on down to popular Brighton record store Resident music in Kensington Gardens for a special instore live performance and record signing. ‘Which Way To Happy’ was produced by Penelope Isles Jack Wolter and was mixed by US alt-rock legend Dave Fridmann. It follows on from their highly acclaimed ‘Until The Tide Creeps In’ debut album which was released back in 2019 on Bella Union records. This evening’s live performance was originally scheduled for Friday 5th November 2021, but Covid had other ideas. Tonight inside Resident, Penelope Isles have expanded to a sextet and thus their usual guitar, bass, keyboards and drums are bolstered by the addition of horns and violin. They performed half a dozen tracks from the rear of the store in front of and sitting on the sales counter…
