Montclair, NJ | Montclair record shop’s ready to rock: …It’s been said that everything old is new again, and Almost Ready Records proves this to be true. Harry Howes opened his store on Black Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, and business has been booming ever since. That date is designated as one of two Record Store Days, the other of which comes on April 15, when customers can find exclusive record label releases and special promotions. Almost Ready Records is an apt name for this business, as it truly looks as if it’s almost ready to open. The former site of a short-lived women’s gym affected by mandatory pandemic business closures, the walls are still painted in black and neon chartreuse, bold color choices, and some rooms in the shop are loaded almost floor to ceiling with boxes, artwork and equipment. It’s still a work in progress. As Harry told me during my visit there, “We are currently in the soft opening stage here in town. My first store is still open in Brooklyn, and we thrived and stayed open during the pandemic. In fact, 2020-2021 were great years for business. People were home and had time to listen to records, and wanted to collect more.”
Niagara Falls, NY | ‘Music is everything:’ woman shares love of vinyl with WNY, opening Daredevil Records in Niagara Falls: Music has the power to bring people together. It is that philosophy that is a driving force behind the incredible new Daredevil Records in Niagara Falls. “Music is everything. I think with all people,” says Jessica Berry, the owner of Daredevil Records, “I’ve traveled to 43 countries and music is the one thing you can communicate with when you can’t speak the same language.” The new boutique record store and listening lounge is located at 324 Niagara Street in Niagara Falls, and opened only a month ago. Berry is proud to offer a welcoming space for music lovers of all ages. “I want them to feel like they want to sit down, relax and listen,” says Berry. “Literally anybody can come in here and they all have a similar reaction. I see them go back to their childhood. Even kids who are 20 or 15, I can see in there eyes that there is a moment they see a record, or see a tape, and they are back to the happiest part of their life.”
Los Angeles, CA | Record store acquires Abbey Road recording consoles used by The Beatles and others: L.A’s Rockaway Records recently acquired a pair of tape recording consoles used extensively by The Beatles at E.M.I. / Abbey Road studios while recording many of their classic albums. L.A. landmark Rockaway Records recently acquired a pair of tape recording consoles used extensively by The Beatles at E.M.I. / Abbey Road studios while recording many of their classic albums including Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road and more. In addition to The Beatles, legendary artists including Pink Floyd, Jeff Beck, Deep Purple and others recorded music on the consoles while working at E.M.I. / Abbey Road studios in the 1960s and 1970s. It is believed that these are the only two surviving Beatles E.M.I. / Abbey Road studios recording consoles that exist today. These rare and historic consoles are currently for sale as-is from Rockaway Records for $225,000. “We’ve had a lot of amazing memorabilia over the last 40 years, but this is probably the most exciting and definitely the most important piece of music memorabilia we have ever had!” says Wayne Johnson, Rockaway Records owner.
Knutsford, UK | Slipped Discs and Detaljer launch new music venture: Two businesses have teamed up to launch a new music venture. Slipped Discs, a vinyl record stall on Knutsford Market Hall will be running a DJ pop-up at Swedish café Detaljer on Princess Street. The two independent retailers are looking forward to working together and plan to introduce ‘Music Mondays’. Caterine Hooper, owner of Detaljer said, “We are delighted to be working with fellow Knutsford independent Slipped Discs. “Ian and his vinyl will be joining us each Monday, from February 6, to provide some background entertainment for our customers. “Ian will be taking requests and if you want something a little more lively just ask. “There will be a small selection of vinyl to buy too. Fika and vinyl a match made in heaven!” To begin with, the pair plan to run the music evenings for four weeks in February to see how customers respond. Each week will focus on a different theme of music, from 11am to 2pm. If it turns out to be a hit, they hope to make it a monthly feature.
St. Petersburg, FL | St. Pete’s Daddy Kool Records is holding a Vinyl Fever reunion and get together: The beloved Tampa record store closed in 2011 after 30 loud years. St. Petersburg’s most treasured record shop hosts a party for vinyl-lovers of all walks of life—especially those who wanted to cry like a baby when Vinyl Fever closed in Tampa back in 2011. At this “Vinyl Fever Nite” reunion and get together set for Friday, Feb. 3 inside Daddy Kool Records at The Factory St. Pete, record collectors of all stripes can come chat about their favorite records, reignite the “Oasis v Blur” debate or add to their ever-growing collection. Kool’s daddy, Manny Kool, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that he’s wanted to have the reunion for years, and found out that CL’s Senior Music Correspondent Gabe Echazabal was organizing one, too. Vinyl Fever founder Lee Wolfson who led the shop for 30 years is headed to the Bay area for vacation, so all employees—and the community which saw Vinyl Fever as a church of sorts—is welcome to join. “It really was more than a job or workplace for many of us: it was a rite of passage and a lifestyle,” Echazabal added.
Cincinnati, OH | Sam Richardson of Feel It Records May Be Curating Cincinnati’s Next Big Thing: With punk-rock artists and a DIY ethos, the local record label is thriving. …There’s a rich history of DIY ingenuity in the punk scene, and that tradition is a big part of Feel It’s approach to music. It’s also one Richardson has seen as a member in his own various bands over the years. “Through touring I met a lot of new people in bands,” he says. “I think the idea of making it a larger thing than just a regional hobby label kind of came to mind through that. Feel It started putting out five records a year, then 10 records a year. Then last year it was 15. And I have a crazy year lined up now [for 2023].” Among the new releases are efforts from Cincinnati-based bands like The Drin, Corker and Beef, in which Richardson plays guitar. The quality of the current crop of local outfits — including The Serfs, which specialize in a jagged, art-damaged version of electro-dance music, as well as scene mainstays Vacation and others — was enough to convince Richardson to move his operation to the Queen City from Richmond. Ready for a new creative environment, he bought a house last spring that doubles as Feel It’s current headquarters on the West Side of Cincinnati.
Glasgow, UK | Seven legendary Glasgow record shops we’ve loved and lost down the years: It’s little surprise that the city credited with providing the ‘Sound of Young Scotland’ had some of the best record stores going back in the day. We take a look at a selection of the ones we miss the most. Glasgow has had no shortage of quality record shops down the decades – and it’s really little surprise. Where there is strong demand, there is strong supply, and Glasgow has long had an unquenchable thirst for new music. It’s in our DNA. We’re the city that gave the world legendary acts such as The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Teenage Fanclub, Primal Scream, Mogwai, Franz Ferdinand and Chvrches, and forged fabled indie labels like Alan Horne’s Postcard Records and Creation, co-founded by Glasgow’s own Alan McGee. And let’s not forget all the amazing venues we have had (and still have) to offer. Glasgow’s a city rife with musicians, wannabe musicians, gig promoters, zinesters and music bloggers, and for generations they’ve been served by some of the best record stores going.
Hong Kong, CN | This Hong Kong shop is home to the world’s rarest records: “I bought my first cassette when I was around eleven or 12,” says James Tang of the journey that led him to open The Record Museum in 1987. Tucked away on 39 Yiu Wa St, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, this sanctuary of high-fidelity sound is home to some of the world’s rarest records. The Record Museum is home to over 20,000 records, including signed LPs from the likes of Nat King Cole, which the owner, James Tang, purchased from the estate of Maria Cole. You’ll find many oddities like The Beatles’ 1964 cover of Ray Charles song ‘What I’d Say’ and recordings of Yoshiko Yamaguchi made in Japan during the Second World War. If you pay attention, you might even notice a lock of each Beatles’ hair hanging from one of the walls. Taken from the Fab Four’s bowl cuts, these framed snippets were bought at auction and were put on display to invoke the spirit of the Liverpool group.
