Sacramento, CA | Iconic music store Dimple Records shuts its doors for good: It’s the end of an era. The owners of an iconic record and CD store enjoyed a final spin Friday night. Dimple Records officially closed its last three stores in Roseville, Folsom and Arden. The business was founded by John and Dilyn Radakovitz in 1974, and they were in business for 45 years. “We’re a little bummed, but we enjoyed as much of it as we could,” said customer Andi Bonner, who was visiting with her daughter Mikenzie. After slumping sales and a change in how customers purchase and listen to music in the digital age, the owners decided it was time to close up shop. The owners arrived Friday at their farewell bash in Roseville on the red carpet and thanked their many loyal customers and employees. “It’s kind of a sad day,” said John Radakovitz. “But I’ve loved every minute of it – selling music. It’s all I’ve ever done. I’ve met some wonderful people.”
Eugene, OR | Local record stores embracing album format coming around again: “Record stores are sort of like libraries, where knowledge is shared and pursued,” says Callie Lou Dean of Moon Rock Records in Eugene. There is no arguing that digital platforms, like the iPod and online streaming service, created a seismic shift in the way people consume music. The game changer came in 1999, when the iPod hit, letting people download digital music, listen to it online and carry it on their cell phones. In the iPod’s wake, compact discs would lose almost 30% of their total revenue in six years, digging into record store profits. When Greg Sutherland began at House of Records in 1983, there were 12 record stores around town. Since Skip Hermens at Skip’s Records & CD World decided to retire in July, there are three existing records stores left in Eugene. A fourth, the newest addition, is Springfield’s Little Axe Records, which opened June 1.
Sydney, AU | Step back in time: LPs to outstrip CDs for first time in 33 (and 1/3) years: Kylie Minogue achieved something remarkable in July, when her best-of collection Step Back in Time topped the ARIA charts in its first week of release. It wasn’t just that she chalked up a sixth number-one album courtesy of her 13th compilation. It was that she sold more copies of it on vinyl than on CD. It was proof, for those who still doubted, that vinyl is back. Peak vinyl was 1987, when sales of 12- and 7-inch discs were worth more than $80 million in Australia. By 2007, the format was worth barely $2 million a year. Now, though, it is worth around $20 million, and climbing. “A lot of music fans find the digital experience to be detached,” says Ian James of Mushroom Music Publishing. “It doesn’t give you any sense of involvement with the artist. There are so many pieces of music in the digital world that it makes it almost impossible to differentiate.”
Nirvana announce ‘MTV Unplugged in New York’ vinyl reissue: Nirvana‘s ‘Unplugged In New York’ is set to receive a vinyl reissue to mark the 25th anniversary of its 1994 release. Widely considered to be one of the best live albums of all time, the 2LP release features the entire show, alongside five rehearsal performances which were previously only available on DVD. Marking the significance of the release, it also boasts an exclusive gatefold jacket with anniversary silver foil detail on the front and back cover. You can check out the tracklisting in full below, and pre-order an exclusive limited edition coloured vinyl on Nirvana’s official website.
Black Friday 2019: the dates, the best deals and all the latest info for music fans: Keep it locked to this page for the best Black Friday music deals on record players, vinyl, headphones, guitars and more. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost upon us. Unless you live under a rock, you’ll know that the day after Thanksgiving the biggest and maddest online shopping event of the year kicks off. But the Black Friday deal-fest doesn’t stop there – from early October right up until Christmas you can expect to see loads of ace deals on music gear, from music listening tech to instruments, band merch and Dr Martens. If you know what you’re looking for – and where to look – it’s possible to bag some absolute bargains. But we’re not planning on casting you adrift on a sea of Black Friday pet food deals (unless that’s what you’re after), our experts will be updating this Black Friday hub regularly with the very latest bargains.
