Jackson, MS | End of All Music finds new beginning with Jackson expansion: David Swider has to dream big or else he finds himself stuck in place. That’s exactly what the owner of End of All Music did when he began coming up with ideas of opening a second store, which began brewing roughly three years ago and comes to fruition on Friday with the opening of their Jackson location in the Fondren District. Swider, along with his friend Patrick Addison, who is the label manager for Fat Possum Records, began talking about opening another store. New York City, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Chattanooga, Tenn. were all possible landing spots, but then Jackson became a focal point. “Patrick was like, ‘Well Jackson is a good spot. Jackson is a kind of town with a lot of people in it that are all potential record buyers and record nerds,’” Swider said. “We went down there before the pandemic and I wasn’t quite sold on it but Patrick, who is a Jackson native (and) grew up there (was).” Eventually both Swider and Addison went down to Jackson and looked at several locations but eventually settled on the Fondren district.
London, UK | Jack White’s New London Record Store Is an Interactive Ode to His Bold Design Style: Since the inception of Third Man Records in 2001, Jack White’s label has grown to include not just an office and recording studio, but multiple outposts, like a record-pressing plant in Detroit, a live-music venue in Nashville, and record stores in both places. As of this week, a third record store, in London, has officially opened its doors. In all three cities, Third Man is not only a way for White to promote the music he loves and the gospel of vinyl he preaches, but to flex his interior design muscles, which some fans may not know he’s actually been training for years. The London store, located in Soho not far from music history landmarks like Trident Studios and the 100 Club, is White all the way. The façade is bright yellow (Pantone 109c to be exact), as is much of the main floor, save for the red tin ceiling and hanging light fixtures, and the black-and-white acoustic tiles on some of the walls. On the lower level, there is a small live-music venue called the Blue Basement, where White played a surprise performance this past Saturday to celebrate the store’s opening.
Rochester, NY | Looking for vinyl records? Try these local music shops: It’s undeniable that vinyl records are coming back; with the number of vinyl sold in the first six months of 2021 up 108% from the first six months of 2020 and vinyl records officially bringing in more money than CDs for the first time in 34 years in 2020. Whether you love spending hours digging through the crates, or just love having a few token pieces in your collection, Rochester actually happens to be home to several hidden and not-so-hidden gems for getting your hands on some of your favorite albums.
Denver, CO | The Best Record Stores in Denver: We browsed LP bin after LP bin to bring you our six favorite places for vinyl records in the Mile High City. It’s never been easier to get into the highly addictive and wildly satisfying hobby of collecting vinyl. Gone are the days of elaborate audio set-ups with a seemingly endless array of wires criss-crossing behind your living room entertainment console; you can now purchase a turntable with a built-in pre-amp and powered bookshelf speakers and be good to go. (Of course, you can still go full audiophile if you want—it’ll just be more expensive, and a bit more of a hassle to set up.) Once you’ve got your gear dialed in, Denver has myriad options for buying new and used vinyl—and for selling records, should you, for example, get tired of that circa 1980 Christopher Cross LP. We did the heavy lift of scouting the local analog musical landscape and selected six record stores we love within the Denver city limits. Happy listening!
Winston-Salem, NC | Life on the street: discovering Winston-Salem: Hippo Records provides a range of records for the music enthusiast. Life On The Street is a new weekly installment by, yours truly, the Life editors. We hope to explore Winston-Salem, finding and reviewing various locations just outside of campus, so that you can feel more informed the next time you venture off of school grounds. This week, I headed to Hippo Records Winston-Salem, located in Silas Creek Crossings. Formerly known as Earshot Music, the shop was purchased by the owner of Hippo Records in Greensboro, and reopened under its new name this March. Boasting 142 reviews that round out to 4.8 out of 5 stars, I went into the store with pretty high expectations. Because I grew up in a small town, record stores were a rarity and I had to buy all of my records online, making this outing my first visit to a physical record store. At first, I must admit I was somewhat jittery. Thoughts were racing through my mind: Am I doing something wrong? Is everyone looking at me? What will the guy at the desk think of my choices when I hand him my records? Am I even cool enough to be here?
Manahawkin, NJ | Red Rocker Record Fair Returns, Seeks Vinyl Vendors: Among the countless fall-fun happenings going down at this weekend’s Stafford Township Fall & Wine Festival is the Red Rocker Record Fair at Manahawkin Lake Park, 86 North Main St. in Manahawkin, a micro-fair within the festival, happening from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 10. “It’s like our own little Shakedown Street,” described organizer and musician Chris Fritz, referencing the free, open vendors market on lot at every Dead show. In that spirit, independent vinyl dealers are invited to register to vend, free of charge, “just for the love of collecting,” he emphasized. Fritz founded the fair to honor the Red Rocker Record Shop, a beloved harbor for Stafford Township music lovers during the ’80s and ’90s. The original “red rocker,” Bruce Ciangetti, who founded, owned and operated the shop, is also a celebrated icon and will be in attendance to exchange a salute of the horns and a high five. “To be able to do this once or twice a year is just a means of keeping the legacy of that record store alive,” said Fritz.
Kansas City, MI | Nonprofit Record Shop With A Bar Coming To KC: The hip Strawberry Hill neighborhood of KCK is getting a new nonprofit record shop with its own bar, thanks to two people with a deep love for the neighborhood. Back in the early summer, Shaun Crowley of Manor Records approached Dan Castillo, owner of The Mockingbird Lounge, about finding a building to open a new record store. Castillo knew of just the spot—an old building on 6th Street, newly remodeled by Matt Tomasic. “I’ve been daydreaming about opening a nonprofit bar for years now,” Castillo says, and when Crowley proposed the idea of a record store, sparks went off. The concept was a nonprofit record shop and bar, and Crowley was onboard. After a lot of meetings and planning, the two settled on a mission. Half of the profits will go to local musicians and half will be used to benefit the Strawberry Hill neighborhood. Castillo has lived in Strawberry Hill for five years now and values the community. “I see a lot of potential in the area and would hate to see it do anything other than flourish,” Castillo says.
