Long Island, NY | Record stores are coming to life on Long Island as vinyl rises in popularity: In a world full of technology, where everything is a few clicks away, here on Long Island, the age-old tradition of shopping in record stores is flourishing thanks to the vinyl revival. Sure, there is easy access to music via iTunes, YouTube, Pandora and Spotify, but they do not provide the physical connection. Here are five local shop windows throughout Nassau and Suffolk that keep the flame lit. …The Groeger family opened Looney Tunes in West Babylon back in 1971. Karl Sr. has since passed on the business to his sons Karl Jr. and Jamie. Today, the Groeger brothers have balanced the store’s inventory with new and used vinyl and CDs plus turntables. Karl Jr. seems, however, vinyl is making a comeback because the listening process is more fun. “Listening to music as a stream uses only one of your senses – hearing,” he says. “With vinyl, you use three of your senses – hearing to listen to the music, sight to see the liner notes and touch to feel the cover in your hands. This will give you a different emotional experience. Listening to an album from the beginning to the end is like reading a story. “
The Woodlands, TX | Sawdust Road record store Volume Music nears two years of sharing a love of vinyl: Within months of opening the record shop Volume Music with her husband, Joel, in November 2019, owner Tiffany Cochran had concerns about staying in business due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Cochran said business has improved since the store reopened in May 2020. “We were moving right along, and in March nobody was coming into the store,” Cochran said. “In May when we were opening back up, things just started going up from there. I think we … were not terribly crowded, you could easily keep your distance from somebody else.” With plans to continue to grow and expand in the future, Cochran said her store grew from a lifelong passion for music. Cochran said she began appreciating music from a young age. At the time, she said she would check the credits on the albums to see which producers and artists had worked on the albums. “I got to learn where I could go to a record store or online, and follow that producer or artist and see what they were working on,” she said. “I would usually really like them.”
Watertown, MA | Record Store in Watertown Square Has Drawn a Crowd in Its First Year: Calling all vinyl lovers, if you haven’t heard yet, Watertown is now home to a record store! Wanna Hear It Records opened during the COVID-19 pandemic in early December and has been operating a successful business ever since. Located right in Watertown Square at 7 Main St., Wanna Hear It sells records for a variety of interests. Many Watertown residents noticed a line around the block to get into the store on a few occasions throughout the summer, sparking curiosity about the new shop. Owner Joey Cahill described the store’s inventory as, “A mix of everything,” saying “our main focus is Indie Rock, Punk, Hardcore, Emo, some Top 40, hip hop [and] metal.” The shop also does record trading and has “about half and half new and used [records]”. Aside from vinyl, the store carries merchandise ranging from canvas bags to enamel pins to coffee grounds. While Wanna Hear It is an independent store, Cahill also owns a record label and second record store in Richmond, Va., which share the name 6131 Records.
Flint, MI | Record store moving to new location in downtown Flint: At the end of October, downtown record store Jack’s Record Stache will be moving to a new location—but not very far away. “We’re just going next door,” said owner Jerry Crago. Jack’s will be relocating to a larger space about 20 feet west of the current storefront of Healthy Dollar. “I don’t have to worry about losing my customer base by moving there,” he said. “I mean, at least I hope no one says ‘I can’t find your shop!’” The added space is really Crago’s reason for the move, he said. Jack’s Record Stache is currently under 300 square feet. Crago said he hopes the nearby, larger location will allow him to begin offering vintage clothing and showcase even more vinyl without upsetting regulars. Crago has made use of every square inch. Wooden custom-built drawers of records slide under tabletops full of yet more vinyl, an area near the front door highlights newer inventory, and music memorabilia coats the space’s beige walls from shelves to ceiling. But he said there just isn’t enough room to give people a good look at his inventory of over 150,000 records.
Birmingham, UK | Swansea’s Oldest Record Store Derricks Music Launches New Website Developed by Ballyhoo: Earlier this week Ballyhoo launched an updated website for their loyal client Derricks Music, a Swansea-based music and events ticketer and record seller with a shopfront on Oxford Street in Swansea city centre. Derricks Music have worked with Ballyhoo, a Birmingham web design agency, for over a decade to help sell their products online and keep their website up-to-date. This year, Ballyhoo has been working with Derricks Music to bring their website in line with modern web design techniques and introduce new functionality for admins and users. Derricks Music’s website was originally created by Ballyhoo in 2011, and after being live for over 10 years, the website had a well deserved refresh earlier this year. The website needed to be made mobile responsive, and the branding has also received a refresh – removing the old three-dimensional elements and textures, and replacing them with brighter and cleaner elements.
