New York, NY | Razor-N-Tape is opening a record store in Brooklyn: Celebrating the label’s 10th anniversary by opening a store. New York dance label Razor-N-Tape has shared plans to open a record store. Opening on October 21, the record store will sell the Razor-N-Tape vinyl catalogue, apparel, merchandise, DJ accessories and a mix of new and used international releases. The label plan to host a series of live and streamed in-store events and will be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. “We see this storefront as the logical next step in our evolution; a place that will highlight our full vinyl catalog and apparel, showcase new music from our favourite labels & artists, and be a place of convergence for local and visiting artists,” Razor-N-Tape explained in an Instagram post. In support, a Go-Fund-Me has been launched to “get the store on its feet.” Head here to support the fundraiser.
Baltimore, MD | Mount Vernon Records opens as a ‘community store’ for all: West Read street retains a quiet mystique which harkens back to early Baltimore days. While walking past the cozy brick and mortar buildings, I spy an old-fashioned pub, a barber shop, a deli, a bakery, and a cafe. This little Mount Vernon enclave feels like something from Rick Steves’ Europe and less like any place else in the city. Nestled amidst the quaint shops is the newly minted Mount Vernon Records and despite a bit of drizzle folks have shown up to celebrate its grand opening on a chilly autumn day. Glizzy’s Hot Dog cart rolls up offering a yummy reprieve from the comparatively chilly weather with mustard, ketchup, or relish. I find William Hicks, one of the partners in Mount Vernon Records, very busy greeting old friends, patrons, and random folks walking by who are curious about all the new commotion.
Hamilton, CA | Hamilton record store owner finds rare tape of ‘lost’ 1973 Neil Young concert at McMaster University: ‘If any other store received this donation, it’d be in the landfill,’ says Chad Silva. Chad Silva, owner of Flashbacks Records on Concession Street in Hamilton, received a large donation of cassette tapes last year. Silva, 24, said most record shop owners wouldn’t have given the pile of homemade mixtapes and recordings a second glance. “I went through everything because I’m thorough,” he said. “Everything else was almost trash worthy.” That is, except for two unlabelled tapes containing notes in looping handwriting on the back of the set list for a lost 1973 McMaster University Neil Young show. “As a fan, I was like, ‘Oh my God, Neil Young at McMaster University. I never even thought he would play there,'” Silva said. The Sugar Mountain Neil Young fan website has curated a list of all the known shows by the Toronto-born artist and their recordings. Silva found the date of the McMaster show: Oct. 28, 1973.
The Animals ‘Retrospective’ getting vinyl debut: Twenty-two track collection due Nov 18th on LP. On November 18th, ABKCO Records will release, for the first time, a vinyl edition of Retrospective, the definitive 22-track collection spanning the years 1964-1970 from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Animals. Originally released in 2004 on CD and SACD formats, the 180-gram black 2 LP set gathers all 14 US top 40 hits by The Animals and late ‘60s lineup Eric Burdon & The Animals, including “See See Rider,” “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” “San Franciscan Nights” and the transatlantic No. 1, “House Of The Rising Sun.” The set is capped by the 1970 smash hit “Spill The Wine” by Eric Burdon & War. An exclusive edition pressed on 180-gram orange vinyl is available at Target. Formed in Newcastle, England in the early 1960s out of the ashes of The Alan Price Rhythm & Blues Combo, The Animals moved to London in ‘64 and were signed to EMI’s Columbia label by the visionary independent producer Mickie Most. Influenced by folk, blues, jazz, R&B, and early rock and roll, The Animals and front man Eric Burdon seemed tougher and more brooding than their British Invasion peers The Beatles and even The Rolling Stones.
Mondo’s 2022 Hellraiser Vinyl Soundtrack Has Such Sounds To Play For You: David Bruckner’s “Hellraiser” sequel is out on Hulu today, marking the 11th entry in the franchise that began back in 1987 with Clive Barker’s seminal sadomasochistic masterpiece of the same name. (What is it with naming legacy sequels the exact same name as the original?) The movie’s hitting screens just in time for Halloween and will bring brand new hellish sights and sounds to fans of the franchise, but some fans might want to extend that experience. Some of us just can’t get enough of the Cenobites and the surreal, spooky sounds of their suffering, okay? We fiends for the freakish have been blessed by Mondo Records, who are releasing a gorgeous 2-LP vinyl soundtrack of the score by Ben Lovett, with artwork by Matt Ryan Tobin. There’s also a limited-edition numbered colored vinyl pressing, aptly called the “Hell Priest” edition. That’s the kind of thing to make Jesus weep.
XTC announce vinyl reissue for The Big Express: XTC’s 1984 album The Big Express to get 200g vinyl release in November. XTC are to have their 1984 album, The Big Express, reissued on vinyl for the first time since the 1980s, through Ape House Records on November 11. The album, the band’s seventh, was a concept album of sorts, a partly autobiographical reflection on growing up in an industrial town, Swindon, with its history of engineering and railway accomplishments. Recorded on a budget over £75,000 (over £250,000 today!), The Big Express was released on October 15, 1984 but only reached No. 38 in the UK album charts. The single All You Pretty Girls only managed No. 55 in the UK singles charts, despite the video having a £33,000 budget from Virgin Records. “I love that album and nobody ever mentions it. That and Mummer are the two ignored discs,” Andy Partridge has said. Both were the first albums the band recorded having retired from live performance.
The Importance Of Cover Art: How It Can Make Or Break A Record: Cover art is the first look you get at a body of work — might as well make it count with something eye-grabbing. Choosing cover art to associate with a piece of music will always be a big decision for artists, as the art introduces the music. Before listening to a single second, your experience with a body of work starts with the art that accompanies it. Since it is the listener’s first contact with the music, the cover has to be intriguing enough for the listener to decide to dive into the record. In some instances, cover art can be so eye-catching that it transcends a record’s popularity and gets even more appreciated than the album itself, becoming its own thing. Album covers such as Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, with the famous triangle prism and the beam of light passing through, or The Beatles’ Abbey Road which sees the band members wearing suits and crossing the street, are prime examples of this.
