Montreal, QC | A man about town: The tale of one record store owner and his quest to own a village. Most people do not plan on purchasing a town. But Manuel Paul Gabber, owner of the quintessential Plateau record store and event venue, Paul’s Boutique, does. Gabber has been eyeing a property called Canadiana Village for a couple of years now: A ghost town about 50 minutes north of Montreal that has been up for sale for $2.7 million since 2015. What’s more, it used to be a movie set for dozens of Westerns and TV shows. A decently popular 2007 Bob Dylan biopic, I’m Not There, was shot there. If things go as planned, Gabber should be able to purchase the town within a few years. He’s willing to sell his boutique if necessary. He also hopes to start a radio station at the end of October to promote Montreal’s counterculture scene, as well as inspire people to help him make the town sustainable and self-sufficient. Developing this town, Gabber contends, is a retaliation to the large businesses that he believes are breaking up Montreal’s organic musical and commercial culture. Here’s the tale of one record store owner and his quest to combat gentrification, foster Montreal’s alternative music scene, and own an entire village.
Berkeley, CA | Amoeba Berkeley celebrates anticipated reopening: Amoeba Berkeley officially reopened on Oct. 15, after having been forced to shutter for over six months. Amoeba Music is an independent music chain store based in California. They also call themselves “The World’s Largest Independent Record Store.” Amoeba mainly sells a variety of physical music such as vinyl records, DVDs and CDs. The Berkeley location boosts the fact that it is the first store. As Berkeley continues its course for reopening, Amoeba Music’s official website announced on Oct. 2 that Amoeba Music’s Berkeley store would reopen on Oct. 15. Outside, around 15 people waited to enter. After cleaning their hands in compliance with shop policy, guests entered the store with busy staff and buyers choosing their music albums. Jeff Adams, the Amoeba Berkeley’s security guard, spoke a bit about Amoeba’s efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. He was arranged to work outside by the store manager because of the pandemic. “We are doing a good job to keep people’s distance…”
Las Vegas, NV | Virgin rebrands Vinyl venue as 24 Oxford: Vinyl is being rebranded as a store that originally sold vinyl. The former Hard Rock Hotel live-music club is flipping to 24 Oxford when Virgin Hotels Las Vegas reopens Jan. 15. The name is inspired by the first Virgin Record Store, which opened at that address in London in 1971. Impress your friends by knowing that the first album ever sold at Virgin Records was “Electronic Meditation” by Tangerine Dream, sold by founder Richard Branson himself. The change in name might be the most obvious alteration to the 688-capacity venue, which opened in July 2012. Hard Rock Hotel owns the Vinyl title and stamped it on its live-entertainment venue in Lake Tahoe. Virgin Hotels is also renaming The Joint and, along with booking partner AEG Live, is seeking a name sponsor before settling on a title. In Las Vegas, Vinyl has hosted an array of acts, ranging from Reverend Horton Heat, Andrew Dice Clay, Imagine Dragons, the rock musical “Alice” and the Raiding The Rock Vault residency.
Mumbai, IN | How vinyl is wooing music lovers in digital era: It was missing for some time, presumed dead. But, after about a decade of growth, Vinyl is king, amidst a digital revolution. Read on to know how it made a spectacular comeback. It’s a late Thursday evening in Bandra, and I’m joined by a few under-30s, making their way down a creaky staircase that reads ‘Take Me Down…Paradise City’ to enter a basement for their regular dose of Vinyl Listening. Here, you are all set to listen to a vinyl… as it should be listened to. A bit of crackle, pops and variations that make it sound more real and authentic. “For our vinyl nights, we turn out the lights in our basement and listen to an entire album. Once done, we then turn on the lights and have a sharing experience based on the album, the music, some trivia and anything anyone wants to share about the album,” explains Aman Singh Gujral, Founder of Adagio, who organises vinyl nights every alternate Thursdays at his music studio. At Adagio, you are into Rockland, a road to classic rock days. Headbangers, whose parents probably owned records, are rediscovering vinyl and collecting it.
US | Should local book stores be taking on Amazon? …Independent bookstores had shown some recovery over the last decade with the exit of Borders, Barnes & Noble’s reset and the stabilization of in-store book purchases. The pandemic has led to steep sales declines, however, with the online-buying shift said to be largely benefiting Amazon. Foot traffic has improved with store reopenings, but remains down. Bookstores have been unable to stage in-store events, such as author signings, that used to boost sales. Higher expenses to cover postage, shipping materials, cleansing supplies and PPE are squeezing already thin margins. An ABA survey over this summer found that some 20 percent of members could go out of business. Allison Hill, ABA’s CEO, said in a statement, “People may not realize the cost and consequences of ‘convenience’ shopping until it’s too late.” The timing of the campaign is designed to encourage early shopping for the important holiday selling period. The campaign also speaks to the benefits to local jobs, local sales taxes and a community’s fabric that comes from local stores.
Cuban record covers from ’59-’90 collected in new book by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker: Documenting the “change in Cuba’s identity from that of 1950s tourist paradise to socialist state.” A new book of Cuban record covers from 1959-1990, called Cuba: Music and Revolution: Original Album Cover Art of Cuban Music, collected by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker, is being published by Soul Jazz Books this November. Staring in 1959 following the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro, the record sleeves “help document the dramatic change in Cuba’s identity from that of 1950s tourist paradise to socialist state.” Produced in cooperation with the Cuban government, Cuba: Music and Revolution marks the first ever book dedicated to Cuban record sleeve design. Amongst the 100s of covers featured, it includes artwork for Carlos Puebla’s 1968 7″ Directo De Cuba N°3., Paquito D’Rivera’s 1976 LP En Finlandia annd Grupo Sintesis’ 1981 self-titled album. In addition to the book, Soul Jazz will also release an album charting the rise of Cuban music during the ’70s, which will also be compiled by Peterson and Baker.
