Auburn, AL | Russell Baggett: Rediscover Vinyl at 10,000 Hz Records. 10,000 Hz Records, owned by Russell Baggett, has become a go-to spot for vinyl lovers, both new and old, in Opelika, Alabama, offering something for everyone. The name, 10,000 Hz Records, comes from an album called “10 000 Hz Legend” by Air, who is a French, electronic band from the 90s that Baggett likes. The album holds a special place in Baggett’s heart because it was his first record he ever bought on vinyl. Baggett moved from Raleigh, North Carolina, to the Opelika area with his wife, Hannah, who is a professor at Auburn University. When Baggett first searched for a place to live in Opelika, he noticed the limited selection of stores that sold new vinyl. This inspired him to open a store of his own. Baggett always had a love for record stores, as he grew up going to them and still enjoys going. The 10,000 Hz Records building, originally part of the Montgomery Cotton Company Warehouse, was turned into a record store and opened in January of 2018.
Farsley, UK | Farsley record store triples in size as it opens in new shop: Independent Farsley record shop Record Plant will officially reopen their highly popular store on Saturday, October 19 in a new, much larger space at Sunny Bank Mills. The shop originally opened at a smaller building at Sunny Bank in October 2023, and was the brainchild of four incredibly passionate record collectors and genuine music enthusiasts in Jaimie Styan, John Paul, Col Griffiths and Choque Hosein. Having worked incredibly hard over the summer to facilitate the move, bosses will officially open Record Plant’s doors again later this week, celebrating its first anniversary by tripling in size within a year. Originally occupying a small yet lovingly curated space in Sunny Bank Mills behind local venue The Old Woollen, Record Plant initially began selling a varied range of new LPs, second hand vinyl, memorabilia and their beloved “Pop Tat.” Quickly outgrowing the space, the team soon acknowledged the need for expansion to allow for increased stock and more workspace, along with the desire to provide an improved retail experience for customers.
Blackpool, UK | I’m a music shop owner and was thrilled when this 80s star visited me: A surprise visitor turned up at an independent record shop in Cleveleys—and customer Alan Johnston couldn’t resist a quick photo. Alan, 61, of Bispham, was browsing through the records in the Tiny Pug vinyls shop on Rossall Road when a familiar face stepped into the store. This other customer turned out to be comedian Syd Little, who lives in the area and runs the Little Restaurant and The Steamer pub in Fleetwood. Alan said: “I recognised Syd straight away and there he was, chatting about The Beatles. “I’ve never met him before in my life but he was a lovely bloke, down to earth and super-friendly. “I asked him if I could take his photo outside the shop and he was only too pleased to help.” Syd, 81, became a household name on national television as part of the double act Little and Large, with Mancunian Eddie Large, which ran from 1978 to 1991 and at its peak, pulled in audiences of around 17 million viewers each week
St. Louis, MO | Kismet Records brings local music to Dutchtown with concerts at The Wink! Annex. The creative duo behind Kismet Creative Center welcomes local bands to a new stage in South City. When Kismet Creative Center closed its doors in 2018, St. Louis lost a quality record store and consignment shop that also hosted hundreds of community events and concerts during its four years in the Cherokee Street neighborhood. Now, the duo of Tom Maher and Sonia Dae Slankard, who co-owned the space, carry that experience forward with Kismet Records (3302 Meramec), now open in Dutchtown. “Kismet was where art and music intersected. We were holding space. As a store it was for collectors, and as a venue it was for musicians,” Maher says. True to the spirit of the original storefront, the new Kismet Records hosts small concerts and gatherings such as poetry readings and workshops. But instead of moving store shelves and displays to make way for musicians, all of Kismet’s events now take place at the Annex, a 40-capacity room on the other side of the same building (4209 Virginia).
Boise, ID | The retro revival: Gen Z’s obsession with vintage tech. Retro technology is back — Gen Z is obsessed with digital and film cameras, flip phones, vinyl records and CDs. In the past, the target demographic for these products has been older generations reliving memories of their childhood. In recent years however, Gen Z has taken an interest in vintage tech, nostalgic for an era that they never got to experience. 43.2 million vinyl records were sold in 2023, according to data from Statista, an exponential increase compared to the less than a million sold in 2006. Viral social media posts have featured people choosing to take a flip phone instead of their smartphone for nights out, and ads on TikTok Shop throughout summer 2024 relentlessly promoted inexpensive digital cameras. Nostalgia for a time past plays a role in this revival, but there are more reasons behind young people’s fascination with retro technology. Members of society today are overwhelmed by the endless barrage of information we receive online. The consumption of media has become impersonal, and Gen Z is taking a stand.
Massillon, OH | Cool exhibits at Massillon Museum spotlight vinyl records, Browns, Tiger football: Michael Zurcher gazed at artifacts at the Massillon Museum chronicling the career of football coaching legend Paul Brown. He moved slowly and intently from a relic film projector to a Pro Football Hall of Fame gold jacket encased in glass. From there he went on to explore Massillon Tigers mementoes, and artwork depicting the coach and the Cleveland Browns. Moments later, Zurcher found his way to another part of the museum, which featured a display of vintage vinyl records and a 1959 Seeburg jukebox. The throwback exhibitions are new: “Brown’s Town: Art Inspired by Ohio’s Football Heritage,” “90 Years of Community: The Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club” and “On the Record,” which celebrates iconic vinyl album artwork from the collection of the Massillon Public Library Vinyl Club.
Documentary exploring history of Black music specialist record stores in UK gets official trailer: The Record Store and Black Music features contributions from Trevor Nelson, Marcia Carr, Jazzie B, DJ Spoony, Wookie, and more. The trailer for a new documentary, The Record Store and Black Music, has been released. The film looks at the history of independent record stores specialising in Black music from 1950 onwards, their role in local communities, and their influence on UK music culture. Produced by Simon ‘Schooly’ Phillips for 2Funky Arts, the film has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and features contributions from Trevor Nelson, Marcia Carr, Claudia Wilson, Ammo Talwar MBE, DJSS, DJ Rap, Jazzie B, DJ Spoony, Wookie and Jeff Smith and Simon Dunmore. Speaking about the project, 2Funky Arts Director Vijay Mistry said: “This has been our first national project, and we have been thrilled by the response—interviewing around 80 people and digging deep into this history. 2Funky Arts grew from 2Funky Records (1997-2012)—a specialist Black music store in Leicester, with an international reputation. So, we have first-hand experience of these shops as cultural powerhouses.”
Nick Heyward / North of a Miracle deluxe reissue: 3CD deluxe & half-speed vinyl LP. Nick Heyward’s debut album, North of a Miracle, is being reissued early next year. Produced by Geoff Emerick, the 1983 album features the hit singles ‘Take That Situation’, ‘Whistle Down The Wind’, ‘Blue Hat For A Blue Day’ and ‘On A Sunday’. An expanded 3CD deluxe edition features a new mastering of the album (using the original stereo tapes) annd two discs of bonus material. CD 2 offers twelve-inch mixes, instrumental versions and non-album B-sides while CD 3 (“Recordings 1984”) features Heyward’s 1984 single releases ‘Love All Day’ and the brilliant ‘Warning Sign’ (in all its versions) and three previously unreleased tracks: ‘Teach Till You Reach’ (a single that never was), ‘Give Love More Time’ (an alternate instrumental version of ‘Love All Day’), and ‘Kiss Those Tears Goodbye’ (an unfinished recording featuring the backing vocals only). The 3CD set comes in seven-inch packaging and features notes from Daryl Easlea, based on a brand-new interview with Nick Heyward. There’s also a 180g half-speed mastered vinyl edition which features an OBI-strip and comes with an insert and a poly-lined sleeve.
Omnivore Recordings announces Little Richard vinyl compilation, four reissues: Settin’ The Woods On Fire: The Reprise Rarities will be released with four vinyl reissues over the next few months. Omnivore Recordings announces the vinyl release of Little Richard’s Settin’ The Woods On Fire: The Reprise Rarities, a 13-track collection from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer member, many of which make their vinyl debut, out on November 22nd. Along with the announcement, Omnivore also shared release dates for four more Little Richard LP reissues to follow with The Rill Thing and Lifetime Friend out December 13th, and King of Rock and Roll and The Second Coming out January 10th. These four reissues will mirror the tracklisting of their original release.
