Phoenixville, PA | Mom-and-Pop Record Store in Phoenixville Honors Old School Legacy: Shawn Cephas, the youngest of five, grew up behind the counter in a Philadelphia record store. His father, a musician, and businessman opened King James Sound Center in 1967, writes Tony Romeo for PHL 17. The record store was run by Cephas’ mother Mary, his father James, and his eldest sibling. In 2018, Cephas decided to continue the family legacy and get behind the counter again. Along with his wife, Anna, Cephas opened an old school shop, Forever Changes Records, in downtown Phoenixville in 2021. His goal is to make it a very welcoming place, or as he describes it “a record store for everyone.” Cephas said he enjoys when people ask questions, specifically about jazz, his genre of expertise. “People have said that it’s a very welcoming place and it has just opened up a lot of conversations that aren’t even about music itself” he said.
Louisville, KY | ‘A bigger and better record store’: Better Days West merging with East End location. Sitting inside Better Days West, surrounded by boxes, bags and shelves packed with records and other merchandise to be moved to the store’s East End counterpart, the record store’s owner, Ben Jones, was overjoyed about prospect of operating a bigger and better store. …Better Days West, which spent more than 35 years in the Parkland neighborhood at its 2600 W. Broadway storefront, is merging with Better Days East. The store’s last official day open was Sept. 20. Since then, Jones and his team have been working to move more than 30,000 pieces of merchandise—including records, CDs, sound equipment and more—to Better Days East at 921 Barret Ave. Better Days West, which spent more than 35 years in the Parkland neighborhood at its 2600 W. Broadway storefront, is merging with Better Days East. The East End location, a 5,500-square-foot space in the Original Highlands neighborhood, is now one of the largest and most eclectic music stores in the Midwest, Jones said.
Toledo, OH | Culture Clash Records Asking For Help: Culture Clash Records is asking for support throughout the end of the year. Toledo’s favorite record store asks for help to pay their bills during a tough season and “save Culture Clash.” “Our 20th year in Toledo has been our toughest.. We need your support to pay our bills..To survive the year.. To see our vision through..,” Culture Clash Records wrote on Facebook. “Help us continue to serve our believed community for 20 more years.” After facing hards times due to buying a building that did not fit the proper zoning requirements, Culture Clash is facing hardships and in need of help making it through 2024. There are several ways you can support Culture Clash Records, including…
Evanston, IL | In the groove: Vintage Vinyl marks its 45th year as a haven for audiophiles: In September, the City of Evanston sponsored a reception for the Legacy Business Alliance to honor 39 longtime businesses for their contributions to the community. Vintage Vinyl, the small but mighty record shop that’s been operating for decades, should have been invited to the party. Steve Kay, the owner of Vintage Vinyl, opened the shop in 1979. The store has been in the same location, 925 Davis St., for 45 years, which is a milestone worthy of celebration. This part of Evanston seems to spawn long-lived retailers — two other legacy businesses, Bennison’s Bakery and Lemoi Hardware, are located across the street from Vintage Vinyl. Kay has parlayed his love of music and vinyl records, from the 1950s to the present, into a business that has stood the test of time. “I received my first 45 rpm record and a record player from my aunt when I was 5 years old, and I have been playing and listening to music and collecting records ever since,” he said.
Glasgow, UK | The Libertines’ Carl Barat and Peter Doherty play in Sauchiehall Street record shop: The Libertines front men performed a set in a Sauchiehall Street record store, in between two sold out shows at the Barrowland Ballroom. Peter Doherty and Carl Barat of The Libertines are the latest musicians to take to the wee stage at Assai Records on Sauchiehall Street. Pete took photos with fans as he walked to the record shop before leading off a 45 minute set of stripped down versions of their hits and plenty of interaction with the small group of fans there to see the show. Assai staff said: “Thank you Pete and Carl! We wont forget that in a while!” Doherty began by performing Albion before the pair stormed through songs including Don’t Look Back into the Sun and Can’t Stand Me Now. The Libertines are on tour in support releasing a fourth album, All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade.
Tucson, AZ | Record show spins into Tucson: Bruce Smith knows music — and he wants to share it with Tucson. …“There will be a lot of collectible records, but there’s always some affordable records for people that are just there to pick up some things to listen to,” he said. “You don’t have to spend a lot to bring home some really interesting records to slap on your turntable.” More than 40 tables at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge Hall, 3445 N. Dodge Boulevard, will be filled with music offerings from the record community. Sellers tend to be entrenched in the music industry, whether they vend as their primary job or as a part-time gig. Smith noted that buyers are of all stripes. Contrary to popular belief, many young women are interested in vinyl and collecting. In addition, Tucson’s Latinx population lends itself to collectors looking for cultural music and Spanish rock ‘n’ roll.
Busan, KR | Gwangbok Record Fair Celebrates Busan’s Vinyl Culture: The Gwangbok Record Fair draws inspiration from “Mua,” a famous music-listening room in Busan’s Gwangbok-dong, Jung-gu district, that was popular in the 1970s through the 1990s. Busan’s vibrant music scene is set to take a nostalgic turn with the Gwangbok Record Fair, a two-day event that revives the city’s vinyl record culture. Taking place at the Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum Annex on November 1 and 2, 2024, the fair will showcase a variety of activities, from vinyl record displays to live music performances, celebrating both the past and present of Busan’s music heritage. The Gwangbok Record Fair draws inspiration from “Mua” (무아), a famous music-listening room in Busan’s Gwangbok-dong, Jung-gu district, that was popular in the 1970s through the 1990s. “Mua (無我)” refers to a state of selflessness or transcendence beyond individual ego and consciousness.
Kyoto, JP | Shop devoted to record player needles offers the full vinyl experience in Kyoto: In the digital era, the appeal of analog records is gaining attention worldwide. This April, a store specializing in record player styluses, which are indispensable for vinyl, opened in this city’s Shimogyo Ward by a long-established maker, drawing an unexpected relationship between the ancient Japanese capital and the artisanship of the needles. The shop, Feel Records Kyoto Hanare, is located on an old shopping street, among row houselike businesses facing Shichijo-dori Street, near Nishi Hongwanji, the head temple of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Buddhist organization. Its traditional “noren” Japanese door curtains and wooden sliding doors create a Kyoto-style atmosphere. Feel Records Kyoto Hanare’s manager Kazushi Nakagawa, 60, explained the reason for opening the store in Kyoto, saying, “The old and new blend well in this city, and we found that attractive.”
Are we entering a new analogue age? Gen Z is leading us there. We first heard about the brave new world of “digital” at the end of the 1970s. We weren’t sure what that meant, but it sounded futuristic and cool, especially with music. It held the promise of accuracy and greater fidelity that we could feed to our monster stereo systems. Ry Cooder has gone down in history as the first artist to release a digitally recorded album with Bop Til You Drop in 1979. The CD came along a few years later, adding to digital’s momentum. Soon, all recording studios began migrating from their giant analogue tape machines and consoles to state-of-the-art hard drive systems powered by software like Pro Tools. By the end of the ’90s, everything was digital: CDs, MP3s, personal music devices and so on. Beyond a few outliers who wouldn’t let go—I’m looking at you, Jack White, Lenny Kravitz and anyone who refused to give up their vinyl albums—analogue music was essentially dead.
