Hasselt, BE | The record store finds a place in Hasselt: The Rocking Bull is the name of a brand new record store that has just opened its doors in Hasselt. “I turned my hobby into my profession and have been running a business in Antwerp for about 20 years with CDs, vinyl, DVDs, t-shirts and other merchandise across all genres of music,” says manager Michel Petit. “Because our inventory continued to increase, we opened a second location, and Hasselt was chosen.” “Our offerings are versatile, with mainly rock and metal, but you can also find the best pop rock, country and blues,” says Michel Petit. “We can also order all other types, so all customers are welcome here.” The Rocking Bull sells music on media such as CDs, vinyl and DVDs, but also sells musically themed instruments and “fantasy items”, such as skulls and dragons.
UK | UK record shop bosses survey the state of indie retail: Independent retailers have opened up about their experiences and challenges of running UK record shops in 2023. The latest issue of Music Week features an in-depth report on the sector, featuring contributions from key players from Banquet, Crash, Drift and Rough Trade, as well as Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) CEO Kim Bayley. “The resilience of indie record shops in the face of all that has been thrown at them has been remarkable,” said Bayley. “Indie store owners operate with pretty much no safety net. It’s about their knowledge, their skills and the sheer energy to keep on keeping on. “I feel tremendously proud to represent an incredible group of women and men who really do operate at the coalface of the music industry.” Bayley said indie record shops have much in common with many other physical retailers in terms of the day-to-day issues they are facing, listing inflation, pressures on income and business rates.
Los Angeles, CA | Record Store Day Black Friday: Dr. Dre, De La Soul, Flaming Lips Releases Among Standouts: Five highlights from this year’s 175 exclusive offerings. In recent years, records have become a hot commodity. So much so, that in 2021, vinyl album sales increased by 46.2 percent. The following year had slower growth—just over four percent—but that still meant 43.46 million vinyl albums that were sold. According to Variety, 2023 has been another booming year—dodging the vinyl plateau speculation—with LP sales up another 21.7 percent as compared to the same period in 2022. If all goes well, 2023 would mark the 18th consecutive year that vinyl saw a rise in sales. The resurgence in records is largely credited to the cult community surrounding the analog format, with annual events like Record Store Day fueling the flames. Founded in 2007, RSD has brought together roughly 1,400 independently owned stores across the U.S. to celebrate vinyl in style: new, remastered or exclusive releases of fan favorites.
Liverpool, UK | Liverpool vinyl record store expands to Wirral: Liverpool-based Dig Vinyl is to open a second Merseyside record outlet with a new store set to launch in Wirral. Over the past decade Dig Vinyl has established itself as a favourite for vinyl enthusiasts. With its team of “dedicated crate diggers” (an enthusiast happy to look through crates for rare records) the Bold Street business has already expanded three times. Now the venture will open a second permanent vinyl store in Banks Road in West Kirby on Saturday, November 4. It will be joining what it calls a “vibrant independent retail scene” in the Wirral coastal town. This new outlet will stock the usual diversity of genres, eras and sounds that its loyal customers have come to expect. These include rare finds from the US, Japan, and beyond. And it will see an extension of Dig Vinyl’s partnership with Birkenhead music venue Future Yard, committing to stock releases by the emerging artists and locals who perform on stage.
Rochester, NY | Rochester’s Bop Shop Records Releases Full Fall Lineup: Bop Shop Records, an independently-owned record store in Rochester, has announced their upcoming lineup of shows for this fall. The run starts with a trio of jazz legends, Joseph Daley’s Tuba Trio, consisting of Warren Smith, Scott Robinson, and Joseph Daley. Bop Shop Records opened in the Cobbs Hill neighborhood of Rochester in 1982 with owner Tom Kohn, who spent the 70s working for MXR and Rounder Records, where he collected music from all kinds of genres. The venue hosts jazz, folk, and blues artists at the store, and boasts a collection of over 200,000 records available. This fall’s lineup will feature Joseph Daley’s Tuba Trio, Preston Reed, Charlie Parr, and Brooklyn’s own Ember Trio. Ember is a collaborative music group that is based in exploration, improvisation, and creativity. The jazz group includes Caleb Wheeler Curtis on alto saxophone, Noah Garabedian on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums. The group will make their stop at Bop Shop Records on December 16.
Philadelphia, PA | Fishtown’s Milkcrate Cafe expands its unique coffee-and-vinyl-records shop concept to West Philly: The hip neighborhood staple celebrates 14 years in business with a new location on Baltimore Ave, plus new plans for brunch and cocktail nights. One of Fishtown’s most unique and enduring neighborhood staples is expanding west. Milkcrate Cafe—a combination coffee shop and vinyl record boutique that has operated at Girard and Columbia avenues since 2009—opened its second location at 45th Street and Baltimore Ave in West Philadelphia on Sept. 28. The West Philly version of Milkcrate will operate much like the original: As an expertly-curated vinyl record store that also serves coffee roasted by La Colombe and a menu of music-themed food items, such as breakfast sandwiches like the Notorious E.G.G. and the Bagella Fitzgerald and lunch options like the Run B.L.T. and the Rick Rubin. Both stores will also sell turntables and other Hi-Fi home audio gear and will also buy select used vinyl records from customers. “This is the right space and this is the time,” said Milkcrate owner Adam Porter of his decision to expand his business to West Philly.
Oxford, UK | Oxford beer and record shop in Cowley Road has closed: It was the last day of trading for Big Scary Monsters Social Club on Saturday. The craft beer bottle shop at 98 Cowley Road, which also sold new vinyl, was run by Kevin Douch, Gemma Hefferon-Douch and Leigh Shorter. Despite the support of loyal customers over the past three years, a decision to close was taken in May due to ‘skyrocketing costs’. Mr Douch said: “We sadly closed our doors for the final time on Saturday. “Our closure wasn’t a surprise. We’d announced back in May that we’re reaching a break in our lease and would unfortunately be leaving the premises. “We’ve had an incredible three years and the community – both locally and those who’ve travelled from afar – have been wonderful throughout. Saturday was hands down my favourite night in there. “I’m sad it was the end but it was filled with so many brilliant people who literally drank the fridges dry, helping us to see the place out in the style it deserved.
Steely Dan’s ‘Gaucho’ returns to vinyl: The album returns to the format after 15 years. In 1980, after nearly two years in the studio, Steely Dan emerged triumphant with their brilliant seventh studio album, Gaucho. The Grammy-winning title would not only mark their final release under MCA Records but also their last studio album for 20 years. Featuring the Top 10 hit “Hey Nineteen,” plus such classic cuts as “Babylon Sisters” and “Time Out of Mind,” Gaucho also boasts a who’s who of legendary guest musicians, including Mark Knopfler, Michael McDonald, and Bernard Purdie. Available on December 1st via Geffen/UMe, Gaucho continues the label’s extensive reissue program of Steely Dan’s classic ABC and MCA Records catalog, which returns the band’s first seven records to vinyl – most of which haven’t been available since their original release. Overseen by founding member Donald Fagen, the series launched in November 2022 with the group’s legendary 1972 debut, Can’t Buy A Thrill, followed by 1973’s Countdown To Ecstasy, 1974’s Pretzel Logic, and, most recently, the duo’s 1977 multi-platinum jazz-rock masterwork, Aja.
Toronto, CA | Honest Metal Band Just Comes Out and Says New Album Not as Good as Old Stuff: Legendary Canadian heavy metal band Stone Hammer were completely transparent when addressing fans about their new record, saying that the material is definitely not as good compared to their earlier albums, skullet-clad sources report. “We’ve been working on this new record for about a year now, and we have to say, it’s just….okay,” Stone Hammer bassist and main songwriter Wayne Lorvell explained. “We could all tell while writing these new songs that the same spark we had when we wrote ‘Tumble Into Satan’s Tomb’ record back in ’87 just wasn’t there. With that being said, we think the lack of youthful angst, and the typical distractions of life adults tend to face, makes this our most ‘ehhh, it’s alright’ record to date.” Stone Hammer fan Alyssa Gonzales appreciates the honesty put forth by the band.
