Deep Ellum’s cool record shop bar spins off new location in Fort Worth: A one-of-a-kind concept from Deep Ellum is about to become two of a kind. Off the Record, the truly unique spot that combines a craft beer bar and a record shop, is spinning off a second branch in Fort Worth’s Magnolia District. The first Off The Record opened in Deep Ellum in 2014. It’s a collaborative concept from the folks who own a collection of Dallas clubs and neighborhood bars such as City Tavern, Club Dada, Independent Bar & Kitchen, along with the folks who own Good Records. The idea came from Dada co-owner Josh Florence, who recruited Penn and Good Records to oversee the spins.
The vinyl frontier: a crate digger’s guide to Paris: Victor Kiswell is a record dealer by appointment-only. Based in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, he sells rare discs that can cost as little as €25 and as much as €700. He specialises in funk, though he has all sorts of music for sale. Kiswell’s penchant for vinyl has taken him all around the world. He’s burrowed through old record boxes in Beirut and rummaged around the dusty souqs of Cairo, looking for long-lost LPs between the leather bags, sheesha pipes and hanging lanterns. He’s also sweltered in the tropical warmth of Colombia, turning up little known salsa and cumbia LPs. ‘To be honest,’ admits Kiswell, ‘France is the best place to find records…’
Wheeling Native to Open Record Store: A new small business on National Road is bringing some music nostalgia to Wheeling. Nail City Record is located at 2200 National Road and has thousands of new and used records for sale. Prices range from about $5 to about $35 depending on the rarity of the record. The checkout counter can be converted into a stage where they plan to host live music. Owner Jonathan Napier is a graduate of Wheeling Central Catholic High School and West Liberty University. He spent a year traveling before deciding to move back home and open the record shop. “I was going to a bunch of different cities and thought that one of the best things for vibrant, up and coming communities is a record store. Being that this is my home, I decided that we could bring some of this music culture back to Wheeling,” said Napier.
Otis Redding “Studio Albums Vinyl Box” available in December: Next year will be the 50th anniversary of Otis Redding topping the charts with his signature song, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay.” Unfortunately the single’s success was bittersweet, as Redding tragically passed away in a plane crash just weeks before its release. Leading up to the “Dock Of The Bay” milestone, Rhino will introduce a new vinyl collection that brings together all seven of the iconic soul singer’s studio albums. Big O’s biggest hits are all here, from “Pain In My Heart” and “These Arms Of Mine” to “Respect” and “Try A Little Tenderness.” The albums included in the collection are: Pain In My Heart (1964), The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (1965), Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965), The Soul Album (1966),Complete and Unbelievable…The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul (1966), King & Queen – Otis Redding & Carla Thomas (1967), and The Dock of the Bay (1968).
What’s actually going on when people talk about digital vs. analogue masters: It’s been 10 years since vinyl sales began taking off again, and for the first time in a decade this summer saw the incredible growth in sales begin to slow down. In the US, that has meant a decline from 38% growth in 2015, to 12% in 2016, to just 2% so far this year. Still in the green, but heading south deliberately. One of the reasons regularly touted for this decline along with pressing plant delays and rising retail prices, is a generalised perception that quality is dropping, an issue even more generally attributed to using digital masters to cut new records. When talking about pre-digital releases, i.e. reissues, the specific fear is that many are not being remastered from original tapes, but from lower-quality digital sources.
Vinyl record sale at St Mary’s Church Hall in Dover for Kelly Turner who has a rare cancer: A large vinyl record collection is being sold for the Kelly Turner Appeal. It will be at the next fundraising Big Breakfast for her on Saturday. This is at St Mary’s Church Hall, Cannon Street, Dover, from 9am to 1pm. There will also be a stall with various items on sale from Dover Knit and Natter Group. Meanwhile the Charlton Church Fayre takes place at Dover Town Hall from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, November 11. These are among of the continual fundraising events for Kelly, 17, of Dover, who needs specialist treatment in America for a rare cancer called desmoplastic small round cell tumours.
