Hamburg, DE | Smallville Records shuts Hamburg shop but the label continues: Opened in 2005, the popular store existed in two locations. Smallville Records has shut its Hamburg shop but the label will continue. Smallville cofounder Julius Steinhoff confirmed the news via Facebook last week, saying that both of the store’s locations—Hein-Hoyer-Strasse (2005-2017) and Neuer Kamp (2017-2021)—”will remain in my heart forever.” He added that new owners are opening a record shop on the Neuer Kamp site. Steinhoff also said that the label will continue with help from new addition Stefan Marx. The next release, due on December 3rd, is a Move D EP called Inside The Freero Dome. “We are ready to move things forward together and bring you new surprises,” Steinhoff wrote. “Like the first album on [Smallville sub-label] Fuck Reality, another Smallville album, new soft goods and maybe, even, the lost Smallville 50 could be in sight…” Finally, Steinhoff said that Smallpeople, his production project with Just von Ahlefeld, is ending after 12 years. They, he wrote, “are now taking two different paths.”
Phoenixville, PA | Phoenixville’s New Shop Inspired By Iconic Philly Record Store: Shawn Cephas will open Forever Changes later this month. Cephas’ father owned the legendary King James Records for over 30 years. At his new store in Phoenixville, Shawn Cephas plans to sell vinyl records — which have come back into fashion —while also trying to recapture the vibe of a legendary chain of Philadelphia record stores once owned by his father. Forever Changes is scheduled to open on Nov. 27 at 28. S. Main St. The store, named after an album by 1960s psychedelic band Love, will be a 1,200-square-foot shop offering a curated collection of new and used vinyl records, record players and music-inspired local art. There also are plans to hold in-store performances. Two years ago, Cephas began Forever Changes as a pop-up vinyl shop in Phoenixville. The idea was inspired King James Records, the one-time iconic chain of Philly record stores Cephas’ dad James owned for over 30 years.
Teeside, UK | ‘A kick in the teeth’ – Stockton record shop owner speaks of devastating burglary: Tom Butchart has owned Sound It Out in Stockton for 25 years without any issues. The owner of a Teesside record shop has been left saddened after burglars “ransacked” the office and made off with thousands of pounds worth of gear. Tom Butchart has owned Sound It Out in Stockton for 25 years without any issues. But on Sunday, Tom, 49, found out that intruders had broken into the independent Yarm Street shop and raided the office, making off with valuable and sentimental electronic goods. “My landlord phoned me on Sunday morning saying the office had been broken in to”, Tom told Teesside Live. “They stole various computers but the they also stole a Technics 1210 turntable, and that was the thing that really upset me.”
Belfast, IE | Belfast has a new record store, Sound Advice: A vinyl store specialising in dance music recently opened in Northern Ireland’s capital city. Sound Advice, founded by local DJ and producer Marion Hawkes, is located in the east of the city at Banana Block in the Portview Trade Centre. In addition to used and new records of electronic music, a diverse range of reissues spanning soul, nu jazz and indie rock are also available. In an Instagram post, Hawkes explained why she opened the store. “Having a kind of social hub that people can come browse records, hang about for a bit, and meet with like minds has been missing in Belfast and is very needed. (For the electronic scene at least).” Check out photos of Sound Advice.
Bristol, UK | Bristol record shop Idle Hands unveils new label, City Road Records: “Aimed squarely at DJs and the dancefloor.” Bristol record shop Idle Hands has launched a new label, called City Road Records. According to Idle Hands, City Roads Records will primarily focus on club-orientated music, “releasing the type of music we like to hear in the rave, dance, pub or wherever we can turn it up in this post-pandemic world.” Marking the first release is Bristol duo SPEKTRALSOUND’s ‘Big Up’ / ‘Big Up (VIP)’ 12”, which channels UK Garage.
Nyack, NY | How An Independent Record Store Capitalized on Demand in Nyack, New York: Main Street Beat has focused on both nostalgia and the current scene with their selection of records, books and clothing in a thriving business district. Sitting on the banks of the Hudson River, 25 miles up the road from New York City, the village of Nyack, NY is home to just over 7,000 residents, a rich cultural heritage and a growing live-music scene. The town’s Main Street district has capitalized on its attendant charms, offering a plethora of locally grown establishments, including one thriving independent record, book and clothing store all in one. Main Street Beat was founded in 2014 by musicians Amy Bezunartea and Jennifer O’Connor (and formerly shared the name of O’Connors record label, Kiam Records). The store has been going strong now for several years, and captures everything that makes a successful Main Street business anywhere in the country.
Nortorf, DE | Nortorf: Finally More Room for Vinyl Treasures: The Small Recording Museum in Nortorf has been around since 2002. The association has not had enough space for the collection for a long time, and now construction work is underway for the new museum in the Teldec boiler house. The floor, chairs and tables are covered in a thick layer of white dust. Stones and rubble fly through a lower pipe into a bowl. Construction workers just cut down some walls in the gallery – the old boiler house of the Teldec factory was flooded with light again. Lutz Bertram still hangs on the wall with the building plans and smiles convinced. He is the president of the Museum Association and today with three members who follow the progress of construction work. “In terms of architecture, it will be a very elegant building, you can see even without its content. And with its content it will be extraordinary,” he says. There is an area of 800 square meters, spread over three levels. The planning and approval process took six years, and the state of Schleswig-Holstein funds the renovation in the amount of 750,000 euros.
Eugene, OR | ‘A little bit of everything’ on vinyl: If the sizable DIY music scene in Eugene indicates anything, it’s this: The people who live here love music. This includes people who love the warm sounds of vinyl that capture more grit from the bands that recorded them, and for older bands, the authentic sounds of songs on their intended medium. For music nerds who already have a record collection three shelves strong, Eugene is a good place to be. Here we are lucky to be home to three record stores: the two story entertainment media center Epic Seconds, the intimate brick and window-faced shop named Moon Rock Records and a small colorful house-like store called House of Records.
Halifax, UK | Piano belonging to Paul Weller finds a new home at Loafers Vinyl and Coffee in the Piece Hall: A piano belonging to Paul Weller has found a new home at Loafers Vinyl and Coffee in the Piece Hall. Loafers owner Mark Richardson was delighted to be given the piano, an Adolf Rosbach 1920, made in Sunderland, owned by his musical hero after befriending many of Weller’s musician friends through his shop. Mark said: “I’ve got to know Paul Weller’s crew, band and friends over the last few years since I’ve had Loafers. The Stone Foundation lads (who regularly collaborate with Weller), his bass player, his drummer, and Roger Nowell, who is Weller’s roadie and guitar tech, he comes in here for a coffee too. “He popped in a couple of weeks ago and said ‘we need to get rid of one of Paul’s pianos, would you like it for the shop?’.
