Mumbai, IN | The world’s best record shops #133: Music Circle, Mumbai: Born from owner Pilak Bhatt’s 40+ year obsession with record collecting, Music Circle is a beacon for rare local music. Initially run from his Mumbai apartment before moving into a fully fledged store five years ago, Bhatt runs Music Circle with his wife Ujwala and his son Yash, and colleague Kranti. “We are doing our bit to keep this beautiful format alive in India,” explains Pilak. “We want to remind people that analogue sound is better than MP3s. We feel that vinyl collecting should not be the preserve of rich and elite – the common man should be able to afford it.” Music Circle boasts a fine selection of rock, jazz and blues – one of Pilak’s most prized possession is a rare Beatles 78RPM made in India – but we suggest you go for the local discoveries.
Lafayette, LA | How I Got Here: Lagniappe Records co-owner Tess Brunet: Tess Brunet is co-owner of vintage records store Lagniappe Records along with her husband, Patrick Hodgkins. The store, which moved from its previous space on Jefferson Street to a bigger space two doors down at 311-B Jefferson St., got its start in Baton Rouge before moving to Lafayette. “We started out much smaller than it is now with our own record collections. Online music is something that we didn’t consider at all. We didn’t set out to do much more than create jobs for ourselves and curate a shop we could be proud of. That and I don’t like answering to anyone. We were confident we could pull it off considering our collective knowledge of music. Collectively, we cast a pretty wide net. The cleaning and grading standards are set pretty high, and it’s meticulously organized.”
Why do LPs sound so good? The LP boom shows no signs of slowing, and no one really knows why. The continuing audiophile fascination with LPs is a mystery, LPs are ancient tech, records can be noisy, they’re fragile, expensive and they take up a lot of space. The best turntables, high quality phono cartridges, and preamps can cost a fortune. Even so, a lot of audiophiles still favor LPs, I know I do. Playing audio files is gigantically more convenient than playing an LP, digital converter technology is getting better every year, and high-resolution files are clearer than the best LPs. Digital is eminently portable; LP playback is strictly a stay-at-home affair. So why are audiophiles still clinging to LPs? Ask them why, and they all say the sound comes first — and I agree. Music sounds better played on a good turntable than it does from files or CDs.
Oreo Just Released A Record Player That Plays Actual Cookies: This is the perfect gift for the Oreo-lover in your life! For Oreo-lovers, this holiday season just keeps getting better and better. First, news broke that an Oreo Ultimate Dunking Set exists, which means you and your partner in crime can twist, lick and dunk your Oreos without worrying about fallen crumbs or milky fingertips. And now, the Oreo-obsessed vinyl enthusiasts in your life get the chance to “play” their favorite cookie with the gift to end all gifts: The Oreo Music Box. Just in time for the holidays, Oreo has released a new gift set that combines music and snacks in one collectible tin by using Oreos to play actual music.
Tupac’s estate confirm 20th anniversary Greatest Hits vinyl and merch: The new line will only be available for a limited time. Tupac‘s estate has announced a new range merchandise and vinyl to mark the twentieth anniversary of the late rapper’s Greatest Hits album. Earlier this week (November 19), a cryptic ‘1998’ countdown began on Tupac Shakur’s official Instagram page. The post featured an image of the artist, along with the date ‘Saturday 11/24’. After fans pointed out that the date lined up with the milestone anniversary, it has now been confirmed that special editions of the Greatest Hits collection will be released. Available as a clear vinyl, a standard vinyl, or digital download, the album features 21 hits and four posthumous songs. An original mix of ‘California Love’ – previously only available in the single format – will also be included.
