The Weighting is the Hardest Part: On October 16, Luminate, the company that compiles the music consumption data which feeds the weekly Billboard Charts, announced that effective December 29, 2023, it will discontinue its long-standing practice of weighting sales from independent record stores. And while Luminate has identified new stores for onboarding at a promising scale, they have not brought even a fraction of those stores on board. While weighting—a process of bumping up sales numbers from one reporting store to account for sales from other nearby non-reporting stores—has never been perfect, the removal of weighting without sufficient stores to replace it creates a chart system that less accurately reflects the marketplace. The results will impact artists, labels and albums of every scale from self-released to superstar.
Cardiff, UK | An official guide to Cardiff’s must-see record stores: Did you know the oldest record shop in the world is in Cardiff? Whether you’re looking for music you enjoy or want to support your local music scene, we’ve discovered some of central Cardiff’s best record stores. They are perfect for everyone, vinyl enthusiasts or those just starting their collection alike. The stores hold a brilliant array of second-hand vinyls and Welsh rarities. What’s even better? They’re all within walking distance so we hope you have a good playlist for your way there. Spillers Records: Many people are drawn to Spillers as it’s recognised as the oldest record shop in the world. Spillers was established in 1894 and it’s the perfect place to visit if you’re passing through the Morgan Arcade. Spillers holds a diverse range across all genres of music, as well as sections containing ‘new in this week’ and ‘playing locally soon’ which is perfect to check out what’s going on over the next couple of weeks…
Fox Point, WI | Ripple Records: The niche online record shop selling rare vinyl out of a Fox Point basement: Ripple Records sells rare videogame soundtracks, underground electronic music, and much more. When you walk into this Fox Point guitar and repair shop, you’d expect to hear guitars being tuned and played. And you do. But downstairs in the basement there is a different kind of musical tone being played. It’s the rhythmic sound of folding cardboard boxes, ripping bubble wrap, and taping packages. Beneath the Milwaukee Guitar Collective a young man is pursuing his musical dream, but he isn’t playing any instruments. “We are a niche little online record shop. So we primarily focus on genres that you might not find a lot of or much of at a normal record stop,” Peter Klein said. He’s the owner and sole employee of Ripple Records. It’s an online record shop that focuses on more niche genres and bands. The casual music fan won’t recognize many of the records here.
Sarasota, FL | For Dedicated Vinyl Collectors, the Hunt for the Next Great LP Never Ends: Fun fact: records recently surpassed CDs as the top-selling physical medium for the first time ever. Jen Kokay remembers vividly the first record she purchased on her own. She was around 12, browsing a thrift store while on a family vacation in Michigan, when she stumbled upon Combat Rock by the Clash. The copy itself was far from mint—it was a discard from the Grand Rapids Public Library, with writing on the label. But it changed everything. “You could tell this was going to be amazing,” says Kokay, sitting cross-legged on the floor of her second-floor walkup in Bradenton, as she pulls the LP from its alphabetically organized shelf. She had never heard of the Clash, but she remembers how the sleeve, which shows the band posing on train tracks and sporting leather and slicked-back hair, made her feel. “I don’t know who you are,” Kokay envisioned saying to the band, “but you look cool.”
London, UK | Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches…and vinyl—iconic 1990 albums take centre stage in new exhibition: A brand new exhibition showcasing iconic albums on vinyl released in 1990 – named ‘33 ⅓ Vinyl Exhibition’ – is opening its doors this week to the public at The Vinyl Cafe in Tileyard, London. Curated by Key Production Group, a leading music manufacturer for vinyl record pressing, design, and packaging, the ‘33 ⅓ Vinyl Exhibition’ brings together a specially curated selection of 33 legendary albums from 1990 – 33 ⅓ years after their release. …Open to the public from 30th November for two weeks, music fans and vinyl lovers can journey back in time to the beginning of the 1990s, when digital streaming was just a vision of the future. On display throughout The Vinyl Cafe will be original 1990 album sleeves from artists that defined the decade, such as Pixies’ ‘Bossanova’, Madonna’s ‘The Immaculate Collection’ and ‘Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches’ by Happy Mondays.
Monterrey, MX | The original vinyl collectors of Monterrey, Mexico: On Saturday evening, Jorge Constancio sits on the edge of the bed in front of the record player and mixes soap and water in a spray bottle. At his feet is one of the many plastic boxes in which he stores his collection of 1,000 records. He has been collecting Colombian music, such as cumbia, paseo, and vallenato, since 1989. “On Saturdays, after playing softball and having dinner with my children, I sit with my records. I play one, I clean it, I play another, I clean it, and so on,” 52-year-old Constancio says. Constancio works six days a week as a mechanical engineer in the city of Monterrey, in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León. Some weekends he works as a sonidero, playing music and emceeing parties. At the bailes, he knows the crowd wants to dance cumbia, vallenato, and porro. In the warmth of his home, he enjoys the sounds of the guitar of Colombian artists Gildardo Montoya, and Joaquín and Agustín Bedoya, pioneers of the music parrandera.
Brisbane, AU | Bris Vinyl Pressing Plant To Implement World-first Sustainability Initiative: Suitcase Records – a family-run vinyl pressing plant in Brisbane—is committed to “spearheading sustainable ways of manufacturing records.” Suitcase Records—a family-run vinyl pressing plant in Brisbane (Meanjin)—has been named the best Australian business “innovating with sustainability” for the inaugural Xero Beautiful Business Fund, earning the company $20,000 in funding. A press release vouches that Suitcase is committed to “spearheading sustainable ways of manufacturing records”, and with the $20,000 they receive from Xero, the plant’s team will be importing a world-first vinyl record bio compound. This will allow them to reduce the carbon output of vinyl pressing by 92 percent, compared to the black PVC compound traditionally used in the stamping process. Suitcase is one of three vinyl pressing plants in Australia, and has been used to press releases from all three of the majors – Sony, Universal and Warner – as well as indie releases from the likes of Pete Murray and G Flip.
Staten Island, NY | Staten Island radio station holds fourth annual record fair: ‘A great place to meet people and learn more about music.’ Hundreds of vinyl record enthusiasts and casual collectors found themselves stopping by The Flagship Brewing Co. in Tompkinsville Sunday for Maker Park Radio’s fourth annual record fair. “I love records, it’s the healthiest hobby I have,” said Tim Duffy of St. George. Duffy spent much of his time at the event sorting through the dozens of record bins on display in search of punk, new wave and anything unexpected, like the Captain Beefheart album he found at last year’s event. However, Duffy jokingly lamented the limited amount of rap and hip-hop records available for purchase. The event kicked off at 11 a.m., as at least 20 different vendors helped attendees sort through thousands of records from 45′s, LPs and 78′s, to CDs and other music memorabilia, while DJs from Maker Park Radio performed hour-long vinyl-only sets designed to showcase the wide variety of music represented at the station.
Seattle, WA | Duff McKagan Announces Live Performance At Seattle Record Store: Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan will celebrate his recently released solo album “Lighthouse” by performing on December 8 at Easy Street Records in Seattle, Washington. Here’s the catch: Snag a copy of “Lighthouse” to secure your entry into this exclusive event, select “in-store pick up” at checkout (orders WON’T be shipped out) and receive a wristband with your purchase. The wristband will serve as entry to the event. Each album purchase includes a rad poster, featuring Duff himself, shot by the iconic Charles Peterson, who’s also going to be at the event signing copies of “Lighthouse” with Duff. So stick around after the show for a chance to meet Duff and get your album signed. “Lighthouse” was released last month in a wide range of formats including streaming, download, CD, cassette, and LP. A number of deluxe versions and bundles featuring official Certificates Of Authenticity signed by McKagan are also available.
