Minneapolis, MN | So Minnesota: HiFi Hair and Records: Many build a close connection with the person who cuts their hair. One man combines a cut and a chord at his Minneapolis shop. Jonny Clifford owns HiFi Hair and Records near Loring Park. “It’s become a bit of a gathering place,” he said. From Elvis’ pompadour to the Beatles mop top, hair and rock have always gone together. “I wanted to look like Paul Weller or David Bowie, so that’s how I got into hair,” Clifford said. A dozen years ago, Clifford opened the hair and record store. Every square inch of the walls is covered in music history. “Everyone relates to something in here because it’s something they grew up with,” Clifford said. Clifford followed his dream and is now living the dream of owning HiFi Hair and Records.
Omagh, IE | Sound and Vision—Bringing Small-Town Stories to the Big Screen: Faye Blaylock looks at how Irish musician Mark McCausland’s record store went from inspiring a newspaper column to being immortalised in feature film, The Spin. Mark McCausland is one half of ‘alt-folk geniuses’ * The Lost Brothers. Releasing music under the moniker McKowski, he is dubbed the ‘Sonic Wanderer of Omagh’ and has always crafted his own unique narrative. However this time his art form of choice is cinematic. Back in 2016, Mark opened a record store, Boneyard Records in his hometown of Omagh. It was there, between tours, that he spent his time buried among the vinyl treasures, writing music and observing the details of small-town life. Drawn to Storytelling: He says, “It can sometimes be a mind-numbing existence in a small town. I probably opened the record shop to make it more bearable. I felt like I had to create a whole new world in my imagination to help pass the time—an Omagh record shop didn’t tend to get many customers!”
Melbourne, AU | Melbourne’s Bar Open Is Now A Venue, Bar, And Record Store: “There will be an emphasis on local band album releases, particularly those bands that play at Bar Open.” Beloved Naarm/Melbourne venue Bar Open has expanded its musical sights beyond its regular offerings, announcing that it’s also turning into a record store as of this weekend. The venue, which has been a staple of the Fitzroy music scene since its launch in 1998, announced the news on social media on Wednesday, revealing that alongside its facilities as a bar and live venue, the grand opening of the aptly-titled Bar Open Records will take place on Saturday, November 9th. “Bar Open Records will stock a range of new and second-hand records, particularly jazz, funk, soul and roots-related genres, including rock from doom, psych, prog and Krautrock to retro and alternative,” they wrote. “There will be an emphasis on local band album releases, particularly those bands that play at Bar Open.”
Croydon, UK | Croydon’s lost record store that was Europe’s biggest and a favourite with London celebs: The shop had 3 storeys and included a gig venue and arcade games. Croydon locals may remember a time when the town boasted an impressive 13 music shops. These days, with most people getting their music online or from retail giants like HMV, Croydon’s record shops have all but disappeared. But taking a look – or listen – down memory lane, and you might remember BEANOS, a legendary Croydon record store. David Lashmar, the man behind the icon that was BEANOS, shares that even 17 years after closing down and selling his collection, he’s still contacted daily by people eager to share their memories. “Our first shop in Croydon was called Bell Hill Cassettes,” David remembers. “Cassettes were really massive in the early 1970s. It was a real revolution and seen as an indestructible medium believe it or not, while records jumped and crackled. I thought the cassette would be here forever—I’m not very good at predicting the future, obviously.”
Los Angeles, CA | From hi-fi bars to album listening parties, these are the 6 best spots to listen to music in L.A. On a recent Thursday night in Hollywood, I walked into Grandmaster Recorders, a storied former recording studio — where artists like Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and the Red Hot Chili Peppers once laid down tracks — now transformed into a rooftop bar and restaurant. After grabbing a drink, I found a seat in the dimmed room, which was filled with more than 100 other music aficionados all there to do one thing: Listen to Frank Ocean’s critically acclaimed album, “Channel Orange,” on vinyl. The hosts played the record over a high fidelity (hi-fi for short) audio system — a term used to describe the high-quality reproduction of sound — that sounded so crisp that it felt like Ocean was singing live in front of us. I’d listened to the album at least 300 times before and have seen Ocean perform live, but I’d never experienced the record in this way before.
‘Across The Universe’ Soundtrack Arrives On Vinyl For The First Time: The release is limited to 3,000 individually numbered copies. Interscope Records has announced that the soundtrack for the 2007 film Across The Universe is set to arrive on vinyl for the first time. The release is the latest from monthly subscription service Interscope Vinyl Collective, which “celebrates the legacies of Interscope’s most essential acts while introducing timeless albums to a new generation.” The vinyl will arrive as a one-time pressing of 3,000 copies, each of which will be individually numbered. The release also features all 31 songs recorded for the Soundtrack in remastered audio. The vinyl will be pressed on Opaque White (LP1), Opaque Blue/Red Mix (LP2), and Opaque Strawberry (LP3), and be housed in a tri-fold jacket featuring an internal landscape montage of film stills and drawings by Don Nace. The vinyl will also boast custom printed sleeves and a bonus lithograph.
Old Crow Medicine Show announces first ever vinyl release of debut album remastered: Celebrating 20 years of their acclaimed self-titled debut album, the two-time GRAMMY-winning band Old Crow Medicine Show announces O.C.M.S. has been remastered from the original analog tapes by its original producer David Rawlings and will be available for the first time on audiophile quality vinyl through his label Acony Records. Featuring some of the band’s most enduring songs including the 3x platinum “Wagon Wheel,” O.C.M.S. is presented in a deluxe gatefold package releasing on December 6. A pre-order offer with a limited edition commemorative anniversary poster and “Wagon Wheel” merch discount is available now. Accompanying the announcement, the band has also shared a remastered music video for “Wagon Wheel.”
Elliott Smith’s From a Basement on the Hill Reissued for 20th Anniversary: The new reissue was overseen by Larry Crane, Smith’s official archivist. Legendary indie songwriter Elliott Smith’s final album, From a Basement on the Hill, has been remastered and reissued for its 20th anniversary by Kill Rock Stars. Hear the new versions of the songs below, and pick a physical copy here. Originally released via ANTI- Records on October 19th, 2004 — almost exactly a year after Smith’s passing — From a Basement on the Hill has become an integral part of the Elliott Smith canon, both showcasing his incredible talent and hinting at what artistic directions he might have taken in the future. The new reissue was overseen by Larry Crane, Smith’s official archivist, and remastered by Crane and Adam Gonsalves. The two engineers, who previously collaborated on the remasters of Either/Or and Elliot Smith, used digital transfers from Rob Schnapf and Joanna Bolme’s original 1/4-inch tape mixes.
