Chicago, IL | Multiple record stores in Chicago robbed, rare hardcore and metal records stolen: Last week, several rare records and box sets were stolen from Chicago record store Meteor Gem. The shop also mentioned that both Signal Records and Reckless Records also saw break-ins. Among the items stolen were a substantial collection of sought-after vinyl and box sets. The theft took place after the culprits broke into the store during the night, gaining access by breaking a window. The shop has since appealed to various Chicago record stores to be on the lookout for the stolen items and has shared a comprehensive list of the records and box sets that went missing. The list of stolen records from Meteor Gem…
Redcliffe, AU | Redcliffe welcomes old-school record store: Redcliffe locals no longer need to travel to Brisbane City to find the perfect vinyl, with a new record store taking the community by surprise. Hideous Records is an old-school record store situated on Oxley Avenue, with a wide range of records, posters, band t-shirts and turntables. Hideous Records owners Michael and Natasha Eaton say they want to bring back the sensory experience of buying and enjoying music. “We love music and we’ve always had records as part of our collection. We noticed that the northside of Brisbane was lacking a decent record store to buy new vinyl,” Michael and Natasha say. “We want to make our store a place where music lovers can come and browse through thousands of records and share stories about their favourite bands, the gigs they’ve been to and the most prized records in their collection.”
Ystrad Mynach, UK | New record shop opening in Ystrad Mynach—win a £25 voucher: Ystrad Mynach will have a new record shop this weekend – and readers of Caerphilly Observer can win a £25 voucher for the independent retailer. Fields of Magnetic Horizon opens its doors on Saturday December 2 at Jones Arcade, Pierhead Buildings. According to the man behind the new venture, former music executive Jonathan Richards, this will be the first record shop to grace the town in decades. …Jon returned to his hometown with his family ten years ago and continued to work freelance in the industry. But he also branched out to become a record dealer, helping to organise and attend a number of record fairs across south and West Wales. The name of the new shop connects with Jon’s former music career. Fields of Magnetic Horizon was the title of a two-CD Proto-Metal compilation that Jon was product managing for a record label during the mid-2000s.
Clifton, OH | Torn Light Records to close in Clifton. But is it gone for good? After a decade of bringing punk, jazz and experimental music to Greater Cincinnati, a Clifton record store will soon spin its last vinyl here. Torn Light Records, at 356 Ludlow Ave., will close after 10 years at venues in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, according to a Facebook post from the store. The store’s last day of operation will be Jan. 13, 2024. All gift cards will be redeemable through this date. Torn Light Records will reopen in Chicago next year, with more details to be announced later. The post explained that it was time for a change for the record store, which relocated from Bellevue to Clifton in 2019. “Thank you to all of our friends we’ve made over the years. Your support and helping us to grow has meant the world. Without you—we wouldn’t be here at all,” the post on the store account states.
Kutztown, PA | Fans flocking to Kutztown record store for Berks native Taylor Swift’s limited-edition record: Traveling thousands of miles—for Tay Tay. “Guy came in yesterday, flew in on a plane from Colorado, people coming from DC, New York, Maryland, a few people came from Ohio, they drove over six hours each way,” said Young Ones Records owner Chris Holt. For what? To get a copy of Berks County native Taylor Swift’s limited-edition Folklore: The Longpond Sessions vinyl record that accompanied her Disney doc, initially released for Record Store Day back in the spring. It’s now experiencing a resurgence. “Because Taylor Swift grew up in Reading, about a half hour from here, we ordered a thousand copies of it,” Holt said. “Recently it got on some Taylor Swift fan page, it just blew up and we were getting phone calls and it just blew up all over the place.” Why the long-distance effort and not just order online? Holt points to inflated price tags and consumer trust from a particularly cautious fan base.
West Allis, WI | Independent 50-year-old record store seeing a surge in vinyl sales: It has been about a decade since vinyl made a comeback in the record industry. Though sales are still far from reaching where they were in the glory days, they have continued to grow rapidly year after year. Aletamarie Kelliher has been a buyer for Record Head for 30 of the 50 years the West Allis independent used record store has been in business. Kelliher said she never dreamed the store would be making the most money it ever has on vinyl. “I’ve never seen albums sell like this in all the years I’ve been doing this,” said Killiher. She said what’s old is new again. The generation most likely to buy an LP record in 2022 was Gen-Z, or someone born between 1997 and 2012, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. “For the younger [generation], they never grew up with it, so it’s just a totally new art form and for people like me, that grew up with lots of vinyl, it’s just a way of collecting…”
Seattle, WA | Capitol Hill Rewind – Browsing bootlegs with Kurt Cobain at Orpheum Records: …For nearly 20 years, Orpheum Records served shifting musical tastes—from 1980s new wave to 1990s grunge—and hosted countless in-store performances and record signings. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain shopped at Orpheum Records. “Every rock star would at least stop through, but Cobain was a regular,” one former employee told Seattle Weekly. “He would come up and be like, ‘What’s new, man? What can you show me?’ At the time, that was like absolute, utter heaven. I was like, ‘You’re asking me?’” In 1992, Cobain and his wife, Courtney Love, stopped by the store, with Love incensed by all the Nirvana bootlegs for sale. She left a terse note for Orpheum employees: “I need for you not to make extra money off my husband so I can feed my children. Mrs. Cobain.” Cobain scrawled his own message: “Macaroni and cheese for all. Love, Kurdt Kobain.”
Wham!’s Last Christmas to get a limited physical release in 2023: Wham!’s 1984 single ‘Last Christmas’ will be issued on coloured vinyl seven-inch and as a CD single, later this month. The festive favourite famously peaked at number two in 1984 but finally got to number one just after Christmas in 2020. Over the years there have been various physical reissues including a white vinyl seven-inch in 2019 and a US-only bi-colour RSD 12-inch in 2014 (which featured an unreleased instrumental version). As far as I can tell, there has never been a CD single of Last Christmas in the UK. The first CD single was a Japanese snap-pack in 1988 (which features the single version and Pudding Mix) and between 2004-2005 there were various editions released in Europe, including ‘Pock-iT’ 3-inch CD for Germany. These always had the same tracklisting, the single version and the Pudding Mix. …The new seven-inch, which is pressed on green vinyl, features the standard single version of ‘Last Christmas’ on the A-side with the Remix Edit of ‘Everything She Wants’ on the flipside.
Lou Reed’s ‘Hudson River Wind Meditations’ to receive first vinyl release: The final solo album by the late Lou Reed, Hudson River Wind Meditations, is set to receive its first vinyl release in January. The LP initially arrived in 2007 through the Sounds True label. It is a collection of ambient and drone recordings by Reed intended to relax the body, mind, and spirit. Musically, it is a stark departure from the rock music he established himself making. The new release comes from the Seattle indie label Light In The Attic, in collaboration with Reed’s wife, Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive. The vinyl is scheduled to arrive on January 12th and is not currently available to stream. The package of the new vinyl version arrives with remastered audio and liner notes from the yoga instructor Eddie Stern. There will also be an unreleased interview featuring Anderson. Deluxe editions also include five 8×10 photographs of the titular Hudson River that the late Velvet Underground man took.
