Brighton, UK | Crowd surfing and moshing in Brighton record shop: On my journey to Resident record shop in the heart of North Laine, I was pondering as to how on earth local heroes Snayx (stylized as SNAYX) would be going about their business for the launch of their brand new ‘Better Days’ EP, which had dropped on Friday 9th February. Surely they wouldn’t be up to their usual antics, would they? I mean, it’s an event inside a record shop, you know the sort of thing, where the likes of The Last Dinner Party sit on stools and play a four tune acoustic set lasting 18 minutes, you know just like that! Maybe the terrible trio of Charlie Herridge, Ollie Horner and Lainey Nix-Watson aka ‘Lainey Loops’ would also be politely sitting in a row by the counter with Charlie quietly singing to us, Ollie carefully plucking his bass and Lainey maybe tapping away at a record box or something.
Cambridge, ON | Cambridge vinyl market aims to keep love of records alive: Farm League Brewing is hosting a vinyl record market on March 9. When Harold Jacques looks back on his childhood he doesn’t visualize the memories, he hears them. Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers and Elvis Presley on the record player were the sounds of his youth thanks to a father who was obsessed with music. It didn’t take long for Jacques to form a love of his own as he began collecting vinyl records as a teenager. “When I was growing up, my dad was a big music guy and it was always playing in my house,” Jacques said. “I started buying vinyls when I saw my dad’s collection.” In the years since, his goal has been to share his love with others, including at an upcoming event at Farm League Brewing on March 9. The vinyl market features vendors sharing, selling and spinning their collections with the community. The entry fee is $2 with the proceeds being donated to the Cambridge Food Bank.
CA | Remembering Sam the Record Man as the last store closes: Like a lot of Canadians, I received a lot of music music education by wandering around a Sam the Record Man store. In my case, I’d be dropped off at the Garden City Shopping Centre in Winnipeg while my mom took my sister to music lessons. I spent untold hours flicking through the racks, watching what other people bought, examining the Top 40 singles display, and paying attention to what was playing on the store stereo. I could only afford to buy so much on the meagre amount I earned through part-time jobs, but I almost always went home with something. There was also this magical looseleaf book on a metal stand that purportedly listed the artist, title, and catalogue number of every record in existence. Submit your request to a clerk and in a mere three to six weeks, that record would be delivered to the store.
Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix Record Lovers Flock to Inaugural Cactus Music Market in Downtown Hello Lincoln: Phoenix’s vinyl enthusiasts are spinning with excitement as the dust settles from the inaugural Cactus Music Market. Held at the Hello Lincoln event space downtown, this event united record stores from all over the city under one roof, offering a haven for collectors and audiophiles alike. As Phoenix New Times reports, visitors to the market could sift through crates of records, buy cacti to match their plant-and-vinyl aesthetic, and relish in Phoenix’s bustling record store scene. The market, which drew no cost to attendees, is the brainchild of Hello Merch co-founder Sam Means, who, “Our event space was supposed to launch four years ago but COVID ruined those plans. Now that we’re past that we wanted to show off the space and invite all our record store, and label friends to come hang out with us here.” said, in a statement obtained by Phoenix New Times. Means’s love for records shines through in this celebration of the local music community.
Northampton, MA | Live Wire: Northampton Record Fair to return: If you prefer to enjoy your music in the comfort of your home, you’ll be glad to hear that the Northampton Record Fair is returning after a four-year absence. The fair, which will feature 55 tables of vinyl and CDs over three rooms, will be held on March 3 at Union Station, 125 A Pleasant St. Admission to the fair, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is $3. Early admission from 9 to 11 a.m. is $8 for the diehard collectors looking for rare finds. Early admission comes with a raffle ticket for gift certificates to local record stores and three $50 shopping sprees for the fair. The raffle will be called at 11 a.m.
Mechanicsburg, PA | The Harrisburg Record Riot! Over 10,000 LPs in one room! The Harrisburg Record Riot returns! Over 30 tables of LPs & CDs. Over 10,000 LPs in one room. Great food and drink too. 10 AM-5 PM, $5 admission, $15 early at 9 AM. Great music and vinyl community! It’s a GIANT pop-up LP & CD event in Mechanicsburg! The Record Riot RETURNS! Over 30 tables of LPs, CDs, 45s and more. Dealers from all over the east coast. Punk, funk, classic rock, country, oldies, disco and more—too many records, too little time. 10 AM-5 PM $5 admission at 10 AM, $15 early at 9 AM. Great music and family fun. Door prizes all day! Don’t miss the BIG DIG! Sign up for mailing list at www.recordriots.com.
Toledo, OH | The Glass City Record Show is Feb. 18. After 43 years of running the Glass City Record Show, founders Rebecca Locke-Gagnon and Steve Gagnon decided the October 2023 show would be their last. They sent an email to vendors announcing an end to the long-running show. Among the good wishes and stories, they received in return was an offer to keep the show alive. “It’s been such a staple to record collectors and music lovers in the region, I couldn’t let it die,” said Jeremy D. Bonfiglio, an Ohio native and record vendor who runs shows in South Bend and Bloomington, Indiana, Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Owensboro, Kentucky. “I immediately contacted Steve and Becky about keeping the show going. After a few conversations, they knew I would be a good steward for the event they built from scratch.” Bonfiglio promises that the new Glass City Record will continue the tradition of one of Ohio’s most popular music events when it returns 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 4256 Secor Road.
The 10 strangest things that have been pressed into vinyl records: What are some of the strangest things that have been pressed into vinyl records? There’s no question that vinyl as a music format has had a surge in popularity over the last few years. As noted by Forbes, Americans bought 49.61 million vinyl records in 2023, which is more than a 14 percent increase from the year prior. A lot of artists now release multiple variants of their albums, often leading collectors and superfans to purchase more than one of them, especially when it’s a limited edition version. So, the vinyl craze doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. But another trend that we’ve seen even more of recently is artists having weird things pressed into their vinyl. These are often marketed as a special edition and have a higher price, and they tend to sell out really fast.
Raleigh, NC | Beyond digital: the enduring legacy of vinyl and radio: Exploring analog music formats with Record Krate and WCPE. …Owning music is a foreign concept for many in the day of streaming and downloading. But prior to the digital revolution, listening to a particular album or artist required either a call to your local radio station or owning a physical copy of the music. “One day, I went to a yard sale and they had ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ by Pink Floyd.” Kirk said. “My life changed. Because it was mine! I heard these songs on the radio, and I actually had my own copy to listen to, start to finish.” Amelia Fountas, a junior and vinyl hobbyist at Wakefield High School, has been listening to records since childhood. Buying her first record in freshman year, it quickly became a passion and later helped form a love for 60s and 70s music. She shops at Record Krate, as well as various other record stores in the Raleigh-Wake Forest area. “It’s fun just going to different stores and shopping for my favorite songs,” Fountas said. “I get to hold the music in my hands. It’s a whole hobby by itself.”
