Biddleford, ME | Bull Moose opens Biddeford store: People were lining up to get in when Bull Moose opened it’s new location at the Biddeford Crossing Shopping Center on Saturday at its grand opening. The store, which sells vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, video games, books and more, moved from a former location in Sanford which has closed, and relocated to the Alfred Road/Route 111 shopping center, in the former Nubble bookstore location, at 403 Mariner Way, near Target, HomeGoods and other retailers. Bull Moose spokeswoman Mick Werkhoven in a telephone interview last year said the new Biddeford store, at 5,600 square feet, is nearly three times the size of the 1,800-square-foot Sanford store. “We’re adding way more vinyl, and also an entire book section — plus the Sanford team you know and love will be there with us,” Werkhoven said in a Dec. 15 social media posting. “We have really loved our time in Sanford; but this upgrade is something we really believe in. We’re wicked excited to show you what the all-new Bull Moose Biddeford will be like, and we know you’re going to love it.” The employee-owned company currently has eight Maine storefront locations and three in New Hampshire as well as an online store.
New York, NY | Inside Paradise of Replica: a downtown New York record shop-slash-living room: Run by a former Kim’s Video clerk, the cosy space in Paradise of Replica is home to one-of-a-kind vinyl from underground legends. Olivia Lindsay Aylmer speaks with the New York store owner Kyle Molzan about the store’s origins and the role of the store in its customers’ listening journeys. One summer afternoon, I glance skyward on Grand Street and notice a mysterious sign in a second-floor window: Paradise of Replica glows in cobalt. Intrigued but subway-bound, I make a mental note to investigate. Little do I know the treasure trove that awaits me once I finally ascend the staircase months later. I have grown all too accustomed to the heartbreaking news of my favourite local record shops closing forever (Rebel Rebel, Other Music, the list goes on) that I almost can’t believe what I find upon seeking out the story behind the sign: to my pleasant surprise, here’s a relatively new record shop, filled with mostly used vinyl and if-you-know-you-know ephemera previously owned by a cast of New York characters, that first opened its doors in November 2021.
Aberdeen, UK | Aberdeen music lovers flock to new city record shop after grand opening: Goldstar Records opened up on the city’s Fonthill Road earlier this month after plans for a new Aberdeen shop were first unveiled by the outlet last October. The store mainly sells vintage vinyl records. Aberdeen music lovers flocked to buy some bargain records after a new shop opened in the Granite City. Goldstar Records opened up on the city’s Fonthill Road earlier this month with the new music shop focusing on selling vintage vinyl records. Plans for a new Aberdeen shop were first unveiled by Goldstar Records last October, with regular updates on the store’s progress being provided since then. Following their official opening on February 2 the store’s owners said: “Thanks so much to everyone who managed to pop in today; I really appreciate it. It really was a great first opening day! The shelves are stacked and really for digging. Looking forward to more vinyl spinning tomorrow.”
Washington, DC | DC’s Most Adventurous Record Store Just Opened in Chevy Chase: Did you love Other Music in NYC? This is the place for you. The Chevy Chase Arcade is a pretty space with a long history, but it’s not exactly known as a hub of hip shopping. Back in the 1930s, you could patronize a plumber, a barber shop, and a pharmacy, and that’s been the general small-town vibe ever since. It is not, to say the least, a place you would think to stop by to peruse the latest trove of avant-garde jazz or German minimal-techno records. But starting today, that sleepy indoor corridor on Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase DC is home to one of the city’s most exciting new stores: art sound language. As the name implies, the small shop offers both records and books (including fiction and visual-art offerings). It’s a highly curated selection that focuses on the more-adventurous end of the spectrum. If record labels like Kompakt, Numero Group, and Awesome Tapes From Africa get your ears tingling, this is the place for you.
Brighton, UK | Dub Pistols announce album launch show in Brighton record store: The Dub Pistols, who were founded in 1996 by Barry Ashworth and Jason O’Bryan, are heading to the ‘Frontline’ as they are set to drop their ninth studio album on 10th March. In support of this new release, titled ‘Frontline’, they will be performing an instore performance here in Brighton on Wednesday 15th March, when they head on over to Kensington Gardens, to Resident. Chief rabble-rousers the Dub Pistols are known for their veritable feast of jump-up party-starting sounds, melding dub, reggae, dancehall, ska and drum’n’bass into an irresistible tonic that has seen them amass a merry band of pistoleros across the world. For this new chapter with ‘Frontline’, which is available in glorious red vinyl as one of its options, the Dub Pistols are joined by a stellar band of featured artists including both legendary and award-winning collaborators such as Horseman, Top Cat, The Freestylers, Myki Tuff and Chezidek alongside long-term posse members the Ragga Twins, Lindy Layton, Natty Campbell, King Yoof and Cheshire Cat, and regular dub pistol frontman Seanie T.
UK | Physical and vinyl music sales are booming right now—but why? Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and more had bumper years on physical formats. Streaming may have revolutionised the music industry, but it seems that some habits really do die hard. Despite being up against such stiff competition, vinyl records, CDs and cassette tapes have all found a new lease of life in the streaming era – proof that physical formats are still very much alive and kicking. In the UK, vinyl sales have increased for 15 consecutive years up to 2022, and CDs make up half of all album purchases. Meanwhile, more than 185,000 units cassette tapes were sold in 2021 – their highest stats since 2003. In the US this past December, vinyl had its biggest sales week since 1991. Physical music are no longer the whimsy ‘audiophile hipsters’, but a key part of many music fan’s listening habits. The resurgence is being led by artists who have recognised a demand for their music. In 2022, artists like Arctic Monkeys and Wet Leg had astonishing years with the wax-buying public.
Albuquerque, NM | Got vinyl? Here are some ways you can off-load that record collection: …Given this jump in demand, the best place to start might be at local record shops in Albuquerque. LongHair Records, a record store in Albuquerque on San Mateo Boulevard and Mountain Road, is one of these shops. The store offers cash or trade deals for what it calls “pre-loved” records, and offers walk-ins or pickup service for small collections, or has appointments available on their website for larger ones. In keeping with their name and feline logo, the shop also offers to donate what they don’t buy to charities that work to help cats. They’ve got a full online shop as well. And, if you want other options to sell or if you’re looking for places to score some new-to-you records, LongHair also has a list of other local stores they recommend on their website, longhairrecords.com.
Why I’m the Last Person on Earth Still Buying CDs: In this chaotic world, I seek order in the form of a tremendously large CD collection. One dark day, some fresh-faced young person in a lab coat will try to coax an old Spoon record out of my ancient, gnarled hands. And upon that day there’ll be a tussle. I won’t be letting go of that jewel case easily, and I look forward to that day when, with whatever strength I’ve got left, I get to educate that youth about CDs. Approximately 82 million people in the US pay for music streaming services. Last year, vinyl sales hit a ludicrous 43 million in the US. Yet here I am, vowing to be the last person on Earth buying CDs. This isn’t so much about the CDs themselves. Vinyl lovers (a group I count myself as part of) will talk about sound quality and big, beautiful album art. CDs don’t offer much charm. No one is ever going to play a CD and mutter to themselves while clutching a cup of hot tea, “Mmm, so warm.” This is about the ongoing battle for control over my own beloved music collection. It’s about how, in wild-eyed frustration, I chose a hill to die on. A hill made entirely of compact discs.
