Oak Park, IL | ‘Cue the Record’ at FitzGerald’s: All-vinyl barbecue dinner party to kick off Val’s 50th anniversary. Two local music legands are teaming up. Val’s halla Records is kicking off its 50th anniversary year with an event at FitzGerald’s 6615 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn. On Tuesday, March 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. “Cue the Record” ticket holders will enjoy a blend of barbecue and vinyl with an all-you-can-eat buffet and curated tunes from 1972 — the year Val’s halla Records was opened by the inestimable Val Camiletti. “There is so much good music from 1972, I was like, ‘how can this event only be three hours?’” laughed Will Duncan, owner of FitzGerald’s. “I think Val’s milestone and this event will definitely resonate with the community.” Duncan and Trevor Toppen, owner of Val’s halla Records, 239 Harrison St., have a shared vision about the importance of maintaining their inherited legacies while bringing new energy and a fresh perspective to sustain their respective businesses for future generations. The duo connected shortly after Duncan purchased FitzGerald’s in March 2020 and soon after invited Toppen to create a “mini Val’s” inside the nightclub.
Best Bluetooth Turntables 2022: Top Wireless Record Players for Vinyl: Let’s get one thing out of the way: the latest Bluetooth turntables might not be for everyone. Though Bluetooth record players can help cut down on the amount of cords needed to play your vinyl collection, many audiophiles might recommend going with a more traditional turntable setup for the ultimate high-fidelity sound experience. But for someone who wants a convenient and easy way to spin their records right away, there are a ton of affordable, great-sounding Bluetooth turntables worth considering. Better yet, they make it simple to hear your vinyl records anywhere around your home. Popular audio brands, from Audio-Technica to Sony, have released Bluetooth turntables for connecting your player to a separate speaker or device. And while they come with convenient Bluetooth connectivity, they still often give you the option to curate your vinyl system with speakers and other gear. Here’s your full guide.
Top 10 Most Expensive Vinyl Records Ever Sold: Let’s face it; record collecting isn’t exactly the cheapest hobby, and we’ve all spent more than we’d like to admit on a single record. The good news is, unless you’re a multi-millionaire, there’s a good chance even the most expensive vinyl records in your collection will pale into insignificance compared with the eye-watering exchanges on this list. After checking out these absurdly priced records, you might not feel so bad in justifying that $100 record you’ve had your eye on for years now.
Minneapolis, MN | Record Store Day 2022 list includes a couple Minnesota surprises (plus Prince and Replacements): An unreleased album by Bob Stinson’s last band will arrive for the April 23 store drop, as will a vinyl version of Golden Smog’s debut EP. As is almost always the case, both Prince and the Replacements will have limited-edition LPs hit the shelves on Record Store Day 2022, the master list for which arrived Wednesday. However, two other names on the list from Minnesota come as a bigger surprise for the April 23 bonanza at independent record stores: a long-lost LP by Bob Stinson’s last band the Bleeding Hearts, and a first-ever vinyl edition of supergroup Golden Smog’s debut EP. “Been a long time coming!” Stinson’s Bleeding Hearts bandmate Mike Leonard said Wednesday, stealing the name of an album by his other band, the Magnolias: “The title ‘Better Late Than Never’ would have fit here.’ Actually titled “Riches to Rags,” the 13-track Bleeding Hearts album was recorded in 1993, seven years after Stinson was fired from the Replacements. He died 10 months later, so these are his last recordings.
Daft Punk Treat ‘Homework’ to 25th Anniversary Edition, Stream Rare Helmetless Concert: Both their debut album and ‘Alive 1997’ come back to vinyl in April. A year to the day since announcing their break up, Daft Punk are back in action to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking 1997 album Homework with a new digital release, vinyl reissues and a one-time livestream of a rare performance without their signature helmets. Earlier this afternoon, social media profiles for the French duo of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo shared photos of the Daft Punk logo that adorned Homework’s cover, in addition to a flyer from their supporting “Daftendirektour” and an illuminated marquee advertising their appearance at the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles. Hours later, those three teasers now culminate in a deluxe digital reissue of Homework, along with a one-time-only livestream of that Mayan Theatre concert you can tune into here via Twitch. Homework’s 25th anniversary edition brings together the original album and a slew of remixes from Masters At Work, DJ Sneak, Todd Terry, Motorbass, Slam, Ian Pooley, I:Cube, Roger Sanchez & Junior Sanchez…
