Asheville, NC | Harvest Records celebrated its 20th anniversary as vinyl records continue to inspire a new generation of musicians in Asheville: Asheville serves as a foundation for the comeback of vinyl as local stores continue to promote the narrative of a beloved classic into the hands of a new generation, according to Harvest Records Co-Owner Mark Capon. “I don’t know that we ever would have necessarily predicted the vinyl resurgence as it is now, but I think we’ve always known from the beginning that there’s people like us that want to support musicians, buy music, collect music, have that experience with music that’s beyond just the digital relationship,” Capon said. …“We set out to create a space that sold music but also was sort of a safe fun environment for people to just congregate and hang out, and talk about their lives and talk about music and what it means to them…”
London, UK | Grooves Records is London’s vinyl haven for music lovers: Though small and narrow, Grooves Records is brimming with character. Step inside, and the walls are plastered with gig posters and album release flyers, while shelves overflow with vinyl in every colour and pressing—most shrink-wrapped, others well-worn from years of love. Music plays softly in the background, never too loud but always drawing you in. Some days, it’s a newly released album. Other days, it’s a hidden gem that makes you stop in your tracks, forcing you to listen. Grooves was founded 21 years ago by Troy Hutchison and David Clarke, both veterans of the city’s legendary Dr. Disc Records shop. “We were both vinyl fans,” Hutchison says. “It wasn’t quite how it is today back then, but we made vinyl a priority while stocking CDs and DVDs, and it slowly grew from there.” While the name wasn’t chosen on a whim, it didn’t take long to settle on it. “We were just spitballing names, and that one was on the list, and it stuck,” Hutchison laughs. “It’s one of those classic, solid record store names.”
Long Beach, CA | World Famous VIP Records sign may get a new home across from original Long Beach store: After years of languishing in storage, city officials are planning to return the famous VIP Records sign to Central Long Beach. Officials confirmed last week—barring public disapproval—their desire to raise the sign at the southwest corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, across the street from the original storefront location. It will sit on a quarter-acre plot of public land, which officials said can be used to hold events, artwork or something more permanent—it all depends on what the community wants, they said. The location was laid out during a community forum Thursday at Long Beach City College, during which officials detailed building plans ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2028.
Randolph, VT | Speaking Volumes Opens Third Store in Downtown Randolph: The purveyor of used books, records, vintage clothing and antiques will set up shop in an old grain mill on Main Street and will also offer Vermont-made crafts. Central Vermont will soon have a new purveyor of used books, antiques, vintage clothing and vinyl when Speaking Volumes opens its third store, in downtown Randolph. Proprietor Norbert Ender said he’s excited to continue the tradition of promoting “slow shopping and slow fashion” with the upcoming launch of the new location. The Austria native and former restaurateur opened his first used-book store in 2006 on Burlington’s Pine Street behind Barge Canal Market, the latter of which he also founded but has since sold. He followed that with a record store and audio repair shop across the street on Marble Avenue. “Over the years I’ve been accumulating so much inventory, and I’ve been looking for additional outlets,” said Ender.
Manila, PH | Audiojunkie: Power to ye olde record store. …Ok, while it says here that music streaming is king, it also states something music fans should keep a note of. As per RIAA, “while paid subscriptions (such as Spotify and Apple Music) contributed nearly two-thirds of the added value, vinyl shipments accelerated faster than any other major music format at 17%.” Translation? It means all of you record nutters out there are keeping the physical music industry alive and strong. Yes, I’m looking at you, vinyl addicts! Audiophiles with their setups. The faithful never wavered in the almighty CD, and to an extent, those trying to bring back the cassette tape admirably. Yes, that last bit is a thing. These types of music fans you can’t convince of parting with their music paraphernalia. These patients built their audio setup over the years and painstakingly curated every bit of equipment they commandeer.
Montpelier, VT | Hepcat Vinyl Listening Bar and Café Opens in Montpelier: Channeling his love of Japanese jazz record bars, Christopher Gleason has opened a music-listening bar and café in Vermont’s capital city. Inspired by extensive travels in Japan, Christopher Gleason has opened Hepcat, an intimate vinyl listening bar and café at 6A State Street in Montpelier. Gleason, 45, has worked in the Vermont hospitality sector for many years and was most recently the general manager at Richmond’s Hatchet Tavern. Over several trips to Japan, he said, he loved visiting what are called kissa: café-bars with high-end audio systems that play classic American jazz. He wanted to bring that experience to Montpelier, where he has lived for a decade. …Gleason hopes guests will chat quietly while listening to jazz and other music from his extensive personal record collection as they enjoy a glass of natural wine from Japan, Sapporo beer on tap, or an espresso or pour-over made with beans from Brio Coffeeworks of Burlington.
Cottonwood, AZ | Queen B Vinyl Café Launches Poetry Night on March 6: Queen B Vinyl Café, the Verde Valley’s eclectic vinyl retailer, coffee roaster, barber shop, eatery, and performance space, welcomes four Arizona poets to PEN-demonium, a Night of Words. Queen B Vinyl Café, will debut PEN-demonium, a Night of Words, on Thursday, March 6. An age 16+ event showcasing four Arizona poets, PEN-demonium celebrates the art of poetry through unity, liberation, and connection. The cover at the door is $5. Doors open at 6 p.m. Mountain Time, and the opening poet starts at 6:30 p.m. “Since opening the Queen B Vinyl Café in our new Cottonwood location in 2024, I’ve been approached by multiple writers about hosting a spoken word night at our venue,” said Jennifer Keenan, co-owner and entertainment curator at Queen B Vinyl Café. “This concept fits in well with our programming, which focuses on bringing entertainment to the Verde Valley that is off the beaten path. The timing is right to bring something new to the community. We hope to make this a regular part of our monthly schedule.”
Norstone Announces Audio Cabinet Designed for Record Lovers: French furniture and cable manufacturer, Norstone has announced the release of the Norstone Oslo, a purpose-built furniture cabinet for vinyl-record enthusiasts. Norstone is exclusively distributed in Canada by Gemsen, who state the Oslo series will be available by mid-April with dealer orders commencing immediately. The Oslo is designed to showcase audio equipment and records and can accommodate an amplifier, a network player or any other device essential to a hi-fi setup. The top shelf is designed for displaying a turntable while the bottom section features storage for records with an innovative grip system that prevents vinyl records from slipping out, providing secure and practical organisation. The Oslo is available in two finishes – Black / Walnut and White / Light Oak and come in two sizes, the two drawer Oslo 800 at 80 cm wide and the three drawer Oslo 1200 at 120 cm wide. Each drawer is capable of housing 80 vinyl records.
Port Charlotte, FL | Southwest Florida Record Show to showcase vintage music and memorabilia: Music lovers, get ready for the Southwest Florida Record Show, which will showcase all things music, including vinyl, CDs, ticket stubs, vintage T-shirts and high-end hi-fi record players. Think of it as a music garage sale, giving vendors the opportunity to clear their attic to sell or trade to those seeking a vintage find. The semi-annual show will be held on March 2 at the Moose Lodge in Port Charlotte from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Regular admission is $4, and students and children are free. There will be roughly 30 to 40 tables full of everything music from vendors all over Florida. Mike Cline, who runs this event, has always been an avid music fan and loves collecting and buying records. “Since I am retired, I thought maybe I could dedicate some time to it,” Cline said.
Nashville, TN | Flipping through the stacks of Nashville Public Library’s vinyl record lending program: Nashville Public Library’s vinyl lending pilot program is booming. More than 65% of the records in the collection have been checked out, according to Noelle Rutherford, materials services manager at the downtown branch of the library. “They have been going like hotcakes,” she said. The program is homegrown. Last year, an employee at the Donelson branch of the Nashville Public Library had an idea: What if the library had vinyl? He submitted an official suggestion to the central branch, and they approved $15,000 to start a record collection. Librarians took on the task of curating a record collection. “We turned to old-fashion books,” said Rutherford. After researching, they purchased the collections on Amazon, to save taxpayer dollars, Rutherford tells us.
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