Pikeville, KY | Retro renaissance keeps record stores rallying: Kevin Harmon never expected the resurgence of records to be a lasting love. “I was apprehensive. I was like, ‘well this trend is gonna go away.’ I mean, obviously it’s not gonna last forever,” said Harmon. So, when his store Mountain Music Exchange—which carries instruments, accessories, music, and more—started offering a special vinyl room, he didn’t know how much it would grow. The idea was born when MME’s Hoss Hancock pitched selling records during the store’s open mic nights. From there, Hamond said, MME Vinyl was born. “We’re selling way more new vinyl than we were when we started. And that just keeps ramping up, which is crazy,” he said. With the trendy return to vinyl records during the last several years, Harmon said he has not only seen the number of records and options grow, but he has watched an expansion of the discs’ demographic.
Gibsons, CA | Gibsons bookstore uses music ties to aid suicide prevention: How Reason to Live Books and Records makes a difference through music. A Gibsons bookstore named Reasons to Live has been raising money for suicide prevention. Last year, they raised over $60,000 –more than their store earns in a year. For more than a decade, the owners of Reason to Live Books and Records, a used book and record store in Lower Gibsons, have held an annual Christmas party where bands donate their time to play and raise money for a good cause. Co-owner Tim Clapp said that while some people ask if the name of the store is dark, he would call it optimistic. “I think for me, books, and records have definitely been reasons to live.” Clapp said that in 2022, the event raised $17,000, an amount he did not expect to top. However, after 18 bands came to play at the 2023 Christmas party at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom, a staggering $63,757 was raised for the Crisis Centre BC and 1-800-suicide.
Phoenix, AZ | Record collecting community creates vinyl revival: Physical forms of music bring new listening and social experiences to students. Physical forms of music fizzled out with the rise of modern technology and music-streaming apps. But thanks to a growing fascination with nostalgic sounds, records aren’t completely done for. In fact, they are having a revival. Without the on-demand qualities of smartphone music, listeners are forced to experience an entire album from start to finish without the privilege of skipping at their leisure. But in a sense, this inconvenience makes the music-listening experience more unique. “I find that listening to music on your phone, it’s so impersonal,” Katie Gregson, store manager of Zia Records in Tempe, said. “Whereas, with records, you have your whole collection and you’re gonna go through it, and you’re gonna decide ‘what am I in the mood for today’ because it’s a full album, and you’re going to listen to it front to back, and it kind of changes the experience.”
UK | Kate Bush says she’s ‘privileged’ to become Record Store Day ambassador: Pop star Kate Bush has been announced as an ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day, on 20 April. Bush said it was a “great privilege” to support the initiative, which champions independent record shops and vinyl collectors across the UK.”Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the music industry by surprise?” she said.”It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees! I love that!” She added: “I know there are many, many artists who are just as excited to see the audience turning the tide.” …Announcing her appointment as Record Store Day ambassador, Bush also reflected on the appeal of vinyl records, and the listening experience they fostered. “In the same way that some people like to read a book on Kindle but also want to have a book as a physical object, a lot of people like vinyl and streaming,” she wrote. “Both have different appeals.”
Bury, UK | Delight for Bury’s music fans as 90s icons play set at town centre record shop: Music fans were in for a treat when indie hitmakers Cast played an intimate gig at a Bury record shop. The Britpop band, which formed in Liverpool in 1992, paid a visit to Wax and Beans on Market Street on Thursday, 22 February to promote new album, Love is the Call. They are best known for album All Change, which became the highest-selling debut album on their record label, Polydor. At the sold-out gig on Thursday evening, the band played two sets during which they played a selection of older hits and new songs and also took the time to meet and greet with fans. Ben Soothill, co-Owner of Wax and Beans, said: “Cast delivered two shows last Thursday at Wax and Beans to support the release of their new album, Love is the Call. “The sets consisted of five new songs plus ‘Alright’, which is considered one of their many classics. “Following the shows, fans were treated to a meet and greet where they were able to get their CDs and records signed.
Greenpoint, NY | Chest High Fires is on a mission to be huge in Greenpoint: When asked what businesses Greenpoint are multitudinous, many may say (as of late, at least) smoke shops. But that’s not all — the neighborhood also features an impressive number of record stores in its less than three square miles. And local band Chest High Fires is making it their mission to perform in all of them. The band — a project driven by husband-and-wife duo of producer Jeff Berrall and singer-songwriter Carrie Ashley Hill — is currently in the midst of an acoustic record shop tour in celebration of their latest album, Regional Hits. So far, they’ve performed at Brooklyn Record Exchange and For the Record, with a future show planned at Fire Talk Shop. Some non-record-store performances scheduled include the McCarren Parkhouse and Sleepwalk in Bushwick, the latter featuring their full band (Zach Brewer, Gregg Giuffre, and Matt Sumrow — all of whom also live in Greenpoint). But they’re not just limiting themselves to traditional record store setups.
New York, NY | Roe & Co Irish Whiskey Unveils Vinyl Pop-Up Series in NYC for St. Patrick’s Day: Join Roe & Co for a vibrant celebration of music and whiskey in NYC with the Roe & Co Listening Sessions. Roe & Co, the distinguished Irish Whiskey brand, is thrilled to announce the Roe & Co Listening Sessions, a unique vinyl pop-up series set to sweep through iconic record stores across New York City, in a vibrant countdown to St. Patrick’s Day. This innovative celebration aims to connect communities through the shared passions of vinyl records and exquisite cocktails, curated by Roe & Co’s head distiller and part-time DJ, Lora Hemy. The series is a tribute to the enduring spirit of Dublin, offering a blend of traditional and contemporary Irish sounds, performed by local New York talent. The Roe & Co Listening Sessions are not just another event; they are a journey into the heart of Dublin’s rich musical and whiskey traditions. Attendees at Brooklyn Record Exchange and Superior Elevation Records will be treated to exclusive Roe & Co cocktails, showcasing the brand’s dedication to innovation and community spirit.
Harry Styles’ ‘Harry’s House’ Breaks Vinyl Sales Record: The pop star’s third solo album, the eponymously-titled “Harry’s House,” has set a record for the largest sales week for a vinyl album in the U.S. The LP sold more than 146,000 copies within three days of its May 20 release. Styles takes the crown from Taylor Swift, whose vinyl version of “Red” (Taylor’s Version)” had broken previous single-week sales records when it debuted last year. Styles’ vinyl success doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The 28 year-old singer’s 2019 album “Fine Line” was a No. 1 seller on vinyl in 2020 and continued through 2021 as the No. 4-selling vinyl album. His self-titled debut record also found success on the old-school format, selling 236,000 copies on vinyl when it debuted in 2017. But his newest album’s record-highs are also part of an all-around vinyl craze over the last two years that shows no signs of slowing down. Last year was the first time vinyl outsold CDs, making vinyl the leading format for album purchases in the modern era.
8 Top Selling Vinyl Record Storage Boxes of 2024: Discover 2024’s top-rated vinyl storage boxes: style, safety, and sound preservation. If you never got to experience vinyl records during their heyday, it’s important to realize how much proper storage counts for protecting your record collection. Records warp, shatter, and scratch if not stored properly, and a vinyl record storage box is a great solution to making sure that doesn’t happen. With numerous options available, choosing your box can be overwhelming due to the variety in styles, sizes, materials, and designs. The perfect box balances durability, functionality, and visual appeal, adding vintage charm to the room while protecting your records.
