Beijing, CN | A guide to Beijing’s record stores: Beijing’s music scenes are tight-knit and dedicated. From futuristic club-heads to gutter punks and everything in between, Beijing’s tune fanatics often have to deal with a variety of societal roadblocks, bringing those with a true passion together to create its unique interconnected web of sound. Live venues, restaurants, cafes, bars, and clothing shops are often shifting and expanding their definitions, open to hosting events and collaborating with each other. The amorphous nature of these spaces is best shown in the city’s record shops, great places to meet the weirdos of the city, importing bizarre Cambodian metal or putting up a poster for a gallery event-cum-acid techno rave. Below is an introduction to some of Beijing’s best places to pick up a record, give it a spin, have a cup of coffee–or a gourmet hot dog–and delve into the myriad sounds of this megalopolis.
Southsea, UK | Independent record store resurgence: Pie & Vinyl’s success mirrors the industries growth: The owner of a popular Southsea record store looks back on it’s success as independent record stores reach a 10 year high. Steve Courtnell, the owner of Pie & Vinyl in Castle Road, has spoken about his shops success as it was revealed that there are more independent record stores nationwide than there were ten years ago. The unique pastry and music based shop opened in 2012 and since it began the industry has seen an upturn in fortunes. …Having sat on Castle Road for over a decade, Pie & Vinyl has become a fixture of the city, renowned and revered by many. However, that description still takes Steve by surprise. He said: “When people say, everyone knows Pie & Vinyl it never fails to warm my heart a bit. Obviously there has been an incredible amount of hard work to nearly get to 12 years old, there has been lots of challenges and there continues to be lots of challenges. What we try and offer is something unique, and it does stand out in a way.”
Valdosta, GA | Founder of Stokeley’s Records switched to pop-up sales to spread the joy of Black music: Le’Shawn Taylor bought his first vinyl at Goodwill in 2012. He said he was inspired by Questlove after seeing a video of the artist’s collection on YouTube. “I don’t think at the time I had a record player,” he said. “I was just buying.” It has been over a decade since he purchased that first vinyl that planted a seed. Record-collecting has blossomed into a near full-time passion for Taylor. From 2018-2020, that passion manifested in Vibes and Stuff, a brick-and-mortar in Taylor’s hometown of Valdosta, GA. The name of his store was an homage to the song off A Tribe Called Quest’s “The Low End Theory.” Taylor said he knew he was different growing up in Valdosta. His store was an extension of that eccentricity. “[I was] just into like the opposite of things that were cool,” he said. “I’m probably like the only person in bell-bottoms in like a hundred-mile radius.”
Mansfield, OH | Operation Fandom & Blackbird Records moves to former Uncommon Nostalgia: Mansfielders will still be able to shop for collectibles, music and games at 36 W. 4th St. but from a different business. Following the closure of Uncommon Nostalgia, Operation: Fandom and Blackbird Records opened their store on Friday. Owner Josh Lehman said the new space nearly doubles the floor space they had between City Grille and The Clubhouse. “This will become the largest store of the three we have,” Lehman said. “It was our smallest store before. We have two different 1,000-square-foot stores in Wooster, and about 2,400 square feet in Medina. “We had tall ceilings at the old place, but only 1,400 square feet. Here, we have 3,000 square feet.” Lehman said the extended space will allow for more records, games and spread-out shopping aisles. “I think we’ll have more space for Record Store Day,” he said.
Cleveland, OH | The Cleveland Record Riot! The Cleveland Record RIot! It’s a BIG VINYL RECORD POP-UP sale at the Woodside Event Center in Broadview Hgts! Over 15,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Great music & amazing family fun. LPs/CDs/45s too. The Cleveland Record Riot RETURNS! It’s a WONDERFUL vinyl record POP-UP sale at the Woodside Event Center in Broadview Heights! Over 15,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Great music and amazing family fun. LPs, CDs and 45s. Dealers from far and wide converge for a giant music sale! All types of music from punk to funk to country to classic rock, hip hop, soul/jazz and more. Dust off that turntable and come on down. DOOR PRIZES TOO! Regular admission starts at 10 AM ($5) with early admission at 9 AM ($15). Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!
Vancouver, BC | In Dani Gal’s Historical Records, obscure vinyl collection provides a unique and haunting trip through 20th-century events: Gathered by the artist over two decades, albums eternalize the voices of figures like Lee Harvey Oswald, Atatürk, Diefenbaker, and more than 200 others, at the Polygon Gallery. Stir begins its interview with Dani Gal with a little show and tell. After reaching the artist by Zoom at his home in Berlin, I brandish a weird record I found in New Orleans called Oswald: Self-Portrait in Red. Released in 1964 by a dubious outfit called the Information Council of the Americas, it memorializes a radio interview with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before his death, the purpose being to posthumously cement his reputation as a Marxist. Gal hungrily scans the artifact, mumbling something about “typical design” as he examines the back cover. Would Self-Portrait in Red make it into Gal’s Historical Records installation, now residing at the Polygon until July 14? It’s a disingenuous question, really.
Glasgow, UK | Scotland’s second-ever vinyl press plant set to open in Glasgow: Company Rockvinyl have launched a crowdfunding campaign with an aim to raise £1.7m. This will cater for the renewed popularity of the vinyl format. A large industrial building has already been built and will be used as a space to press vinyl from summer this year. Proceeds from the crowdfunder will be put into the construction and delivery of three vinyl pressing machines from Sweden. Proceeds will also go into the recruitment and training of pressing staff. This will assist the goal to press 60,000 vinyl records per month. In the driver’s seat of Rockvinyl is former graphic designer David Brady. He will take on the role of managing director. Brady will be supported by a board of experienced advisors, including music industry aficionados such as Mark Wilson, who previously managed Scottish bands like Orange Juice and Trashcan Sinatras, as well as Regular Music chief executive Mark Mackie.
Bellingham, WA | Aslan Depot hosts weekly record nights: Explore the grooves of local culture at Record Nights every Saturday with Black Noise Records. A unique partnership sprouted two years ago when Black Noise Records and Aslan Depot came together to collaborate on weekly record nights. Every Saturday at the Depot, a variety of different music is played, curated by a DJ from Black Noise. “The collaboration just made sense, and it has been a regular thing ever since. Different hosts from the Black Noise family take turns, bringing their own style and flavor to the nights,” said Tim Thomas, general manager of Aslan Depot. Black Noise Records, originally conceived as a label and event platform, found a physical home in downtown Bellingham three years ago when Nico Sanchez, the CEO and founder, jumped on the opportunity to make it its own record store.
