Minneapolis, MN | Electric Fetus owners say Franklin Avenue redesign will hurt business: For more than 55 years, Electric Fetus has stood as a Twin Cities record store landmark along Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. “We draw people from not only just the Twin City community, but from around the world,” Aaron Meyerring, co-owner of Electric Fetus, said. Owners Aaron Meyerring and Stephanie Meyerring said new plans to redesign Franklin Avenue would disrupt their years of success. “This design would be detrimental, not only to our business, but I just think our surrounding community and neighborhood,” Stephanie Meyerring said. Hennepin County’s plans include a reduction to three lanes and additional sidewalks and bike lanes. The county’s goal is to improve safety, accessibility and comfort along the roadway.
Cheshire, UK | Record shop owner says Covid helped realise dream: The owner of an independent record shop in Cheshire said the pandemic encouraged him to realise his dream of selling vinyl. Steve Cook quit his job as an internal auditor in 2022 to focus full-time on Applestump Records in Nantwich – named after the first record shop he went to as a boy. The move into retail began during lockdown when he and his wife Danielle could no longer enjoy their hobby of touring cities in the UK to buy records. “So we decided to try and make the record shop come to us,” said Mr Cook. They initially built a website and bought around 80 records to sell, which customers would collect from the end of their driveway or Mr Cook would deliver after work. He said it was very slow to start, but the “stroke of luck” came after being invited to be part of a pop-up market in a local café, which demonstrated the appetite for a record shop.
Cambridge, MA | Get ready for a Record Store Day walk and show from Cambridge Day and Hump Day News: Walk the walk. Punk the rock. That’s my current motto because on April 12 we’re celebrating Record Store Day with local artists, music merchants, and, hopefully, you! Here are the basics of this two-part throwdown. First, walk the walk. We’ve mapped some of our wonderful local record stores for a patent-pending Cambridge Day Record Store Walk. Construct your own route and see how many you can hit on Record Store Day. You may recall a similar call to action with last year’s “Totally Excellent Mid-January Cambridge Day-Approved Record Store Walk & You Better Dress Warm” article. Similar, except with better weather, on April 12 you can pick up specially marked copies of Cambridge Day’s print edition, The Week, in participating stores (Planet Records, vinyl index. and Big Dig Records).
Fort Myers, FL | Local record store and venue, Beach Records, closing after 6 years: Beach Records, a record store doubling as a music venue, is closing down after hundreds of shows and many more records sold. Owner Martin “Marty” Bourgeois is going on sabbatical after six years of serving the community with shows and records, reciprocating his love for live music and giving the scene a place to play and buy records. The shop has a vintage feel. Rows of used and new vinyl are packed in wooden boxes labeled in marker over recycled vinyl. Entering the store, you’ll feel like you’re in a collector’s garage, immersed in decades of records spanning many genres. It was a place for all music fans. Bourgeois is seeing this as more of a sabbatical than a closure. However, this location, which has been active since 2019, will close for good.
Poughkeepsie, NY | John Cowsill: Vicki & John—Record Store Day FREE Show: This is an acoustic performance/record signing celebrating the exclusive Record Store Day of Vicki & John’s vinyl release of “Long After The Fire. FREE signing occurs afterwards with purchase, while supplies last. At 7 years old, John began working in clubs, singing and playing drums with his family. The Cowsills became a worldwide sensation in the late 1960s, playing The Ed Sullivan Show and The Johnny Carson Show programs both three times, The Johnny Cash Show twice, and enjoyed several Top 20 hits, including “Hair” (#1 in four countries and #2 on US Billboard) and “The Rain, The Park, & Other Things” (#2 on US Billboard with over 3 million copies sold).
Tranent, UK | Seabass Vinyl becomes UK’s first carbon neutral pressing plant: Cofounders Dominique and David Harvey described the certification as “a major milestone.” Seabass Vinyl has become the UK’s first carbon neutral pressing plant. The Scottish firm, which received the certification from Carbon Neutral Britain, continues to move towards its goal of being the greenest vinyl pressing plant in the world. Some of the measures undertaken to help achieve this include generating its own energy, using bio-vinyl made with cooking oil on some of its products and recycling vinyl offcuts. “Being officially carbon neutral-certified is a major milestone for us,” cofounder Dominique Harvey said. “We’re the first pressing plant in the UK to achieve this and, we think, in the world. It’s important for us and incredibly important for our customers that we minimise our environmental impact while manufacturing records of the highest quality.”
Stockport, UK | Stockport Vinyl Record Fair, Sunday 16th March: This event is a must for all vinyl lovers, featuring traders selling vinyl records, CDs, books, and more. There is catering on site and the bar is also open. Entry is £1 per person, or £5 from 9am. The event runs from 10am-4pm on Sunday 16 March. The organisers gave the following description: “We’re rammed full with vinyl records, CDs, and associated memorabilia, with some new traders alongside our regulars. “You can park at the rear of the venue for £1 in the car park off Brentnall Street. “Oh, and there’s two convenient cash machines close by.
Blackpool, UK | Vinyl fans to beat a path to the coast this weekend for biggest Blackpool Record Fair: Fans of vinyl records are in for a treat in Blackpool this weekend. Blackpool Record Fair organisers are staging their biggest event yet, with dealers from across the north of England booked in to attend. Fans of vinyl records are in for a treat in Blackpool this weekend. The event is taking place at Abingdon Street Market on Saturday (March 15), from 10am to 5pm. With demand for vinyl growing again, including a burgeoning interest in the under-30s, the event is expected to draw in collectors and the curious from across the area. The vinyl market in 2023 experienced a 11.7% year-on-year rise to 5.9 million units, up from a 2.9% increase the previous year, with vinyl fans citing factors such as a richer sound as well as the look and feel of vinyl.
Brentwood, UK | Brentwood Record Fair II: The Brentwood Record Fair is back with an almost entirely new line-up of trusted sellers from various parts of the UK. This is a family-friendly expo of vinyl records hosted by Essex-based Moonface Records Limited – A travelling record shop operating across all counties around London. The event is supported by local shop Hey Joe Music & Coffee who will be in attendance along with big and well known sellers such as Intense Records (Chelmsford), The Better Dog Records (Milton Keynes) and Phoenix Records (Windsor) plus many more. All of our sellers are hand selected and are friendly and helpful. Together, we will bring you a fantastic selection of vinyl records and CD’s. From new releases to vintage classics, cheap thrills to expensive finds, there will be something for everyone.
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