Stamford, UK | Rock On Records set for relaunch in All Saints Street, Stamford: A renowned record shop is set to open in Stamford this week. Rock On Records is to welcome its first customers at 4 All Saints’ Street on Thursday (March 16). The first record shop in Stamford for more than a decade, it will open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm, with all profits going to charity. Rock On built up a cult following among music fans and musicians in London from 1971 until its last remaining shop, in Camden, closed in 1996. Its customers included legendary musicians Bob Dylan, The Clash frontman Joe Strummer, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, and BBC Radio’s champion of independent music, John Peel. The new shop will cater for all kinds of music fans from the casual buyer to serious collector. It will specialise in vinyl and rare merchandise, as well as cassettes and a select range of CDs. Ted (80), who once also managed Thin Lizzy, will work in the shop one day a week.
Hove, UK | Hove: Capsule Records new store and coffee shop opens in Western Road: A new record store with a coffee shop inside has opened in a busy city centre street. Capsule Records has opened in Western Road, Hove. The store is run by a “passionate team of music lovers” who are able to help customers and guide them towards new LPs or labels. Sarah Hennessy co-founded the shop with Lawrence Bleach and Simon Skevington. She said: “We are really happy with the beautiful, relaxed space we’ve created here at Capsule. It’s somewhere people can drop by for a coffee, listen to great music, have a meeting, have a browse and hopefully indulge in the sheer joy that is discovering a new LP or label.” …“We have sourced some of the best LPs and compilations we can, from old favourites to undiscovered gems,” said Sarah. “Vinyl is something that transcends age. We welcome people who have been collecting for decades, and young music lovers just starting out on their journey of discovery.
Lincoln, NE | Local record store reflects on vinyl’s growing popularity: Whether it comes from age-old nostalgia or running with new trends, for the first time since the 80s vinyl records have outsold CDs. The data comes from The Recording Industry Association of America which found records had around $8 million more in sales in the past year. Stores like Lincoln Vintage Vinyl have seen similar trends in both purchases and a growing consumer base. Co-owner Craig Bartels said it’s been incredible to watch vinyl records come back into popularity. “It’s amazing, every year we have been in business we’ve increased in both inventory and sales,” he said. Bartels said he’s seen customers of varying ages stop by the store. From teenagers looking for the latest album to members of Generation X that want to hear bands like AC/DC on the turntables they remember. “I’d say about half of the customers that come in here are under 30,” Bartels said. “We get a lot of teenagers in here buying records with their parents.”
Godfrey, IL | RiverBend Records riding vinyl resurgence: For the first time in three decades, vinyl records last year outsold CDs, according to industry reports. RiverBend Records owner Billy Hurst said that’s easy for him to believe. Vinyl is hot, the Godfrey businessowner said, noting records are made using a heat process. Now sales figures make the form of physical media even moreso. “I believe vinyl actually outsold CDs last year,” Hurst said, adding both vinyl and CD sales are up. “It’s all tied to people just wanting a form of physical media — something they can hold, look at and enjoy the artwork, read the credits, et cetera,” he said. “Something that they can keep and possibly even pass on to their kids someday.” About 41 million vinyl albums were sold last year, outpacing the sales of 33 million CDs, according to the Wall Street Journal. Business Insider has stated that vinyl outselling CDs — according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) annual revenue report — occurred for the first time in three decades, highlighting a “remarkable resurgence” of the physical music format.
London, UK | Phonica Records will be hosting a Make A Dance launch party: Get yourself to Phonica for a dance this month. Dance duo Make A Dance will have a launch party at Phonica Records for their upcoming M.A.D. EDITS release. The party, which runs from 7.30 pm on March 24, will see performances from Rakim Under, Paschal Mocheni, Lex Wolf and, of course, Make A Dance themselves–all of whom feature on the March 17 M.A.D EDITS vinyl-only release. Over the past two years, Make A Dance have released five records and accrued performances at Fabric and Hii Ibiza. The event is free to attend at Phonica Records at 51 Poland Street, London.
Richmond, VA | Leslie Jones stops by Richmond record store before headlining at the National: Actor Leslie Jones stopped by a local record store Saturday before headlining at the National. Jones picked up a stack of records from Vinyl Conflict, a local shop on Grace Street downtown, and stopped to pose for a photo with the owner. “She bought a wide variety of music, was just super interested in the store and was out adventuring before their show,” vinyl conflict’s owner told 8News. After the show, Jones tweeted a shout-out to the store, while also recommending Lillie Pearl, a popular downtown restaurant. “Thanks @thenationalva and the cool Richmond, VA crowd for a fun night!” she wrote. “Special thanks to Bobby @VinylConflictVA for having the coolest record shop around!”
Modern Shelving: Vinyl Collector Uses Shelves to House Growing Record Collection: Tim Tolbert has always been an avid music fan. While he was away at college, his parents sold his vinyl collection. Over the years, Tolbert slowly began to rebuild the collection, but it wasn’t until COVID hit that he dove into the hobby full force. As Tolbert got more into collecting records, he began watching other collectors on YouTube. Many of them recommended the Kallax shelf unit from Ikea, so Tolbert decided to give them a go. He set up the shelves in a spare bedroom that served as his office slash listening room. For awhile, the Ikea shelves got the job done but as his collection continued to grow, Tolbert began purchasing knock off shelves at Walmart and Target to house his records. His office/listening room was in disarray, with records overflowing the shelves and spilling onto the floor. When Tolbert and his wife moved to a new home with a finished basement in late 2022, Tolbert decided it was time to get organized.
