A NOTE TO OUR READERS: We’ve suspended our regular content this week to afford our team time to readjust to a new normal. We’ll continue to publish regular morning news updates this week as to be a resource for the vinyl and record store community during the Coronavirus pandemic.
As we wrote last week, continue to share the status of your record shops’ mode of operating at this time and we’ll share from our platforms—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram—and you can also share within our Record Store Locator app under the “social” tab. We’ll return to our regular content on Monday, March 30, 2020.
St. Louis, MO | Vintage Vinyl closed until further notice for coronavirus: The coronavirus is causing more St. Louis businesses to close. Vintage Vinyl, the iconic record store on the Delmar Loop is closed until further notice due to the outbreak. The store’s owner, Tom “Papa” Ray, posting online that the best way to avoid the coronavirus is to stay home and listen to records. “Hey Now, It’s Tom ‘Papa’ Ray. After 40 years of being in business, I know that no one has ever seen or experienced anything like this. So, I wanted to let you all know that safety for our customers and our staff is our number one concern at Vintage Vinyl. At first, we thought a 7,000 square foot store would allow people to be safe, but we don’t want to take any chances. Because of this, as of 6pm tonight, Vintage Vinyl will be closed until further notice. In the meantime, stay home and listen to LP’s, and as always, remember that Music is the Healing Force. Stay Safe, be nice to one another…
New York, NY | Rough Trade NYC temporarily shutting down online sales due to COVID-19: All branches of independent record store chain Rough Trade — UK and NYC — have been closed for over a week due to COVID-19 but all have still been doing online orders. The NYC store, however, is temporarily shutting down its online store too: “In response to Coronavirus, we have temporarily shut down all our operations in North America, including orders on our website. We will update again on or before April 6, 2020. Many thanks for your loyalty and patience. Although our NYC store is closed, please follow us @RoughTradeNYC on Instagram and Twitter, as will be sharing content from our artist community friends, and keeping you all informed of releases that are being postponed due to the virus. Stay safe. Be well.”
Rockford, IL | Local shops going online to increase sales amid COVID-19 shutdowns: It’s not only bars and restaurants that are feeling the impact of the stay-in order. Smaller stores in the Stateline that didn’t have an online presence in the past are now dipping their toes into the digital world. Culture Shock has no online website to sell their items. But after shutting its doors to the public that might change. “I mean this is a completely new challenge I mean even outside of flooding and other near-disasters we’ve had this is totally new,” explained Skyler Davis, the owner of Culture Shock record store located at 2239 Charles Street. Stores like Culture Shock and Rockford Art Deli are using the tools at their disposal. For most, that means getting active on social media…Overall, owners say it’s important for the community to stick together and continue to shop local. “Now it’s really good for small businesses to step up and kind of join together and figure out how we can help each other out so that you know once we get back to our normal pace everyone is still strong and open and available to operate…”
UK, AU | “I don’t know what will survive”: Australian record stores grapple with coronavirus: Business is bad for record stores around the country, and expected to get worse. All corners of the Australian music industry are suffering during the coronavirus crisis. On their part, record stores around the country tell NME Australia their sales are dropping, with business looking set to spiral down over the next few months. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Australia’s live industry is by this point well-documented; government bans on public gatherings have led to scores of concerts and festivals being cancelled or postponed, with millions of dollars of income and thousands of jobs affected. Record stores have also been hit, but by the more widespread pressure on the public to stay indoors and avoid crowds so as to cut the risk of coronavirus transmission. That has led to reduced foot traffic and sales for record stores. Nic Warnock and Damien Arkins, owners of Repressed Records in Sydney, closed their store indefinitely on March 17. They estimated takings were down 20 per cent in the days preceding closure.
How Fans Can Support Artists And Music-Industry Workers During The Outbreak: The COVID-19 outbreak has brought the global concert business to a standstill, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket-sales losses, billions in falling music-industry stock prices and generating an unprecedented level of financial anxiety for artists, event organizers and other behind-the-scenes workers who rely on live events to make their ends meet. Below are some of the most effective ways that fans can contribute financially to artists and music-industry workers in need, ranked from having the most- to least-immediate impact. Keep in mind that not all financial contributions are created equal, nor do they all land equally as fast into artists’ hands. (Head here for a list of avenues for industry and small businesses to source their own support, too.)
AU | The Great Australian Warehouse Sale is here to save Record Store Day: Record Store Day may be postponed for now, but fear not because The Great Australian Warehouse Sale is here to save the day. Set for the original dates April 18 and 19, The Great Australian Warehouse Sale will see independent record stores dig out every record they can find and mark them at the lowest possible prices. Taking to Facebook, Record Store Day explained the new event, saying “We went to the record companies and asked them to venture into the dim and dusty corners of the warehouse and then get sharp and hot with the prices. They came to the party.” Exclusive marked down items will include vinyl, cassette tapes and CDs with lists of items appearing today on Record Store Day’s website. “Every store will be different. They will buy from the lists below, add from their own vaults plus sprinkle some of their own magic into the mix,” the official website states. “If you have to be stuck at home, then get some music therapy to help you through!”
Portland, ME | Face the Music: Social media is humming with local music: Artists are sharing new songs, and Bull Moose is supporting them by waiving its cut of local music sales. Social media has become an essential lifeline for staying connected to the music world during these strange, anxious times. Tours and shows have been canceled, and it’s impossible to say when we’ll be hearing the beeping sound of a ticket being scanned, let alone the roar of a crowd or even a “Dude, watch it with beer!” …Bull Moose is doing its part to help the local music community. Through at least April 30, the Maine record store chain won’t be taking its usual commission on local music sales, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to the artists. Bull Moose CFO Chris Brown said in an email that the he hopes sales of local music will go up as music fans realize the artists need help. Head to bullmoose.com and start shopping. The brick and mortar stores are closed until at least March 28, but all of their employees are still being paid as if they’re working their regular shifts. Well done, Bull Moose!
St. Louis & New Orleans | Euclid Records Open 24/7: “Hello to our fellow jazz lovers. Crazy times, huh? We’ve all got a lot on our mind, but as we well know, it’s music that soothes our souls. We’re Euclid Records located in St. Louis and New Orleans. Although we’ve locked our doors, our mail order department will be working overtime bringing in an interesting mix of new and used records and CDs, both bargains and collectibles during this stressful time. We’re here to help you with your collecting needs and to keep our stores afloat during these uncertain times. Euclid Records.com – Our website has our entire vinyl stock (over 80, 000 pieces) including one of the most comprehensive jazz selections in the world. eBay – We cater to jazz collectors and offer a fine selection of collectibles and bargains in excellent condition, not the overpriced flea market crap that eBay is flooded with. Discogs – We just purchased a wonderful collection of jazz, classical, soundtracks and other genres from the late 50’s-early 60’s. These records are all rarely if ever played, sleeved and frankly are impeccable. Lots of collectible titles in like new condition…”
