UK | UK vinyl spending on track to overtake CDs for first time since 1987: Sales surge as music fans indulge in classic LPs during coronavirus lockdown. Record labels are on track to make more money this year from the sale of vinyl records than the once-mighty CD for the first time since the 1980s, as pandemic music buying habits accelerate the revival of the classic LP. UK record labels enjoyed a 30% boost in income from the sale of vinyl records last year to £86.5m, the highest total since 1989, as fans unable to attend live music because of pandemic restrictions spent their spare cash on building up their record collections. The number of vinyl records sold, led by classics such as Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours alongside new releases from Harry Styles and Kylie Minogue, also hit a three-decade high of 4.8m last year. UK music industry body the BPI says vinyl income is now on track to overtake CDs for the first time since 1987, when Rick Astley, T’Pau and Pet Shop Boys topped the charts. The pandemic has not halted the inexorable decline of the compact disc. While the format was convenient, it was never a favourite with collectors and sales have continued to fall in the face of the streaming revolution…
AU | ‘It’s the ritual’: vinyl sales look set to break Australian records, so who is still buying CDs? Beneath the black ceiling inside Hum Records on King Street in Newtown, John Salway spots something on the shelf under the letter “C”. “Elvis Costello must have a new album,” he says. He picks up the hard plastic square and he and his friend, Regina Safro, squint to read the fine print on the bottom of the back of the CD case. Safro hasn’t seen the album before either. Salway finds the release date and nods. “2020. I’ll likely buy that on spec.” Salway estimates that he might buy a dozen CD albums a year. Safro thinks she purchases between 10 and 20. The pair are part of an increasingly small cohort of music fans who continue to buy CDs, in a world where most new cars and computers no longer have a way to even play them. Figures to be released this week by the Australian music industry are expected to show CD album sales in Australia fell by more than 15% in 2020. Meanwhile, sales of vinyl have rocketed by more than 30%, as more new artists release on the premium format as an alternative to digital streams, and labels continue releasing collector editions of the classics.
Boulder, CO | With move and rebranding, Bart’s reboots as Paradise Found: The tune might sound familiar, but its name — and venue — have changed. Paradise Found Records & Music, previously Bart’s Record Shop, is moving from its Folsom Street location to Pearl Street and will open April 1. The shop, previously owned by Bart Stinchcomb, was a Pearl Street staple until the move to Folsom Street in 2014. Stinchcomb sold the record store to Will Paradise in February 2016, and it will now head back to Pearl Street. Paradise announced the name and location change on the shop’s social media pages. Paradise always dreamed of working in or owning a record store as he started collecting records at 8 years old, Paradise said. “I talked to him (Bart) about the prospect of buying or partnering with him, and he said he wasn’t ready and then 10 days later he called me and said ‘I’m moving and I want to sell the business.’ and I was like, ‘Whoa, okay good.’ So I just bought it,” Paradise said. Paradise Found Records & Music at 1646 Pearl St. is larger than the shop’s current space, allowing for more inventory and exciting new features.
CT | Remembering the joys of the old neighborhood record store: Here’s a tale that’s been spun countless times for more than three decades: modern technology has made it incredibly easy to listen to our favorite music, anywhere and anytime, with good sound quality and less than a fortune in our pockets. Why, then, do so many of us still crave those old 45- and 33⅓-RPM vinyl records that invariably got scratched and chipped and ended up hissing like a tone-deaf snake? It’s not only the records themselves that Connecticut residents of a certain age miss, but also the artwork on the album covers, the liner notes inside — and those great ol’ record stores where we used to buy them, our own private dens of musical delight, where we made all the decisions, not our parents. We can still find a few places in Connecticut that sell or special-order old vinyl records (along with turntables, headphones, shirts and other items from the aesthetic to the nostalgic). It’s also possible to purchase almost any record online, no matter how wildly popular or downright obscure. But the record stores we remember from days gone by have gone by forever.
Shreveport, LA | ArkLaTex Made: The Little Shop of Music: They say music soothes the soul. You can bet you’ll find a lot of soothing sounds at one Shreveport music store. Wednesday morning, KTBS 3’s Rick Rowe visited The Little Shop of Music for his ArkLaTex Made segment. Scott Auer is fulfilling his dream of creating a shop for music lovers and musicians to gather, filled to the brim with the best stereo equipment, guitars, art and more. The Little Shop of Music is just that: a hang out spot, a record store and a place to connect to local music. The Little Shop of Music is located at 1055 Louisiana Avenue.
