Ellsworth, ME | New vinyl store honoring late collector’s passion: Denise Hilton’s brother Darren was passionate about two things: giving back and vinyl records. So when she found out that he regularly donated money to Saint Jude’s Research Hospital in Memphis, she decided to continue his legacy; and used his love of music to pay it forward. “My vision was actually getting a price on the albums and selling them and donating it because I was going to donate it to a charity that I meant a lot to my brother. Matt [Manry] came to the house and made a decision immediately upon that meeting,” said Hilton. Manry, who owns Vinyl Vogue in Ellsworth, is a new record store where Manry himself decided to support the charity. …”When speaking to him and I realized what his vision was: to introduce people to albums, to introduce people to music they hadn’t learned. His enthusiasm for all things music was contagious,” said Hilton.
Worthing, UK | New Worthing record shop and café to host music events: A new record shop and café that opened only four months ago is planning to host music events. Spun, in Portland Road, Worthing, opened in November last year and has been “nicely welcomed” by the community. Owners Danny Giles, 54, from Goring, and Rob Watson, 52, from Worthing, have said that despite only being open a few months, they have big plans for the future, including hosting events. At the moment, the shop sells both new and preloved vinyl records, alongside sustainable clothing from Poetic Bisons and coffee from Roasted. The shop also sells some pastries from Real Patisserie. However, Danny and Rob have said that they are preparing for “phase two” of opening. Their aim is to host early evening social events including quizzes and live music. They also want to have “laid back” vinyl DJ socials and music-related talks. Rob said: “Our aim is to make Spun a meeting place for the music and planet-loving people of Worthing and the surrounding areas.
Charleston, WV | Kanawha City community gathers for Budget Records vigil: The community gathered Monday night for a vigil to honor the legacy of a business that has been a Kanawha City staple for more than 50 years. Budget Tapes & Records on MacCorkle Avenue in the Kanawha City area of Charleston announced last week it would be closing its doors for good as the owners retire. They said the pandemic didn’t help business matters and the two-year-long construction on MacCorkle Avenue has also taken a toll on business. The business, which billed itself as “West Virginia’s Hippest Record Store & Lifestyle Emporium,” closed Sunday after 52 years in business. This isn’t the first time this year a candlelight vigil has happened for a beloved business in the area. Just last week, a vigil was held for the old Hooters building just down the street from Budget Records.
Ames, IA | Vinyl Grind offers a local spot for music and coffee lovers: As an elementary student, Blake Delaney, owner and operator of Vinyl Grind, aspired to have his own record store. Decades later, he has made that dream a reality with a spin. Vinyl Grind, originally owned by Ben Hull, is a mix of a coffee shop, record store, concert venue and oasis for coffee and music lovers alike. The cafe is home to thousands of records, which Delaney sources from vendors across the country and are available for purchase by customers. Vinyl Grind also sells stereo systems and turntables, along with a diverse selection of beverages and baked goods. The coffee beans Delaney uses to make his signature espresso drinks are sourced from Broadway Roasting Company, which is Kansas City’s oldest roasting company. Delaney said Vinyl Grind is the only cafe in Ames that Broadway Roasting will sell to. …When selecting the records for the cafe, Delaney said he looks for a diverse collection of music that will appeal to a wide range of audiences.
Lincoln, NE | First Day Vinyl hosts early listening event for Bleachers’ upcoming album: First Day Vinyl was one of many record stores in the U.S. to host a listening party for Bleachers’ self-titled vinyl on March 2. The vinyl is set to release on March 8. Record stores in the Lincoln area have been hosting listening parties for albums that have been coming out. At these events, fans are able to listen to an album in full before it releases and are able to enter giveaways for merchandise or tickets to the artist’s upcoming concert. At First Day Vinyl’s Bleachers listening party, attendees were able to enter a raffle for a chance to win a Bleachers’ t-shirt or a pair of tickets to see Bleachers at Steelhouse Omaha on May 22. First Day Vinyl also had a small poster of the album’s cover to hand out to those who were there. “Whatever the vinyl release is, the draw is getting to hear it first,” Travis Mannschreck, the owner of First Day Vinyl, said.
Dublin, IE | Irish vinyl record producer making Taylor Swift albums has provisional liquidators appointed: Judge said he was satisfied to appoint joint provisional liquidators to company trading as Dublin Vinyl, as it was clearly insolvent. The High Court has appointed joint provisional liquidators to Ireland’s only manufacturer of vinyl records. The appointments were made in relation to Pressing Matters Ltd, trading as Dublin Vinyl, which the court heard has 22 full-time employees and four full-time contractor workers. The company, which was founded in 2016, has contracts for major record companies. However, it sustained significant losses in 2022 and 2023 due to factors including the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit, the war in Ukraine, the loss of a major contract and the failure of record-pressing machines it had ordered to arrive on time. As a result, the company decided to petition the court for the appointment of Ken Fennell and Eamonn Richardson of Interpath Advisory as joint provisional liquidators.
Syracuse, NY | Vinyl record fair held in Syracuse: People had the chance to enjoy a blast from the past as a vinyl record fair was held at St. George Church Hall in Syracuse on Sunday, March 3. Over 100,000 records were up for sale, ranging from rock to country to pop. There were also CDs, LPs, 45s and memorabilia for sale. Event organizer Jack Skutnick said he’s seen the younger generation become more interested in vinyls and these kinds of record shows. “It kickstarted about four, five years ago,” Skutnick said. “It was mostly we were getting grey hairs and no hairs to the show. Now, we got a couple weeks ago at a show, a kid, 10 years old, looking for a Billy Joel record, and he knew which one he wanted. So it’s cool.”
The entire Dune experience spans 7 killer vinyl records: Perhaps you saw Dune: Part 2 this weekend and now you’re wondering, how do I recreate the experience of IMAX speakers vibrating my cerebrospinal fluid? Or maybe you couldn’t get tickets until the end of March, so you need an auditory appetizer ASAP. Whatever the case, if you’re deep into Dune, I recommend the killer vinyl records for both Dune: Part 1 and Part 2 that, when combined, span a whopping seven LPs. Mondo released a gorgeous double LP of the official Dune: Part 1 score. This is the official Hans Zimmer experience, a breakneck tour from the halls of a fortress in Caladan to the empty sands of Arrakis. You can get a taste of it on Spotify! If you want to listen to Zimmer’s music, but at a more leisurely pace than the bite-sized tracks of a soundtrack, Mondo also produced a triple LP called the Dune Sketchbook. Across nine sprawling instrumental songs, the music of Zimmer does its damndest to transform your living room into an air-tight container full of the spice melange.
Montana’s colourful ‘Spin’ vinyl storage puts your records on display: Danish furniture company Montana’s ‘Spin’ is a new vinyl storage cabinet to put your record collection on display (and it comes in 41 bold colours). Danish company Montana Furniture stays true to its Scandinavian design principles with functional and minimalist products, enhanced by a signature colour palette that adds a cheery touch of colour to a space. The family-owned brand has introduced its most recent collection, ‘Spin’, a functional range crafted for vinyl storage, suited for anyone with a love for the analogue medium, and the perfect companion to new record players catering to the vinyl revival. Since its founding in 1982, Montana has been focused on delivering a range of furniture that complements any interior space, and injects a Danish design aesthetic into the home. Constructed with sleek lines and a midcentury modern touch, ‘Spin’ features three pre-configured designs that can be tailored to complement the size of your vinyl collection.
