Brooklyn, NY | A new record store is coming to Brooklyn’s ‘coolest street.’ Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue continues to be “one of the coolest” in the world with a new addition coming to the popular street — a record store. Sterling Record will offer an extensive inventory of vinyl records, books, T-shirts, turntables, CDs, music accessories, and a curated selection of music memorabilia. The owners, Ray and Gary, want to cater to both avid vinyl collectors and newbie music enthusiasts. Vince Clarke, a legendary musician and one of the founding members of several English synth-pop bands, is a major investor in the store and hopes to get doors open by May 19, Brooklyn Paper reports. The store will also offer coffee, a small selection of pastries, and in-store events. Live music performances and artist showcases at Sterling Record will also be possible thanks to a partnership with Maker Park Radio, a Staten Island non-profit radio station.
Melbourne, AU | Free beer and live music: Wah Wah Records is doing Record Store Day right: Vinyl-lovers’ favourite day of the year is back, and it’s back with a bang at Wah Wah Records. After another revolution around the sun, we’re going to celebrate with some revolutions of a different beat. 33 1/3 rpm to be precise. Wah Wah Records is throwing one awesome party to celebrate those who make the independent record industry so special in Australia, so if you’re looking for somewhere to browse, boogie and binge amazing music this April 20, we’ve got you covered. Record Store Day is a national day of celebration in record stores across the country, aiming to unite music lovers and, more specifically, record lovers. Various record stores will host parties of their own and Wah Wah Records’ is set to be a banger! The day promises to highlight independent record stores across the nation, placing the spotlight on an industry that is thriving throughout Melbourne.
Te Puke, NZ | Blackbird Records opening in Te Puke this week: Shopping for records is about to become a busman’s holiday for Te Puke’s Justin and Angela Bruning. When they were running Te Puke’s Marigold Cafe, one of the couple’s few recreational activities was hunting for records. “When we had the cafe, probably our one outing was, we’d be going vinyl shopping,’’ says Angela. Now the cafe has new owners and they are about to become vinyl sellers with Blackbird Records at 132 Jellicoe St opening on Friday. While the shop will also sell CDs and possibly a few “little gifty things as well as a few plants” its mainstay will be new and second-hand records. Angela says they felt the time was right to open the shop because of the increasing popularity of records. “I don’t know if it’s since Covid and people have gone back to appreciating basic things in life, but people seem to want to have physical copies of music again,” she says.
Gloucestershire, UK | 9 best independent record stores in Gloucestershire: Whether you’re just discovering the joy of putting on a crisp new vinyl record, or you’re a seasoned LP collector, SoGlos rounds up the best independent record stores in Gloucestershire — just in time for Record Store Day! Turn up the music for Record Store Day on Saturday 20 April 2024, with Gloucestershire record shops armed and ready with cool collections of rare and classic vinyl waiting to go under the needle or take pride of place on display. From well-known and well-loved stores to secret musical treasure troves, you’ll be sure to find a harmonious haunt near you in SoGlos’s round-up.
West Allis, WI | Record Head in West Allis prepares for its first Record Day celebration: Record Store Day is a celebration of brick-and-mortar music shops where you can flip through your favorite music and touch your favorite album. “Artists will release exclusive and limited titles just for record store day,” said Josh Young, the manager of Record Head in West Allis. Whether it’s a new release or a hard-to-find limited edition vinyl, listening to albums on a turntable is making a comeback. “It’s a wonderful experience all around,” said Young. “To physically put on the vinyl record.” National Record Store Day is April 20th this year. “Typically Record Head is usually closed on Saturdays but for Record Store Day we will be open that night,” said Young. Doors will open at 8 p.m. The store can’t announce what new releases they’ll have just yet, but they’re excited for people to come out and celebrate the holiday. “I’m hoping to see a line around the block,” said Young.
Mechanicsburg, PA | Mechanicsburg record store owner prepares for Record Store Day: In the age of digital dominance, Paul Smith and others like him rest easy knowing that vinyl still has a place in this world. The owner of RecordSmith in Mechanicsburg is currently busy gearing up for Record Store Day on April 20 where new pressings of vinyl records will be released. The annual event, which has been taking place around the world since 2007, unites artists with fans to celebrate the culture of the independent record store. Smith always loved music and embraced that passion by engaging in related pursuits. “I worked in radio for about eight years including the night shift at Rock 99,” said Smith, shedding a little light on the automated format that some of a certain age may well remember. “There were reel-to-reel tapes with coding on them allowing them to automatically go from one song to the next. Periodically you had to change them out. Later we went live with softer rock and that was called Sunny 99,” said Smith.
Miami, FL | Technique Records: Five Years of Vinyl. To celebrate Record Store Day 2024, Miami’s beloved indie music shop Technique Records hosts a free, all-day rager celebrating all things vinyl in Miami’s Upper Eastside. Stop in any time from 8am to 9pm to take advantage of cratefuls of new and used record drops, Record Store Day exclusives, giveaways, free drinks and food for sale. DJs (including John Stanier of Battles and trailblazing producer Arthur Baker) will be spinning throughout the party.
Clark, NJ | Record Riot is coming to Arthur L. Johnson High School: Record Riot is a music lover’s dream. There are more than 40 vendors selling vinyl, compact discs, rock T-shirts, cassette tapes and posters. Record Riot is coming to Clark on Sunday, April 21. It will be at Arthur L. Johnson High School, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an early admission at 9 a.m. The show will take place in the school cafeteria. The concept of Record Riot began back in 2008, when Steve Gritzan hosted his first event. It was such a big deal, the story ended up in the New Yorker magazine. “It was a mob,” Gritzan said. “It was crazy. Everyone was surprised how many people came. The complaint was ‘it was too crowded.’ It’s not as novel now. There are other vinyl events.” Currently, Gritzan is hosting 22 Record Riot shows in eight states, including New York, Massachusetts, Ohio and Virginia. Gritzan attributes Record Riot’s success to the fact that people love events.
Special edition vinyl albums cause some fans delight—but others suspect a cynical marketing ploy: Streaming may still be the preferred method of music consumption for the vast majority of us in 2024, but vinyl, cassettes, and even the long-unloved CD format have shown resurgence in recent years. In fact, physical sales are so healthy that HMV has risen from the ashes and returned to its flagship store on Oxford Street. And much of this can be attributed to pop star Taylor Swift, who currently has seven of her albums in the vinyl charts, including all of the top three places via 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and Midnights. According to Lawrence Montgomery, the managing director of Rough Trade record stores, Swift owes her success in part to appealing to a younger contingent of fans by turning her albums into collectables. She has done this through the release of multiple alternate album covers or disc colours. A recent trip to HMV made me realise just how true Montgomery’s observation was.
