Cleveland, OH | 14 Record Stores to Check Out in Greater Cleveland: Dig through crates and find your next great listen at Northeast Ohio’s vast variety of independent record shops. Interest in vinyl has continued to soar in Cleveland and across the country, but collectors like it for different reasons. For some, like Bridget Ginley, the search for that one record she has wanted for years is just as important as the score. “We’re Midwesterners,” she says. “We like a good hunt.” Ginley, the host of Erie Effusion on WRUW-FM 91.1, owns a couple thousand records with her partner. She cycled through the different formats — tape, CD, download — before coming back to vinyl. There’s something about that sound that isn’t present in other formats; and then there’s the aesthetic. “It’s like a piece of art, to find the condition it’s in and wonder where it’s been,” she says. The spotlight on vinyl is perhaps brightest on April 22, when independent stores celebrate Record Store Day. Many also carry special releases, which this year includes everything from Taylor Swift to Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.
Crewe, UK | Crewe town centre shop announces permanent closure just 12 months after opening: A Crewe town centre shop selling craft beer and vinyl has announced it will be permanently closing down – just 12 months after launching. The Doghouse Craft Beer & Record Shop, Crewe Market Hall, shut downs for good at 6pm on Sunday 16 April. General manager of The Crewe Dog, Louis Delaney, launched the store in April 2022 – as an expansion of the popular market hall bar. The craft beer and record store has offered modern and vintage vinyl as well as a raft of music memorabilia and merchandise for the past 12 months. It has also filled its shelves with over 200 takeaway beers and ales from around the world. On Thursday 13 April, The Doghouse Craft Beer & Record Shop announced it was leaving Crewe Market Hall on social media. A statement read: “As some of you may or may not have heard by now, The Doghouse—home of great vinyl & delicious craft beer—is closing.
Jackson, MS | Water ruined his vinyl, but store owner gets by with a little help from his friends: For Phillip Rollins, who owns the record and comic store OffBeat in Jackson, Mississippi, the last month has been all about recovery after a fire broke out in a neighboring building. “We had a lot of flood damage due to that fire, so we lost a lot of our used records,” Rollins said. Rollins relocated his store in Jackson, Mississippi, to the city’s downtown area last fall. Selling used records is his main source of income, and while the flood damage was painful, his family and community have helped him recover. “We’ve acquired a lot of new collections to replace the stuff that got water damaged,” Rollins said. “We’ve gotten some good stuff in due to people seeing me on the news and just really supporting the shop, and helped clean up and dry stuff off.” While Rollins and his wife are still assessing the damage, he’s also looking ahead to the summer. In particular, Rollins is hoping to bring customers to the shop with album listening parties.
Los Angeles, CA | 50th anniversary for ‘Nuggets’ compilation kicks off events and RSD set: Lenny Kaye’s iconic ‘Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968’ compilation celebrates its 50th anniversary with 3 days of events in Los Angeles and a box set (with unreleased material) for Record Store Day. Rhino is throwing a three-day party in Los Angeles to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968, one of the most influential rock anthologies ever released. The groundbreaking collection more than doubles in size for a new anniversary edition that will be released on vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive on April 22. …The event features Lenny Kaye, who compiled the original Nuggets collection and the new anniversary edition. Kaye (who also plays guitar with the Patti Smith Group) will answer questions from DJ/producer Tana Yonas. This is a free all-ages event, and their conversation will stream live on dublab radio on Sunday, April 30, 10am PST and will be made available in the station’s archives afterward.
Record Store Day and Marshall team up to support Todd Rundgren’s Spirit of Harmony Foundation: Record Store Day has worked hard over its 16 year tenure to support some of the most impactful charities and social initiatives on radar. Marshall Headphones & Speakers, Record Store Day announce a donation to Todd Rundgren’s Spirit of Harmony Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to emphasize the moral imperative of music education. Rundgren’s classic album A Wizard, A True Star sees a special 50th Anniversary release on April 22 as part of Record Store Day, the celebration of independent record stores. US organizers have pledged to donate $1 per copy sold of the stunningly beautiful reissue at US record stores that weekend to the Spirit of Harmony Foundation, combined with a generous donation from Marshall Headphones & Speakers. The donation will be presented to Rundgren later this summer by Record Store Day co-founder, Michael Kurtz. Kurtz says “I grew up with Todd’s music, and more importantly, the message found in much of his music. It’s a real honor to be able to lend support to his efforts to provide financial support for music education and appreciation in the classrooms through the Spirit of Harmony Foundation. To me, it’s just one victory, but an important one.”
Cleveland, OH | Local Record Swap Events Welcome Vinyl Collectors and Appreciators: The Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club boasts thousands of members, and its organizer hosts DJ and swap events on a monthly basis. Jason Burchaski organizes a vinyl record swap in the Cleveland area each month. He knows exactly what he doesn’t want it to be. He doesn’t want visitors to pay $5 to enter a stuffy auditorium with folks buying third-rate copies of Styx’s The Grand Illusion. That’s not what fosters a community in 2023. “I don’t want to be stuck in some VFW hall where all you’re going to get is dudes,” he says. Instead, he and the other organizers of The Cleveland Vinyl Party at The Foundry concert club in Lakewood try to make the events welcoming to newbies and veterans, gearheads and luddites. …Burchaski, a 50-year-old record collector from Grafton who runs the 3,000-member Facebook group Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club, says he would like to see that change. The events feature a bevy of local vinyl collectors looking to sell and swap, along with two turntables and a mixer for anyone who wants to DJ for a bit.
Spalding, UK | Enjoy some live music while you browse at record shop: Don’t miss out on some great tunes at this groovy event. Uptown Vinyl Records music shop, at Baytree Garden Centre, will hold The Groove Academy event on Sunday, May 7 from 11 am to 3.30pm. It will be presented by Steve Beveridge and Robin Chubb. The Groove Academy will be providing a selection of dance, indie, northern soul and many more genres. Sim Moeller and Tim Booth from The Sim and Tim Scooterist Show, will also play a selection of music. The event is free.
Queens, NY | SingleCut and Rough Trade Collab on Beer Celebrating Record Store Day: The ultimate analog beer collab is brewing in honor of Record Store Day, 2023. QNS/NYC’s own SingleCut Beersmiths is teaming up with NYC’s premier record store and music venue, Rough Trade Records NYC, to brew a new double dry-hopped American Pale Ale celebrating independent record stores and the vibrant record store community. Stylus DDH Pale Ale will be available at SingleCut Tap Rooms and at select retailers across NYC and the greater NY Metro Area. Record Store Day is a national activation, bringing awareness to independent record stores through a release of small and limited press records, from both legacy artists and contemporary mega-stars. Adding to that collector frenzy, Rough Trade and SingleCut teamed-up for this limited batch, “get it now” release, available only during April and May. “Stylus” is an American Pale Ale, designed by SingleCut’s brewing team to have an intense and beautiful aroma of fresh cut citrus, easy drinking with a refreshing bitter bite—made to pair with some headphones and a fresh record on the turntable.
