Carterville, MO | How records spun back to popularity over CDs: 1988 was a milestone year for the sale of compact disks. It’s the year CDs first outsold vinyl records. But that didn’t mark their end. They’re now back to outselling CDs. That’s thanks to a resurgence in recent years of the nostalgia — compounded with the fact CDs have become somewhat obsolete as a result of streaming services. We got reaction today from folks at “Dig It! Record Barn” in Carterville. “I definitely prefer vinyl a lot more just cause like when you watch I mean when you put the vinyl in and you start it, you get to kind of watch it spin and with CDs you don’t really get to see that sort of beauty that a lot of just watching it spin really produces you know,” said Spencer White, Kansas City Resident, said. “There’s more layers in a record than there is in compressed music of a stream so I think when you just listen to it and absorb the different layers you can it feels more like you’re present,” said Lynne Brennfoerder, Owner, Dig It Record Barn.
London, UK | Vinyl Addicts, Head To These Indie Record Shops In London: London is home to a vibrant indie music scene and shops specialising in vinyl records. Here are some of the best places to check out if you’re into retro music and indie record labels. London is a city that is known for its unique cultural experiences which attract both locals and tourists. You can explore the many free museums, experience the thrill of a bygone era with London’s clandestine 1920s-style speakeasies, discover retro finds at vintage shops and more. The city is also known for its indie music scene and shops selling vinyl. Here are some that you should head to, if you love collecting retro music and indie record labels. Banquet Records: Banquet Records is a popular music destination located in Kingston-upon-Thames. They offer a diverse selection of new music, ranging from Indie, Rock, and Punk to Hip Hop, Electronica…”
Indianapolis, IN | Indy’s guide to Record Store Day 2024: On April 20, Indy’s record shops will host daylong festivities to celebrate one of their biggest days of the year. Since its inception in 2007, Record Store Day has provided analog lovers with an excuse to get out to their local record store to try and snag exclusive releases from their favorite artists. For their part, record stores have worked to make a day out of it, from live music to food trucks to giveaways. There will be plenty to do. But after standing in line and shopping for the latest of the greatests, you’ll probably feel hungry or want to wet your beak, or maybe even just sit down for a little while—good thing each record store in Indy is surrounded by great places to do it all.
Worcester, UK | ‘Customers have offered to run shop for me’ says retiring Worcester record salesman: A retiring record salesman from Worcester says customers have offered to run the shop for him following his decision to retire. Nick Banks, a Worcester resident for all of his life, has run Market Hall Records at The Shambles in Worcester for a little over three decades. Having enjoyed a long run in the business, Mr Banks has decided now is the right time to step away from running the shop and enjoy the next stage in his life. “I have been in here 30 years actually last year, but it’s time to move on,” he said. “I still enjoy it but you have to move on at some point. I’ve enjoyed it but it’s time to do other stuff really.” Mr Banks, aged 66, admits he has sold “quite a lot of albums” during the last 30 years…
Cape Town, ZA | Record shops to visit for your vinyl collection: Music can speak to one’s soul, and for some music connoisseurs, collecting vinyl records is the perfect pastime. There are currently many shops in Cape Town to buy vinyl records from, whether it is physical shops, online stores, flea markets, as well as lesser known shops that harbour hidden gems. Here are three shops that can help your vinyl collection grow. Vinyl Cafe: Vinyl Cafe describes themselves as ‘an online record shop designed to connect people with the records they love’, with their warehouse located in Yzerfontein, 90km north of Cape Town. Vinyl Cafe offers to buy vinyl records, and to ‘travel to most destinations in the Cape Town area’ for buying purposes…
Boston, MA | Soju, Sounds, and Sushi: A Restaurant Trio Opens in Downtown Crossing: Restaurateur Jamie Bissonnette and the JM Curley crew have come together to open a Korean restaurant, vinyl listening lounge, and subterranean sushi counter. …Under the same ownership—but each with its own distinct personality—the spots opened in late March, paying homage to Korea and Japan in what chef and partner Jamie Bissonnette, a James Beard Award winner, describes as his “most personal” projects yet. There’s Somaek, a Korean restaurant influenced by home-cooking and family; Temple Records, a music-focused lounge inspired by Japanese listening bars; and Sushi @ Temple Records, a minimalist sushi counter. Designed as separate entities—although you’re certainly welcome to, say, follow up dinner at Somaek with a cocktail next door at Temple Records—the three inhabit the former Herrera’s address on Temple Place and a long-empty, adjacent narrow space.
Sacramento, CA | Former DJ’s massive record collection stolen from Sacramento area storage unit: A former DJ had to scratch plans to catalog his classic record collection with nearly 4,000 pieces of vinyl. Erik Winkelman said he’s been playing the same old tune for months now, pushing investigators to help him get his classic records back. “It’s just picking apart a collection,” he said. “I looked at it like it was a classic car somebody is parting out.” Thieves broke in through the front door of his storage unit off Sunrise Boulevard on October 24, 2023. “I have a bunch of electronics stuff, which was nerdy stuff nobody liked or wants,” Winkleman said. “And then they saw the records. There were so many, they couldn’t take them all.” Winkleman said thieves returned to steal nearly all of his collection, which totaled 3,800 records.
How Beyoncé Got ‘Cowboy Carter’ off the Vinyl Record Presses So Fast: The secret is impeccable planning and organizational skills. Luckily, control is Team Beyoncé’s forte. …The Cowboy Carter record didn’t hit brick-and-mortar stores on Friday morning—that release date is currently unannounced—but the limited run sold on beyonce.com was already in transit while Texan fans were refreshing Spotify at 11 p.m. for the album drop. I asked a record label head if he’d ever heard of a highly controlled, surprise-drop album shipping vinyl the same day it hits streaming services. “That’s never happened before,” he told me. I wanted to understand how she might have pulled it off, and—without Columbia making a representative available for interview (see above)—spoke with Jenn D’Eugenio, founder of the music industry advocacy nonprofit Women in Vinyl and the sales and customer service director for the Austin-based record-pressing plant Gold Rush Vinyl.
Pretenders ‘Learning To Crawl’ getting 40th anniversary vinyl reissue: The 40th anniversary of Pretenders’ third studio album, Learning To Crawl, will be celebrated with a new vinyl reissue. Dropping May 24, the reissue will feature audio the album’s original producer, Chris Thomas, remastered in 2018. It will be released on standard black and crystal clear vinyl, marking the first time the remastered audio has been available on vinyl. Released January 13, 1984, Learning to Crawl was the first album Pretenders recorded following the deaths of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon. The album peaked at #5 in the U.S. and is best known for featuring the classic Pretenders tunes “Back on the Chain Gang,” “My City Was Gone,” “Middle of the Road” and “2000 Miles.” The Learning to Crawl 40th anniversary vinyl release is available for preorder now.
