Keeping Record Store Day Real – and Groovy! Record Store Day 2016 is fast approaching, but while the nine-year-old celebration of the unique culture of independent music stores remains a valid and worthy concept, it has become so dominated by major label novelty releases, irrelevant reissues, and corporate sponsors, that the focus no longer seems to be on the record stores themselves. “There’s even a Record Store Day beer for 2016”, says Chris Hart, owner of New Zealand’s largest music retailer, Real Groovy. “It’s all about business opportunities, rather than being an appreciation of record stores, and rewarding the fans that make them special.
Is Record Store Day’s impact too much of a limited run? Spencer Hickman, 46, introduced it to these shores from the original US initiative. Back then manager of London’s acclaimed Rough Trade record store, today he and his partner have moved to Margate and four weeks ago opened a shop specialising in vinyl in Cliftonville…“It has helped people back into record stores and back into them permanently,” he says of the initiative. “No-one cared about vinyl 10-15 years ago, and stores were struggling. “Today the stores that are open are doing OK. It remains a struggle, certainly, but there is a demand now. However, I don’t think need just a one-day event anymore.”
New shop brings vinyl to Pullman: Retro Riot, a shop selling vinyl records, books, CD’s and a variety of collectibles, was opened in downtown Pullman on Feb. 24. What sparked owner Brett Borden’s interest in opening the shop was his passion for books and old records, as well as his experience at previous jobs. “I have some experience in a similar sort of trade, before I moved here I worked at a shop in Tri-Cities … they do comics, records, books and games and a bunch of different things,” Borden said. “I took a solid musical knowledge and I learned the business aspects of it.”
Famed Vintage Vinyl Owner Steven Kay on the Newest Trends in Vinyl: Immortalized in the film version of Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity and frequented by The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Vintage Vinyl in Evanston, Ill., has been a record collector’s mecca ever since Steven Kay opened its doors in 1979. Beyond the well-stocked racks of the store, Kay has amassed more than 50,000 records of his own. “It is a good time for people to start looking at Britpop again — early singles by Oasis or Blur. There’s a Blur single, “The Wassailing Song,” that goes for about $300 now; they pressed less than 500 copies and sold them at one of their shows. Oasis’ first single, “Columbia,” which was only sent out to reviewers, is worth about $300 to $400.”
Vinyl craze brings out crowds of shoppers for a record sale: The Calgary Music Collectors Show runs in the spring and fall, and is a chance for collectors from all over the province to share some stories and records. Aficionados say there is nothing quite like vinyl. “There is a certain mystique to it,” said vinyl DJ Mark Kerrigan. “The fact that it’s a limited thing, it’s a tangible thing, every time you play it, it wears out a little bit, so there is something to it, it’s very tactile.” Mark Corner organizes the event and says he’s seen everything from teens starting their collections, right up to the hard core collectors.
Capitol Studios Tours & Wax Record Fair: For the first time in history we are opening our doors to the public for the first ever Capitol Studios Tours & Wax Record Fair. This is your chance to see inside the walls of the iconic Studios and hear captivating stories about the endless legendary recording sessions that have taken place here over the past 60 years. The Open day is a two day festival style event which includes guided studio tours for general admission ticket holders and hands-on interactive audio experiences for VIP ticket holders. Capitol Studios Tours & Wax Record Fair is family-friendly event, which is a great Los Angeles experience for both locals and visitors alike.
Vinyl Separators: Turn your vinyl collection into a library with these stylish record separators. This set has 12 separators to help organize your records from Arcade Fire to ZZ Top. Each is made in lightweight high-quality birch plywood. The first separator is engraved with an LP design to help inspire order in your home discotheque. You gotta keep ‘em separated! These versatile separators are 12 1/4” wide x 13 1/2” high (31cm x 34,3cm) and they are in 1/8” thick plywood. They are etched on both sides so you can use them in different ways. Use them horizontally in crates or boxes or use them vertically on shelves.
Coffee Break: Songs from record store movies: Happy Rex Manning Day! Have no idea what we’re talking about? Rex Manning was the fictional pop star in the 1995 movie Empire Records. In the film, April 8 is the day Rex is scheduled to make an appearance at the struggling independent record store that the staff is trying to save from selling out and becoming a corporate chain.
