Nashville, TN | Iconic Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Lower Broadway officially closes doors: After more than 70 years in business, a part of Music City’s history has closed a chapter. Ernest Tubb Record Shop announced earlier this year their building and business in Nashville has been sold. They opened the lower Broadway location in 1951. Owners say their goal has always been to preserve the history of the building, but circumstances out of their control has pushed them to sell the business and real estate. “We are heartbroken that the store, which has existed in its current location in the heart of lower Broadway since 1951, will close this Spring. Preserving the history and tradition of country music remains at the forefront of everything we do. We remain committed to preservation work and look forward to new projects that will allow us to continue to protect and nurture the invaluable history and tradition of country music.”
Muncie, IN | As closing date approaches, Village Green Records plans big final concert for Saturday: In advance of closing the doors of its iconic Muncie store permanently on May 21, Village Green Records will have a final concert on Saturday, May 14. The Ball State University campus-area record store is moving its operations to Montgomery, Ala., Village Green owner Travis Harvey announced earlier. …In addition to music on sale in the store, handmade clothing by BS Limited and food by the Food Vault Food truck will be available, according to an announcement. The store, which has sold new and used records since 2005, will continue to offer music through a subscription service to customers anywhere even while the physical store is moving, Harvey noted. And a current Village Green employee is looking into opening a new record store in Muncie.
Louisville, KY | Jack Harlow visits record shop in Louisville, promotes new album with fans: Rapper Jack Harlow, a Louisville native, visited a local record store in the Clifton neighborhood on Sunday. Guestroom Records on Frankfort Avenue hosted Harlow for an in-store appearance. Attendees were allowed to enter the store with the purchase of limited edition autographed CD of Harlow’s “Come Home the Kids Miss You” album. Inside the store, Harlow met with fans, taking selfies and signing memorabilia. More than 1,000 fans showed up. Evan Olinger is a huge Jack Harlow fan – showing his appreciation for the Louisville rapper through his art – a colored pencil drawing that took him 10 hours. “I would love to get it signed but if he wants it I would give it to him just because he is a huge inspiration to me and it would be really cool to have him own it,” said Olinger. The line wrapped around the store and went for several blocks as some people waited for more than 24 hours to have the chance to meet Harlow
Duluth, MN | Best Bets: Find something to do this weekend in the Northland: Pop up record shop. When you think of brunch, you’re probably more likely to envision circles of Canadian bacon than circles of black vinyl, but Pizza Luce — which knows a thing or two about flat circles — is bringing records to breakfast this Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the downtown pizzeria is collaborating with Duluth’s Round Here Records to offer a pop-up record shop featuring new and used vinyl with plenty of local flavor. If you have some platters you’re looking to unload, you can also bring records to trade or sell. For details, see facebook.com/pizzaluceduluth.
Vinyl sales see a huge resurgence, but leave indie labels behind: File this under the category of what’s old is new again. We’re talking about vinyl records. They were all but obsolete 15 years ago, but now huge demand has led to the biggest sales in 40 years, and labels are rushing to reprint their back catalogs. They’re rereleasing everything from Nirvana’s 1991 smash hit “Nevermind”…To Art Blakey’s 1959 masterpiece, “Moanin’.” But now there is a problem. The plants that press records, many stagnant and shuttered after decades of decline, can’t keep up. As Texas Public Radio’s Paul Flahive reports, independent and less well-known musicians are losing out. The pandemic supercharged the vinyl marketplace as homebound consumers looked for new ways to engage with music. Now younger buyers are driving vinyl, according to researchers at Luminant. And artists like Adele, Billie Eilish and this artist pushed pop music to the fastest growing genre on vinyl.
Di-vinyl: Top 5 weird and wild record packages (that you haven’t seen before): Since the late ‘60s, artists and labels have tapped the wells of creativity to transform the humble vinyl record into a cornucopia of inspired design and functionality. Some of the record, album, and sleeve packaging concepts are breathtaking, merging art with form. From the absurd to the brilliant, we present our top five favourites. Shout Out Louds, Blue Ice (2012) Swedish indie band the Shout Out Louds conceived an extraordinary idea for their 2012 single, Blue Ice. Alongside the standard release, they created a limited run of ten boxed sets made available to a selection of chosen fans and media outlets. Inside was a silicone mould with an inset vinyl pattern and a bottle of distilled water with instructions to pour the liquid into the mould and freeze for ‘no less than six hours’. While not great for the stylus, once frozen and removed from the mould, the song could be played.
Why You Should Properly Look After Your Vinyl Collection: Make sure your records last a lifetime (and then some). There’s nothing quite like listening to vinyl. What was once seen as an old-fashioned way to listen to music is now known to be one of the best ways to enjoy the songs you love. The depth of sound and the atmosphere created by vinyl is something you can truly appreciate—- but are you taking proper care of your vinyl collection? Here are just some reasons why you should take care of your vinyl collection and how you can ensure your records last. You can listen to your favorite records for longer: Improper vinyl storage can have a big impact on your collection and perhaps the most important is playability. You want to be able to slip your vinyl on whenever you fancy, without worrying about warping or scratches. Storing your vinyl with care ensures that they last for longer and are still in good condition. Although Spotify now has shareable features that help to make it more sociable, there’s nothing quite like building up a vinyl collection that you can add all your favorite music to.
Doctor Strange Vinyl Might Be Worth It Just For the Incredible Art: Danny Elfman’s score is being immortalized in a new colored vinyl double LP set. In celebration of the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Mondo is continuing its MCU soundtrack series and immortalizing the film’s score on vinyl – and it looks as amazing as it sounds. The double LP set, available for pre-order on May 11, might be worth adding to your collection for the artwork by Florian Bertmer alone. It features Doctor Strange sitting in front of a stained glass-like backdrop full of bright oranges and blood reds. If you’ve seen Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness by now, you know it is a visually arresting film thanks in part to Sam Raimi’s direction and its visual effects. The film’s visuals aren’t the only thing worth noting, however. The film’s score is also incredibly dynamic.
