SG | Bandwagon’s Guide to Vinyl Shopping in Singapore: Death of CDs, eh? There have been articles left and right springing up about how physical CD sales have been in the decline for the past few years and how everyone’s going digital. Not just digital though, seems like streaming may just be the common music consumption of the future. Not every artist agrees with that, but we’ve saved that for another piece. Despite the apparent lack in demand for plastic circular objects, another kind of circular object has been on the rise. The ones that have been around even during the time of your grandparents. Yes, we’re talking about vinyl. We’ve been proponents of the format for a long time and we’re happy to see that it has indeed been taking off. We may be picky semi-audiophiles but vinyl isn’t just about the sound quality. We’re pure suckers for gorgeous packaging and nothing else excites more than listening to an album back to front, without the intrusion of…well, anything else.
HK | Hong Kong 2nd Hand Vinyl Records to close down in 2 months: Sadly, HONG KONG 2nd HAND VINYL Records will be closing down within 2 months. From 1st May 2020 until they close there will be a 30% off all items. So for those that would like to add a couple more additions to your record collection, do go and visit them before the two months is up. Or if you want to start putting together a collection, why not start now. We have a nice collection in our office, so plan to go over and see what else we can find. Where are they located? Room W1A, 1/F, Phase 1, Kwun Tong Industrial Centre, Kwun Tong.
Sonoma County, CA | Another group of Sonoma County retailers expected to get clearance for partial reopening: By the end of the week, another wave of Sonoma County retail that’s been dormant since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, will slowly come back to life. …Retail operators, of course, were elated by the news, but said allowing them soon to reopen their stores for customers is the only thing that can keep them alive over the long haul. “It can’t come soon enough. We’re dying. I call it starvation in place,” said Michael “Hoyt” Wilhelm, co-owner of The Last Record Store on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa. “We are a very tactile business. People got to come in and look at the stuff and see it. … It’s really something that you can’t do effectively over the internet.” Online sales represent just 2% of the overall revenue for the popular store for music fans. Wilhelm said in-person shopping needs to come as quickly as possible to keep the vinyl record shop afloat after almost 50 days in the dark. Asked how much longer his shop could survive without a full reopening, Wilhelm said: “I don’t even want to think about it.”
Phoenix, AZ | An Update on Valley Record Stores: It hasn’t been a good week for vinyl collectors in Phoenix. On April 29, the organization behind Record Store Day decided to divide up the event into three monthly “drops” starting on August 29, as a way for participating stores to sell the exclusive vinyl releases typically introduced during the yearly celebration while maintaining social distancing guidelines. Per a statement, this “gives the largest number of stores a chance to participate in the strangest Record Store Day ever, following their local mandates, and using the guidance of government and scientific experts to make these RSD Drop dates as socially responsible as possible.” The event is typically held every year in April, which is “the third-highest [sales week] on record for vinyl since [they] began tracking the format in 1991” according to a report from Nielsen Music. Organizers first moved Record Store Day to June 20 as the coronavirus pandemic saw stores shutting their doors and moving to curbside pickup and online-only sales. The hope is that by doing RSD Drops, cash-strapped independent stores can see some much-needed revenue come in.
Record Store Recs: Eelke Kleijn Takes Us Crate Digging Around The Globe: At one of Kleijn’s favorites, Chicago’s Gramaphone Records, you can find classic dance records that were part of the city becoming the birthplace of house music. Dutch DJ/producer/score composer Eelke Kleijn is beloved for his hypnotic beats that take listeners on a journey, whether that’s on the dancefloor or while watching one of the films (including “Rush” and “Parker”) or TV shows he’s scored music for. As the founder of Days like Nights, a beloved dance music label and radio show, he shines a light on other DJ/producers who create emotive tunes. His latest release, released just last month, the soaring house track “The Magician,” he offers a taste of his own upcoming masterpiece, his fourth album, to be released in September. While Rotterdam, Netherlands is his home, his years as an in-demand DJ have seen him exploring the world’s record shops for sounds that inspire and delight him. For the second edition of Record Store Recs, Kleijn shares his three favorite spots he’s found great vinyl in over the years, all of which you can shop online.
This Image of Baby Yoda Is Actually A Vinyl Record! Okay. Admittedly this is a bit niche! Yesterday in and amongst all of the incredible May the 4th merchandise, Disney unveiled an item that as a vinyl record lover I simply cannot get enough of! The theme song from The Mandalorian has just been released on vinyl. But just not on your standard black vinyl. This one looks like Baby Yoda! Check it out! According to the Disney Music Emporium, this item is currently available for pre-order and expected to ship in the Summer of 2020. On the website, it currently lists an expected ship date of August 25, 2020. This adorable die-cut vinyl picture disc depicts the creature known as “The Child” or as we like to call it – Baby Yoda. Both side A and Side B feature the theme song of The Mandalorian which was composed and produced by Ludwig Gorranson. We reckon that picking up this wee fella is the perfect way to tide you over until Season 2 of The Mandalorian comes out on Disney+ later this year. The record retails for $24.98
