Memphis, TN | Memphis Record Pressing becomes largest vinyl record manufacturer: Last month Memphis Record Pressing, already one of the biggest players in the fast-growing vinyl record pressing industry, held a pair of ribbon cuttings to commemorate the completion of a $30 million expansion that positions the eight-year-old company as the largest vinyl record manufacturer by volume in North America. On April 13, the mayor of Bartlett, Tennessee, the Memphis suburb that Memphis Record Pressing has called home since its 2014 founding, joined company co-founders, CEO Brandon Seavers and COO Mark Yoshida, and other dignitaries to cut the ribbon on MRP’s $21.3 million expansion of its pressing plant. A week later on April 20th, Bar-Kays bassist James Alexander and Moneybagg Yo producer Ari Morris were among the guests who helped christen MRP’s new $7.5 million packaging and shipping hub at 7625 Appling Center Dr. The ribbon cuttings cap a growth phase that saw MRP triple its physical footprint and staff.
Wales, UK | Blackwood record shop owner charts Welsh music history: The owner of a record store in Blackwood has amassed a musical history of Wales with a Gallery of Welsh Greats forming part of his 17,000+ vinyl selection. Heart of the Valleys record shop owner Alun Kent is much more than a vinyl collector and enthusiast. The self-styled ”trusted custodian of rare recordings by Welsh bands and singers” says he is providing a unique international service for vinyl collectors to fill gaps in their personal collections. Mr Kent’s Heart of the Valleys record shop in Blackwood is a treasure trove of rare and iconic records going back to the early 1960s. In total, Alun’s collection exceeds 17,000 vinyl records from R&B, soul, Motown, rock, heavy metal to Northern soul and jazz. In total, Alun’s collection exceeds 17,000 vinyl records from R&B, soul, Motown, rock, heavy metal to Northern soul and jazz.
Moncton, CA | Moncton store offers a trip back in time: From gum ball machines, to arcade classics, to rows of vinyl’s and videos, Spin-It Records & Video helps turn an everyday shopping experience into a trip back in time. “I just took my childhood bedroom and I threw it into a store and hoped for the best,” said owner Patrick Parisè. The main differences between his childhood room and his store is the number of arcade games and the size. …“I’m a stubborn kind of fella and I have young children and I want them to grow up in a world where video stores exist because it was such a huge part of my childhood – going to the video store on a Friday night, smells like popcorn when you walk in, talk to the clerk, talk to the other patrons about movies that they’ve watched lately and they’ll recommend stuff to you,” he said. “Just the whole experience of it that with streaming services doesn’t exist.”
Regina, CA | Friends, customers reflect on legacy of beloved Regina X-Ray Records owner Dave Kuzenko: CJTR community radio co-founder and vinyl expert died on May 25. It’s been a hard week for Regina’s music scene as it mourns the loss of longtime local record store owner Dave Kuzenko. Kuzenko was well-known in the Queen City as owner of X-Ray Records downtown. He was also a long-running columnist at CBC Saskatchewan and co-founded the community radio station 91.3 FM CJTR. His daughters Ivy and Anastasia Kuzenko confirmed his death in an Instagram post Friday. “We are so heartbroken to share the news of Dave’s sudden and unexpected passing in hospital,” the post reads. “His family was by his side, and he went gently and with humour as was his nature. This community and the friendships you shared meant the world to him, and we know how much he meant to the music community in Regina. Our dad will be deeply missed and loved forever.”
Tulsa, OK | Vinyl Record Show of Tulsa, OK–Broken Arrow, OK: Join us for our first-ever Tulsa show! Vinyl LP Records by the tens of thousands. There will also be plenty of 45’s, CDs, T-shirts, posters, some cassettes and a few 78’s as well. You will find LP’s priced as low as $1.00 for the budget-minded buyer as well as collectible records for hundreds of dollars for the more serious collectors. Something for everyone! There will be an ATM available on-site. Plenty of FREE parking. Kids under 13 have free admission. We can’t wait to see you there!!!
Mount Prospect, IL | Three Friends to hold giant Vinyl Record Sale Saturday, June 3 in Mount Prospect: Thousands of old, new, hard-to-find and collectible vinyl records and CDs in pristine shape will be available at the “Three Friends” record sale June 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 306 W. Hiawatha Trail in Mount Prospect, just off Route 83/Elmhurst Road. The sale, held by Mount Prospect friends Bob, Bob and Fred, will feature all genres of music and international pressings. “About any music one is looking for can be found at our massive sale,” Bob Szeliga, one of three record sale hosts, said. “We have music for all ages including rock, jazz, blues and much of it very hard to find. I’ve been doing this for 16 years and having a blast. Last year when Bob and Fred joined me for the huge vinyl sale, we had a line stretching down the street of folks waiting for the sale to start in the morning. It’s great fun and an experience in itself.”
South Berwick, ME | Students in South Berwick design vinyl album covers for very first Record Store Day: Many of the students had never heard of or seen a record before they started working on the project. Students at the Marshwood Great Works School in South Berwick have been busy working on a project that combines art and music. The fifth graders are designing their very own vinyl record albums and even creating music to go along with them. The school’s art teacher, Angela Cuddy, and the school’s music teacher, Janice Marro, teamed up at the beginning of the school year to bring the district’s first-ever Record Store Day to life. Cuddy said she started the project by talking to students about the relationship between visual art and music and asked them how the two tied together. “They gave me some really great answers,” Cuddy said. “Like, creativity is eternal, you know? Art is a picture, and music is sound, but really they’re so related.”
