Lewes, East Sussex | Union Forever: Lewes’ record shop gets a makeover: It won’t take very long to realise something has fundamentally changed at Union Music Store in Lewes. Walk through the door and on the wall facing you, you’ll spot London Calling by the Clash, Let It Be by the Replacements and Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures. For eight years, Union has stood as a little corner of Nashville in East Sussex, specialists in folk, country and Americana, but now Lewes’ little record shop is under new management. Musician Danny Wilson, known to For Folk’s Sake readers as the front man of Danny & The Champions of the World, and publicist Del Day, known to For Folk’s Sake writers as the man behind Ark PR, have taken over from Stevie and Jamie Freeman and are putting their own stamp on the shop.
Lima, OH | Groamy’s transforms over 25 years: For more than 25 years, Groamy’s CD’s and Tapes has not only been a place known to buy music and other forms of entertainment and accessories, but also a space that has helped local musicians grow their talent. When owner Gene “Groamy” Frueh opened his shop in 1992, it was attached to the old Igloo Drive Thru and Carry Out on 2000 Elida Road, with only about 80 square feet of space. After several location changes, he now has approximately 2,400 square feet at his current store on 1206 W. Robb Ave. Size is not the only transformation that Groamy’s has experienced over the years. When the store opened, he mainly sold records, tapes, CDs, VHS tapes and video games.
Copenhagen, DK | Vinyl records, music and Dragons’ Den: The man who started in music at 13: At 22 years old, Oscar Trap from Copenhagen is the world’s youngest vinyl pressing plant owner. He started his career in the music industry nearly 10 years ago. “I opened a record label in my dad’s name when I was 13 because I wasn’t allowed to have a company,” he explains. “I got some support from my local authority which gave me a room so I could build a studio in there,” he tells Newsbeat. Oscar’s record label’s unique selling point was that a band could record a demo in a day. The idea allowed musicians to leave the studio within 24 hours with a demo in hand to send to record labels, a process that can take months.
Oklahoma City, OK | Vinyl Man: Through the years, John Dunning has been a purveyor of antiques and lover of music. Funny, how his two loves married a few years ago. Now, Dunning runs Trolley Stop Records, 1212 N. Pennsylvania and is feeding the metro’s resurgent appetite for vinyl records. A story in Forbes magazine noted that since 2009 the vinyl format has experienced a 290-percent increase in growth. You’ll find CDs at Trolley Stop but they’re relegated to the back. There’s no doubt vinyl is the star of the show here. “To me the unusual thing was back in the 80s CD’s put vinyl out of business pretty much,” he said. “But now it’s kind of flip-flopped and records are putting vinyls out. They’re not making the CDs as much and Best Buy and Wal-Mart, they’re dropping CDs. “The interesting part is it’s the only example of a technology replacing a technology and then the replaced technology coming back and replacing it. I can’t think of any other scenario.”
Coventry, UK | HMV Vinyl Week: What deals can you get in Coventry? If you missed out on the Biggest Weekend, at least you can pick up a bargain from your favourite artists: Record Store Day took place earlier this year, and once again, it was a resounding success. But while the annual celebration of vinyl is held by independent record shops across Coventry, and indeed, across the globe, entertainment chain HMV are getting in on the action. This weekend, the high street giant is kicking off its very own Vinyl Week. It comes as 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the 12″ vinyl LP format, and in this anniversary year, vinyl is enjoying a real revival. Sales figures are at their highest since the 1980’s, proving that the return of the LP is no flash in the pan.
A Beginner’s Guide To Vinyl Records: Vinyl records have been around for a very long time, way before the age of CDs and digital streaming. Most of our parents and their parents will have grown up listening to vinyl records and will surely bring them some fond memories. We’ve seen a resurgence in popularity when it comes to vinyl over the last few years, to the point where you can even find a selection of records in your local supermarket. Starting a record collection can be daunting task to somebody who is not in the know, so we’ve decided to create a beginner’s guide to collecting records.
