Tulsa, OK | Founder of iconic Tulsa record store, Mohawk Music, passes away: Social media posts started paying tribute to Paul Meek as news spread of his death. A post in a private Facebook group called Mohawk Music confirmed Meek’s death after a short illness. Artists, fellow record store owners and music fans all started posting about the impact Meek had on their life. The line on that group refers to Mohawk Music as “More than a mere record shop, this was the hub of alternative music in Tulsa and a regular meeting place for musicians, artists, and friends!” Post after post on Facebook credited Meek with instilling appreciation of music, fostering creativity, and broadening horizons for people who frequented the store. In a profile in the Tulsa World Meek said, “”That’s half the fun of this kind of job,” Meek said. “It’s fun to turn people on to something you like a lot and see that they like a lot. We tend to get so excited about some things that we just can’t help but share them with people.”
Dallas, TX | From a Triple A Stadium to a Record Store, Kitchen Dog Closes a Daring Year of Staged Plays: “Love & Vinyl” will seat just 35 people during its final weekend run at Good Records. It’s one of a few nontraditional settings for the theater company’s itinerant 33rd season. A few minutes before the lights go down for Kitchen Dog Theater’s “Love & Vinyl,” the staff will set up the chairs for 35 people. Until then, the show’s audience members will browse the shelves of LPs at Good Records, the award-winning music shop in East Dallas that also serves as the theater for this play. It is currently entering its final weekend of a sold-out run. When the lights go up again, Bogart (Jamal Sterling) enters the shop and begins browsing the records, just like the customers do during the shop’s normal business hours. The stage manager, Ruth Stephenson, told me before the play began that sometimes potential, non-fictional customers attempt to follow the actors through the same doors, only to be turned away due to the strict fire code.
Charlotte, NC | Sam Ash, Gold Tone and the Importance of Neighborhood Music Shops: How Phillip Wheeler and Colin Watts continue to cultivate the DIY scene. While perhaps expected in the wake of news about widespread closures up and down the East Coast, it was still jarring when confirmation came in May that Sam Ash Music would be closing all of its locations over the summer, with the Charlotte location expected to close by the end of July. Sam Ash wasn’t just a local store, but an institution you could count on as a musician. I can’t even begin to count the times during my early twenties that, out of sheer boredom, I would drive down the road to either Guitar Center or Sam Ash to try out some new pedal called the Swollen Pickle I had no money to buy or just poorly noodle around playing “Smoke on the Water” while more seasoned musicians demonstrated all of the available arpeggios.
Washington, DC | ‘Flipside’ documentary is a poetic meditation on life’s vicissitudes: An ode to a New Jersey record store is only the pretext for this wise and moving film. Every life is a trip, like being on a boat of which you are the captain, the documentary “Flipside” tells us — or, rather, an old man in close-up speaks those words. It’s the jazz photographer Herman Leonard, dispensing wisdom as he prepares for an exhibition of his pictures of musicians at a Los Angeles gallery in 2010, a few months before his death at 87 of cancer. “You may not have decided on a final destination,” Leonard continues, “but along the route you’ll stop at different ports of call. You must take control of your life and set a course in the direction you want to go. Otherwise, you are subject to unpredictable circumstances.” That would be a good epigram to open a film looking back on the life and career of an artist, which “Flipside” is. But it turns out that Leonard, who died before enough footage was shot to finish such a film, is not the artist whose life is under the microscope.
Vinyl mailers: The unsung heroes in preserving your music collection: In a world where music lovers cherish their vinyl collection, vinyl mailers play a crucial role in ensuring these treasured records reach their destination safely. From protecting against bends and breaks to maintaining the quality of each track, these mailers are the unsung heroes of the music world. Let’s dive into how vinyl mailers are a vital part of preserving your beloved music collection. …Vinyl records hold a special place in the hearts of music aficionados, but their fragility is a well-known fact. This is where vinyl mailers step in as the silent protectors of your beloved collection. By providing a sturdy outer layer, these mailers shield your precious vinyl from dust, moisture, and mishandling during transit. When you consider the delicate grooves and vintage charm of each vinyl record, it becomes evident why proper protection is paramount. Vinyl mailers offer a cushioned haven for your records, ensuring they arrive at their destination unharmed and ready to spin their melodic tales once more.
London, UK | Music fan marks 50th by selling Neil Young vinyls: A Londoner’s lifetime collection of 1,500 vinyl records, including one of the world’s rarest singles, could fetch up to £20,000 at auction. Pete Anderson owns 120 records by music legend Neil Young including the highly sought-after The Sultan/Aurora by The Squires, Neil Young’s first band. Claire Howell, music memorabilia consultant at Hansons Auctioneers said: “It’s one of the best lifetime collections of vinyl I have ever seen in my life.” The music fan said he wanted to sell his beloved collection ahead of his 50th birthday as he wanted to lead a more minimalist lifestyle and travel more. “Prior to locating a seller, I’d been searching for this rare and seemingly elusive The Sultan/ Aurora double A-side vinyl for the best part of 10 years,” said Mr Anderson. While he did find a UK-based seller, they were not prepared to sell the the vinyl but he subsequently found a seller in Neil Young’s home country.
Demo Vinyl Record Of Beatles’ Debut Hit Hugely Valuable “As Paul McCartney’s Name Spelt Wrong.” The market for rare Beatles memorabilia shows no sign of slowing down, with a rare early single by the 1960s pop group expected to sell for up to £9,000 ($11,3900) at auction on Monday (6/24). The BBC reports that the demo record contains the early hit song Love Me Do with its accompanying track PS I Love You, and is one of only 250 ever printed on vinyl, pressed and distributed to music TV and radio stations prior to the record’s release in October 1962. The BBC quotes vinyl specialist Rob Smee explaining the value of the record lies in Paul McCartney’s name being misspelt as “McArtney.” He said: “Being one of only 250 it is of particular interest to Beatles’ collectors and the misspelling of Paul McCartney’s name is both authentic and interesting in itself.”
Crank Up the Tunes Of the ‘60s With This Gorgeous ‘The Bikeriders’ Vinyl Soundtrack: Cruise with the tunes of The Bikeriders as Mutant and Black Lot Music team with Collider to exclusively announce the arrival of the vinyl release The Bikeriders — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, featuring the music from Jeff Nichols’ latest film. While you may not be able to listen to it while you’re doing a little soul-searching on the open highway, the 13-track record is the perfect addition to any vinyl lover’s collection, as it shows off Nichols’ refined palette of jams from the 1960s. On top of that, the record and its sleeve boast a classic look that will make it visually fit in with other pieces from the decade of rock ‘n’ roll. On the front side of the case is Austin Butler as Benny, cruising across a bridge on his classic Harley-Davidson motorcycle, decked out in his club’s leather jacket, and looking behind at the rest of his pack.
