London, UK | There’s a new record store opening in East London: After almost a year in Tottenham, Kristina Records will soon return to Hackney in east London. Kristina Records closed their Stoke Newington store last year, before moving temporarily to multi-purpose venue The Cause in Tottenham. Announcing the news on Instagram yesterday, Kristina Records founder Jason Spinks said that the new store at Well Street near Hackney Central “will be up and running ASAP“. Earlier this year, ACC Art Books published a book that takes you inside London’s record stores. Brooklyn in New York welcomed two new record stores in Spring this year.
Toronto, CA | Toronto record shop Invisible City closes physical storefront ‘indefinitely’: “We’re looking for a new home now, and we hope to be back up and running soon,” the owners say. The record shop and label announced the move in an email today, adding that they will continue selling records online while they look for a new location. “The business we were sharing the space with has decided to go in a different direction that does not include us anymore,” the owners wrote in an email today. “We’re looking for a new home now, and we hope to be back up and running soon!” Meanwhile, the online record shop will be business as usual. Specializing in funk, disco and soul (especially from Africa and the Caribbean), Invisible City opened for business in November of 2016, as an offshoot of the reissue label Invisible City Editions. Cofounder Brandon Hocura also split off from Invisible City in 2017 to start his own online store and label, Séance Center.
Gallatin, TN | Gallatin officials to decide next steps for ‘dangerous’ Randy’s Record Shop building: City officials are allowing advocates of a historic record shop a little more time to present a more ‘viable’ plan to restore Randy’s Record Shop, a building that officials deemed dangerous and which could be demolished. Gallatin City Council members tasked representatives of the Historic Randy’s Record Shop Foundation, a nonprofit organization aiming to save the historic landmark, with coming up with a better plan to save the two-story former record shop with a caved-in roof and asbestos found in its material…Randy’s Record Shop opened in 1946. In its heyday, it was the largest mail-order record store in the world in the 1950s and 1960s, established by Randy Wood. Among other historic milestones, Wood also founded Dot Records from the record shop, and the label featured Pat Boone, Johnny Maddox, Roy Clark and other artists over the years. Wood died in 2011 at age 94.
Sacramento, CA | The next hunt: As Dimple Records plans to close, mom-and-pop shops thrive. For the last decade, Dimple Records has been Neil Vann’s hunting ground for classic rock and heavy metal CDs. “I have these lists I’ve been going through for years, and I just cross them off,” Vann said inside the Dimple Records on Broadway, showing several crumpled papers lined back-to-front with album names. “It’s been a hobby to rummage through all the stuff and see what you find.” Vann is one of many customers who professed a love for LPs and CDs and Dimple Records, the 45-year-old chain that announced on June 18 that it would close all seven locations after selling their inventory. Owners John and Dilyn Radakovitz told the Sacramento Business Journal that factors for their decision include declining sales and the increasing California minimum wage.
Boston, MA | Meet Armageddon Records, The Record Store-Turned-Label For Punks And Metalheads: If you weren’t looking for it, chances are you would walk right by Armageddon Records in Harvard Square without noticing it was even there. The Boston-based record store is a staple — the kind of place that’s recommended by any music junkie living there, particularly to fans of punk and hardcore — and yet its public-facing storefront is modest at best, invisible at worst. It’s burrowed underground in a basement space. Its front entrance, an inconspicuous apartment door jammed between an eyebrow threading service and an eyeglasses shop, reveals a descending stairway and a few Armageddon-labeled records hammered to the sloped ceiling. Occasionally a black sandwich board is propped open on the sidewalk to get your attention. Perhaps that’s why Armageddon feels like a vinyl oasis when you step into the store.
Macomb, IL | Western Illinois Museum to hold vinyl sale during heritage days: The Western Illinois Museum will be hosting a sale for its countless vinyl records on Saturday, June 29, as part of its Heritage Days celebration. The records are those that have been donated to the museum over the years, and museum staff said they’re beginning to be a handful. “We just can’t handle this many records,” said Sue Scott, Director of the museum since 2008. “We’re keeping enough to maintain our collection, but the rest we thought we would sell.” Scott said proceeds from the sale would go towards purchasing archiving material for the record collection, and that records can be purchased cash or check. The sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Starting at 11 a.m., the museum will also be hosting a meet and greet with Grand Marshal Duane Sorrells from the Saturday morning Heritage Days parade.
Wausau, WI | ‘Route 51’ to discuss ‘magic’ of vinyl records: Once considered a relic of the past, vinyl records are making a huge comeback in central Wisconsin. “Route 51” host Shereen Siewert will welcome longtime radio broadcaster Duff Damos and vinyl enthusiast Jaron Childs, a WXPR-Rhinelander volunteer, to discuss the magic of LP records at 10 a.m. June 27. They will delve into the reasons more people are rediscovering this popular format – and the magic that happens when the needle drops. As any record collector will tell you, poring over dusty volumes in forgotten corners of the jazz section, or finding a classic Led Zeppelin record within the treasure trove of 1970s classic rock, is nothing short of a thrill. Thanks to renewed interest in vinyl, more artists are producing LPs, and those LPs are showing up in homes and in independent record stores throughout central Wisconsin.
Hot Springs, AR | Library to host Record Show-and-Tell, Table Tennis Tournament: The Garland County Library, 1427 Malvern Ave., will host a Record Show-and-Tell and an adult Table Tennis Tournament on Saturday, July 6. Record Show-and-Tell will begin at 11 a.m. and the Table Tennis Tournament will begin at 1 p.m. Both events are free to attend but require advance registration, either in person at the library, by calling 501-623-4161, or by visiting http://www.gclibrary.com. Record Show-and-Tell will allow collectors and vinyl enthusiasts of all ages to bring some of their favorite records and reminisce with others who share a love of record collecting, a news release said. One lucky attendee will win a classic album by The Beatles. Record Show-and-Tell is free to attend and open to the public.
How to master vinyl: Sony partners withMinistry of Sound DJ to reveal top tips for vinyl enthusiasts: For many music fans, vinyl is the ultimate way to enjoy high-quality sound complimented by beautiful artwork. However, for some the mere thought of using a turntable can be incredibly daunting. To celebrate the release of the new Bluetooth PS-LX310BT Turntable, Sony has partnered with former Ministry of Sound DJ and Vinyl Expert, D.A.V.E to reveal top tips for getting started with vinyl. “I’ve been DJing for over 26 years and have learnt a lot of tricks along the way when it comes to working with vinyl. I know that it can feel intimidating for beginners so it’s great that the new Sony Turntable is so simple to use. I hope my tips encourage those who are new to vinyl to explore the amazing quality of music it offers.”
Rock Hall, MD | Vinyl Revival at the Mainstay is July 13: The Eastern Shore’s venue for live music is throwing the record party of the year on Saturday, July 13. During Vinyl Revival — the Mainstay’s summer fundraising event — staff will be spinning platters and raising money from noon until 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are can be purchased at the Mainstay during showtimes or online at InstantSeats.com. The Vinyl Revival will feature a day and evening of LPs representing all the memorable styles and eras of music Mainstay audiences love: jazz, folk, blues, classical and more, a news release states. As a special treat, the LPs will be played over an incredible sound system provided by the Listening Room of Chestertown. Bart’s Records Chestertown will be on hand all day, for those looking to buy that elusive, vintage, vinyl LP. Starting at noon, each hour of the 10-hour event will highlight a specific style or era of music. Participants are invited to come for the whole day or stop by for a few hours.
