Columbus, GA | Blue Canary Records coming to Broadway in Columbus: Spinning forty fives, listening to the latest singles on CD or vintage vinyl sounds like the good ole days, but it’s also the focus of a new used record store on Broadway in Columbus that’s opening soon. Blue Canary Records has used records dating back to the 1940s. With lots of rock, country and jazz – the owner, Brian Cook, says the store will have over a thousand records for customers to buy and you can even sell the ones you have. He says Columbus is lacking in record stores, which was part of the reason why he decided to create Blue Canary Records. Cook is looking to expand his collection of records to improve the diversity of his collection. “If people of Columbus have records or you know they’ve got stuff that’s been sitting in the attic for a long time or they have something that they just want to show me – bring it, I’d love to see what Columbus has,” said Cook.
Grand Rapids, MI | Vinyl Alchemy elevates the full musical experience: A new record shop has opened in Grand Rapids’ Eastown neighborhood. Located at 1505 Wealthy St. SE, Vinyl Alchemy purveys vinyl, CDs, and art and pop culture collectibles. Rapid Growth recently chatted with Vinyl Alchemy’s owner, Kevin Romanyk, about his new music store. Kevin Romanyk: Why vinyl? Why not? What is it that draws us to it? Ultimately, it comes down to you’re creating an experience. There’s something to the ritual. The anticipation of putting on that album, the planning that’s involved, and sitting down and enjoying that quality time whether you’re alone or with a loved one. You want to enrich the experience as much as possible — because we work hard all week. When we have a moment to ourselves or with loved ones, we want it to be the full experience.
Birmingham, AL | Local vinyl store owners seeing rise in sales: Vinyl record stores everywhere have seen an increase in traffic and interest as many people have taken up collecting. More than just a method of listening to your favorite artists, Blue Moon Records owner Neal Watts explains the thrill of collecting. “I won’t say it’s a cult but it’s the closet thing I think you can get with a product those of us that like vinyl will always like vinyl it’s not something you get into and then decide well maybe that’s not for me.” Vinyl enthusiasts like Watts from all the way out in Hanceville just like those in Birmingham are seeing a surge or interest for their favorite music format as many people have their own different reasons for collecting. Along with enjoying the art, sound or even the search for new additions to their collection, Dan Drinkard, owner of Seasick Records explains why people may be buying more vinyls today.
Indianapolis, IN | Dead Formats convention brings together tape and vinyl lovers: Music and movie lovers young and old gathered at the Black Circle Music Hall Saturday in Indianapolis, bonding over their love of everything retro. “There is a lot going on in the world right now and I kind of enjoy the simplicity of my phone. Make calls and I can stick this in a VCR,” said 16-year-old Joseph Knebel, as he clutched a handful of VHS tapes, including “Back to the Future” and “Short Circuit”. Knebel was hoping to sell or trade the tapes at the annual Dead Formats convention. “It started out as a mainly VHS convention, but it sort of expanded into vinyl betas and CEDs (Capacitance Electronic Disc). Indianapolis has a tight knit relationship with RCA, who developed the CEDS,” said Black Circle owner Jesse Rice. Rice opened Black Circle as a brewery, but then converted it into a retro-themed bar and music venue. “We only play VHS at the bar. Black Circle is reference to a vinyl record, so we only play vinyl and VHS here.”
Bolton, UK | Market Place holds record fair and summer market: Fun seeking families and music lovers thronged to Bolton’s Market Place this Saturday for a summer market and record fair. The events took place between 10.30am and 4pm with a range of exciting stalls on offer. One of the most popular aspects proved to be the extensive stalls stocked full of vinyl records, ranging across all kinds of genres and era. Stall holder Steven Meekings said: “It started slowly this morning, but it’s picked up into the afternoon. “There’s a lot of people who aren’t really aware of the record trade, so it’s been really good having people come in and, in some cases, buy their first record here.” He added: “We’ve had 12 or 13-year-olds in some cases who might have to ask their parents what a record actually is but then they come away with their first one.” Mr Meeckings runs X Records on Bridge Street in Bolton town centre and says that part of what he enjoys about the event is making people aware of his shop and about the rich culture and heritage surrounding the record trade.
Santa Clarita, CA | SCV Record Show draws local vinyl community: While vinyl has technically been obsolete since compact discs were invented, those who attended the first annual Santa Clarita Record Show on June 11, hosted by Airwaves Records, drew in music connoisseurs who apparently didn’t get the fax. In fact, this isn’t a recent phenomenon — vinyl record sales have increased every year for the past 17 years. Vinyl sales hit an all-time low in the 1990s before steadily increasing in the 2000s. While sales are nowhere near where they were during the golden age of records, their upward trend hasn’t wavered, and attendees and vendors at the Record Show — held at the Canyon Country Community Center—listed several reasons as to why it’s resurgence is happening during an age when physical copies of most things are becoming harder to find. Jeff Lui, a record collector whose Instagram page has seen success since he launched it during the pandemic, said that his collection was already full and his thirst for rarities brings him to record shows—where niche vendors can have what he’s looking for.
Pressed to the edge: Why vinyl hype is destroying the record: We have a problem. The music industry has been celebrating a surge of interest in one of its most beloved artifacts: the vinyl record. Major labels are returning to their old business model and are quickly saturating clothes stores, online shops, electronics outlets and international vinyl-themed holidays with reissues of old classics. It’s easy to get swept up in the hype – after all, this is surely a worthy alternative to streaming for the music fan with a fondness for physical objects. However, the vinyl boom is hiding problems that could have disastrous implications for popular culture. Vinyl production worldwide is currently operating way above its capacity, and expensive materials, expert knowledge and antiquated techniques have led to to supply shortages and quality problems.
Galway, IE | Decoding the Dead Wax: Understanding the Groove Etchings on Vinyl Records: For the uninitiated, the world of vinyl records can seem like a mystery wrapped in an enigma. From the warm, rich sound to the tactile experience of handling a record, there’s a lot to love about vinyl. But one aspect that often goes overlooked is the ‘dead wax’ or runout groove area. This seemingly insignificant space, usually found near the label at the centre of the record, can hold a wealth of information for those who know how to decode it. The ‘dead wax’ or runout groove is the area on vinyl records between the end of the music grooves and the label. It’s called ‘dead’ because it’s a space where the needle can rest without playing music. But while it may be silent, it’s far from empty. This area often contains a series of numbers, letters, and symbols etched or stamped into the vinyl. These markings can provide valuable information about the record, including where and when it was pressed, who mastered it, and sometimes even hidden messages from the band or mastering engineer.
