Oxford, UK | Big Scary Monsters Social Club in Oxford set to close: Big Scary Monsters Social Club—a craft beer bottle shop also selling vinyl records – is to close. The shop at 98 Cowley Road—known as BSM Social Club – was launched at the end of 2020 by Kevin Douch, and he has been running it with Gemma Hefferon-Douch and Leigh Shorter. Now, despite the support of loyal customers over the past three years, a decision has been taken to close due to ‘skyrocketing costs.’ It’s not the first Cowley Road business to fall victim to the cost of living crisis. Reign, a vintage store which traded for 17 years, closed in April and Atomic Burger closed in January. And restaurateur Clinton Pugh has revealed his Cafe Tarifa has been re-possessed and has blamed LTNs in east Oxford for making trading conditions difficult.
Bengaluru, IN | Bengaluru’s Record Room Launches Label, Set for Vinyl Launch of Indian Indie Compilation: Artists like Peter Cat Recording Co., The F16s, Easy Wanderlings, RANJ x Clifr x Issamood, Ditty and Lojal are among 10 acts featured on the LP, which has been in the works since 2021. When he was about 10 years old, Manipur-origin, Goa-based artist Lojal aka Martin Haokip discovered vinyl records in his mother’s old room. It was only a decade later that Lojal would hear music on an LP record player. “The idea of a vintage and worn-out technique or technology still captivating the ears and spiritual responses of a listener in today’s fast, compact, digital and modern world is captivating at the least,” he says. Lojal is among 10 other Indian independent artists featuring on vinyl in 2023, courtesy of craft beer and vinyl bar Record Room in Bengaluru. The space is launching Record Room Volume 1 – the first collection of 10 songs pressed on an LP – on June 11th. It also marks the start of the label arm of Record Room.
South Bend, IN | Music lovers flock to South Bend Record Show: Billed as the “largest, one-day sale of music,” the South Bend Record Show made its way back to Michiana on Sunday for the third time in 2023. Vendors from multiple midwestern states filled 85 tables with thousands of vinyl records, CDs, memorabilia, and more at the Gillespie Conference Center. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., hundreds of people came to talk about music, add to their collection, or find a music lover’s perfect holiday gift. “I just hope people can continue to enjoy the medium that they can come out here, swap stories with our vendors who are all really knowledgeable,” said Jeremy Bonfiglio, owner of South Bend Record Show. “Whether you’ve been doing it for 50 years or five minutes, you’re brand new to vinyl, it’s a great experience to come out.” The next record show takes place on Aug. 6.
Brisbane, AU | Brisbane Scores New Vinyl Listening Bar ‘Ruby, My Dear.’ Ruby, My Dear is a “true haven for music lovers.” Brisbane has scored the spectacular new vinyl listening bar, Ruby, My Dear, and it’s now open. Hosting regular Guest DJs, Ruby, My Dear also presents delicious meals including vegetable dumplings, deep-fried Agedashi tofu, seared Bonito tuna, Berkshire pork collar with caramelised mandarin miso and green chilli nashi, and much more. Also on the menu: an abundance of cocktails, including a good old Espresso Martini, the Yardbird, Honey Hiball, and Hard Boiled Wonderland, as well as beer on tap and a selection of wines. Ruby, My Dear officially opened on Thursday, 13 April. In a Broadsheet wrap-up, the publication revealed that the venue hosts DJs four nights a week, from Thursday to Sunday. In addition to the regular DJ spots, Ruby, My Dear will also have a live jazz band coming in to jam on the first Tuesday of each month.
Portland, ME | Things to Do: WMPG Summer Driveway Record Sale: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. WMPG, 92 Bedford St., Portland. wmpg.org The big, multi-dealer annual sale is in November, but here’s a fun chance to add to your music collection this weekend. WMPG is setting up several tables that will be piled high with stacks of record albums and CDs. Let the hunt begin as you find good deals and help support the community radio station. If you have albums, CDs, turntables, amplifiers or speakers you no longer need, the station sure would love them for the sale, so reach out via 207-780-4424 to make donation arrangements.
Akron, OH | Local history: Girls lined up to see pop star Shaun Cassidy at Akron store in 1979: “We want Shaun! We want Shaun! We want Shaun! We want Shaun!” The high-pitched chant grew insistent. More than 2,000 girls and a handful of confused-looking parents crowded Grapevine Records & Tapes in 1979 for a glimpse of pop star Shaun Cassidy during an in-store appearance at Westgate Plaza in Akron. The event was scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Aug. 28, but young fans began to arrive before 6:30 a.m. at 1688 W. Market St. in Wallhaven. When the doors opened at 10, the crowd filled the 9,000-square-foot store and then formed a line that stretched the length of the shopping center.
Tallahassee, FL | Upcoming vinyl album sale in Tallahassee will feature 10,000 records. Here are the details: The Community Thrift Market’s upcoming three-day vinyl sale should be on the radar for record collectors and music fans. With the help of a hefty donation from the son of a cherished buyer and seller, who remains anonymous, the nonprofit organization will be holding a 10,000 Record Album Sale from Friday, June 16, to Sunday, June 18. The first day of the sale will be held noon to 5 p.m. and the first dibs of the LPs will be at a set price of $20 each. The second day’s hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with records at a set price of $10 each. On the last day of the sale, which will be held from noon to 4 p.m., albums will be on sale for $5 each. Volume purchases are also being considered. The sales will be conducted in a large space so shoppers can spread out and dig. With four members on staff and open space, the market hopes to avoid any pushing or shoving that can occur with shoppers. Market manager Karen Loewen said the large collection features a bit of “everything, every genre.”
