Flossmoor, IL | Conservatory Vintage and Vinyl celebrates 5-year anniversary with DJs and sales: Conservatory Vintage and Vinyl, a mid-century modern furnishings and record store in downtown Flossmoor, first opened in July 2019 and has begun to celebrate its five-year anniversary with events every Saturday this month with DJs and sales. DJ Zulu, DJ Sean Doe, other record collectors and music fans and Conservatory’s owners and employees gathered at the shop at 1042 Sterling Avenue on Saturday, July 6, for the first of four five-year anniversary events. “Five years ago next week, we officially opened our doors with the ribbon-cutting. So, we’re celebrating all month our five-year anniversary with different activities,” co-owner Tony Fields said. “We’re super grateful to be here, to be a part of the community,” co-owner Chogie Fields said.
Washington, DC | Joe Lee, proprietor of a record paradise, dies at 76: His store, in suburban Maryland, became an informal center of the Washington area’s music scene. …After studying art and working in a Los Angeles record store, Mr. Lee returned to Maryland and opened Joe’s Record Paradise in Takoma Park in 1974. The shop has moved to several other locations in Montgomery County over the years and is now operated by his son in Silver Spring. In every location, Joe’s Record Paradise was a cluttered hodgepodge of music memorabilia, posters and books, but mostly an eclectic collection of vinyl LPs, compact discs, tapes and videos of every description: country and hip-hop; Tejano and comedy; alt-rock and punk; jazz, including from pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. At the center of it, as resident raconteur, impresario and all-around music maven, was Mr. Lee, a nonstop talker who knew where each of the 100,000-odd titles in his shop could be found.
Newark, UK | Man trades Stamford Market for Newark Market with his vinyl and DJ stall: A man known to markets for over 20 years will start trading at Newark Market offering each visitor a quirky and ‘surprise’ visit. Jon Coupland, a renowned DJ on the Northern Soul scene and vinyl enthusiast has been trading up and down the country for many years and a DJ for 40 years. Previously trading at the Stamford Market every Saturday, Jon has chosen to move his stall and his varied collection of over 65,000 records. Not only to entertain the market and capture visitors’ attention with his collection ranging from soul, rock, 70s rock, to 60s music, reggae and punk, but he will also be live performing a DJ set at the stall. Newark Record Stall will be playing and selling music to all tastes from 8am until 3pm. He said: “Newark is the perfect place because of its proximity, it is central and easy to get to.”
Glasgow, UK | Record Store Day: Remembering when Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker turned up at Monorail on Record Store Day: Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker once surprised Glasgow music fans on Record Store Day. Jarvis Cocker is no stranger to the Glasgow having made an impromptu visit to Monorail Music on King Street in 2018 on Record Store Day. Pulp took to the TRNSMT main stage last summer for their first performance in Glasgow in 14 years. Cocker stunned fans who had queued up outside the city centre record store as he declared Monorail Music open for business for the day with it likely that he knows the co-founder of the venue, Stephen McRobbie who was part of indie legends, The Pastels who shot to fame in the 1980s. Taking to Instagram, Cocker said: “Happy Record Store Day! I was honoured to be asked to officially open Monorail in Glasgow for business this morning. Kind of walked off with the scissors after tho…”
San Diego, CA | North Park Vegan Market & Record Fair: Presented by Vegan Food Popup Events on the 2nd Saturday of every month. Enjoy an incredible selection of food and drinks, with over 50 vendors including Pizza, Burgers, Sushi, Donuts, Chick’n Sandwiches, Dumplings, Loaded Fries, Gyros, Tamales, Wings, Noodles, Churros and so much more. The North Park Vegan Market is located next to the North Park Mini Park, a great place to meet up with your favorite people to enjoy a day of food and fun. This spacious plaza features seating, gardens and a playground. Vendors are set up on 29th St and both sides of North Park Way between 30th St and Granada Ave. RECORD FAIR AT THE MARKET: Chakasonica Fronterizx Vinyl Collective presents the North Park Record Fair at the North Park Vegan Market. Shop a select group of the best vinyl vendors in the region, offering an extensive selection of genres with thousands of LPs and 45s. Dig around in the crates and find some hidden gems!
Mount Gambier/Berrin, AU | Turning the tables for first local vinyl festival: AS the spike in popularity for vinyl records continues to grow, a brand new Mount Gambier/Berrin event will aim to take full advantage of the beloved medium’s return this weekend. The Mount Gambier Festival of Vinyl has called on 15 different record traders both locally and interstate, with some travelling as far as Adelaide and Melbourne, to bring a large collection of records and other media to the keen collectors of the region. Event organiser Scott Dickson said the idea of the event was to bring some of the rarest and most sought-after records in the country to Mount Gambier/Berrin’s doorstep. “There isn’t anything like this in the region, there are lots of big fairs which happen in Adelaide and there is even one in Port Fairy where traders can come along,” Mr Dickson said. “Vinyl records hold a really special place in a lot of people’s hearts because it takes you back to the time where your parents might have had that kind of record…”
Mount Prospect, IL | Three Friends Record Sale returns July 13 in Mount Prospect: Three Mount Prospect friends, Bob, Bob and Fred, will hold a gigantic vinyl record sale from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, at 306 W. Hiawatha Trail, Mount Prospect, off Elmhurst Road/Route 83, near Golf Road. Thousands of records provided by the ‘Three Friends’ for this one-day sale include vintage and new sealed vinyl in all genres — rock, jazz, country, comedy, movie soundtracks, world music, children’s and more. …For years customers have been finding jewels at the Three Friends Record Sales. At the same time, demand for vinyl has surged. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reports that “recorded music revenues in the U.S. in 2023 continued strong growth for the eighth consecutive year. Total revenues grew 8% to a record high $17.1 billion compared to $15.9 billion in 2022.” The quality of the vinyl sound and the album artwork are some of the reasons sales continue to surge.
UK | Sex Pistols single fetches record price at auction: An extremely rare vinyl record by the Sex Pistols has sold for a record-breaking price at auction. The sought-after copy of the controversial single God Save the Queen was printed in 1977 to coincide with the late Queen’s Silver Jubilee. About 25,000 records were withdrawn from sale following a backlash to lyrics describing the monarchy as a “fascist regime.” However several copies remained in circulation, one of which was sold by vinyl record specialists Wessex Auction Rooms on 5 July for £24,320. The single was released during the band’s time with record company A&M in the 1970s. It became the most censored record in British history after being banned by the BBC and nearly every independent radio station in Britain. A&M dropped their contract with the fledgling punk rock band and all copies of the God Save the Queen single were destroyed.
Bob Dylan gives fans chance to relive 1974 tour with The Band on staggering 27-disc set: Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings announced Tuesday the set will be released on Sept. 20, and will retail for $129.98. Bob Dylan fans who want to relive his 1974 concert tour with The Band will soon have the opportunity to do that—ample opportunity. He is releasing a staggering 27-disc box set that includes full recordings of 27 of the 40 shows of that tour, Dylan’s theatrical return to the stage with the backing of the group with whom he made some of his most memorable music. Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings announced Tuesday that the set will be released on Sept. 20, and will retail for $129.98. The box includes some 417 previously unreleased performances, the record company said. Fans who want a slightly smaller bite can buy a three-album highlights box on vinyl. It’s definitely for completists: The set will contain 21 different versions of “Lay Lady Lay” alone. There was already a live album of songs from that tour, “Before the Flood,” that came out in the 1970s.
