US vinyl sales up 21.7% for first half of 2023, report finds: Vinyl boom continues with another major leap and Taylor Swift’s Midnights leading the pack. Vinyl sales in the US are up 21.7% for the first half of 2023 over the same period last year, according to a new music industry report. The vinyl resurgence is itself not new – 2022 marked the 17th consecutive year that sales of vinyl records rose, according to Luminate’s music midyear report. But the growth rate this year has reassured experts that the vinyl market did not hit a natural plateau after surging during the pandemic, which caused a 108% increase in 2021. The data company’s findings, released on Wednesday and first reported by Variety, also includes figures on Americans’ consumption of non-English language music (40% of US listeners have non-English music in their diet), as well as charts of the best-selling and streaming albums of the year so far.
Lynn, UK | Tony Winfield to close The Record Shop in King’s Lynn after nearly 30 years: The doors to a town record store will shut for the first time in nearly three decades as its owner prepares for a new chapter. Tony Winfield has run The Record Shop at St James Street in Lynn since 1996, and has been selling albums on and off since the 1960s. Now, having reached the age of 70, he is planning to launch a clearing sale within the next fortnight – and the store will close at some point in the near future. The closure will be a “gradual thing”, and Tony hopes whoever takes on the building can keep the premises going with a similar business. “I’ve got other things I want to do, and if I don’t do them now, you never know how much time you’ve got left when you’re 70-years-old,” he said. “I shall miss it when I go, I know I will. I missed it in lockdowns. “The customers are great. They stand around chatting, laughing, drinking coffee, talking music. It’s fantastic.”
Glasgow, UK | Lost in music: A look back at some much-missed record shops: Gloria’s Record Bar was for a long time, in the black-and-white era, one of the best-known record shops in Glasgow. Back in 1956, Mrs Betty Blint’s dress shop in the Battlefield area was struggling. One day her daughter Gloria received record tokens as a present, and when she came home with records, the penny dropped: why not sell vinyl in the shop? Ten of the then most popular 78s were consequently displayed alongside the dresses, and a trend was born. The stock of vinyl grew rapidly. The dresses stopped being sold. Tape cassettes and acoustic guitars were added later. It could however be slightly chaotic when someone wanted to listen to the latest Frank Sinatra record while someone else asked to hear the newest Rolling Stones single. So the Blint family bought the shop next door, turning it into a ‘pop shop’. The original unit housed the ‘adult record shop’. “Now the records don’t get mixed up and the customers don’t get in each other’s way. Everyone is happy,” said Gloria’s brother, Howard.
Toronto, CA | Popular record shop in Toronto is closing: One of Toronto’s most popular record stores, Tiny Record Shop, is officially closing its doors at the end of the summer. The humble space, located at 777 Queen St. E., is home to a wide array of new, used, and vintage records spanning all types of genres. In an announcement titled “all good things must come to an end,” staff revealed that the shop would be closing its doors after the end of its lease. “To be a part of this community has been such an honour, we are grateful and want to thank all of our glorious and dedicated customers for everything you’ve provided us and we hope we’ve in turn provided many great records in addition to your already excellent vinyl collections for many years to come. It’s been a pleasure being not your average record shop and we’ll def miss you.” Staff assured customers that they wouldn’t be gone forever and were just taking some much-needed time to get some air, breathe, and see what’s next.
London, UK | Dior x Denim Tears Launch Pop-Up In London Record Store: To commemorate the Dior Tears collection, a collaborative effort between Dior’s Kim Jones and Denim Tears’ Tremaine Emory, Dior has unveiled its London pop-up store at Phonica Records in Soho. Described as an “an immersive and multisensory” experience, the first and the only European installation for the collab has been decked out with huge inflatables, which feature a co-branded moniker and floral artwork, mid-century furniture, and video-projected shorts. Inspired by denim in all its forms, the collaborative collection includes classic pieces—like the Saddle Bag and the Dior Lingot—in reimagined workwear-inspired materials. Bringing together elegant and casual design codes with streetwear influences, the range also includes collegiate outerwear-style, contemporary chinos, wool overcoats and plaid shirts, as well as jacquard and discharge prints made by the Dior atelier. The Dior Tears pop-up is open until July 13 at Phonica Records, Poland Street, Soho.
Norwalk, CT | Norwalk’s first record store, Full Haus Records, opening this weekend: Norwalk’s first full-fledged record shop is coming to Knight Street this week. Full Haus Records will hold its soft launch opening on Sunday, July 16, starting at noon. Full Haus Records is the brainchild of Dylan Lutomski and Kiki Ferguson, whose goal is to provide a community outpost for record collectors and DJ’s. “From our experience of living here and making music here, it’s a very needed hub for the general population of musicians and collectors,” Lutomski said. “It creates a vibe for the town.” Lutomski, who grew up in Westchester County, New York, moved to Norwalk six years ago in order to work with fellow musicians in the area. Lutomski runs the Brooklyn-based DIY record label Micro Vision Recordings and has a history of managing bands. Two years ago, he set up a studio space that could host its own events, but as he and Ferguson purchased more record collections, the idea came forth to open their own record store. “We’ve been compiling records for years. We’re looking around and we’re like ‘Where’s the record store?‘”
Kingsport, TN | Big Lon’s Vinyl Record Expo set to offer records of all kinds: A decade ago, Lonnie Salyer had no inkling whatsoever that he would become a record collector known through record collecting circles all over the world. But that’s exactly what happened. “I hadn’t owned a record player in 20 years,” said Lonnie Salyer, “but I bought this record by Little Joe Arwood (on the Kingsport record label). That piqued my interest in records, local records.” Nicknamed Big Lon, Salyer’s Big Lon’s Vinyl Record Expo commences on Sunday, July 16, at the fabled Kingsport Civic Auditorium in Kingsport. The record show fits well within a wide umbrella of events staged within Kingsport’s Fun Fest. “It’s a celebration of records,” Salyer, who lives in Kingsport, said. “The uniqueness of this show, it’s not for profit. It’s free to attend.” Befitting the event, a brand new and rare picture disc LP by Bristol’s Moose “Trainwreck” Roberts will be available for sale during the show. Titled “Th’ Dang Expo LP 2023,” it’s limited to only 10 numbered copies.
Taylor Swift Fan Claims New ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ Vinyl Is Pressed Incorrectly: One Swiftie thought she was finally about to hear the singer’s updated vocals, but that wasn’t quite in the cards. Swifties have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the beautifully pressed vinyl editions of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)—which include marbled designs in either a deep dark purple, orchid, or lavender—but one fan was met with quite a surprise when she placed needle to record this week and heard something that was decidedly not the “I Can See You” crooner. The fan, named Rachel, took to TikTok to share the discovery, which was somehow devastating and hysterical at the same time. …But after playing the first track on the vinyl, she wondered, “Who is this?” Because instead of the opening chords of “Mine,” a female voice rattled off in spoken word, “I quit seeing people. Quit looking at the flakes of flesh and dancing organisms…” “This is Speak Now (Not Taylor’s Version),” she joked before flipping it over. On that side, a man repeated, “The 70 billion people of Earth…where are they hiding?” That track was later identified as “Yashar” by Cabaret Voltaire.
Lush Announce Spooky, Split, and Lovelife Vinyl Reissues: The band’s three albums return, remastered, to standalone vinyl for the first time since the 1990s. Lush are reissuing their three albums, Spooky, Split, and Lovelife. The reissues, remastered by Kevin Vanbergen, will put the records back on wax as individual LPs for the first time since the 1990s, following a 2016 box set release. They’ll be available from August 11 on black or clear vinyl, the latter exclusive to independent record stores and the 4AD online store. Bandbox will also carry a limited-edition bundle of all three albums in exclusive colors, with a fanzine on the band. Lush reunited in 2015 but broke up a year (and a reunion EP) later. Read Pitchfork’s Sunday Review of Spooky, and read about Split and Lovelife in the rundowns of “The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums” and “The 50 Best Britpop Albums,” respectively.
