Baltimore, MD | Read Street: On the Record: Mount Vernon Records is emerging as a space for music and community: Located on Read Street, near the heart of Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon Records is more than just a record store. Mount Vernon Records was founded in 2022 by Aaron “Doc Diggle” Spence and William “Cheeky Willie” Hicks, two artists with over 20 years of experience in DJing, record collecting, producing music, and planning events. It’s a hub created by artists where people from all walks of life can come and feel welcome, seen, and appreciated while learning something new about music and possibly even themselves. Whether through an enriching conversation about music history with the owners, discovering a unique sound you wouldn’t have expected, or just looking to step into an unfamiliar world and try something new, Mount Vernon Records is a perfect place to be.
Lexington, SC | Lexington record store owner reflects on decision to close, seek new local location: “…Our current place is STUFFED. Our space is definitely a fantastic, cozy and inviting spot, but we definitely feel the walls closing in. We have records, CDs and cassettes everywhere. We stock all genres of music, but we have only been able to supply ample space for our rock, soul and hip-hop Sections. Our other sections (country, gospel, classical, reggae, and more) are all available, but depending on how many people are in the shop, this can definitely become a task to accommodate our space. We have records/CDs/tapes under tables, posters and merchandise in plastic bins. A newer place about double (or even triple our size) will definitely open up our collection to the record buying mass, but would also allow space for customers to shop and not feel like they have to play musical chairs just to check out a section.”
Alexandria, VA | Crooked Beat Records opens underground shop in Del Ray: Crooked Beat Records officially opened today in the basement of 2417 Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood. Owners Bill and Helen Daly hosted a ribbon cutting at the new record shop on Friday that was attended by dozens of customers. The 1,200-square foot basement is 300 square feet bigger than their old shop that closed at the end of April in Old Town North. “It’s still a work in progress,” Bill Daly said. “We’re trying to keep the atmosphere the same as it was on N. Fairfax Street.” A former DJ at North Carolina State University, Daly worked for a record shop chain for years before founding Crooked Beat Records in 1997 in Raleigh. He moved the business to Adams Morgan in D.C. in 2004 and then to 802 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town North in 2016. The shop was forced to close in April due to residential redevelopment. Daly signed a five-year lease for the 1,200-square-foot basement—in the same building that houses Cheesetique, the Del Ray School Of Music and Piece Out Del Ray.
New York, NY | Business of the Month: Record Runner, 5 Jones Street: Our July Business of the Month is your ideal destination for either of two worthy goals: finding a music collectible that evokes the fleeting intoxication of the time when your aesthetic sense first emerged and, in its youthful arrogance, defined you as a person; or disposing of an old musical memento and, with it, the reminder of a time when you confused anger with virtue and youth with beauty. Record Runner (5 Jones Street) has been selling and buying records and collectible music items for over forty years. It is one of the last survivors of the dozens of record stores that once dotted the neighborhood, and remains an incomparable place to hunt for rare musical finds. The story of Record Runner begins, as many good stories do, with a boy collecting records.
Edinburgh, UK | Moment mindless Edinburgh yob kicks head off iconic record shop statue: A figure of the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland has stood outside Tommy’s music store on Tollcross for 20 years. While it puts a smile on local’s faces, one man destroyed it with a kick. A raging record store boss has told how a mindless yob kicked the head off an ‘iconic’ statue outside his Tollcross business. Tommy Robertson, owner of Backtracks Music Games shop and Hatman Mobile Disco Party, was serving a customer in the record shop when he heard a loud bang. The statue of the Mad Hatter sits outside the music store at the bus stop on Brougham Street and has done for the last 20 years. However, on Tuesday, July 11 at around 4.50pm, someone decided to attack the figure. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Tommy said: “I was in the shop serving a customer and a heard this loud bang outside. I went out to have a look and saw the hat of the Mad Hatter on the floor. “There was a guy standing at the bus stop and about 30 yards ahead of him was a guy, probably in his 30s wearing a blue top. Well, he turned round and gave me the finger. “If I wasn’t serving the customer I might have taken the law into my own hands…”
Centre County, PA | Don’t call it a comeback: Vinyl sales on the rise in county. If you have an old box of records just sitting in the garage, it might be time to dust them off and get out the old record player. You see, vinyl is back. Records have returned and their popularity is on the rise. Used records, new records, it really doesn’t matter. Buyers are gobbling up records left and right. In Centre County, there are several places to shop for vinyl. You can purchase records at a myriad of record shops, thrift stores and the like. But two of the most popular locations are in Bellefonte. Fez Records: In October 2022, Fez Records opened its doors at 2042 Axemann Road in Bellefonte. The business is located just outside the popular Titan Market. The owner and operator of Fez Records is Michael Fester, who resides in State College with his wife, Cortney. Fester’s love of records and music started at a young age. Opening Fez Records, he said, has been a dream come true. The shop has been open for 10 months now. What a wild ride it has been.
Christine McVie’s final two solo albums to be reissued on CD and vinyl: In honor of McVie’s legacy, Rhino announced plans to release remastered versions of her final two solo albums this fall. Rhino is celebrating Christine McVie today on what would have been the beloved singer-songwriter’s 80th birthday. While she has been deeply missed since her death last November, the music she made, both with Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist, continues to resonate with fans worldwide. In honor of McVie’s enduring legacy, Rhino is introducing new music today and announcing plans to release remastered versions of her final two solo albums this fall. The first release out today is a new Dolby Atmos and stereo mix of In The Meantime created by McVie’s nephew Dan Perfect, who helped write and produce the original in 2004. The collection also includes “Little Darlin’,” a previously unreleased gem unearthed from those recording sessions. The other release out today is by Mick Fleetwood, the legendary drummer and co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, who pays tribute to his bandmate with a touching new instrumental version of “Songbird” featuring ‘ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro.
Remastered vinyl editions of three landmark Gerry Rafferty albums set for August release: New vinyl releases of three classic Gerry Rafferty albums City to City, Night Owl and Snakes and Ladders, newly remastered at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, are set to be released in August. The half-speed method is used to improve audio quality by cutting at half speed allowing twice as long to record the mechanical groove. All three titles will be available on black vinyl everywhere with an additional orange City to City double vinyl, exclusive to Dig! and independent retailers on 25 August 2023. Originally released in 1978, City To City was the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s second solo album and first release since his departure from Stealers Wheel. The album was a worldwide top 10 hit for Rafferty across the globe, including #1 in the US, going platinum in the process. The album is masterclass in songwriting, production and musicianship, featuring arguably the most famous saxophone riff of all time with Baker Street, as well as the understated love song, the recent viral hit Right Down The Line.
Tom Waits Reissuing “Mid-Period” Island Records Albums: Including Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, and Bone Machine. Five Tom Waits albums released by Island Records in the 1980s and 90s are being reissued with fresh remasters. The archival campaign kicks off on September 1st with 1983’s Swordfishtrombones, 1985’s Rain Dogs, and 1987’s Franks Wild Years. Reissues of 1992’s Bone Machine and 1993’s The Black Rider will follow on October 6th. All of the albums have been newly remastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering under the guidance of Waits’ longtime audio engineer, Karl Derfler. According to a press release, Swordfishtrombones was sourced from the original EQ’ed ½” production master tapes, while Rain Dogs, Franks Wild Years, Bone Machine, and The Black Rider were sourced from the original ½” flat master tapes. Bellman remastered the audio in high resolution 192 kHz/24-bit. The new vinyl editions will come with specially made labels featuring photos of Waits from each era in addition to artwork and packaging recreated to replicate the original LPs, which have been out of print since their initial release.
