Benton, AR | Vinyl record sales climbing and growing in popularity: Though we now live in the age of streaming, data shows that physical sales of vinyl records have climbed the charts over the past three years. How we do anything changes constantly— though it may sound vague, think about any electronic you use. You’re upgrading every few months or years, using the latest and new greatest item. The same is true for how we listen to music. We now live in the age of streaming, but just a few decades ago, vinyl records dominated the charts. Since then, we’ve seen CDs, MP3 players, and streaming services take over, but there’s always been a dedicated base of collectors, keeping vinyl records alive. Recently, that base has been growing by groups you may not expect. “I’ve got six year old’s that come in here, and their parents let them pick out albums, and they’re not just picking out kids albums,” Audra McAnally-Parsons said. “They’re picking out rock, and AC/DC, I mean they’re picking all of it out.”
Turners Falls, MA | Record store owner marks Franklin County return with new Turners Falls location: With vinyl records making a comeback recently, record store owner John Benedict is making his own return to Franklin County with Music Connection, his new shop set to open on Avenue A next month. Benedict, who worked for nearly two decades at Greenfield’s former About Music record store, is the new tenant at 187 Avenue A, where the Couture Bros. paint store had been until last year. …The new business looks to stand out, particularly with a broad selection of new releases. After moving to Keene, New Hampshire following the closure of About Music in 2009, Benedict said he was visiting his son in Turners Falls last year when he saw the vacant Avenue A storefront. “When I was waiting for him to get out of work, I … sat down on the bench at the park there with the amphitheater and saw the sign that said, ‘For Lease,’” he recalled. “I said, ‘What? How?’”
Greenock, UK | New Blur album ‘The Ballad of Darren’ boosts Greenock shop: A Greenock record store owner is expecting a Blur business boom as the band’s new album launches today with an iconic local sight on its cover. Reverence Music’s James Haggart believes that the Britpop band’s decision to put a photo of Gourock Pool on its ninth studio album’s cover will boost sales locally. He says his shop has already had numerous enquiries about the group’s new album ‘The Ballad of Darren’ which features a striking picture of the well-known local lido on its cover. …Mr Haggart told the Tele that having millions of people enjoy a set of tracks with a local landmark on the cover would help generate interest in the area. He said: “Having the pool on the cover has definitely given it a boost. I have seen quite a bit of chat locally online and people have mentioned it in the shop as well. I think seeing the pool on there surprised everyone. We’ve been expecting a bounce from it because of the local connection.“
Chicago, IL | Vendors at Pitchfork sell records, tooth gems, food and more: ‘We manifested it and now we’re here,’ says Taj Franklin, whose restaurant J. Spice sells Caribbean fusion food at a different festival almost every weekend. …Over at the CHIRP Radio Record Fair, where various vendors set up their own clothing, jewelry, body butter and handcrafted item pop-up shops, Shuga Records set up shop. Owner Adam Rosen first opened the business 23 years ago in Minneapolis before relocating to Chicago, where he now has two stores: one in Wicker Park, another in Logan Square. Rosen, who’s been operating his record shop at Pitchfork before Shuga Records even moved to Chicago, said that he’s seen many changes over the years. There are dozens of record shops in the city, and Rosen expressed his disappointment that more of them weren’t present at this year’s festival. “There were a f- – – ton of [record] vendors,” he said. “It’s kind of a little bit sad actually, because it’s mostly labels now.”
Trenton, MI | Local Record Store Spotlight: Slick Disc In Trenton, Michigan: This time around I’m shining the spotlight on a downriver record store. Slick Disc in Trenton has been around since 1990. Owner, Rob Slykerman told me that they specialize in customer service, new and used vinyl, CDs, clothing and accessories. You can visit them at 1625 west road in Trenton, or punch up their website, as well as their Facebook and Instagram. Give them a call at 734-692-1881 if there’s anything you’re looking for.
Montpelier, VT | Devastated Montpelier record store picks up after record flooding: Record flooding in Vermont this month drowned the City of Montpelier. The streets of the capital city are still covered with mud and debris as families and business owners pick up the pieces. Buch Spieler Records, a long-running downtown music store, lost most of its inventory including thousands of albums in the flood. As part of WAMC’s continuing coverage on flooding in the Northeast, store co-owner Knayte Lander spoke about the flood and recovery with WAMC’s Lucas Willard.
Sudbury, ON | Record man Tony Anselmo made his mark on Sudbury: Music connoisseur, downtown booster sadly gone at age 70. Tony Anselmo rolled into town, found his groove, and never stopped believin’. The Records on Wheels owner and blues impresario passed away Wednesday at the age of 70, but not before infecting generations of Sudburians with his passion for music and his pride in the downtown core. “He helped curate a good record collection for not just myself but everybody we knew, everyone who went in there,” said Paul Loewenberg, who started frequenting the Elm Street shop shortly after arriving in Sudbury in 1989. “It didn’t matter if you were looking for a 12-inch by The Clash or something off the Top 40 wall. He wasn’t any different to that person than he was to the one buying acid jazz or Frank Zappa.”
West Lafayette, IN | Lafayette area legend, Jim Pasdach—owner of JL Records—passed away on Tuesday: The Greater Lafayette community learned Wednesday that Jim Pasdach, well-known, respected and beloved owner of JL Records passed away on Tuesday. The JL Records team informed the community of his passing via a Facebook post, which read, “Jim passed away from congestive heart failure after a long and brave fight. We will miss his one-of-a-kind spirit, his confidence, his friendliness, and his encyclopedic knowledge of music. Rock ‘n’ roll music was his greatest love!” The comments were flooded with loving memories and heartfelt condolences. For many in the community, Pasdach represented the ideals of a music lover and saw his store as a mecca for those of inquisitive taste in music. His passing came as a shock to many.
UK | NME launches limited-edition print return inspired by vinyl renaissance: The bi-monthly relaunch is said to be a “marketing investment” that will create hype from scarcity. The resurgence of vinyl and cassettes have helped lead to music and entertainment magazine NME relaunching in print after five years digital-only. NME will produce a glossy magazine costing £10 or $14 every two months with a limited run each time – the idea being to create hype through the “inherent value of scarcity” – in part inspired by major sneaker drops. NME began life as a weekly rock newspaper in 1952. It left newsprint behind in 1998 for magazine paper and format, but eventually, after long-term circulation decline, it went free in 2015 and closed in print altogether in 2018. Holly Bishop, chief operating and commercial officer of NME Networks, told Press Gazette on Thursday: “NME obviously boasts an incredible print legacy. It’s one of the most recognised titles on Earth in print. We’ve had the biggest icons across pop culture appear on our cover.”
