Barrow, UK | Independent Barrow music shop, TNT Records, is set to host its first-ever film screening event: An independent Barrow music shop is set to host its first film screening event this week. TNT Records on Duke Street, which opened at the turn of the year, will welcome well-known author Graham Jones on Thursday evening to present his new documentary ‘The Vinyl Revival’. This exclusive showcase evening will also include a Q&A as well as a quiz with prizes to be won. ‘The Vinyl Revival’ is a 43-minute documentary that follows on from the acclaimed ‘Last Shop Standing’ and is directed and produced by Pip Piper. Released as part of this year’s Record Store Day celebrations, the film is now heading into a limited cinema and festival run – including this rare chance to watch it at TNT Records. Shop owner Dave Turner said: “Graham is a massive champion of independent record shops and he was straight in touch with us as soon as we were announced as a Record Store Day venue.”
Missoula, MT | Return of vinyl: Missoula record stores see resurgence in sales: Seventeen-year-old Missoula high-school student Noah Woodin likes spinning Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” on his turntable. No, that sentence wasn’t written in the 1970s; it was written today. Vinyl records are once again hip, and Missoula’s Hip Strip is the place to find them at Ear Candy Music and Rockin Rudy’s Record Heaven, both on Higgins Avenue downtown, south of the bridge. “I prefer vinyl for the aesthetics, and the quality of the music,” Woodin says. He’s not alone. “A young guy came in yesterday and bought 200 records,” says Scott Storer, manager of Record Heaven. “There’s been a real resurgence in vinyl. I sell hundreds, if not thousands of records a week, and mostly to younger people in their teens and twenties.” John Fleming, owner of Ear Candy, reports similar numbers. “I now sell about five records for every CD I sell,” he said. “Vinyl has really made a comeback.”
Bronx, NY | Vinyl Record Collectors Preserve the Legacy of Local Music Stores: Vinyl album sales have increased 15% in 2018, with 16.2 million records sold, according to Nielsen Music. Unfortunately, the growth in sales has not prevented independent music stores from closing down within our communities. The recent shutdowns are due to larger retailers, like Barnes and Noble, now stocking vinyl records, the popularity of e-commerce and rising rent. To preserve the music left in our neighborhoods, Tasha Digital – also known as Analog Lady – is visiting local record stores, interviewing store owners and exploring their music collections on camera. Harmony Records used to be located in the heart of the Parkchester section of the Bronx for 60 years until the property was sold and its store was forced to shut down at the end of 2015. Months before Harmony closed its doors, Tasha got a piece of history and video memorabilia, as featured in her latest episode of Conversations in Analog.
Austin, TX | Spoon adds Friday record-store signing before amphitheater show: Never mind Moon Week, here’s Spoon Week! The titanic Austin indie outfit’s first-ever best-of compilation, “Everything Hits at Once,” will be out Friday via Matador Records, just in time for the band’s performance that evening at the Austin360 Amphitheater on a bill with Beck and Cage the Elephant. And now there’s an afternoon signing-party at Waterloo Records as well. Pre-order, or purchase on-site, a copy of either “Everything Hits at Once” (available on CD and vinyl) or the 7-inch single for “No Bullets Spent” — the album’s one new track — to get a guaranteed-admission wristband for the signing event, which runs from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Note that they’ll sign one item per customer, and will only sign these two new releases.
Johannesburg, ZA | The Spin Music Fair Takes Place On Sunday 28 July: The Spin Music Fair will be holding their Annual Super Vinyl Sale on Sunday 28th July from 10 am to 2 pm On The Deck at the Dunkeld Bowls Club, Hume Road, Dunkeld, Johannesburg. There will be hundreds of selected records at drastically reduced prices (R50 and under) as well as new full-priced 180 gram reissues,2nd hand imports, CDs, cassettes, audio accessories, turntables and more. If you visit the Clover Records stand you can check out their amazing selection of rock memorabilia including collectable action figurines. If your interest runs into the hardware side of music, spend some time talking to Guillaume LeMaire of Croak Audio who pretty knows everything about audio equipment and will guide you through the technical minefield in a no-nonsense and practical way. When the hunger pangs get to you order some scrumptious burgers or toasted sandwiches at the Club bar and while you’re at it have them pour you a `frostie` or glass of wine.
