Chicago, IL | Business owner Val Camilletti dies: “…She had the gift of gab,” said Val’s halla Records Store Manager Shayne Blakeley. “Val always wanted things to be synchronized and come full circle around the anniversary of her ownership of the store. When we moved locations she insisted that the last day at the old store had to fall on the store’s anniversary. Our present location is a mile away from where she grew up and that is why they moved the store to Harrison Street. That is when the pattern clicked and everything came full circle. When I got the news of her death I called my own mom and told her I lost a parent. She was more than a boss, she was family to me and many others. Val was a font of knowledge and the store was a free mental health clinic because of her. I hope to continue that legacy.”
Brattleboro, VT | Over beers, shop switches hands: Downtown has been home for the last 13 years to Byron Greatorex’s record store, which now has a new owner. “Brattleboro is unique,” Greatorex said. “It’s bittersweet. There will be a day this week, where I walk out and won’t walk back in for a while. The reality of that is starting to sink in a tad bit.” On Wednesday, Greatorex sold In The Moment Records to Sujay Patel. The two had discussed the possibility via email then things happened quickly. Through social media, Greatorex had made it known that the store was for sale as he planned to relocate to the Philadelphia area. But several potential buyers had dropped out in earlier talks. Eventually, Greatorex and Patel made a deal over beers. A mix up on an order resulted in more drinks coming to their table than planned.
Wheeling, WV | Nail City Record relocating to Downtown Wheeling: A new record store will be opening up this week in Downtown Wheeling. Nail City Record is relocating from their old spot in Elm Grove to a new location on the third floor of the McClain building off 12th Street. This new spot is double the space which has allowed them to almost double their inventory. Owner Jonathan Napier says, “We are angling towards a place where everybody can come and spend some time record collecting, and music is multi-generational experience so it’s just a place for every one.” The store will be open Tuesday through Saturday from Noon until 7 PM, Sundays Noon until 4. They will remain closed on Mondays. They will be doing a soft opening this Friday with a grand opening sometime in the future.
Telluride, CO | An addiction that feeds: Music occupies an enormous amount of my life. It is not an escape from reality, but it is my reality. Music is therapy. It inspires, it incites, it soothes, it soars. Music is life. Given its importance, the delivery method is key. If it can’t be heard live, the only legitimate way that music’s depth and range and nuance can be experienced is when the needle hits the groove on a delicious slice of vinyl. My love affair with vinyl — I more often refer to them as albums or records — began as a curious, small human skittering my parents’ jazz, folk and classical records across the living room floor. I have no recollection of this event, but obviously, the attraction was evident.
AU | How Your Record Collection Is Damaging The Environment: There’s no denying the devastating impact single-use plastic bags are having on the environment, but there’s another debate that’s been gaining traction among the music industry as of late that could change the way the vinyl business operates. Vinyl addiction is real, and while you could argue for days about the plastic they’re pressed on, there’s another element to the industry you might have overlooked: the plastic shrink-wrap they come in. Sure, it protects your precious vinyl – especially those exclusives you can only get overseas – but the process of shrink-wrapping is adding to a larger problem. As artists like Wolf Alice and James Bay join the fight overseas, Green Music Australia – who headed the Splendour Beach Clean last weekend – is pushing for change at home.
