Everett, WA | Meet The Owner – Bargain CDs, Records & Tapes: When you’ve been doing something for more than three decades and people keep coming back, having a huge smile when they walk through your door and bring their friends, you must be doing something right. For 33 years Gordy Arlin has been doing things right. “We’re an old school used record store,” Gordy told me last week during our visit. “There were six competitors when we started who’ve since fallen to I-Pods, Downloads and CDs.” Gordy worked in two different used record stores before opening Bargain CDs, Records & Tapes thirty-three years ago at the corner of Hewitt and Rucker in downtown Everett, Washington. The store operated there for 18 years until moving to 2501 Broadway where it’s been since. “We believe we have the largest inventory of DVDs, LPs and CDs in the northwestern United States,” Gary said. “We’re treading water to keep a bricks and mortar shop open.”
Fenelon Falls, ON | Travel back to the 1970s at Fenelon Falls’ new Instagrammable retro record shop: EastEnd Electric Records also offers regular live music performances and sells home décor, clothing, artwork, jewellery, and more from independent artists. A new record shop in Fenelon Falls is taking visitors back in time to an age of big hair, groovy bellbottoms, and soulfully good music. Not only is EastEnd Electric Records the new go-to spot for used and new records, it’s also a ’70s photo op, performance stage, and celebration of independent artists. Even from the outside of the building, the vibrant orange brick and rainbow logo tell customers that EastEnd Electric Records is not like any other music store. Described by co-owner Cody Valliant as an “Instagrammable, experiential, destination record shop,” with swanky blue walls adorned with movie posters and a ceiling tiled with album covers, EastEnd Electric Records is a retro blast from the past. “We really have a fondness for retro culture and design…”
Bury, UK | Bury record shop and café pays tribute to ‘much loved’ colleague and friend: A record shop and café in Bury has paid tribute to a “much loved” close friend and team member who has died. Wax and Beans on Market Street is raising funds to support the family of Dennis Wise, who worked in the shop alongside co-owners Ben Soothill and Louise Jackson. In a message alongside the fundraiser, Ben and Louise said Dennis had supported the business since before it opened its doors four years ago, and that he had also worked with them in their staffroom helping to pack and send their online orders. Dennis had recently taken some time away from the shop with a chest infection. They are now aiming to raise as much money as possible to support his family, including his son James, and to assist with funeral costs. Ben and Louise said: “On hearing of Dennis’ passing, we were both shocked and devastated.
Dublin, IE | ‘Vinyl is a thing of beauty’ – HMV returns to Ireland after eight years: HMV has opened its first store in Ireland – eight years after closing its doors and going online. The new store on Henry Street is the British retailer’s first outside of the UK since it was rescued by Canadian businessman Doug Putman in 2019. The chain now has flagship outlets in Birmingham, London and Dublin. There were long queues at the store this morning as the outlet made its return to Ireland. HMV spokeswoman Patrizia Leighton told Newstalk the excitement outside the shop was palpable. “It is so great to be here in Dublin,” she said “I mean, the people have been amazing and the teams are really up for it, so yeah, it’s really good. “And obviously, the amount of people that were here this morning, it was great.”
New York, NY | A Record Store That Dared to Dream in a Troubled Time: With a civil war exploding around him, Terri Hooley dared to open a record store called Good Vibrations on Great Victoria Street, commonly referred to as “Bomb Street.” As every artist knows, the most difficult times can bring on the best work. Such was the case in 1970s Northern Ireland, which spawned the punk likes of Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones and The Outcasts. Also squabbling, dancing and bantering with Hooley in his store were members of Rudi, a Belfast band formed in 1975 that became one of the most popular punk outfits in the region. Coming out of the scene a hundred miles south were Dublin bands that included The Radiators from Space, The Boomtown Rats, Berlin, The Blades, The Vipers and The Virgin Prunes. For every one of them, there’s a listicle of lesser known groups. And we all know about a certain Irish band named after an American Cold War spy plane that made it big…
Phoenix, AZ | New Zia Records store in Phoenix will be its biggest yet. Here’s what to expect. Zia Records is preparing to open its biggest store yet at 35th Avenue and Bethany Home Road in the Maryvale neighborhood of Phoenix. The Phoenix-based chain is moving its 19th Avenue and Camelback store into a new location slated for soft opening in early August. Grand opening celebrations with special promotions, exclusive releases, giveaways, events and more are planned for late August. According to a press release, the move was driven by a desire to provide customers with “an even better experience” and more extensive range of products at a store “dedicated to enhancing its customers’ journey by curating a diverse selection that caters to all tastes and interests.” …Zia CEO Jarrett Hankinson issued a statement saying, “We are excited to showcase our biggest store yet, providing a unique shopping experience for everyone in our communities.
South Haven, MI | Music lovers show renewed interest in vinyl albums: Kevin Crooks enjoys his albums. Never mind Sirius satellite radio, CDs or music from Amazon Music Prime. Crooks likes purchasing vinyl records. “I like the experience of listening to a whole album, flipping it over on the turntable, looking at the artwork,” he said. The 56-year-old man from Kentucky visited South Haven during the recent Harborfest celebration and found Phoenix Records and Boutique, a business that sells used and new albums, and found several choice records – one by Creedence Clearwater Revival, another by Bob Dylan and a third by Detroit-based band White Stripes. “It’s great to be able to find these albums,” he said. He’s not the only one who enjoys perusing used record shops to find albums. Charlie Lintner of Niles was also shopping for albums at Phoenix Street Records during Harborfest. “I’ve been buying albums for 50 years. I’ve got a collection of 12,000,” he said. “I like all kinds of music.”
Vancouver, CA | Soulessentials: Catch some 90s vibes at Vancouver’s newest record store: Get your record players ready! Collecting vinyl records has seen a rebirth in the past few years, and Soulessentials Records is just the store to cater to the demand from Vancouverites. Located at 1470 Commercial Dr, Soulessentials has been open for less than a year but has already emerged as one of the best stores to buy records in the city. Soulessentials owner Crispin Richards has been collecting records for over 20 years and opened the store to showcase his collection. “The store is just like my basement. It is me opening up and showing how I live and who I am to the world,” Richards tells V.I.A. Richards was previously a videographer and music engineer who moved to Vancouver at the age of 20 from Montreal. Now 52, Richards says that collecting records is his favourite hobby. “I have been collecting vinyl records for so long…I could buy a record from $2 to $100 and it is something that I have always done. I always go out looking for the next song or the latest album,” he says.
