Record shops are gearing up for Record Store Day’s first release ‘drop’: How RSD 2020’s Drop Dates are going to work. Having faced two reschedules due to you know what, Record Store Day 2020 is taking shape as three “drops” of limited-edition vinyl records, as was announced back in June. Now, the event’s organisers have shed light on how record stores around the country are planning to open for the occasions. The new-look celebration of independent record stores will see shops selling this year’s exclusive RSD releases on three drop dates: Saturday 29th August, Saturday 26th September and Saturday 24th October. More than 200 independent record stores in the UK have faced uncertainty during the pandemic, and many of them are preparing to be open for the first drop date in three Saturdays’ time, with the hope that it will provide a much-needed sales boost. Music fans will be able to use the Record Store Day store locator from the 14th August to find out how their local shops plan to open.
Record Store Day announce further details ahead of its first “drop” this month: The adapted 2020 edition of the annual record-buying event is being staggered over three dates this year. The organisers of Record Store Day have announced further logistical details of their adapted 2020 edition, with the first of their three “drops” set to take place later this month. In light of the coronavirus pandemic — which has already seen the annual event being moved twice from its original April 18 date — Record Store Day will be staggered over three days (or “drops”) this year: August 29, September 26 and October 24. Ahead of the first “drop” on August 29, RSD organisers have today (August 10) shared more details on the socially distanced plans they will have in place for this year’s event. Music fans will be encouraged to use the Record Store Day store locator from Friday (August 14) to find out how their local shop plans to open on August 29. Measures that are set to be in place include bookable time slots (which will be available one week in advance on a first-come, first-served basis) and the operation of socially distanced queues.
Shibuya, JP | Mule Musiq’s Toshiya Kawasaki opens new Tokyo listening bar, Studio Mule: The 11-seat space features high-end vintage audio equipment, a tiny record store and Kawasaki’s natural wine collection. Sharing its name with the sub-label Mule established in 2017, Studio Mule opened as an 11-seat venue in Shibuya over the past weekend. According to label boss Toshiya Kawasaki, the bar is fitted out with high-end vintage hi-fi equipment including Klipsch speakers, a Mark Levinson amp and a Thorens turntable. It’s also stocked with more than 1,000 natural wines which Kawasaki has been personally collecting since 2009, and it features a “very small record store which looks like a telephone box.” Studio Mule is open Monday through Saturday each week from 6 PM to midnight.
San Francisco, CA | SF Record Store Permanently Closed: On Monday, August 3, the record store 1-2-3-4 GO! Records announced via social media that their San Francisco location will be closed permanently. The comic shop, gallery, and publisher, Silver Sprocket will be fully taking over the room. Silver Sprocket had moved in and shared the space with the record store since February. According to the introduction of the business, 1-2-3-4 GO! Records is an independent record store and label dedicated to vinyl with a small selection of CD’s and Tapes. Their San Francisco location was launched on Valencia Street five years ago. The owner, Steve Stevenson says they have five amazing years serving in the neighborhood. During shelter-in-place, the business hosted a virtual concert via Instagram Live with Broken Guitars and the Golden Bull in April. The announcement of closure notes that the store closed due to heavy revenue losses and uncertain future…
BTS’s ‘Dynamite’ Vinyl And Cassettes Sell Out (Again) Amid Massive U.S. Radio Campaign: BTS’s new single “Dynamite” doesn’t come out for two more weeks, but it’s already making a huge splash in several key areas that point to a massive Billboard Hot 100 debut. The Korean pop septet’s first all-English single is flying off the digital shelves of their new “Dynamite” webstore. The first batch of limited edition “Dynamite” vinyl and cassettes sold out within an hour of availability earlier this week, and a second round quickly sold out on Friday morning. Both physical products will count toward the Nielsen SoundScan and Billboard charts in the United States; the track is also available separately as a regular and instrumental MP3 download. “Dynamite” also generated a sizable buzz on streaming services, with more than 500,000 people pre-saving the track on Spotify—a new record for BTS—according to HITS Daily Double.
