Peckham, UK | Peckham’s Rye Wax is on the hunt for a new store location: The record store is set to move from its current home at Bussey Building. Peckham-based record label Rye Wax is on the hunt for a new store location after revealing that it will no longer be operating from its current home at Bussey Building. The store’s inventory has been removed from Rye Wax’s Discogs following issues at its current location, the store’s creative directors have explained, and will remain “temporarily closed” until stock issues are ironed out. “While it’s true that it seems very unlikely we’ll be getting back to the basement anytime soon, it doesn’t mean we’re done,” Rye Wax’s Creative Director, Chris Watson, tells Mixmag. At the start of the pandemic, Rye Wax’s outlet situated inside Bussey Building’s CLF Art Cafe closed temporarily to prevent the spread of COVID and has remained shut in the years since. Now, Rye Wax is on the search for a new location, with hopes to set something up on Rye Lane.
Peckham, UK | Rye Wax opening pop-up record shop in Somerset House this summer: Featuring live performances and turntable listening stations. Peckham record shop and event space Rye Wax is launching a 2-week pop-up at Somerset House this July. In addition to showcasing independent labels, Rye Wax will also be selling print magazines that “representing photography, writing and illustration that touches on art, activism, gender, culture, sexuality and music.” The takeover is part of Somerset House’s East Wing Edit—a summer-long series of free workshops, performances, exhibitions and talks focused on creative processes and industry. Independent music and activism group #RealMusicRebels will also hold a week long takeover in the space, with “video installations of iconic jazz musicians exploring the intersection of art and activism,” listening stations and lectures.
Needham, MA | Boston-based record label amps up local music scene: Founders have worked with more than 60 artists under their Counter Intuitive Label. The City of Boston has quite the relationship with music – from classical greats to rock and roll legends. Many a band got their start in the Hub, working with record labels that simply gave them a chance. Maynard natives Jake Sulzer and Dan Sweeney are both musicians themselves, but at 30 years old, the two friends also run the Brighton-based record label, Counter Intuitive Records. Growing up together, Sulzer and Sweeney recognized they shared a passion for music. As they looked into their favorite artists, they realized many of their favorite bands were all working with the same record label. Eight years later, Sulzer and Sweeney have worked with about 60 artists and released 100 albums under the Counter Intuitive label. “It’s a bedroom label because we’ve always operated out of whatever bedroom I’m living in at the time,” said one of the co-founders.
Twitter Is Raising Money With A Vinyl Auction — 24 “Essential” Albums Including Two Copies Of Tom Petty’s Greatest Hits: Twitter, er, X, needs money. At the beginning of the year, the company auctioned off a bunch of items from its San Francisco offices — those included a lot Twitter-branded memorabilia but also your standard office furniture: chairs and couches and the like. Heritage Global, the company that handled the auction the first time around, is hosting another one next month, with even more items up for bid in the wake of Twitter’s rebranding. In addition to some bird-branded items, up for grabs are tables, refrigerators, even some instruments. …It doesn’t seem like any of these records are vintage or particularly rare. But, hey, it comes with a “Victrola Nostalgic 6-in-1 Bluetooth Record Player” — MSRP $114.99. You could own a piece of Twitter office history! The opening bid starts at $25, and the auction opens next month.
Baltimore, MD | Portable turntables are making a comeback. Here are the 8 best. Vinyl record players have been around for many decades, but they enjoyed high popularity in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Before vinyl, records played at home were made from shellac, a hard material similar to ceramic. After World War II, music recording labels shifted toward lacquered records (vinyl), as it was cheaper to produce. While the technology never disappeared, music lovers shifted to cassette tapes and eventually compact discs, leaving disc jockeys at clubs and radio stations as the only users of a seemingly dead medium. But the spinning platters with crackles and pops from the needles are making a comeback. The year 2022 was the first time in many decades that vinyl sales surpassed compact discs. Music experts can’t agree on why that is exactly, but it might have something to do with the romantic notion of records, the colorful sleeve artwork and the satisfaction of opening an album jacket.
Altered Images / Bite 40th anniversary reissueL 2CD and half-speed mastered vinyl. Altered Images third album Bite will be reissued for its 40th anniversary in October. Having worked with Steve Severin and Martin Rushent for the first two albums, 1983’s Bite was produced by both Mike Chapman and Tony Visconti and features the single ‘Don’t Talk To Me About Love’, which was the band’s last top 10 UK hit. The album was a progression with its more polished production, something Grogan alluded to when she spoke to SDE last year: ““I like that record a lot. Stephen (Lironi, drummer and Grogan’s husband) came along and took us to another level, as he was obsessed by technology. He had a Linn drum, and he was the first person I knew who owned a computer. He was obsessively tech and we had a lot of attention to detail. Also, imagine getting to make a record with Mike Chapman and Tony Visconti. In your wildest dreams – tick. The gobby Glaswegian side of us had to be there for Bite: working with legends like that and telling them how you want it to work. That’s just cheeky. Mike is brilliant. I saw him a few years ago, and he told me: ‘You guys nearly pushed me over the edge.’ I felt quite proud of that.”
The All-American Rejects announce 20th anniversary vinyl reissue of debut album: The All-American Rejects have announced a vinyl reissue of the band’s 2002 self-titled debut album in honor of its 20th anniversary. The record will arrive August 25. The package also includes a companion 7-inch single, an acoustic version of the bonus track “Cigarette Song” and a demo recording of the cut “Don’t Leave Me.” The original The All-American Rejects album spawned the single “Swing, Swing” and is certified Platinum by the RIAA. On Friday, August 11, The All-American Rejects will launch a U.S. tour in Tampa, Florida, marking their first full-scale headlining outing in a decade.
James Taylor’s 1979 album, ‘Flag’, getting limited-edition pink vinyl release: One of James Taylor’s classic albums is getting a new vinyl reissue. The singer’s 1979 studio album, Flag, will be getting a limited-edition reissue by Music on Vinyl. Only 1,000 copies of the new pink-colored vinyl will be available on September 1 courtesy of Music on Vinyl. It will be released on 180-gram audiophile vinyl, with a gatefold sleeve with linen laminate finish. Released in May 1979, Flag was Taylor’s ninth studio album and featured such songs as “Millworker,” “Brother Trucker” and a cover of “Up On The Roof,” which was his final top-40 hit as a solo artist. The limited-edition vinyl Flag is available for preorder now. Music on Vinyl has already released several James Taylor albums on limited-edition vinyl. Previous releases include 1985’s That’s Why I’m Here, 1977’s JT, 2002’s October Road and 1993’s James Taylor Live.
