New York, NY | A new record shop has opened in Brooklyn: Focusing on electronic music, as well as indie labels, and reissues. A new record shop, called Octopus Records, has opened in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighbourhood. Octopus Records originally launched as an online shop in 2019, with its Brooklyn outpost marking its first physical shop. Specializing in hard to find electronic music — from house to techno via IDM — the physical shop also stocks reissues, indie labels, and import presses. Octopus Records also offers cleaning and flattening services. The shop is located at 204 Irving Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237.
Chicago, IL | Signal Records Opens In Former Bric-A-Brac Spot, Bringing Post-Punk, Industrial And More To Avondale: Blake Karlson, founder of local record label Chicago Research, recently opened Signal Records at Diversey and Kedzie avenues, featuring tens of thousands of LPs. Bric-a-Brac Records moved to a new location last year, looking for more space after eight years at Diversey and Kedzie avenues. But thanks to a record collector and local record label founder, the corner storefront is still a destination for vinyl. Blake Karlson, founder of the label Chicago Research, recently opened Signal Records in the former Bric-A-Brac spot at 3156 W. Diversey Ave., selling mostly used, hard-to-find LPs, with a focus on post-punk, experimental, global and industrial music. The shop’s grand opening is set for Sept. 3-4 with DJ sets and refreshments. Karlson is a longtime member of Chicago’s hardcore and punk scene who’s spent years playing and attending shows while amassing an enormous vinyl collection.
US | Put the Needle on the Record: Top Five US States That Love Vinyl: Here’s a trivia question: Which US state is most obsessed with vinyl records? The online vaping shop, ProVape, conducted a survey and compared the results against state populations to discover where the aficionados of the LP reside. Sales of vinyl records have grown steadily, and in 2021 alone, 41.7 million LPs were purchased. That’s up more than 45 percent in the 15 years since the vinyl revival began. In a media statement by ProVape, a spokesperson for the company said, “It is fascinating to see how many people want to purchase vinyl records nowadays. People tend to have a feeling of nostalgia when it comes to the pre-digital era. The new millennium brought a series of digital innovations to the musical world, which are far more convenient and appealing from a user perspective, compared to the stationary vinyl record player. However, listeners have now found a new love for vintage music, and it’s amazing that people all over the US still search vinyl records online in such vast numbers.’’
Austin, TX | Austin’s members-only Soho House spins out vinyl bar and Italian restaurant: …The restaurant fits the main mission of Soho House, which is to bring members together to connect, have fun, and celebrate the creativity that makes Austin unique. Paired with the other new addition, Dante’s HiFi, the South Congress outpost is continuing to cater to some of the city’s best features: food and music. Taking over the pre-screening room for a year-long residency, Dante’s HiFi is actually a Miami import, hailing from Soho’s coastal outpost in Florida. Outfitted with a custom sound system from Soundlux Audio in Miami — which may quite literally blow listeners away — the space is intended to match Austin’s vibrant music scene. (For the tech geeks out there, the speakers are vintage Klipschorn speakers with custom crossovers and a vintage 1960s McIntosh MC 275 tube power amplifier, according to a release.)
Hudson Valley, NY | Fascinating record collections from around the Hudson Valley: Music fans love collecting vinyl. We all had records growing up, and the popularity of vinyl started to decline with the invention of cassettes, compact discs, and eventually the internet making music downloads available. But there has been a niche resurgence for vinyl in the rock music community in recent years with 9.2 million records sold in the U.S. back in 2014, a 260% increase since 2009. Also, sales in the UK increased five-fold from 2009-2014. And the sales just keep increasing. Record Store Day was even started with the resurgence of vinyl back in 2007 and it’s celebrated annually, sometimes multiple times a year, in an effort to celebrate the culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores around the U.S. and thousands internationally. The vinyl record even has its own national day each year on Aug. 12. According to National Day Calendar, the day encourages listening to all kinds of music on vinyl records. We decided to ask the Hudson Valley to show off their extensive record collections, and got some great submissions.
Iconic Vinyl Record Scenes on Screen: Music has always been considered the primary vehicle of human memories. Each August 12, music enthusiasts celebrate National Vinyl Day to recognize an invention that has allowed people to capture their memories forever. Just a bit of a background story: the first vinyl ever (also known as a phonograph record) was created by American inventor Emile Berliner in the 1890s. By 1895, record players were available to a wider audience. In 1909, Odeon Records released the Nutcracker Suite, by Tchaikovsky. It was the world’s very first album. The golden age of vinyl reached its peak in the 1960s – 1970s. The compact disc (CD) technology that emerged in 1974 nearly drained the vinyl market by 1988. However, vinyl records have made a huge comeback in recent times. As we speak, we are in the midst of has been called “The Vinyl Revival”. Besides, vinyl has always been an essential part of our cinematic experience.
Ray Charles’ Label Announces Remastered Re-Release of Album ‘Ray Sings, Basie Swings.’ It will be available on CD and double vinyl. Tangerine Records, the label Ray Charles founded in 1962, has announced its plans to re-release his 2006 album, Ray Sings, Basie Swings. The remastered version will be available Sept. 23 on all streaming services, as well as CD and double vinyl, for the first time in a decade. The 12-track album features a previously unreleased live recording of Charles from the ’70s paired with newly recorded compositions from the Count Basie Orchestra. “Let the Good Times Roll,” which won Best R&B Performance at the 3rd Grammy Awards, is the focus track and arrives with a lyric video. The idea to posthumously release Ray Sings, Basie Swings came in 2005. John Burk, head of Concord Records at the time, found a reel of tape labeled “Ray/Basie.” “I was immediately excited as there were no prior recordings of Ray Charles with the Basie band…and I practically ran to put the tapes on the machine,” says Burk.
Japan / Exorcising Ghosts: Classic compilation reissued on half-speed mastered vinyl. Japan’s 1984 compilation Exorcising Ghosts will be reissued as a half-speed mastered 2LP vinyl set, in October. The album was compiled and produced in consultation with lead singer David Sylvian, two years after Japan dissolved. It features three recordings from the band’s early career on the Hansa Records label (including 1979’s ‘Quiet Life’) but largely focuses on material from their two studio albums on Virgin Records; Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980) and Tin Drum (1981). It’s notable for a few song variations, including the 1981 remix of ‘Taking Islands in Africa’ and the extended version of ‘The Art of Parties’. Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios has created the half-speed mastered vinyl. The LPs are housed in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner bags, a print of the band, the all important Abbey Road half-speed master certificate, and a cover-empathetic obi strip.
Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ is Coming to Waxwork Records Vinyl: Jordan Peel’s Nope wasn’t just a great film. It also had a rad soundtrack and score to boot. Waxwork Records made sure to focus their attention on the new rad score by way of a beautiful new vinyl with artwork from Ethan Mesa and we are glad they did. The synopsis for Nope went like this: “Two siblings running a horse ranch in California discover something wonderful and sinister in the skies above, while the owner of an adjacent theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon.” The Nope soundtrack includes: The Complete Film Score by Michael Abels Original Artwork by Ethan Mesa180-gram “Cloud and Pennant Banner” Colored Vinyl Heavyweight Gatefold JacketLiner Notes from Tyree Boyd-Pates 12”x12” Booklet.
