Colorado Springs, CO | Closing for good? Independent Records is poised to go out of business—unless its employees can save it: “We’ve had a lot of people crying, just very upset,” said Colorado Springs store manager and 14-year employee Hollie Sherwood. Independent Records’ long-playing success story could be coming to an end in Colorado Springs. The retailer, one of the last locally owned record stores in the Pikes Peak region and whose eclectic mix of music, books, movies, games, gifts, marijuana paraphernalia and other merchandise made it a staple for generations of loyal customers, is poised to close permanently unless a buyer is found to keep the business going. Independent Records marked its 45th anniversary Sunday. “There would be a hole in our employees’ lives for sure, there would be a hole in the community,” said store manager and 14-year employee Hollie Sherwood about Independent Records’ pending closure. “We’ve had a lot of people crying, just very upset.”
Ocala, FL | Vinyl record shop opens in east Ocala: A store specializing in new and used vinyl records has opened in Ocala. On August 1, Broke ‘n Records Music and More celebrated the grand opening of its location at 2750 E Silver Springs Boulevard. Broke ‘n Records aims to be the city’s one stop shop for vinyl records by offering everything from Sinatra to Rush, Van Halen to Stevie Wonder, and almost everything in between. The family owned and operated store boasts a huge collection of new and used vinyls ranging from the golden oldies to modern artists. In addition to records, the store carries a large selection of video games, game consoles from every era, collectible figures and toys, modern and vintage turntables, stereo equipment, musical instruments, CD’s, DVD’s, Blu-Rays, and more. Customers can also bring in these types of items to sell or trade.
AL | 4 vinyl record stores in Alabama + their most remarkable finds: This year, National Vinyl Record Day—August 12—falls on a Saturday, the perfect day for some record store exploring. Here are five Alabama record stores you need to check out, plus some of their coolest treasures they’ve sold over the years. Vertical House Records in Huntsville: As a Huntsville native, I’m a bit biased on this one. Vertical House Records, located in the eclectic Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment, houses tons of records, cassettes, CDs and even vintage clothing. The creaky floors, retro video games and high ceilings complete the vibe. RARE FIND: Andy Vaughn, who owns Vertical House Records with his wife Ashley gave us the full scoop on some of their coolest finds. One of his favorites is an autographed Townes Van Zandt “For The Sake of the Song” on Poppy Records (it even had a flier inside from when he played at the Kaffeeklatsch in Huntsville!).
Cambridge, MA |Somerville is losing its vinyl Grooves to Melrose, and the owner cites decrease in sellers, not buyers: The Union Square record shop Somerville Grooves moves to Melrose on Aug. 20, with store owner Dave Plunkett saying he plans to reopen the shop on 200 Green St. by Labor Day weekend. Somerville Grooves has operated out of Union Square since 2011. “Union Square has changed a lot, and that’s cool,” Plunkett said. “Many shops have left or closed. There are more bike lanes, which we need, but that’s taken away from parking, which makes it harder for people to bring in record collections. It’s that or the times – records don’t seem to come in like they did five years ago.” Plunkett, a Melrose resident, said he’d been looking for an opportunity to move. The shop opened after Plunkett was laid off from his writing job. “When I was in my 20s, I worked at In Your Ear Records and I liked that. Years later, I thought I’d give it a go,” he said.
Burnley, UK | Burnley Record Fair spinning back into town this weekend: A changing cast of vinyl record dealers and regular faces are amongst the 15 traders returning to Burnley Market Hall this Saturday. Specialist dealers will bring Soul, Reggae, Jazz, Rock, Punk, Mod, Metal, pop and all genres of music to the third in a run of six fairs planned for 2023. Doors open from 9am to 4pm. Buy, sell, trade, swap and visit the free valuation service on site for your gems and collectables. For more information, contact Adrian on 07882 809056.
Apple propose Macbook with attachable turntable in new patent document: Mix on the go. Apple has filed a patent document that outlines “modularised computing and input devices” to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which includes an attachable turntable. The turntable attachment features alongside illustrations for other attachable components such as multiple screens and keyboards, with all being able to communicate with the base system either wirelessly or physically. Described simply as a “computing device including an input device”, Apple goes on to explain the turntable use-cases: “The computing device can be utilized by a music producer, disc jockey, an audio engineer, or the like to generate music in one configuration while also being able to permit the user to remove the input device and removably attach a keyboard or second display to the base to provide traditional laptop functionality.”
Liverpool, UK | BBC Antiques Roadshow viewers spot ‘nervous looks’ as vinyl record valued at over £10,000: Antiques Roadshow came to Liverpool this week: BBC Antiques Roadshow viewers said they saw ‘nervous looks’ after a vinyl record was valued at more than £10,000 in Liverpool. Antiques Roadshow came to Sefton Park in an episode shown on BBC One on Sunday, August 13. Among the many pieces shown to Fiona Bruce and the team in Liverpool was a very special vinyl record – brought on by a celebrity guest. Raj Bisram said: “Here we have a silver disc for the most famous song in Liverpool, you’ll never walk alone and you, one of the members of Gerry and the Pacemakers.” “So tell me, how did you get this?” Les Maguire, a member of the band who played keyboards and toured with The Beatles and Roy Orbison as well, said: “The disc was presented by a newspaper for any record that sold over a quarter of a million records. It did eventually get a gold disc as well. I think Gerry and his family have the gold disc.” “I think if that was to go to auction it would have an estimate of £5,000 to £8,000.
Record Rebound: The Fall reissue their 1983 album ‘Perverted By Language’ In the wake of Sex Pistols’ sterling, if unrefined, work in the 1970s, the post-punk wave prevailed thick and fast as rock once again underwent kaleidoscopic propagation. As the 1980s dawned, the waters of punk had already been diluted by synth, reggae, Afrobeat and Bela Lugosi’s gothic charm. Concurrently, a snarling Mancunian named Mark E. Smith fashioned his own answer to punk as the frontman of The Fall. As one of the most prolific post-punk bands, The Fall released 31 studio albums between 1979 and 2017 before the death of Smith, the only constant member. Sifting through these albums to pick the best is a difficult task; each carries a distinctive allure despite maintaining a sound so intrinsically attached to The Fall’s DNA.
