Spokane, WA | Twice-delayed Record Store Day(s) is still worth celebrating: Bryan Ostrow has mixed feelings about Record Store Day. As the co-founder of What’s Left – a political music zine, indie label and newly opened record shop in Colorado Springs, Colo. – he believes the annual “celebration of the culture of the independently owned record store” is becoming less about small stores and more about big record companies. And from a DIY musician’s perspective, he has seen the major labels flooding vinyl pressing plants with special releases while independent artists who just want to press a few hundred records are being left out in the cold. But Ostrow also is an enthusiastic vinyl collector with an undying devotion to punk, metal and hip-hop, so it is inevitable that several Record Store Day exclusives will find their way into his collection each year. “Collecting physical music is so important,” Ostrow said. “Listening to a full album the way it was meant to be played, pulling out the liner notes and reading along as you listen, it’s an important art that has been going away for a while now.”
San Mateo, CA | Longtime Redwood City business faces dilemma on whether to call it quits or reinvent: Gary Saxon has owned The Record Man in Redwood City for the last 35 years. Saxon’s business has served the local and online community with all forms of vinyl recordings, as well as CD’s and tapes. Music for Gary Saxon, known to locals as the Record Man, is like a religion. His first spiritual experience came when he listened to a record by the classic rock band, AC/DC, the sounds from the record inspiring him to throw his arms in the air like a congregation in prayer. “When I would go to church and I’d see people raise their arms, it looked weird to me because I didn’t feel that way. … [When listening to music] I thought that must be what people were feeling. That’s when you realize how deep these things go and I had an epiphany about people’s feelings towards god,” said Saxon. …“The idea is that hopefully I’ll have a couple more years here,” said Saxon. “If not, relocating in the Bay would be wonderful. … I’d love to relocate and keep it going. There’s been a renewed interest in vinyl that if you told me about years ago, I’d never believe it.”
Leicester, UK | Inside Shakup Records – new record shop being opened by city musician who played with Stevie Wonder: A new record shop is set to open this weekend (8/15) in Clarendon Park. Shakup Records is being launched by Leicester musician Nick Murphy, together with his two sons, who are also involved in the music industry. Based in Montague Road, the new business is described as “Leicester’s grooviest new vinyl store and music hub”. Shakup Records will hold a launch party on Saturday, August 15 – but we were invited in early, to bring you a sneak peek of the new city business. The shop will stock new and used vinyl ranging from funk and soul to hip-hop, jungle to punk rock, and everything else in between. There is also be a live room downstairs, where a wide range of music lessons will be provided, such as drumming, DJing (digital and vinyl), music production and recording. The space will also be used to showcase local talent on a bi-weekly basis. Nick has had a long career in music, which in 1984 included playing on a record, Feel It, with the legendary Stevie Wonder, when Nick was in the Leicester-based group Feelabeelia. He then fronted the band Ska-Boom and has played in bands ever since, before deciding to start this new chapter in his life.
Ft. Thomas, KY | People of NKY: Phil Breen has heard it all and he really prefers his old-school record store: …Phil had graduated from Dixie Heights High School in 1977 and quickly discovered that he had an uneasy relationship with the idea of college. He was in and out of it. A good break came when he was offered a job at Record Alley in Erlanger, a few months after it opened in 1979. He learned all of the ins and outs of running the business: inventory, ordering, payroll and in-store promotions. After a few years, he was ready to open his own record store. On Sept. 1, 1989, Phil’s Records opened its doors in Ft. Thomas. He had amassed a personal collection of over 3000 record albums, two thirds of which would be a big part of his opening inventory. Phil was ambitious and expanded to a second location in Ft. Mitchell the next year, and then, in 1991 he opened four more stores in an agreement with Sight In Sound, a chain of home audio/stereo equipment stores. …It is a great, old-school used record store. He gets the stuff. After having been in the record business for 41 years, he has a deep bench of customers, as buyers and also sellers. These relationships have helped him hang in there.
Everett, WA | Praise for an Everett record store merchant: I have known Gordy Arlin and he has been my friend since 1992. Not only is Gordy, owner of Bargain CDs, Records and Tapes in Everett, a walking encyclopedia of music, he has a heart that is bigger than the heavens. He is a very honest businessman who treasures each customer and treats them as if they were a friend. If a customer has requested a record or a song that is not in the system anymore, Gordy will stop at nothing to help find it even if he has to go to the ends of the Earth. If he finds it he will check out the record, CD, tape or 8-Track to make sure it plays well. If it does he will let you listen before you buy it. If he sells it to you he will say “This record should play well. If it doesn’t bring it back and I will do everything I can to fix or replace it.” He prays for the safety of each customer who leaves his store. God bless Gordy Arlin.
