Utica, NY | A look back at the last unicorn, CNY’s favorite indy record store: If you’re longtime Central New York resident, there’s a good chance you still have a CD or vinyl record from the Last Unicorn somewhere in your collection. (I know I do.) Known for its friendly, knowledgeable staff and impressive assortment of used and hard-to-find selections, the Last Unicorn’s memory still shines bright in the mind’s eye, even long after its doors have closed. Many Utica residents recall the $1 vinyl bin, where they either reacquainted themselves with vinyl, or jumped into the vinyl game for the first time. As for me, I never got into the vinyl game, but I would always browse the store for used CDs, looking for that rare import, the single with the obscure B-sides, or just some random heavy metal disc to blast in my 1998 Chevy Cavalier (Discman with the cassette adapter).
Philadelphia, PA | Vinyl is flying off the shelves at Philly record stores, with Gen Z fueling the trend: Demand is so heavy the industry is struggling with supply chain issues. Pat Feeney opened Manayunk’s Main Street Music because he couldn’t kick an obsession sparked by seeing the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964. Sixty years later, Feeney is selling stacks of Beatles records to people whose parents weren’t even born when that now-iconic performance took place. His boom in vinyl sales is largely being fueled by Gen-Zers who appreciate the bonus of physical ownership in a world of streaming music. “The beautiful big album cover is just so nice and pretty,” said Olivia Hoover, a 24-year-old Queen Village resident, who said she also really appreciates the sound quality. “There’s something so fun and magical about having tangible music.” Vinyl records in 2021 saw U.S. revenues exceed $1 billion for the first time since the mid-80s. Sales jumped by 50% last year alone, surpassing CD revenue for the first time since 1991 — the year Main Street Music opened.
Cheshire, UK | ‘Amazing’ response to Cheshire record store’s ‘use us or lose us’ plea: The Electric Church owner says he has been moved to tears by customers’ kindness after online message. A Cheshire business has received an amazing response from the public after issuing a ‘use us or lose us’ plea on Facebook. The Electric Church is an independent record store and coffee shop based on Over Square in Winsford. The shop also makes its own food on the premises and sells to the public via delivery services. Manager Jimi Coppack put out a heartfelt Facebook message on August 12 saying: “I’m utterly disheartened and feel like I’m working against everything but… we still have the 25% sale still on all stock, your support is needed to avoid closure.” Jimi told CheshireLive: “When I put that post out the response from the public has been overwhelming. I know a lot of businesses are struggling, unfortunately, with how the economy is at the moment. Music is life, but records are not a necessity – and that’s where we are.
Seattle, WA | Easy Street Records asks for public’s help after van gifted by Brandi Carlile is stolen near Alki: The Easy Street Records van was stolen this weekend and the record store is eager to get it back, according to social media posts. The black passenger van was a gift from Seattle’s own Brandi Carlile, who put over 180,000 miles on it during her early tours. It was the first thing she bought when she was signed. The 2005 Chevy Express was last seen near Alki Beach and was stolen Saturday night or Sunday morning. The van was painted black and does not have any logos or branding on it; however, it does have a Brandi Carlile sticker on the back window and two Easy Street stickers on the driver’s side. There is also a slight scrape on the driver side, where the original white paint can be seen. The WA state license plate is BUB3110. There is also a $1,000 reward.
Brixton, UK | Dash The Henge record label to take over former Rat Records store in Camberwell: Brixton Buzz is delighted to learn that the former Rat Records store in Camberwell will be reopening to serve as both a record store and a small events venue. “…We want to offer an alternative away from the ‘Mercury Prize’ sound, inspired by the anarchy and unpredictable nature of NTS Radio or pirate radio (but not genre restrictive.) We intend to front this label with a physical outpost in the form of a record shop and social hub based in Camberwell, South London. Dash The Henge Store will attract talent both local and from beyond as we will be providing platforms for performance and “special nights” music, spoken word, political talks etc…”
MA/VT | Vinyl Lives: Turn It Up! Keeps It Fiercely Independent & Reissue Friendly: The phrase “history repeats itself” is tossed around frequently and when CDs took over as the main way to consume music in the 90s, no one ever thought that phrase would apply to vinyl. Fast forward to the modern day and vinyl LPs are making an unpredictable resurgence over the past decade, hitting a new high in 2021. Vinyl made up 11% of music sales last year, bringing in a reported $1 billion in total sales. With vinyl steadily rising over the last decade, your local record shop is getting more and more crowded every year. These once hallowed grounds are now filled with new life and the shelves are stocked with multiple color variants of your favorite album of the year. Whether you’re stocking up on classics or starting up a new collection, local record stores are the backbone to any good vinyl collection.
New York, NY | Rough Trade presenting free, 2-day Indieplaza fest at Rockefeller Center: Record store Rough Trade is presenting Indieplaza, a free, two-day “celebration of independent music, merchandise, and workshops lands in the center of New York City” on September 17 & 18 at The Plaza at Rockefeller Center. Lined up to perform: Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Automatic, Claud, Horsegirl, King Hannah, Cola, They Hate Change, Yaya Bey, Mary Lattimore, Nation of Language (DJ set), Sessa, Sofie Royer, The Muckers, Say She She, Anxious, The Bobby Lees, Annie Hart, June McDoom, PJ Western and more to be announced. In addition to the music, Indieplaza will have limited edition merch from Hello Merch, Low Level, and Favorite Vegetable, plus Rough Trade vinyl bins, live screen printing from Upstate Merch, live art demonstrations from prolific painter and Pavement / Apples in Stereo album cover designer Steve Keene (whose book is out now), and more. There will also be a Music Maker Fair from the folks behind Moog Fest that will present “hands-on music making.”
On-demand vinyl platform elasticStage raises £3.5m in funding: On-demand vinyl platform elasticStage has announced the latest closing of its seed round, which has now raised £3.5 million in total for the UK tech start-up. Ahead of its launch, elasticStage is billed as the world’s first on-demand vinyl manufacturer that uses revolutionary techniques new to this industry (via its patent-pending technology). It comes at a time of concern about global capacity issues for vinyl. As revealed in Music Week, vinyl sales dipped in Q2 by 0.7% compared to the prior year quarter. The industry consensus is that, even with increasing prices of LPs, the problem is supply rather than demand. According to a statement, the latest investment for elasticStage represents industry confidence in the start-up, which is set to present all types of artists with “an innovative way to create vinyl, offering a better commercial opportunity in physical sales.”
The vinyl record player became a legendary instrument, why the 50-year-old Technics SL-1200 is called the “Steinway” of DJs. “The Technics SL-1200 is like the Stradivarius (top string instrument maker) or Steinway (top piano maker) in hip-hop music,” says Professor Mark Katz, who specializes in hip-hop music research. Initially positioned as a home-use vinyl record player, it became a DJ’s rhythm partner by accident, indirectly promoting the development of hip-hop culture. In the middle, it has also gone from glory to decline, and recovered from production suspension. The SL-1200 celebrates its 50th birthday this year. Technics held an anniversary event for this, inviting DJs to perform live, and launched a new model SL-1200M7L in a variety of color schemes. It has been half a century since the first Technics SL-1200 came out. Why has this legendary turntable series endured for a long time, capturing the hearts of Hi-Fi enthusiasts, and also becoming a DJ’s hand-made instrument?
