Big Bear Lake, CA | Village Music makes a move: Village Music owners, Stephen “Jonesy” Jones and his wife, Connie, found something they both have in common — a love for music. Connie plays the piano but doesn’t perform. Jonesy has always been a record collector and musician. The couple decided to open a new Village Music seven years ago, after the original Village Music had been closed for 10 years. The original store opened in 1967. “We started collecting records,” Connie says. “And asked the previous Village Music owner if we can use the (previous) store name. We reopened with his blessings.” …They travel far and wide a couple of times a month for records. “We get them everywhere and specialize in classic rock more than anything,” Connie says. Jonesy began collecting LPs (long players) in the ’60s. “The vinyl is warmer sounding (compared to digital),” Jonesy says. “I think people are picking up on that. The vinyl will blow away the sonic, sound wise.”
Brighton, UK | Hit record: What is behind Brighton’s vinyl revival? Music might be more accessible than ever thanks to online streaming but that has not stopped the return of vinyl. For many young people in Brighton, records used to be a relic. They were something to embarrass your dad with when you found his old collection of Japan vinyl in the attic. But now youngsters are the driving force behind increasing record sales, which reached a 25-year high in the UK last year. Digging around a record store has become an experience in itself for many Brighton students as they discover old gems and new releases. Graham Jones, author of The Vinyl Revival And The Shops That Made It Happen, called the city “the best place to go record shopping”. “Brighton’s an independent place, it has always supported independent businesses,” he said. “People realise that high streets are mostly the same everywhere so it’s vital to keep independent shops going.”
Dún Laoghaire, IE | Dun Laoghaire Vinyl Festival Returns For A Second Spin: Following the success of its 2018 event, the much anticipated Vinyl Festival returns to Dún Laoghaire from November 1- 3, promising once again to be an unmissable experience for music fans and vinyl record aficionados. The festival will take place in a selection of venues around Dún Laoghaire, including The LexIcon Library Studio, The National Maritime Museum, The Pavilion Theatre and The Lighthouse. It will involve a collection of talks and discussions relating to all aspects of vinyl recordings – from writing, recording, producing and performing, down to examining sleeve design and liner notes. The importance and significance of vinyl records in our culture today will also be explored. Highlights of the festival look set to be two live gigs featuring Johnny, Barry & Jim of Horslips on November 1 and 2 in the Pavilion Theatre (43 years on from recording their Horslips Live album in Dún Laoghaire’s old Pavilion). Meanwhile, Vicky McClure of Line of Duty and This is England fame will host a DJ set in The Lighthouse on the Saturday night.
Ocean Colour Scene’s ‘Moseley Shoals’ And ‘Marchin’ Already’ Set For Vinyl Reissue: Big sellers during the mid-1990s, these legend-enshrining albums were also spawned a succession of highly-acclaimed UK Top 10 hits. Two landmark Ocean Colour Scene albums, Moseley Shoals and Marchin’ Already are set for reissue on heavyweight, 180g vinyl on 27 September, through UMC/Island. Following a successful red vinyl edition for Record Store Day, Moseley Shoals will be returning on heavyweight black wax. Arguably the band’s quintessential title, it was originally released in 1996, at the height of Britpop when it reached No. 2 in the UK, and amassed 92 weeks on the charts, going on to sell a million copies world-wide. ‘Moseley’ takes its name from an area in Birmingham, and ‘Moseley Shoals’ is a tribute to Muscle Shoals, the legendary soul recording studios in Alabama. Having made a low key start to their career with a self-titled album in the early 1990s, Ocean Colour Scene’s career was boosted by two things – the endorsement of two of Britain’s biggest pop stars – Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher, and the exposure given to the first single, ‘The Riverboat Song’, by Chris Evans on his hit TV show TFI Friday.
Vinyl Is a Good Thing: Luke Bryan celebrates 10th anniversary of pivotal album with re-release: Luke Bryan will mark the tenth anniversary of his breakthrough 2009 album Doin’ My Thing by releasing it on vinyl for the very first time. In addition to his hits “Rain Is a Good Thing,” “Do I,” and “Someone Else Calling You Baby,” the vinyl re-issue will include two rare bonus tracks. “Y’all Can Have This Town” and “Favorite Flowers” were previously available only on the iTunes exclusive version of the album. Doin’ My Thing also features Luke’s cover of the OneRepublic hit “Apologize.” The special edition of the record comes in both translucent and traditional black vinyl. Here’s the complete track listing for the tenth anniversary version of Luke Bryan’s Doin’ My Thing , which comes out October 4: Side A: “Rain Is a Good Thing” “Doin’ My Thing” “Do I” “What Country Is” “Someone Else Calling You Baby” “Welcome to the Farm” “Apologize” Side B: “Every Time I See You” “Chuggin’ Along” “I Did It Again” “Drinkin’ Beer and Wastin’ Bullets” “Y’all Can Have This Town” “Favorite Flowers”
The Roots to reissue a trio of albums in anniversary editions: With bonus tracks, archival photos, liner notes from Questlove and more. The Roots are reissuing three albums in anniversary editions, starting this autumn via Urban Nerds. The albums include 1994’s Do You Want More?!!!??!, 1996’s Illadelph Halflife, and 1999’s Things Fall Apart. First up is Things Fall Apart – a 3xLP available 27th September this year to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The deluxe edition will include a remastered version of the record, bonus tracks, rare photos, essays from Black Thought and Questlove, and liner notes from Questlove. Do You Want More?!!!??! reissue is set to come out in 2020, followed by Illadelph Halflife in 2021, both of which will celebrate their respective 25th anniversaries. The albums follow the The Roots’ 2014 LP And Then You Shoot Your Cousin; the band have also revealed a new album is in the works, forthcoming in late 2019.
New record from XTC’s Andy Partridge: Andy Partridge, the former singer, songwriter and guitar player with Swindon’s 1970s and 80s hitmakers XTC, has teamed up with Robyn Hitchcock, another critically acclaimed songwriter, to record an EP. The duo’s vinyl and CD Planet England, is the first release by Hitchcock since 2017, and the first album featuring Andy Partridge since 2012- although he wrote a song for the Monkees on their 2016 reunion album. In a statement Partridge said: “Rather than these two big planets and their similar odd gravities repulsing each other, as might be anticipated, I can cheerfully tell you that it’s been one rather beautiful crashing creative event..that I want to repeat. “Feels like being in a group again.” Andy Partridge still lives in Swindon where he formed XTC in the 1970s, having a number of hit singles and albums and sharing popular and critical acclaim. Planet England is available now from his website burningshed.com/store/ape
