Baltimore, MD | Luna Garden, a coffee shop and artist haven next to The Sound Garden in Fells Point, closes. Luna Garden, the coffee shop attached to The Sound Garden record store in Fells Point, closed for good over the weekend. The cafe’s last day in business was Aug. 20, according to an announcement on Luna Garden’s Instagram page. In a message to customers, the coffee shop expressed “gratitude” for its year and a half in business at 1616 Thames St. “It has not been an easy decision, certainly not one we wanted to make,” the post says. “But we’ve come to the conclusion that it’s best to close the doors on our little coffee shops.” “We take pride knowing that however short our stay was, that friendships were made here in the people we brought together.”
Columbus, GA | New in town: Blue Canary Records brings vinyl to Broadway: After years of traveling upwards of 30 minutes to purchase vinyl records, one Columbus local decided to change his tune. Transitioning from a stay-at-home dad to a full-time business owner, Brian Cook opened Blue Canary Records on Aug. 5. “I was shocked we didn’t have one [a record shop] in town,” said Cook, who began collecting records about half-a-decade ago after receiving a turntable as a gift. Before opening the shop, Cook said he talked to local business owners, friends and downtown shoppers. The Blue Canary owner remembered saying, “‘Hey, I have this really dumb idea, it’s a really terrible idea. Please, talk me out of it: I want to open a record store.’” Nobody talked him out of it. Today, the business stands on the corner of 13th Street and Broadway.
Blackheath, AU | Family-run show at Side-B Vinyl Bar in Blackheath: It’s a family affair at both of Blackheath’s newest bars. Frankie & Mo’s is owned by father-son team, Bob and Tom Colman. At Side-B Vinyl Bar, it’s run by Michael O’Brien, wife Jennifer Coyne-O’Brien, his sister Joanne O’Brien (all from Blackheath) and Michael and Joanne’s cousin, Dominic Marsh, from Blaxland. The idea for Side B Vinyl Bar took root in a small bar in Enmore that opened in 2019 and combined a cocktail bar with the display and sale of vinyl records. It seemed such a natural combination – the enjoyment of a well-made cocktail or glass of beer/wine and the love of music and appreciation of classic vinyl records. …Music and the playing of albums is a crucial part of the Side B experience. Each week, based on a particular theme, the team create an album playlist of six albums that are in stock in the record store. Over the course of each evening they play each album in full.
Detroit, MI | WLLZ-FM/Detroit’s Wheels to Release New Vinyl Album: iHeartMedia’s WLLZ/Detroit will release a new vinyl album on August 25, entitled “Motor City Rocks 2023,” to honor the station’s rock legacy. “Motor City Rocks 2023” was a collaboration with Sound City Music executive producers Jason Hartless Sr. and Jason Hartless Jr. The exclusive 500-copy limited edition album was manufactured at Third Man Pressing in Detroit and will be available at record stores across the metro Detroit region. The “Motor City Rocks 2023” vinyl album will include Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), The Reefermen, Halloween, Cadillac Kidz, Adrenalin, Tino G’s Dumpster Machine, Dave Edwards & The Look, plus a new version of “Common Ground” from Rhythm Corps. …”There is no shortage of great rock bands in the Motor City. We released an album last year and had such a great response from our listeners and demand from record stores we thought, let’s do it again. The names on this album are legendary,” said PM Drive host Doug Podell.
Auckland, NZ | Iconic student radio station sells vinyl collection to reduce debt: Iconic Auckland student radio station 95bFM is selling some of its 6000-strong vinyl record collection in an effort to stay on air. A big turnout of record enthusiasts attended the sale at the University of Auckland on Saturday to not only pick up some records, but to support fundraising efforts to alleviate “big” debt at the station. “bFM has struck a deal with a shareholder, who has promised continued support, if the station raises cash first,” said general manager Tom Tremewan. “I’m really optimistic that this is going to put us in a really good stead.”
Washington, DC | The CD finds new life among Gen Z collectors: Buying discs is an affordable extension of fandom — and comes wrapped in a Y2K aesthetic. Twenty-three-year-old Kate Carniol has collected every Taylor Swift CD since the original release of “Speak Now” in 2010. A new album release means a new CD purchase, a rule she reserves exclusively for Swift, whose complete discography lines a shelf in Carniol’s room at her parents’ house. But Carniol doesn’t own a CD player. She hasn’t listened to her Swift CDs in years, instead opting for a streaming platform. Carniol, like other young collectors, considers the CD to be more akin to merchandise than a functional tool for consuming music. She loves the included photos, the design of the album. When I spoke to her in late June, she’d been hoping for a signed copy of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” since the rerecord was announced. “I stay up every night until midnight, waiting to see if she’s going to release a signed copy of it,” Carniol says. “That was the album that really got me into her. I need the signed copy of the rerecord just for the emotional aspect.”
Lost Map: How to build a DIY label on love, woolly hats and sheep dung: A decade on, how has record label Lost Map not only survived, but thrived on the tiny Scottish Isle of Eigg? Malcolm Jack – who’s been there since the start – explains. For the last decade I’ve helped to run isle of Eigg-based Scottish independent record label Lost Map, and been part of the exponentially growing creative collective and community which has sprung up around it. I was there at the label’s beginning, back in August 2013, when it was formed suddenly out of the unhappy ending of another label. We’re somehow still here now, as Lost Map celebrates 10 years spanning countless releases and events. Including our (roughly) biennial Eigg festival Howlin’ Fling, the latest instalment of which took place earlier this month in a life-affirming delirium of electronic beats, ceilidh dancing, sweat, tears, beers, sheep dung and hugs.
Bristol, VA | Big Lon’s Vinyl Collecting Guidelines: Hey ya’ll this is Big Lon checking in to make sure you are aware that August 12th is National Vinyl Record Day, a celebration of vinyl records, their history, and their significance in music and culture. If you’re interested in collecting vinyl records, here are some guidelines on what to collect, where to find them, and how to store and clean them. First off there’s not a wrong answer on what to collect, it all depends on you and what makes you happy. Music provides both a connective social bond and an individual experience, and no two people have the same tastes or collective life journeys. Collecting vinyl records bridges both realms together in a tangible format you can hold in your hand. I’m still learning and certainly don’t know all the answers but here’s my two cents based on my collecting experience.
