Leicester, UK | 13 quirky places to shop in Leicester: Rockaboom, Malcolm Arcade. Every great city has a great independent record shop. Ours is called Rockaboom. If you have a passion for music, or more specifically playing music on vinyl, then you have to visit. It’s a Leicester institution. So if you’re into rock, reggae, jazz, soul, metal, house, electronica, funk, disco, pop, African, Latin or blues, this is the place to go for new or bargain second-hand stock. Owner Carl’s knowledge and service is second-to-none. Classic CDs are also a bargain. Look out for queues around the block for the annual Record Store Day.
Birmingham, AL | How a small record store made an outsider feel at home in Birmingham: Everything old is new again! Vinyl records are popular once more. Here’s the story of how one small record store made an outsider (me!) feel at home in Birmingham. As a young high school graduate moving to a new city for the first time, I was lost. I had no idea where to branch out, meet people, or explore Birmingham. So I turned to something that had always been a comfort for me – music. Since I was a child, I spent every minute I could listening to music. In the car, doing schoolwork, relaxing in my room, you name it. So as a young newcomer to Birmingham, I found a home at my favorite place to discover music – Renaissance Records. If I wasn’t on the lookout for a record shop, I probably would have missed Renaissance Records. The shop is nestled behind Highlands Methodist Church in Five Points South. Renaissance Records is one of three independently-owned record stores in Birmingham and a host for the annual Record Store Day. Forget the music – what really makes Renaissance Records special are the people. Renaissance Records is home to Gary Bourgeois, owner, and Jimmy Griffin. Both are lifelong, passionate lovers of music.
Joplin, MO | Repurposed Route 66 barn reveals collection of vintage treasures: It’s a unique sound in a unique setting. “It’s the sound, it’s the authenticity of a little bit of pop and crackle–it’s just a more lively experience,” explained Vintage Vinyl Purveyor owner Lynn Brennfoerder. You never know what you’ll hear when you visit a repurposed barn in Jasper County. “This is all new vinyl on this side, I’m buying a lot more new than I ever thought I would,” Brennfoerder added. It’s called “Vintage Vinyl Purveyor” and it’s located inside an old barn that Brennfoerder started rehabbing a few years ago. “This is Muddy Waters,” said Brennfoerder. While most of the recordings inside the business go back years, he’s continually surprised at who does most of the buying, and what they’re after. “The majority of my customers are thirty and under,” Brennfoerder continued. “I’ve had nine and ten-year-old kids come in here and ask me for Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra and it just blows my mind that those are the artists they want to follow and put in their collection.”
Reno, NV | Recycled Records’ owner to sell 3,500 albums before retirement, store to remain open: Paul Doege sifts through boxes of albums that he’s stacked in the back of his office. There’s Elton John’s “Yellow Brick Road” with a yellow vinyl inside. An original Rolling Stones “Sticky Fingers” album with a real zipper on the front. He then pulls out an album by The Who that comes with copies of old contracts, letters and “My Generation” lyrics with handwritten notes by the band. “It comes with a bitchin’ poster, too,” said Doege, owner of Recycled Records for the past 39 years. Doege, soon to be 62, is selling more than 3,500 albums from his private collection on Saturday at Recycled Records, 822 S. Virginia St. in Midtown. With mimosas in the morning, beer in the afternoon and live music, Doege said this is a golden opportunity to get some of the most sought-after records among collectors. “If you’re looking for something, this is your chance to get it,” he said. He’s got Queen, Stevie Nicks, David Bowie, Devo — the list of new wave, progressive rock, glam rock and classic rock pieces goes on and on.
Beaufort, SC | Passion for records evolves into record club, ‘vinyl night’: Usually, the word addict holds a negative connotation. It’s not a good thing. But for Paul Harris, 43, it refers to a nearly 30-year hobby, and he’s taking others down with him. Harris, a physical therapist in the U.S. Navy for 14 years and married with six children, is the founder of a group in Beaufort called the LowCountry Vinyl Addicts. “We are an eclectic group of vinyl record collectors, enthusiasts and music lovers who all share a similar passion about music recorded on vinyl,” Harris said. Harris said he’s been collecting vinyl since the age of 14. “My father had a great vinyl collection of 60s and 70s rock that he allowed me to play on his record player,” Harris said. “His collection expanded my appreciation for music records on vinyl.” Harris said most of the group met looking for vinyl records at local thrift stores, antique shops and record stores in Savannah and Charleston. “Earlier this year, I suggested to my friend and fellow record collector Chris (Bacon) the idea of getting together and listening to our favorite vinyl records,” he said.
Beaufort, SC | Audiences Get Into the Groove at ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Pop Up Stores: Sony Pictures went “old school” to reach the younger demo when promoting the release of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” in the U.K., Germany and Mexico. The studio’s international team, in partnership with Sony Music, created pop-up retro record stores in the three territories that evoked the vibe of Los Angeles in 1969. “People want to be transported,” Milissa Douponce, VP, international marketing, Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, tells Variety. With immersive experiences like this, “the goal is making people connect with the movie emotionally through the interaction [with its world], and hopefully it transfers to getting them engaged and excited to go see the movie.” In London, the location of the pop up was Soho’s Sounds of the Universe record store, which used to be a pub where the Rolling Stones practiced in the 60s. More than 500 people passed through the store.
Discogs Mid-Year Report Shows A Surprising Surge In CD Sales: Music database and marketplace Discogs just released its mid-Year Marketplace Analysis & Database report for the first half of 2019 and it revealed some surprising data points about the online music retail scene. The report showed the continued popularity of the vinyl format with consumers, with sales rising 3.03% year-over-year with over 4.3 million records purchased. More surprisingly, the data compiled in the report suggests that the demise of the compact disc has perhaps been exaggerated with the format seeing growth of 23.6% for the first half of the year. Discog’s top catalog sales included Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden, which took the #1 spot, followed by Tracy Chapman’s eponymous debut album, which came in at number 2. The Top New Album Sales saw the replica test pressing of Bob Dylan’s Record Store Day release of Blood on the Tracks take the top spot, followed by the Record Store Day re-release of the original motion picture soundtrack of The Crow at #1.
