Stoke-on-Trent, UK | The best-ever record stores in North Staffordshire as chosen by you: Remember the listening booths at Sherwins? Once a rite of passage for all Potteries teenagers, plenty of grown-ups still hold fond memories of the record shop. Whether it was going in with your mates to pick up the latest chart hit, talking all things music with the staff, or hoping to find some imports with those rare B-sides, these places are linked with the best times of our lives. Today, it’s all too easy to download and stream music. Great for the wallet, not so much for the sense of discovery you get while flicking through racks upon racks of vinyls or CDs. In our recent survey, we asked about your favourite record shops in Stoke-on-Trent, past or present. Take a look at the names that came up below. If a particular shade of blue gives you a warm feeling, the name Mike Lloyd Music will spark some recognition. It was the most popular name in our survey results, with branches in Hanley and Newcastle, as well as a few further afield.
Salem, OR | Trio hopes to prove Salem isn’t “So Lame” with new record store: When Doug Kuzmanoff moved to Salem almost a decade ago, his first stop was at Ranch Records. Coming to the city from Chicago, Kuzmanoff knew the store would be his best bet for meeting like-minded people to chat about bands and plug into the local music scene. So when Ranch closed its doors in 2020, Kuzmanoff started talking with some friends. “I don’t want to live in a town without a record store,” Joshua Blanchard, Kuzmanoff’s bandmate, remembered thinking. And thus, So Lame Records was born. The tiny storefront at 231 High Street N.E. opened in early August with Kuzmanoff, Blanchard, and Andrea Jenkins running the show. The name came from the constant refrain the trio has heard that Salem is “so lame” compared to Portland, particularly for its music scene. “There’s a distaste for Salem, so let’s capitalize on it…”
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | This New Barbershop Has Hot Shaves, Free Whiskey and Vinyl: Your one-stop shop in DFW. …“I want to keep that local barbershop feel, with camaraderie and people interacting and chatting,” he says. “I think when you get to 15 chairs and up, it’s more a cattle call and less of a boutique experience.” Part of that experience includes a selection of complimentary whiskeys and beers offered to each guest when they walk in. Music will be playing on the record player, and old-school movies will play on the large TV. Barbers are happy to talk sports or current events, if that’s what customers want. But when booking services, you can select the “quiet card,” which lets your barber know you prefer to relax and enjoy some downtime.
Marquette, WI | The beginning of a new chapter: Lilliput Records Grand Opening: The Exclusive Company record store officially closed its doors to the public on July 28. Music-lovers around Milwaukee thought that this would be the end of this east side record store, but really, it is just the beginning of a new chapter. August 19 marked the official grand opening of Lilliput Records on the east side of Milwaukee. Owners Tanner Musgrove and Brian Kirk began as employees of the Exclusive Company, but upon hearing the news that the record store was closing for good, the two made a pact to keep the store going. Musgrove and Kirk crowdfunded in order to purchase the Exclusive Company’s inventory and to keep the same storefront building. Their goal was to preserve the dream of Exclusive Company founder and president, James “Mr. G” Giombetti.
Baton Rouge, LA | Add to your vinyl record collection on Record Swap Day: Music fans and collectors of all things vintage are invited to a Record Swap event that will take place at a local library. The Bluebonnet Regional Branch (9200 Bluebonnet Boulevard) is hosting ‘Record Swap Day’ Saturday, October 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and participants are welcome to bring their vinyl records to trade. Guests can also peruse records that will be on hand care of local vendors and purchase their favorites. EBR Libraries says, “Lots of local vinyl record shops and vendors will be present with tables upon tables of records to browse.”
Tias, SP | Calling all vinyl heads: We want you. We’re planning an article on collectors of vinyl records for one of the upcoming Gazette Life magazines. If you, or someone you know, collects vinyl please get in touch to feature on the page! Vinyl records have been the topic of the week in our office, as someone has just picked up their very first record player. We’re planning an article on collectors of vinyl records. If you’re interested in taking part, we’d like you to send us a photo of yourself holding one of your favourite records and tell us a little bit about yourself and the record. Message us on Facebook or Instagram, or send to editorial@gazettelife.com.
How Often Should You Clean Vinyl Records: Cleaning vinyl records is a necessary part of the vinyl hobby. For some, it puts them off record collecting entirely, while for others, it’s all part of the tactile nature of the format and a large part of its appeal. In essence, restoring an old record can be very rewarding. But how often should you clean vinyl records? Is there an optimum, or perhaps even safe, routine you should adopt? How often is too often? And is it perhaps possible to damage your records by over-cleaning them? Today, we’ll get right to the chase with some practical advice and straight-talking answers to some of these questions. When answering this question the term “how long is a piece of string” comes to mind, because the short answer is: it depends.
