Limerick, IE | New record store, Downbeat Records, opens in Limerick: “We want to provide that space to the local music community.” A new record store has opened in Limerick city, Ireland. Downbeat Records, a dance-focused record shop, opened over the weekend on Wickham Way in the middle of the city. Founded by former Idle Hands employee Frankie O’Mahoney, the shop will offer an eclectic mix of dance music vinyl, featuring an in-store listening deck to help customers in their digging. “We hope to welcome anyone with an interest in records and music to stop by and hang out, chat music, buy music and meet other people interested in a wide variety of sounds,” O’Mahoney said in an interview with Hot Press. “We want to provide that space to the local music community.”
Syracuse, NY | Vinyl revival hits Syracuse record stores: ‘It’s kind of a status symbol now’ Around 6 p.m. on a Wednesday in downtown Syracuse, 14-year-old Marshall Bindel searched through vinyls and CDs at The Sound Garden. Fluorescent bulbs lit the aisles. Posters of Charli XCX’s new “Brat” album, Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” and Lana Del Rey’s “Born to Die” lined the walls. Bindel began listening to records two years ago. His collection includes 15 vinyls. “I don’t like streaming services because you have to pay so much for everything, and you never own anything and there’s still ads,” said Bindel. “You just pay once for this, $7.99, and it’s like you’re going to have it forever.”
Cambridge, MA | 41 Years & Going Strong: Planet Records In Cambridge, MA Keeps On Spinning: Everyone is aware of the vinyl boom that has been happening over the past few years. Legions of music nerds are lining up to get their hands on a Frank Zappa original pressing or a rare variant of their favorite hip-hop release. For the good people over at Planet Records in Cambridge, MA, near Harward Square, the excitement and fandom of the recent boom never left. Since 1983, the shop has been adapting to the ever-changing vinyl world and climbing over steep hills to provide its community with the best selection it can curate. Their shelves are expansive and never empty, lining them with albums of all eras and genres. A music nerd never leaves Planet Records unsatisfied, and with over 40 years of experience, their mission has never wavered.
Brisbane, AU | Suitcase Records Open Voting For 2024 ‘Suitcase Showcase’ Compilation: The fan-voted collection of songs by independent artists will benefit Support Act, as well as the artists themselves. Suitcase Records – a family-run vinyl pressing plant in Brisbane (Meanjin) – have announced the second edition of its annual Suitcase Showcase project, highlighting independent artists in the Australian music scene (and for a good cause, to boot). At the heart of the initiative is a compilation album comprised of ten songs from up-and-coming Aussie artists – they all submitted their tracks directly to Suitcase, and now fans get to vote for the songs that make it onto the final lacquers. After it’s released, all proceeds earned from sales of the record are split between the ten winning artists and Australia’s premiere music industry charity, Support Act. Also, every fan that votes for their favourite artist’s song is entered into a competition to win a stacked prize pack from Suitcase.
South Bend, IN | Music lovers gather once again at South Bend Record Show: Many had a blast from the past on Sunday, as over 100,000 items from all genres of music were on display and for sale at the bi-monthly South Bend Record Show. Vendors and collectors from across the country made the trip out to the Gillespie Conference Center at the Hilton Garden Inn to sell items from vintage vinyl, cassettes, posters, T-shirts, and old stereo systems. The event is trying to market physical media to the younger generations who have not experienced it. “We’re seeing people who didn’t grow up with any physical media starting to discover that having something tangible in their hands while they’re listening to music is a more active listening experience,” said Jeremy Bonfiglio, organizer of the South Bend Record Show.
Melbourne, AU | Naarm’s incredible new live music venue Wax Music Lounge is cooking up a massive August: We have you covered this August with a guide to Wax Music Lounge’s huge lineup. Hidden neatly under the beautifully timeless Selina Hotel and just across from Flinders Street Station, Wax Music Lounge is a quintessentially Melbourne hotspot providing unforgettable live performances and equally memorable drinks. An annex of the brainpower behind the renowned Wax Museum Records, Wax Music Lounge has certified itself as a local favourite through a continuously incredible repertoire that promises visitors an elevated listening experience. This August is no different and by opening seven days a week, Wax Music Lounge will keep you on your toes.
You Can Now Preorder All of the Indiana Jones Scores on Vinyl: Don’t miss out on this incredible John Williams collection. John Williams’ Indiana Jones scores are some of the most memorable in film history, and now you can own the music from all five movies on vinyl. It’s available as one limited-edition box set (with a steep price tag of $299.98), or you can pick and choose from the individual movies (though you’ll miss out on some of the fancy extras in the box set). Let’s dive in. The box set is the coolest package, if you can absorb the cost. Alongside the vinyls—there are 2 for each film, complete with cover art on the jacket representing their respective films—this collection also comes with a poster for each movie, a collectible map, and a collectible filing case to keep everything stored in. It’s set to release on September 6 this year, so you don’t have to wait too long for it.
Doctor Who: The Crusade vinyl release incoming. A special vinyl record of the complete narrated TV soundtrack of Doctor Who: The Crusade, with linking narration by William Russell, is due for release in October from Demon Records. “History must take its course.” The TARDIS travellers materialise in 12th Century Palestine, where English Crusaders are engaged in a holy war with Saladin, ruler of the Saracens. When Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) is abducted in a Saracen ambush, the Doctor (William Hartnell), Vicki (Maureen O’Brien) and Ian (William Russell) find themselves guests at the palace of King Richard the Lionheart (Julian Glover). …Only two of its four episodes survive in the BBC TV archive, but this vinyl release, presented for the first time on double 140g green and yellow translucent vinyl, features the complete audio soundtrack, working from masters first produced for an earlier project by Mark Ayres.
‘The Story of the Who’ Comes to Vinyl: The Who’s 1976 album is considered by many to be the band’s most complete compilation. The 1976 compilation The Story of the Who will be reissued on vinyl later this year. This version of the 2LP collection—which many regard as the most complete “Best Of” album for The Who—features a recreation of the original 8-page booklet and has been pressed on colored vinyl (pink and green). It was mastered by longtime Who engineer Jon Astley and cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road. The album was previously released for Record Store Day 2024, marking its first official US release as well as its first global vinyl release since 1989. The Story of the Who was originally released in the UK by Polydor on September 24, 1976. The two-disc vinyl compilation reached No. 2 in the UK album charts.
