What It Takes for an Independent Record Store to Survive Now: At this point, the independent record store is an endangered species, and only the shops that are willing to change and adapt have a chance at surviving in an environment where music communities have migrated online. With all the talk of a vinyl resurgence over the last several years, it’s easy to forget that the format still represents only 12 percent of physical album sales. It’s not like the 1980s and early ’90s, when you needed two hands to count the number of record stores on this stretch of High Street across from Ohio State University.
At the Princeton Record Exchange, some things are timeless: The world of media consumption is a very different place than it was when the Princeton Record Exchange opened up its doors in 1980…Maybe that’s why the Princeton Record Exchange (which sells used DVDs and CDs, in addition to records) is still thriving — because its staff and ownership know some things, like attentive customer service and the community that builds around art, are as timeless as music itself.
For Gravity Records’ 12th birthday, a dozen reasons Wilmington loves the store: Gravity Records will celebrate its anniversary with a comedy show on Friday, and bands all day Saturday. This weekend, Gravity Records will be celebrating its 12th anniversary. The traditional present for 12 is silk. So if anyone wants to buy owner Matt Keen some fancy underwear, there you go. In lieu of that, here’s 12 reasons Wilmington loves Gravity Records.
Record store set to close after 35 years: When Play it Again’s first location opened, “Rapture by Blondie” was at the top of the charts. In a week and half, the record store will close, but its owner said it’s been one heck of a music ride. Arriving on his Harley with partner Boston terrier, Carl La Fong in toe, Joe Hanna does more than play the part of rock and roll curator. “I spent my teenage years hunting in record stores, spending hours in them,” he said.
On record: Jews were vital to vinyl, London exhibit shows: But the wow factor — apart from some astonishing, fully working early models of gramophones — is the more than 500 record sleeves which form the backbone of the show. They enable the visitor to move seamlessly from early liturgical music to Molly Picon, who made her early career in the American Yiddish theater, or to marvel at the sheer input of Jewish artists who became world famous, from Barbra Streisand to Amy Winehouse, from Neil Diamond to Leonard Cohen, from Simon and Garfunkel to Carole King. At least 50 of the sleeves have a particular London resonance.
Pioneer DJ unveils new turntable for DJing and home listening: Pioneer DJ has announced the PLX-500, a new turntable for DJing as well as leisurely listening. The PLX-500 is the second turntable to come from the digital-focused company following the PLX-1000 in 2014. Like the old model, the new one appears to borrow heavily from the timeless Technics SL-1200 design. Billed as a more affordable version of the PLX-1000, the new deck features a slightly reduced pitch range and lower torque. Pioneer DJ says it’s still suitable for scratch DJs.
