Odessa, TX | Midland-Odessa bands rally for concert benefiting iconic record shop: For many musicians in Midland-Odessa, Endless Horizons Record Shop has been a refuge for all genres of music. That’s why many bands, like Roasted Crow, have rallied around the icon of nearly 50 years to hopefully keep it from closing. The Follow the Horizon benefit concert is set for Sept. 16 and will help fund the shop’s relocation. After last month’s relocation announcement, sales at the shop have slowed. Staff say they believe people think they’re already closed. They will move out of their flashy, mural-covered building Oct. 21. Though Roasted Crow formed about four years ago, the influence Endless Horizons has had on their music goes back nearly 20 years. Band Member Ivan Borrego says the shop is a hub for concert tickets and obscure music. A 20-year customer at the shop, he still listens to the Blind Melon CD he bought there as a kid.
Los Angeles, CA | ‘Flipside’ Review: Record Store Documentary Spins a Delightful Mass of Loose Ends and False Starts: Chris Wilcha’s film is a midlife meditation that keeps losing its train of thought, which is kind of perfect. If you go by the title, which comes from the name of a New Jersey record store, and you look at the main photo, which pictures the outside of that store, you might think that you know what the documentary “Flipside” is. But within the first 20 minutes of the film, which opened on Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival, you will have heard about an aging jazz photographer, the Columbia Record Club, “This American Life” and Judd Apatow’s “Funny People.” And you’ll know that this is not the movie you thought it would be. Instead, Chris Wilcha’s “Flipside” is a doc assembled out of loose ends and false starts, a jumble that can be maddening until suddenly it’s moving, thanks at least partly to David Bowie. It’s confounding and self-centered but damn it if it doesn’t work.
Wellington, UK | Spinning Around Records tunes in to Wellington music lovers: A new vinyl record shop has opened in the heart of Wellington which aims to hit all the right notes with indie music lovers. Spinning Around Records at 31,New Street gives customers in Wellington and beyond the opportunity to explore a wide range of music titles and buy vinyl records on their doorstep. As vinyl record sales continue to increase and are now often seen as a more popular option than CDs, this business promises to be a great addition to the high street. Owner Emma Perks has opened at the new base with support from a business start-up grant through Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Our High Street programme. Spinning Around Records sells a range of new releases as well as second hand titles and add-ons and accessories such as vinyl sleeves and brushes. The shop also specialises in pop music which appeals to younger people in their teens and twenties.
Liverpool, UK | Couple achieve dream as new city centre music shop opens: Marc Walker and Jess Fairclough have collected vinyl records for years. A couple have achieved their dream of opening up a music store after years of collecting records. After being collectors for years, Marc Walker and Jess Fairclough always dreamed of opening a record store. They launched an online shop in January 2023, which quickly grew into pop-up markets and now have their first brick-and-mortar shop in Liverpool city centre. Dead Air Records is said to be a haven for vinyl collectors and enthusiasts alike, offering a carefully curated selection of new and second hand records across a variety of genres. The new record shop promises to be a hub for the local music scene, hosting live events and performances from up-and-coming artists. Dead Air Records also plans to collaborate with local artists and musicians, offering a platform for their work in-store and online.
Benton Harbor, MI | Southwest Michigan Record Show returns to LMC: Following the success of its first show this past spring, the Southwest Michigan Record Show will be returning to the Lake Michigan Mendel Center this month. The second event will take place Saturday, Sept. 16, at Grand Upton Hall, 1100 Yore Ave., Benton Harbor. Music vendors from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin will fill 65 tables with many music items, including LPs, new vinyl releases, 45s, CDs, cassettes, posters andrecord supplies. “We had a good turnout for our inaugural event in May, so we are looking forward to building on that for our September show,” event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio said. “Whether you are new to vinyl or have been collecting for decades, you will feel right at home at this event. We are all music fans. Our vendors get as excited as the customers when they find a record they’ve been searching for or discover music they didn’t even know they needed. For us, that’s the best feeling.”
Long Beach, CA | What are you listening to? Selections from Fingerprints owner Rand Foster: Where will you discover your next musical obsession? That song you can’t drive even to the grocery store without playing, or the album that’ll get you through a nasty breakup. These days, a great majority of music enjoyers are at the mercy of the AI-driven algorithms of Spotify, Apple Music—or worse yet, the redundant rotation of modern radio stations. Not all of us have access to a reliable music nerd to get proper recs. And many more of us don’t have time to lurk around Vine or Alex’s Bar every weekend to hear what’s hot on the streets. That’s why we tapped Rand Foster—the owner of Fingerprints Records in Downtown Long Beach—for the very first edition of this new column, which aims to connect you (someone who likes music ideally) to what local audiophiles are bopping along to.
The Vinyl Record Manufacturing Association welcomes new global members: With the boom in the vinyl business the country’s top manufacturers gathered together to create the Vinyl Record Manufacturer Association (VRMA) in December of 2019, becoming a formal legal entity in May of 2022. The VRMA is a professional trade association of independent businesses committed to the craft of vinyl record manufacturing through collaboration, advocacy, standardization, and education. The association serves to advocate for the industry at large, with a focus on education and providing the latest and most accurate information industrywide. The association serves as a forum for member companies to engage in ongoing discussions, various issues, and opportunities related to other new technologies and the future of the industry as a whole.
Bristol, UK | Sarah Records—Bristol’s indie record label that was the coolest in the country but suddenly shut itself down: The legendary story of Bristol’s Sarah Records, which achieved a cult following the 1980s and 90s before its founders suddenly pulled the plug, is finally being told in a new book by Bristol author Jane Duffus. It was synonymous with everything truly independent and cool – with a mystery that has passed into legend. Even 20 years after its founders issued its 100th release, held a party on the Thekla and announced it was shutting down, it was named by the NME as the second greatest indie record label of all time. And now, despite being in existence for just eight years, and almost 30 years after its founders pressed that self-destruct button, the full story of Bristol’s very own Sarah Records is finally being told. A new book is being published next month by Bristol author Jane Duffus which will hopefully clear up what happened at the start, the middle and the dramatic end of Sarah Records.
Salt-N-Pepa commemorates ‘Very Necessary’ with 30th anniversary edition: The new double edition will be available this fall. Grammy Award-winning trailblazing hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa will celebrate three decades of their classic fourth full-length album, Very Necessary, with the release of Very Necessary (30th Anniversary Edition), out October 20th via UMe. Various configurations include a limited edition deluxe double LP and 2 CD deluxe as well a digital deluxe version. This stands out as the first time the album will be pressed on 2 LP black vinyl and 2 CD deluxe. Plus, the 2 CD deluxe will also feature liner notes on the making of their massive hit, “Shoop.” With audio remastered in HD, the limited edition deluxe double LP features four bonus tracks on blue vinyl, including “Emphatically No,” a remix of “Shoop,” and two fresh remixes of “Whatta Man.” In addition to the latter, the 2 CD deluxe and digital deluxe edition boasts a total of 13 bonus tracks.
