Lubbock, TX | Beloved Lubbock record store announces closing: Another Lubbock business is succumbing to the Hub City Closure Curse, leaving only one store of its kind left standing. Whether you’ve collected vinyl records since their heyday, or you are a part of the younger generations looking to revitalize a classic medium, having a go-to record store is a big deal for many collectors. These stores become a sort of family as you get to know the staff and other collectors during your long visits of scrolling through all the new stock. …Josey Books & Records, after 5 years in Lubbock, has officially announced that they will be closing their Hub City location. They will still be open for a couple of months and will feature liquidation sales starting at 30% off the entire store. These sales will continue to change over the next few weeks, giving bigger discounts as they get closer to closing.
Nashville, TN | Sean Brock opening vinyl-themed bar: Celebrity chef Sean Brock is opening a music-themed bar and lounge this fall at the Grand Hyatt that he says will celebrate “the pursuit of sonic excellence.” The Bar Continental will play music from a collection of more than 5,000 vinyl records, all on high-end, audiophile-approved equipment. Driving the news: The concept is inspired by Japanese “kissa” lounges, where guests listen to jazz records while sipping tea or cocktails. Why it matters: Brock frames Bar Continental as his answer to the music-forward honky tonks a few blocks from the Grand Hyatt. “Visiting Bar Continental is like attending a concert, you feel the music … similar to an experience on Lower Broadway,” Brock said in a statement. “We want to be the place you take your friends visiting from out of town, who may not want to deal with the crowds on lower Broadway.”
Bristol, UK | 18 great Bristol shops we loved and lost but still fondly remember: Many Bristolians will have fond memories of these much-missed stores: Bristol has always been a great city for shopping but our high streets have changed dramatically over the years and many much-loved shops have been lost forever. We asked Bristol World readers to tell us which stores they used to love visiting and still miss. They range from independent record shops and clothes stores to big-name department stores. Here are 18 of the most missed Bristol shops but we would like to hear from readers about any others, and if you have photos, we’d love to share them.
Atlantic Records Celebrates 75th Anniversary with Special Vinyl and Remix Campaigns: Atlantic chairman/CEO Craig Kallman oversaw the curation, which salutes artists ranging from Ray Charles to Lizzo. In September 1947, Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson founded Atlantic Records with a $10,000 loan from Ertegun’s dentist. In 1948, Atlantic began putting out its first releases. Seventy-five years later, Atlantic remains one of the most storied labels in American history as home through the decades to such artists as Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Stevie Nicks, Matchbox Twenty and Crosby, Stills & Nash; and, more recently, Twenty One Pilots, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and Lizzo. This year, Atlantic is paying homage to its rich heritage with a multi-pronged, year-long campaign that celebrates some of its most iconic titles. Already started is the release of 90 classic titles, many on crystal clear, colored or recycled vinyl, curated by Atlantic Records chairman/CEO and noted audiophile Craig Kallman.
Grand Rapids, MI | GR recording studio contributes to vinyl renaissance: Grand Rapids Voice Over, a local recording studio, has recently acquired a new machine that will allow independent artists to put their music on vinyl records. The record-producing equipment is the latest resource for local artists and musicians who wish to create physical copies of their work. The machine is a T560 vinyl-cutting lathe that uses stereo input connected with an audio source and a diamond cutting needle, which makes precise grooves into a polycarbonate disc. The loose shavings are also sucked away during this cutting process to keep the record clean and noise free. This delicate process is both complex and time consuming. To cut just 12 minutes worth of recorded material onto vinyl takes roughly 40 minutes– and that’s just for one record. However, the result is produces an incredibly valuable product.
Waterford, IE | Music lovers treat as rare vinyl and CDs coming to Waterford Record Fair: Music lovers are in for a real treat in a few weeks time when a free record fair will take place in Waterford City. The event will be held in Treacy’s Hotel, on Merchant’s Quay, and will take place on Saturday, October 7. The event will feature vinyl and CD traders from around the country offering rarities and bargains. For anyone with a keen interest in music and especially for collectors who are searching for a rare pressing that has so far eluded them this event will offer plenty of hope. Commenting to the Waterford News & Star ahead of the event, one of the organisers commented: “You can buy, sell or exchange and the venue boasts plenty of free car parking, free entry, and it’s wheelchair and family friendly.”
Provo, UT | For the record: vinyl records available to check out from HBLL: The Harold B. Lee Library has nearly 70,000 vinyl records for students to check out. A year and a half ago, vinyl checkout services were only available to BYU professors, according to Carter Glass, a library employee. Student vinyl access was restricted to the Special Collections services. Now, however, students can include records in their 50-item checkout limit at the library. “I don’t think people necessarily know because they aren’t kept out like on the floor on what we call the stacks. There’s a specific room that we have to go out to and retrieve them,” Glass said. While students cannot procure and check out records themselves, they can inquire at the HBLL fourth-floor help desk or search online through the library website under “audio,” using the “musical recordings” filters.
Nirvana to reissue ‘In Utero’ for 30th anniversary with two unreleased live performances: The super deluxe album features concerts live from Los Angeles and the band’s penultimate performance in Seattle. Nirvana has announced a special reissue of In Utero as the landmark records turns 30 years old this month. Set to come out on October 27, the new pressing will feature two unreleased live concert recordings, Live in Los Angeles (1993) and Live in Seattle (1994), as well as six additional live recordings from Rome, Springfield, and New York in addition to Bob Weston’s remaster of the original album and its five bonus tracks and B-sides. …All in all, the three super deluxe editions comprise a total of 72 tracks with 53 previously unreleased tracks. The album will be reissued in a variety of formats including a limited-edition eight LP super deluxe box set, a five CD super deluxe box set, a one LP + 10 inch edition, a two CD deluxe edition, and a digital super deluxe edition.
