Chicago, IL | George’s Music Room to reopen as museum and event center on the West Side: George Daniels, famed owner of the iconic West Side record store George’s Music Room, recently announced that the West Side store will be reopening soon as a museum and event center. Daniels first shared the news on stage at the Englewood Music Festival on Sept. 14. The location on Roosevelt Road has sat vacant since its closing in 2010. In an interview with The TRiiBE on Sept. 18, Daniels explained that the building is currently being renovated. Additionally, instead of reopening as a record store, George’s Music Room will reopen as a museum and event center. “We haven’t had our solid meetings yet, but they’re in the process of restoring the building,” he told The TRiiBE. George’s Music Room originally opened in 1969 at 3915 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. The store, along with Daniels, would go on to gain legendary status, becoming a mandatory stop for artists doing press tours and promotional visits in Chicago.
Sydney, AU | The 10 Best Vinyl Record Stores In Sydney If You Want To Live Your High Fidelity Fantasy: Record stores in Sydney are more than just places to acquire vinyl. Yes, it may be easier to buy an album online but as the city becomes increasingly consumed by corporate enterprises and soul-deadening acai chains, someone’s got to keep the older, weirder, underground pockets of the community alive. It’s also just more fun to do things in real life. In the same way that searching for a movie at Blockbuster was the best, yet selecting one on Netflix is boring and tedious, a Spotify playlist really can’t compare to digging through the crates at a record shop while trying to get the owner to compliment your taste. But where are the best places to find your new or secondhand wax? Here are our recommendations for record shops in Sydney’s CBD, inner west and beyond.
Brighton, UK | Orlando Weeks heading to Brighton record shop and Brighton church: From his influential time with The Maccabees to the multi-faceted ‘Gritterman’ story and two highly acclaimed solo albums, Orlando Weeks has carved a niche as one of the UK’s most singular talents. That reputation has further flourished with the release of his new album ‘LOJA’ which is available on all digital platforms and physical formats via Fiction Records. Orlando first kicked off the album’s new creative era by sharing it’s lead single ‘Dig’, featuring Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg. …Prior to heading on up to St. George’s Church in Kemp Town, Orlando will be making an appearance at Resident Music in Kensington Gardens, where he will be signing copies of his latest album ‘LOJA’ in the shop, which will come with a very limited edition exclusive art print related to the instore itself, made and customised unique to each customer by Orlando in-store.
Iowa City, IA | Local businesses lean into Gen Z’s love of nostalgia: Nostalgia is an emotion not many can hide from. Stores such as Record Collector, Ragstock, and Bartertown Toys and Collectibles in Iowa City run towards that feeling with their retro memorabilia and fashion. …One such business is Record Collector, a record shop in downtown Iowa City that carries both vintage and contemporary vinyls, CDs, and other forms of physical music media. “More students are realizing that the same things that made vinyl cherished by our parents’ generation are the same things we crave,” Oscar Rodriguez, a University of Iowa graduate student working at Record Collector, said. “Having something physical that we associate good memories with is something that students are relating to right now.” The tangible reminder of a good memory is more emotionally effective than pixels on a screen.
Haarlem, NL | Dutch vinyl company Artone acquires UK online record store Townsend Music: The move is said to mutually benefit both companies by pushing Townsend’s “European expansion” forward, while giving Artone “presence in the UK.” The Dutch vinyl pressing plant and distributor Artone has announced its acquisition of the UK-based global online record store Townsend Music. The move is forecast to help Artone achieve its goal of creating a comprehensive end-to-end solution for physical products in the music industry by giving the company presence in the UK and expanding its global reach. With 14 offices across Europe, Artone already represents a number of leading labels and companies including Bertus Distribution, Record Industry, V2, Music On Vinyl and Music On CD. By adding Townsend to its roster, a company that is widely considered a D2C market leader distributing a number of dance music acts including 808 State, Fatboy Slim, Laurent Garnier, Groove Armada, Peggy Gou and Fred again.., Artone strengthens its position as a worldwide “leader in physical music distribution” as its CEO Jan Willem Kaasschieter said.
Princeton, NJ | Premiere of “Empire Records: The Musical” Succeeds at McCarter; Energetic Script, Score, and Production Deliver a Fun, Heartfelt Story: McCarter Theatre is presenting the world premiere of Empire Records: The Musical. Directed by Trip Cullman, the exuberant production begins with a high energy level that it steadily maintains, even as it breathes to allow for character development that is by turns comic and poignant. Adapted from the 1995 coming-of-age comedy film, the show follows the exploits of the titular record store’s idiosyncratic but fiercely loyal employees, who form a tightly knit community. The employees’ determination to preserve their community leads them to take extreme, at times comically ill-conceived and dangerous, steps to prevent the store from entering into a franchise agreement with a corporation. The lyrics and the often bouncy, pop rock-infused music are by Princeton native Zoe Sarnak, who often frequented the Princeton Record Exchange while growing up in town.
Rolling Stones celebrate anniversary of ‘Hackney Diamonds’ with 2-LP splatter vinyl: A special-edition vinyl pressing of ‘Hackney Diamonds’ will be released this winter. The 2-LP release will include seven additional live recordings performed at the album’s launch party at Racket, New York in October 2023. To commemorate the 1st anniversary of The Rolling Stones’ 2023 No.1 album Hackney Diamonds, a special edition vinyl edition is being released this winter. The 2-LP release features album singles “Angry,” “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” and “Mess It Up,” plus 7 additional live recordings performed at the album’s live launch at Racket, New York in October 2023 including “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” with Lady Gaga, as well as performances of “Shattered,” “Tumbling Dice,” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The new edition, available December 6, marks a year since the Stones’ first studio set of original material since 2005 was released.
The Beach Boys Celebrate 60 Years Of ‘Christmas Album’ With New Vinyl Releases: Additionally a bonus 7” of ‘Little Saint Nick’ with ‘Auld Lang Syne’ will be available on translucent ruby red vinyl. The Beach Boys are celebrating 60 years of their holiday classic, The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album, with a limited edition LP on custom zoetrope vinyl. The album comes with a bonus 7” of “Little Saint Nick”with “Auld Lang Syne” on translucent ruby red vinyl. The group’s 1964 Christmas Album features such timeless Christmas classics as “Little Saint Nick,” “The Man With All The Toys,” and “Merry Christmas, Baby.” Available separately, there is also a 7-inch version of “Little Saint Nick” and “Auld Lang Syne” available on ice blue vinyl. That 7-inch is part of a broader series celebrating some of the biggest holiday songs of all time. Christmas music lovers and collectors alike can enjoy timeless yuletide classics from Brenda Lee, Burl Ives, Chuck Berry, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole.
The rise of the vinyl reissue: In this record label profile, ORG Music’s General Manager & Partner, Andrew Rossiter, describes the value (and collectibility) of reissuing out-of-print vinyl records. Let us take into consideration three main business models in the scope of the modern independent record company — original releases, archival music and reissues. First, it is at least intriguing that original release independents are drawing more up-and-coming and established recording artists onto their rosters than the major music companies are today. Why might that be? These labels seem to apply a much stronger emphasis on sustainability and longevity regarding the artists they host, by far. Then there are archival record labels, whose premise is sleuthing, investigating and negotiating to remaster and release lost, forgotten and/or shelved archaic recordings that have never been set free into the retail music market.
