Teesside, UK | Fearnley’s, Austin’s, Playback – remember these Teesside record stores? Author Graham Jones does. Writer recalls buying vinyl records on Teesside as his new book highlights current stockists. …Teesside shops Sound It Out and Black Slab feature in Graham’s new book, “The Vinyl Revival and The Shops That Made It Happen.” The book tells how vinyl records have made a comeback in recent years – and features all the record shops in the UK selling new vinyl. And Graham, originally from Liverpool, says he’s spent many happy hours on Teesside, thumbing through shops’ record collections. He said: “In my first week as a sales rep 32 years ago, I came to Middlesbrough. “The owner of Playback told me vinyl had no future and he was just going to sell CDs. “And there was Alan Fearnley, who was a great character and so knowledgeable. I rated him as one of the best ‘indies’ in the country.”
Denver, CO | Wax Trax Denver: The Music, The Nostalgia… But Mostly The Music. In Denver there are few places to buy new and used music, and even fewer places to get your hands on records and cassette tapes. It is so important for any community to have access to to music in these formats, now so more than ever. The experience of these places, as well as the merchandise they offer, are extremely valuable to the music community. Founded in 1976 and owned by Duane Davis and David Stidman, Wax Trax has surprisingly survived the overwhelming popularity of streaming and downloading music online. Nate, a long time employee says “It’s been here so long so it’s sort of an institution, well-known amongst people so it’s definitely somewhere that people seek out, even if they’re coming from out of town. We get people from all over the place coming in and being like ‘Oh this is so cool…’”
The Amazing Supply Chain of a Vinyl Record: From 80’s gaming controls to Polaroid cameras, retro is all the rage. This ‘old is the new new’ phenomenon could perhaps be seen as a means of fighting the uniformity posed by the digital era. With the constant bombardment of new technologies and trends comes an underlying struggle for authenticity and individuality. The same goes for the music industry. Though CD and digital sales have seen a steady decrease since the rise of streaming platforms such as Spotify, vinyl record sales have surged. Since 2009, vinyl sales have increased by a massive 260%. The popularity of the format is largely based upon its nostalgic value and rich, authentic sound. I consider myself to be a bit of an audiophile and although I agree that digital files are overall more precise and higher in quality, vinyl records stay more true to the original source track, as many of the sound frequencies are lost in today’s digital recordings.
Cook Islands, NZ | Rare Numanga record surfaces in Sweden: A love of music and collecting vinyl records has led Ian Wheeldon, of The Café in the Beachcomber complex, to a rare Rarotongan record by local artist Jake Numanga. “I was doing an internet search, looking for Rarotongan records to add to the Café’s collection, and came across Jake’s record, My Cherie. It was in Sweden, of all places, and I think it cost me $20 for the record and $15 to have it posted here.” “We absolutely love it,” says The Cafe manager, Ian’s partner Clare. “Actually, everyone loves it. Lots of people have come in to listen and recognise the old songs on it. It fascinates me, that we searched here and New Zealand, but it turned up in Sweden. “We would love it if he came in and signed it.” “I think I put out about four or five records in the early days,” says Numanga. “Mostly local songs. It’s hard to remember, but I think I should have a good hunt around to see if I can find any of them.”
Hamden, CT | Couple Receives ‘Overwhelming’ Surprise After Store’s Sign Stolen. The owners of a record store in Hamden received an ‘overwhelming’ surprise after putting out a call for help in finding their stolen sign. While the search continues for the thief who stole a record store’s sign in Hamden, there is some good news to report. Soon after the owners of Replay Records in Hamden put out a call for help on Facebook in finding the stolen sign, they were surprised with a replica of the sign at their home. Replay Records is a used vinyl, cassette, and CD store located at 2586 Whitney Avenue in Hamden. It has been in operation since 1989 and was previously located in New Haven and West Haven before moving to Hamden in 2007. The original sign that was stolen was made by a friend of owners in 1989 when they first opened Replay Records in New Haven.
Gainesville, FL | Music lovers attend Gainesville record fair: Music lovers attended a Gainesville record fair to dig for hidden treasures for their record players. Arrow’s Aim Records held a record fair on Main Street. Music memorabilia, CDs, cassettes, posters, and vinyl were sold. Some items were sold for as low as $1. “What I love about selling the records is meeting all of these people,” Graveface record seller Bruce Peterson said. “[It’s] great to talk to other people who are just about crazy about vinyl as i am.” Graveface Records came all the way from Savannah, Georgia to sell the records in Gainesville.
