Edmonton, CA | Audiophiles stoked over new record store: Record stores in Edmonton may lose some of their out-of-town customers as Sunrise Records is set to open a new location in St. Albert Centre. Music lovers will soon have a new place to shop as the Canadian chain outlet Sunrise Records is set to open a location in St. Albert Centre. In a Sept. 12 Instagram post, the manager of specialty leasing for St. Albert Centre, Joshua Thomas, said, “The secrets’s out!!!” “We could not be more excited!!! Stay tuned as we gear up for their opening on [Oct.1].” For local record collector and Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission employee Jessica Chapman, it’s about time a record store opened in the city. “It’s really exciting to see something new and something that’s popular with the younger generation come to the mall,” Chapman said in an interview. “As a record collector as well, I’m excited to have a place that’s just down the street that I can go to buy some new vinyls.”
Norwich, UK | Lanes vintage store founder launches independent record label: A city entrepreneur has launched a record label for “working class musicians” having already found success with his Lanes vintage store. Jack Ames is the co-owner of Lowell in Pottergate, a record and vintage clothing shop. He has now launched Lowell Records geared toward helping Norwich musicians have their music pressed to vinyl in an “affordable and sustainable way at the highest quality.” The shop, which opened early last year, has already proved a hit meaning Jack felt confident enough to move on to his next project. He said: “There needs to be someone who’s really trying to help new musicians get their leg up in an industry that’s growing exponentially every year. “For the time being we plan to keep it local. I don’t think there’s a necessity to find bands from further away when there’s so much good music in Norwich.” The brand has partnered with Detroit-based records company, Third Man Pressing, to create the vinyls.
Oran, DZ | Iconic Algeria record store’s fortunes revived by DJ Snake: Legendary Algerian music label Disco Maghreb, which launched the careers of some of the Rai folk-inspired genre’s most famous stars, has seen a revival thanks to a hit song by DJ Snake. This week, the label’s miniature headquarters at a long-shuttered record store in the eastern city of Oran will receive another prominent guest: French President Emmanuel Macron, whose official visit will be focused on outreach to youth in the North African country. Owner Boualem Benhaoua, 68, said he has “so many memories in the music, so many memories with Rai singers, they all came through here.” Cheb Khaled, Cheb Mami, Cheb Hasni and Cheba Zahouania are among the most famous stars of the genre, which emerged in 1920s Oran but became a major world music genre, particularly popular in Algeria’s former colonial ruler France.
Yuba City, CA | Show up and play: New open mic venue in Yuba City: Sound Annex in Yuba City is quickly approaching its one year anniversary. This new record store features a variety of LPs, CDs, DVDs, tapes, and more in addition to its in-house music lessons and other fun community events. Starting with “Friday Freakout” in July, owner Chris Holmes has opened up the shop’s parking lot to accommodate live music and host a series of monthly open mics. These “pop-up” style events are usually advertised on social media with funky titles and alternative artwork that appeal to the area’s “hip” demographics. Sound Annex’s third and newest open mic, “Show Up Pop Up,” is scheduled from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday at 529 Plumas St., with set up starting at 5 p.m. “This is an outdoor event that will feature local artists, paintings, sculpture, handmade gifts, vintage jewelry, vinyl records and more. Show Up Pop Up is for local artisans and creatives to showcase their work and sell to the public.”
Hollywood, CA | Tower Records and My Search for Music: When I was growing up in the sixties, shopping for vinyl records was like a scavenger hunt. There were several places in town that sold records and no way of knowing which one had the album I wanted. Woolworths was my favorite because that’s where I shopped for cosmetics and their records went for $2.99, a buck cheaper than the fancy Record Shop in the mall that also sold Hi-Fi equipment. Unfortunately, Woolworths had no designated record department manager so customer service was non-existent. This was especially annoying when I discovered a new artist and had to hit every record rack in town to search for their latest (or first) album. Tower Records on Sunset was one of the first places I checked out after moving to WeHo in 1971 and it was like Disneyland for vinyl junkies. Every record I could ever want was right there under one roof just a few blocks from my apartment. In addition to a bazillion records, there were music magazines, band T-shirts, and other fun stuff. I made it a habit to hit Tower every Tuesday when the new releases came out and were stacked up on the floor.
Rob Zombie Partners With Waxwork Records for ‘The Munsters’ Original Soundtrack Vinyl: If you’ve been on the hunt for a spooky yet groovy soundtrack for your annual Halloween party, look no further, as Waxwork Records have officially dropped the original soundtrack vinyl for Rob Zombie’s The Munsters. Freshly pressed and hitting shelves and online platforms today, the 2 disc set contains not only new tunes from Zombie and a score by Zeuss, but also comes with a 24-page booklet packed full of colorful artwork and notes. You’ll definitely want to have the records on display while they spin, as each is themed after leading characters Lily (Sheri Moon Zombie) and Herman (Jeff Daniel Phillips). Followers of Zombie and his latest project have been kept on the edge of their seats waiting for the original soundtrack to make landfall. After the filmmaker revealed the drop of two other in-universe projects, a Zombo vinyl and a Lily and Herman record, it was just a matter of time until the musician turned director came out with a soundtrack for the whole shebang. With Zombie’s feature-length take on the timeless family of monsters landing on Netflix just next week on September 27, there was no better time to get the vinyl out of the crypt and into the hands of fans everywhere.
Barbra Streisand’s Planned 1962 Live Album to Finally Get a Release 60 Years Later: A live album by Barbra Streisand that had originally been planned as her debut album in 1962, “Barbra Streisand — Live at the Bon Soir,” will finally get a release, 60 years after it was first penciled in as her recorded bow. At 24 songs, the set is undoubtedly much longer than what would have come out if Columbia had issued the live album six decades ago, as was first the plan. It comes out Nov. 4, 60 years to the week after Streisand’s shows at the Bon Soir club in Greenwich Village were recorded Nov. 4-6, 1962, just a little over a month after the 20-year-old theatrical sensation signed her Columbia deal. …The state of the tracks was hardly a complete disaster, as a handful of the tracks had previously been released on Streisand’s 1991 “Just for the Record” boxed set, but those tunes are getting an all-new mix for this release along with the wealth of never-before-heard material. A preview track, “Cry Me a River,” was released to DSPs Friday, as the full set went up for pre-order. It will be released digitally and on CD by Columbia Legacy and in special SACD and two-LP vinyl editions by Impex Records.
