Glasgow, UK | Glasgow’s best vintage stores for retro clothes and vinyl: If you’re looking to shop second-hand and want to snag yourself some retro items, then Glasgow is the place to be. Like most cities, Glasgow is experiencing a boom in all things vintage with people of all ages seeking out ‘blast from the past’ clothing and even vinyl records. Whether you are looking for a pair of bellbottom jeans from the 1970s or want to channel your inner-1990s, we have you covered.
Miami, FL | Miami’s Lucky Records Shows Passion For All Things Hip-Hop, Funk, Soul & Reggae: Miami is known for its warm weather and colorful culture. A city drenched with the rich history of so many people from different walks of life calling it home, Finding a hub for a city with such a dense art scene is always exciting. Welcome Lucky Records, one of Miami’s most dedicated record shops. With a constantly rotating selection, the small shop has slowly become a museum for the rich history of music from Miami along with a passionate focus on all things hip-hop, funk, soul, and reggae. Along with a plethora of bins filled with genre-spanning selections, Lucky Records stands out as a testament to the diversity of Miami and the beauty that can be made when different cultures clash in harmony.
Poughkeepsie, NY | Poughkeepsie, NY record store finally participating in the Taylor Swift craze: Shake off the old version! Taylor Swift’s album 1989 (Taylor’s Version) re-release is about to hit shelves in October. Fans have been going nuts since 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was announced back in August, rushing to Taylor Swift’s website to pre-order every and all editions of 1989 she’s releasing. That might seem like a silly statement, but Swift has released 8 limited edition versions of her album 1989. Now, 42 days after the original announcement, a local Hudson Valley record story is able to get in on the Swiftie fun. With that being said, local independent record store Darkside Records in Poughkeepsie, NY has finally been given the ‘OK’ to participate in the sale of Taylor Swift 1989 (Taylor’s Version) On Instagram, they wrote: “F-I-N-A-L-L-Y! Taylor’s version of 1989 will be released on 10/27, exactly 9 years to the day since the original was released. We’ll have it on Crystal Skies Blue vinyl, CD, and cassette…”
Wokingham, UK | Uncertain future for town centre shop: Mystery surrounds the future of another independent retailed in Wokingham town centre, Beyond the Download, a retailer of vinyl records and associated music memorabilia in Rose Street, appears to have ceased trading. The business began in 2012 as an online retailer. It operated from Holme Grange Craft Village before moving to the town centre location in 2019. The business also assisted with stage and sound facilities for events in the nearby Peach Place. Wokingham Today has approached the business for comment.
Laconia, NH | New Hampshire man hears parents’ voices for first time in decades at record store: A New Hampshire man heard his parents’ voices for the first time in decades thanks to a Laconia record store. Fredrick and Elizabeth Clausen died in 1967 and 1991, respectively. Their son, Fred Clausen of Laconia, found the records while digging through some family history, but did not have a way to play them. The recordings, done by his parents in the 1940s, were on 78s, a format long retired and less popular than 45s, which have seen a revival in popularity. He visited NH Vintage Vinyl, a main street record store, that had a working player he could use. “It took me right back to the moment, ” Clausen said. “Even though I wasn’t there, I could picture the area where we were.” Staff at the store, which specializes in vintage recordings, record players and instruments, captured the moment Clausen first heard his parents’ voices on video and shared it on social media.
Gainesville, FL | UF students revive the past by collecting CDs and records: The once-popular formats of listening are making a small but mighty comeback. Gone are the days of flipping turntables and shuffling through stacks of jewel cases. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have taken today’s generation by storm. At least, for some people. In Gainesville, several UF students keep the past alive through a trend that resurrects pieces of a bygone era: CD and record collecting. Alejandra Agustin, a 19-year-old UF anthropology sophomore, has been collecting CDs since she was a junior in high school. When her family moved from Puerto Rico to Miami in 2015, her father had to leave behind his extensive CD collection. Although they have tried on several visits back to retrieve his ‘mythical’ collection, it is nowhere to be found. “It’s kind of been a goal of mine to get as much CDs that I can and see what CDs he had in that collection,” Agustin said. “It’s almost like a fun thing to show my dad. It’s a bonding experience.”
East Lothian, UK | East Lothian vinyl pressing plant is music to industry veteran’s ears: Scotland’s first vinyl pressing plant, which is being built in East Lothian, has appointed a music industry veteran as it takes its first orders. Seabass Vinyl’s factory, at Macmerry Industrial Estate, is under construction and should produce vinyl before the end of the year. The business aims to manufacture 60,000 records each month and will scale up to output more than 120,000 records in 2024/25. The business, owned by David and Dominique Harvey, of Dirleton, has now linked up with Ronnie Gurr, who has worked with artists such as Boy George, Simple Minds and Stereophonics. Mr Gurr, of Dunbar, recently stepped down as chief executive of Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) and will take on the role of industry engagement advisor at Seabass Vinyl. David and Dominique said: “We are delighted to be working with Ronnie.”
New South Wales, AU | NSW Man Lets Go Of Whopping 15,000 Vinyl Records For Free: This is the remarkable story of someone who gave away 15,000 78rpm vinyl records for free. Last week, an anonymous person from New South Wales went on Facebook Marketplace and posted that they had 15,000 copies of classical 78rpm vinyl records they were giving away for free. The person, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Music that the humongous record collection is “the remnants of a collection from a deceased estate” belonging to their relatives. “They had collected from their youth in the 1940s until their passing,” they said, revealing that the original collection, which had shrunk before going on Marketplace, was “approximately 38,500 78s and 7,500 vinyl LPs.” The event went off without a hitch on Saturday (23 September). Remarkably, all the records were gone in under twenty minutes. The individual explained, “We had about thirty takers; they were all lined up when I got there at 8:00 am to let them loose, and by 8:18, all 15,000 records were spoken for!”
