Kelowna, ON | ‘We can’t let the music die’: Kelowna’s Milkcrate Records takes final bow: It’s not just any record store, Milkcrate Records is a vital lifeline of Kelowna’s music scene and it’s about to disappear from Lawrence Avenue. “We can’t let the music die,” said Richard Rafton, Milkcrate Records owner. Known not only for its great record selection, Milkcrate was a key connection for local artists and music lovers. Employees would welcome anyone through the doors for coffee, a slice of pie and record spinning during the day. At night it became a place where musicians, poets and authors could come together in the name of art. “We are all about supporting not just the local music scene but live music in general,” Rafton said. After five years of fostering local talent and allowing it to blossom on-stage, Rafton said it’s time to say goodbye to the beloved record store, after losing a dispute with the landlord.
Dublin, IE | Pixies make in-store appearance ahead of Dublin gig: US indie legends Pixies marked the release of their new and seventh studio album Beneath The Eyrie with an in-store appearance at Tower Records in Dublin on Thursday afternoon ahead of their sell-out show at the Olympia Theatre. The band, Paz Lenchantin, Joey Santiago, Charles Thompson IV and David Lovering, signed albums and spoke to fans at the shop at lunchtime. Pixies played a 39-song set last night at Ulster Hall in Belfast, including new track Los Surfers Muertos, and classics such as Caribou, Velouria, Nimrod’s Son, Wave of Mutilation, and an encore of Debaser. Regular visitors to Ireland, Pixies have played many gigs here over the years, since their first Irish show at Dublin’s National Stadium in 1990. They have also headlined several Irish festivals. Tower on Dublin’s Dawson is no stranger to visits from international music stars and earlier this year Bob Dylan surprised staff at the shop when he sent them a signed copy of his 1997 album Time Out of Mind to mark Record Store Day.
Leeds, UK | Newsflash! PL ref Jon Moss is in a band and has opened a record shop in Leeds: When I tell people that Premier League referee Jon Moss has a record shop in Headingley called ‘Vinyl Whistle’, the first reaction is “really!” followed by “great name”. The Leeds postcode, LS6, is ‘Studentsville’. Not the most obvious place for one of the country’s leading football officials to pop up with a stack of LPs and singles. But back in the late 80s and early 90s, this was Jon’s hunting ground. Like so many of us back then who wrote cheques to buy fish and chips and queued outside phone boxes to contact our girlfriends and boyfriends, Jon was a record-buying, gig-going musical nut. And his passion for music has never left him since those taste-shaping days. So Planet Football was intrigued. The part of the Venn Diagram where football referees and Velvet Underground (that’s what he would be playing when I first entered his shop) fans intersect is a small one. It was time to find out how this all came about.
3″ Vinyl? Record Stores Nationwide Are Selling the Tiny Format: Record Store Day is now trying to popularize a niche vinyl format with new releases for the ‘RSD3 Mini Turntable.’ Vinyl sales are now threatening to overtake CDs — for the first time since 1986. So maybe this is the perfect time for a vinyl novelty. The tiny, 3″ vinyl format was first popularized by The White Stripes frontman, Jack White. White’s label — Third Man Records — imported the format from Japan for limited edition singles. The original 3″ vinyl player was a cheap toy from Japanese toymaker Bandai. The format never caught on beyond White Stripes fans, but Record Store Day is hoping to change that. Earlier this year, Record Store Day teamed up with Crosley to release a new 3″ vinyl player. Dubbed the RSD3 Mini Turntable, the record player launched on Record Store Day — April 13th. Four collectible singles from Third Man and Epitaph Records highlighted that initial release.
Claremont, CA | On the record: KSPC’s 50th semi-annual CD & record expo: Tracks that ranged from Hardrive’s iconic “Deep Inside” house beat to the Supremes’ saccharine “Baby Love” filled Edmunds Ballroom Sept. 22 as attendees thumbed through bins of records and CDs and perused music memorabilia. The event was KSPC’s 50th semi-annual CD & Record Expo. KSPC 88.7 FM, the 5Cs’ student-run radio station, aims to provide not just Claremont, but Los Angeles with the tones of underrepresented voices, according to their volunteer application. A collaborative project that first began in the 1950s, the station is devoted to creating community around music. Olivia McGrath SC ’22, a DJ and music director for the station, described KSPC as “a group of passionate, unique people — both students and adults … who share a love for music and enjoy sharing that with others.” And share a love of music they did. In addition to being a fundraiser, the CD & Record Expo was also an opportunity for supporters of the Claremont Colleges’ radio station to celebrate.
San Francisco, CA | Eight tons of punk: Facing rising San Francisco rent prices, the world’s largest collection of punk records and the anti-establishment music magazine that safeguards it must find a new home. Amid old cymbals, bikes, and back-issues, 55,000 punk records lined the industrial garage of endangered punk magazine Maximum RocknRoll’s San Francisco headquarters, packed carefully in austere white boxes stacked four high. Each crate was numbered and organized alphabetically by absurd, occasionally recognizable band name: Box 63 had Disorder through DOA; Box 159, Pennywise through Phantom Head; Box 103, Human Error through Hüsker Dü. “This is what happens when a bunch of anarchist punks try to run a business,” Maximum RocknRoll editor Grace Ambrose sighed, staring at the collection. Inside the building, known as “The Compound,” a dizzying mix of priceless punk artifacts, obsolete office equipment, and useless junk exploded out of every possible orifice…
Urban Editions will custom build a new home for your turntable and vinyl: So, you’ve bought a brand new turntable. You’ve paired your deck with the best amplifier and speakers and you’re all set, right? Only, your precious record-spinner sits precariously on a coffee table, occasionally getting used as an actual plate when someone orders pizza. Locating a particular LP, meanwhile, means rifling through a bookcase in the spare room. Where’s the joy in owning great music if you can’t store, protect and play it with the same ease and style that listening to it affords you? That’s where Urban Editions comes in, presenting a collection of customisable vinyl and media storage furniture, UK-made and using sustainable, solid hardwoods. Pieces can be tailored to fit your space and style, and each one is easily transportable and straightforward to construct (it is delivered in easy-to-assemble sections with specialist fittings).
