Chapel Hill, NC | Schoolkids closing leaves Chapel Hill without record store for first time in decades: When Schoolkids Records closes at the end of the year, it will be the first time in decades that Chapel Hill will be without a record store. That’s especially notable because college towns are generally a place where record stores thrive. Once the Chapel Hill location of Schoolkids closes, the closest record store to UNC’s campus will be All Day Records in Carrboro, which opened in 2010. Schoolkids opened in 1974 and had become a Triangle institution. Glenn Dicker, co-founder of Hillsborough based Yep Roc Records and Red Eye Distribution, recalled his first time at the store. “The first time we came to Chapel Hill was in the early 90’s with our band, and one of the guys at the store put us up as we didn’t have a place to stay,” he said. “That vibe was one of the things that we took to heart about the Chapel Hill music scene that made the Triangle such an attractive place to us.”
Issaquah, WA | Sundew Plants and Records mixes vintage vinyl with verdant vibes in Issaquah: Tucked among the restaurants and boutiques in Issaquah’s historic Gilman Village is a tiny shop with a big personality. Described by one visitor as “the coolest little shop in Issaquah,” Sundew Plants and Records offers a unique combination of vintage vinyl, carnivorous plants, and original art by local artists. “We basically opened this shop because it’s what we’re passionate about. art and records and plants,” said Richie Bemm, who owns and operates the business with his wife, Kristina Ricotta-Bemm. The longtime hair stylists opened Vetiver Organic Hair Spa in the Gilman Village location more than a decade ago, offering a non-toxic environment with organic, plant-based products. “We require people to be fragrance-free,” said Kristina. “We have a lot of people that are chemically sensitive that come to visit us because of that. They want a safe, clean air space to be in.” The duo wanted to cut back on their salon hours and started brainstorming about what they could do.
Leeds, UK | Crash Records celebrate Next Big Thing anniversary: Launched last year to help raise the profile of up-and-coming local musicians, Crash Records’ Next Big Thing intiative has gone from strength to strength. Now, as the weekly showcase – under which a different artist is featured on the store’s website and via its social media platforms – nears its first anniversary, Crash is planning a celebratory gig at Oporto in Leeds and has also issued a callout for more acts to apply. Next Big Thing was the idea of Matthew Banks, the independent record store’s social media chief, who is also a member of the post-punk band Mince. “My own band started off around two years ago now and as we started playing it opened my eyes to how much great music there was in this Leeds scene,” he explains. “And then I thought Crash as a shop should be at the forefront of the music scene and be able to give back.
Washington, DC | The 6 D.C. area record stores that will scratch your vinyl itch: Washington, D.C. has a strong community of crate-diggers and DJs, and by extension, a network of excellent record shops for us to dig through. My own record collection might seem expansive to the average music fan, but compared to some of my DJ peers on the DMV record scene, I come off looking like a minor player. That’s largely thanks to the quality offerings we all have to pick from at shops across (and outside) the city. My own vinyl habit was kickstarted long ago in the fully analog era, and followed many paths since — from building core DJ skills to maintaining a working DJ library, to exploring sample sources and traveling to acquire exotic pieces of music that never made it to digital formats. …D.C. vinyl shops have had a lot to do with building the character of my collection, so I’ve gotten to know them well. As you explore and build your own collection, here are my favorite options for area stores worth exploring.
Manchester, UK | Beloved Manchester record store offers Oasis fans chance to own unique piece of Oasis history: The record store is selling the sought-after memorabilia to raise funds for a Manchester charity. While the furore over Oasis tickets continues to simmer away in the background, one Manchester record shop is giving fans of the Britpop outfit the chance to own a piece of Manchester music history. After much speculation and chatter online, last Tuesday (27 August), the Manchester-born band announced the would be reforming after 15 years, and playing a series of dates across the UK and Ireland as part of a world tour next summer. This weekend, fans sat for hours in front of laptop screens and phones as they desperately tried to secure tickets for the reunion, with dates taking place at Heaton Park in Manchester, London Wembley, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Dublin. But many were met with technical issues, huge online queues and inflated prices. Now, in a bid to inject some of the positivity back into the Gallagher brothers’ reunion, one Manchester record shop is giving fans here in the city the chance to snap up their own bit of Oasis history.
UK | Oasis reunion sparks surge in sales of vinyl and CDs from their back catalogue: HMV said it also saw a jump in pre-orders for the band’s 30th anniversary edition of their Definitely Maybe album, which was released on Friday. The buzz around Oasis’s eagerly anticipated return has seen fans rush to HMV, resulting in a massive spike in sales of the band’s back catalogue over six times the number in just the previous week. The entertainment retailer said it also witnessed a jump in pre-orders for the band’s 30th anniversary edition of their Definitely Maybe album, which was released on Friday. Last week it was confirmed the Manchester rockers’ will reunite and go on the road again with gigs at Cardiffs Principality Stadium next summer, followed by shows at hotspots including Manchesters Heaton Park, Londons Wembley Stadium, Edinburghs Murrayfield Stadium and Dublins Croke Park, spanning July and August.
King Crimson “Sheltering Skies (Live in Frejus, August 27th 1982)” First Release on Vinyl & Standalone CD of the Complete Concert: There’s a palpable sense of energy and enthusiasm from the audience captured on the tapes at this concert as King Crimson (sharing a European tour with then label band mates Roxy Music) take to the stage in Fréjus, France, in late Summer, 1982. With two albums’ worth of material to draw upon (Discipline, Oct 1981 & Beat, June 1982) & extensive touring that had already seen the band play concerts in the UK, Europe, USA & Japan, the live shows – as often with King Crimson – had a dynamism & punch that simply couldn’t be replicated in a recording studio. Add a pair of classic KC instrumentals, (Red & Larks’ Tongues in Aspic Part Two), to that mix & all the ingredients were there for a very special performance.
Why I Still Listen to These 67-Year-Old Speakers: Introduced in 1957, Klipsch Heresy speakers still have a place in the age of multi-room audio and wireless hi-fi. Introduced in 1957, Klipsch Heresy floor-standing speakers are cultural icons. They’ve remained in Klipsch’s lineup over their existence and are rivaled in clout by only the Klipschorn and La Scala. However, as multi-room audio and wireless hi-fi become ubiquitous in the stereo speaker market, heritage speakers like the Heresys have become less convenient for most people. I’m one of those people: I have a decked-out Sonos system at home, and stay up-to-date on technological advancements in audio. That said, the old-school Heresys have earned a permanent place in my home. Here’s why. There’s a lot to love about the Heresy. They aren’t too big, even in a small New York apartment. The speakers leave ample floor space and act as something of a statement piece. Even if you never turn them on, they are the first thing someone notices in a room. And when you do turn them on, their clean, crisp sound can impress even the most discerning speaker aficionados.
Chicago, IL | Chicagoland Record & CD Collectors Show—Sunday, September 15: Save the date: The Chicagoland Record & CD Collectors Show returns on Sunday, September 15, at the Countryside Banquet & Conference Center. Over 75 dealers from various record stores (and collectors) throughout the Midwest will be on hand selling vinyl, CDs, and DVDs. An early bird viewing takes place at 7:00 am for a $10 entry for hardcore collectors who want a sneak peek at rare vinyl. Regular entry begins at 8:45 am for $3.00. Tom Petty sang, “the waiting is the hardest part.”
