These Record Store Road Trips Are A Music Lover’s Dream Vacay: Music lovers will want to hit the road on these trips that visit some of the country’s hippest homes for vinyl, vibes, and more. Everyone who is anyone knows that vinyl has made a huge comeback in recent years as fans flock (back) to the distinctly groovy sounds that can only be heard via a turntable. As both record lovin’ listeners and new-found fans alike flock to the shops in search of both new releases and retro faves; record stores are also making a comeback as music lovers realize the euphoric joy and distinctive tactile delight of flipping through shelves, racks, and of course, crates (and crates and crates) of records. Now more than ever, it is possible to find record store shops almost everywhere—however, there’s something to be said for dyed-in-the-wool classics that have been pumping up the jam long before the record store revival. And what better way is there to combine a love affair with records then hitting the road to visit some of the country’s best—and with the following record store road trips, music lovers can do just that.
Westchester, NY | Shop Music New and Old at These Westchester Record Stores: These Westchester County record stores carry a range of vinyl from recent pop releases to classic and vintage albums. It’s no secret that records have made a comeback in recent years. Whether you’re a collector of vintage records or simply enjoy the look of albums on your wall, records hold a timeless, widespread appeal. After all, there’s something special about placing your record on the turntable, carefully touching the needle to the vinyl, and listening to completion. Westchester has stores stocked with crates full of new and pre-loved vintage records of all genres and time periods.
Waterville, ME | Ribbon cutting for Record Connection in Waterville: A ribbon cutting ceremony was held today at the new location for a long time business in Waterville. The Record Connection has been in the city for over 40 years, originally owned and operated by Bob Richard. Richard sold the the business to Rusty Damon who first entered the store when he was 15. After a year an half of owning the store, Rusty has now moved it to a larger space downtown. The store carries a variety of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes and 8 tracks. They also sell books, clothing, music accessories, and more. “We have a poster behind the counter that was given to me at the transfer of ownership. And people will come in and show that kids that was me 30 years ago that it was me 25 years ago because of pictures that Bob collected over the years of running a store. They were made into a collage. It’s really cool,” new owner Rusty Damon said.
Edmonton, AL | Just take those old records off the shelf: What’s in your music collection? Albums and 45s? What about cassettes and even eight-track tapes? There’s still a supply for fans of every format. People of all ages are part of the vintage music boom – including baby boomers buying their favourite records for the second time. “We get a lot of seniors buying albums because they sold their collection back in the 90s,” said Alex Rumboldt, an employee at Sloth Records in Calgary. A long-time staffer at an Edmonton music store sees a similar trend of older Albertans returning to build up new record collections. “People in their 50s and 60s who got rid of their albums years ago are back buying those same records,” said Ty Yakiwchuk of Record Collector’s Paradise. An Edmonton area man who lost his album collection admitted he has been browsing through record stores again.
Mobile Fidelity, Audiophile Music Direct class action alleges companies falsely advertised vinyl records as genuine analog recordings: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab and Audiophile Music Direct falsely advertise that the vinyl records they sell as Limited Edition Ultradisc One-Step recordings are genuine analog recordings, a new class action lawsuit alleges. Plaintiff Gregory Bitterman claims Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab and Audiophile Music Direct are “falsely omitting the existence of a digital step” in the Limited Edition Ultradisc One-Step recordings. Bitterman argues the alleged misrepresentation “implicates the core value” of the vinyl record products since “the purity of the all-analog record-making process is important to Plaintiff, class members and the audiophile community.”
Aberdeen, UK | Aberdeen pop icon Annie Lennox leads tributes to ‘passionate’ record shop owner who helped launch career: Tributes have flowed in for London-based Paul Jacobs who ran Spanish Moon records in the capital. The record shop owner who played a vital role in helping to establish the career of Aberdeen pop superstar Annie Lennox has died. Tributes have flowed in for London-based Paul Jacobs who ran Spanish Moon records in the capital. Dave Stewart and Annie worked there and recorded in a local studio before finding fame in the Eurythmics. The pair were part of a four-piece called The Tourists at the time and Paul proved instrumental in helping the band’s success. “…Paul loved music with a passion and ran the funky record shop Spanish Moon in Crouch End Broadway, where we all lived together in the house upstairs. Thanks to his belief in us, we were able to muster up the means to carry on, come hell or high water.”
Somerville, MA | Rock is dead, but records keep rolling: Johnny Cash’s rendition of Sunday Morning Coming Down played in my headphones as I walked down Prospect Hill to Somerville’s annual Rock + Roll Yard Sale in Union Square last Sunday. It was two in the afternoon and the sun was baking the pavement in the plaza. People were moving slowly, partly to view the records, partly because of the heat. While Cash sang about reaching for a beer in the morning, I could see the vinyl junkies floating bin to bin, looking for their next analog fix. The market consisted of a small conglomeration of tents, most of which housed enormous amounts of used records. Small laminated labels popped out of the vinyl like drowning sailors, declaring genres and band names of yesteryear. A few tents boasted reprints of iconic graphic tees, which hung motionless, dead in the wind. If there was any conversation to be heard, it was overwhelmed by the thwap, thwap, thwap sound of people flipping through records.
