Thank You For Zia Records, Brian Faber: If you’re a music lover who has lived in Arizona (or Nevada) for any period of time, you have no doubt made yourself familiar with local record store chain Zia Records. Even if you didn’t realize it, a man named Brian Faber was very much responsible for whatever joy Zia sprung forth, whether it was creating a space where you could still dig through record bins, watch a beloved artist perform in-store, or get some quick cash by trading in old records. Sadly, Faber, vice president and owner of Zia Records, passed away Sept. 4. He was 45.
The world’s best record shops #37: Honest Jon’s, London: Honest Jon’s has been serving west London’s most vibrant community, in more ways than one, since 1974. Sociology lecturer John Clare was researching gang membership in Paddington at the time, but he leapt at the opportunity to start trading jazz records when an old butcher’s became available on Golbourne Road. “It never completely lost its identity as a butchers shop,” Clare says. Meat hooks adorned the back room, walls were ensanguined and Clare traded records over a giant solid marble slab. “For two years a young customer who drove a meat lorry called in twice a week and paid for his entire record collection with raw meat; mainly beef.”
Record Sleeves Tell South African Music’s History, Sometimes, album cover art reveals more about the society it sprung from than the music: Perhaps the most intriguing narrative shows how a common visual language around jazz coalesced among the community of black artists in 1970s Johannesburg. Some of these painters became famous. Some are barely known outside collectors’ circles. But just as the official history of choral music has erased the tradition of workers’ choirs from its syllabus, so official art history seems to have little place for these artists or this genre of subject matter.
Bins and Needles: When your interest in music is a borderline addiction, you’ve probably entertained the idea of opening your own record store. You could hang out, listen to music and maybe change some poor sap’s life through the power of Rock ’n’ Roll (or whatever the kids listen to these days). In November of 2014, Steve and Verna Haynes pulled the trigger on a long-time fantasy and opened the vinyl-centric Obsession Records. The shop, which is located off Lake Otis and Tudor, carries new and used vinyl, turntables and used CDs. They also stock local music, which is featured prominently near the register. It’s about the size of a two car garage, but the cozy space harkens back to a time before digital downloads and streaming services.
The Trainspotting soundtrack is being reissued on vinyl: To celebrate 20 years since its release, the soundtrack for Trainspotting is returning to vinyl. Released on November 11, the classic collection of tracks will be pressed onto a limited edition orange record, with a standard black vinyl coming after. Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust For Life’, Brian Eno’s ‘Deep Blue Day’ and Primal Scream’s ‘Trainspotting’ feature on side one of LP1, while Sleeper’s ‘Atomic’, New Order’s ‘Temptation’ and Iggy Pop’s ‘Nightclubbing’ appear on side two.
The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 and Vol. 3 for Record Store Day Vinyl Tuesday reissue: The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 and The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3 will be reissued on 180 gram vinyl on October 4 as part of Record Store Day’s Vinyl Tuesday. The release will be supported by a giveaway at recordstoreday.com with a rare and uniquely numbered Traveling Wilbury portfolio prints. The limited-edition portfolio includes seven prints of the band on 100# Strathmore Pastelle.
