Category Archives: music

Record Store Day 2017 – April 22nd

Vinyl Revival Celebrates Record Store Day with

Live Music, Exclusive Releases, Swag and Snacks

Vinyl Revival, 35-37 N. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, PA, is proud to be participating in Record Store Day, an international day to celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store, on April 22, 2017. Vinyl Revival will stock a selection of titles that are Record Store Day exclusive, limited edition and first releases. As part of the Record Store Day celebration, there will be free in-store performances by Big Terrible, the Funky Rebels, MLC (Mid-Life Crisis), and The Wiretappers, free Record Store Day promotional materials with purchases, plus complimentary light refreshments and drinks during store hours from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

In celebration of Record Store Day’s 10^th anniversary, Vinyl Revival has programmed a slate of live entertainment during store hours for customers’ shopping enjoyment. A wide variety of genres including singer-songwriter, hard rock, alternative and classic rock covers will be performed by several groups throughout the day. Musicians include The Wiretappers, a mandolin and guitar trio playing both originals and covers, the acoustic duo MLC playing cover songs from the Lumineers to Rod Stewart, the Funky Rebels, a newly formed band comprised of musicians who met at World Cafe Live’s weekly Philly Rising open mic night who will blend the rap, pop punk and singer-songwriter genres, and closing out the day’s events will be blues-soaked heavy rock by Philadelphia power trio, Big Terrible. Since their formation in 2006, Big Terrible has been a stand out in the local hard rock/indie scene due to their expert technical skills and good ole-fashioned songwriting. Their most recent album, Monument was released in March 2015 and is an addition to their impressive collection of releases such as Rotten City in 2013 and Face the Stone in 2009.

Music and merchandise by the performing bands will be available for sale at Vinyl Revival. For more information and the performance schedule, visit http://vinylrevivalrecords.com/.

For a complete list of titles being released for Record Store Day 2017, visit http://recordstoreday.com/.

Stones’ Exhibitionism a Must See

I FINALLY got to New York City last weekend to see the Rolling Stones’ Exhibitionism show at Industria. I’m glad I went because it really had a nice mix of memorabilia, instruments, artwork, and personal items from members of the band. The exhibit is broken down into different sections that take you on a musical journey from the band’s earliest beginnings until now, over 50 years later. Here’s a quick re-cap from what I remember.

The exhibit opens with a recreation of Mick, Keith and Brian’s apartment in London with piles of dirty dishes, blues records by the turntable and clothes strewn about. There’s a room filled with all types of instruments including some of Mick’s harmonicas, a number of Keith’s guitars and a drum set. There’s an interactive listening station where you can isolate vocals, drums, etc. on songs and mix them in whatever way you want which was fun to do. There was a cool section that had drawings of their stage sets then pictures of the actual stage and clips of live performances, a GREAT section on album artwork and tour poster art, hand-written song lyrics, and of course, an area dedicated to their iconic lips logo. One of my favorite sections was the couple of rooms filled with the colorful, sequined, feathered, leather, outrageous stage costumes that the guys have worn through the years. There was more than one fabulous jacket that I would’ve loved to get my hands on! The exhibit ended with a walk through a backstage area followed by a 3-D concert clip of the band.

I LOVED Exhibitionism and if you think you’d like to go see it, you better go soon because it only runs through March 12^th. It took me about an hour and half to go through the entire thing so plan on spending up to two hours there. It’s a must see for Stones’ fans and music fans alike!

Record Store Day 2017

This year, Record Store Day, is celebrating 10 years on April 22nd! We are planning some extra special in-store events for the occasion. Check back for more details as we’ll be posting about our activities as we get things finalized. As usual, we’ll give out promotional materials free with RSD purchases, and serve complimentary snacks, beer, and wine. Record Store Day is a big ass party at Vinyl Revival so don’t miss it!

The Record Store Day Ambassador for 2017 was announced yesterday and it’s St. Vincent. She’s made a clever video about it which you can see here. Very funny!

2016 in Review

We had a great 2016 thanks to you, our customers!

Here’s a look back at some of last year’s events. We had a great time at our live shows, indie film screenings, book signings, Record Store Day events, and more. We look forward to offering a wider variety of new and vintage vinyl and programming more unique events that you can enjoy in Lansdowne!

Gift Guide for Music Lovers

We’re just 10 days away from Christmas and if you’re still shopping, here are a few ideas for the music lovers on your list.

Record Player – Know someone that doesn’t have a record player but wants to start listening to vinyl? A portable record player makes a great first turntable. With built in speakers, 3 speeds and RCA output, you can just plug it in and play.

Record Store Day Black Friday Exclusives – Buying for a record collector? Record Store Day Black Friday exclusive, limited edition, picture discs, and colored vinyl records make great gifts.

New Stones Album – Have a Rolling Stones fan on your list? The Stones’ new album, Blue and Lonesome, is their first studio album in over 10 years and the band’s first album of all covers. Loaded with old blues songs, this is the type of blue Christmas you want to have!

Art by a Local Artist – Buying for someone who has everything? A piece of art always makes a great gift! Vinyl Revival has a nice selection of artwork made locally including pottery by Bob Deane, drawings by Drew Arata, and creepy doll art by Kimmymetal’s Creepy Creations and Art.

Album Cover Art Handbag – Made by hand, an album cover handbag is rock wear for the fashionista on your list.

Books by Local Authors – Vinyl Revival has several books by local authors including autographed copies of Rock & Roll’s Hidden Giant: The Story of Rock Pioneer Charlie Gracie, Pop’s Cookie Duster by Don Doyle, Lee Doyle, and Annette Debevec, Another Day on Planet Earth by Frank Rosci, and Love You Live, Rolling Stones Fanzine from the Common Fan by Marilou Regan.

Rock and Roll Home Decor – Rock & roll home accessories like clocks, bowls, coasters, and magnets made from recycled records add rocker chic to any room.

Vinyl Revival Gift Certificate – Give the gift of music with a Vinyl Revival gift certificate.

Official Film of Record Store Day, “The Smart Studios Story,” Screens at Vinyl Revival

The Smart Studios Story, November 16th

The Smart Studios Story,” a documentary about Midwest indie rock that is the official film of Record Store Day, is coming to Vinyl Revival, 35-37 N. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, on Wednesday, November 16^th at 7:30 p.m. Director Wendy Schneider will attend the screening. Tickets are $10 and are available online at vinylrevivalrecords.com or at the door. This is a limited seating event so advance ticket purchase is recommended.

Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, L7, Death Cab For Cutie (among many others), have created music at Smart Studios, the legendary recording facility founded by Butch Vig and Steve Marker. Drawing on in-depth-interviews with musicians and producers, never-before-seen archival footage and a powerful soundtrack, “The Smart Studios Story” tells the story of the pivotal Midwest link to the global rise of Alternative Rock in the 1990’s and the unassuming Madison, Wisconsin recording studio at its center. The post-70’s explosion of independent music in America has many traceable roots, each with a compelling story. This is one of the most significant stories that has never been told until now. Visit www.thesmartstudiosstory.com for more information.

How to Properly Maintain Your Vinyl

In a world where digital has become the norm, nothing beats the rich sound quality of vinyl. Whether you have been hanging onto your 45s since the 1950s, or you are new to record collecting, there are practices that you can implement to keep those melodious sounds spinning for years to come. Amoeba Music created a helpful video on how to care for records. Read on for the most important things you can do to keep your vinyl in top condition.

Store them upright

If you’ve ever helped a record collector move, then you know that vinyl is heavy. All of that weight can negatively impact the grooves in your records. Rather than stack them on top of one other, store them vertically. This prevents warping and damage from the weight of other records, and it protects the packaging from wear.

Optimal Temperature

Heat can damage your records. Keep them in a cool and moisture-free environment to prevent warping.

Proper Packaging

Records often have an internal and external sleeve. The original sleeves will protect your vinyl to an extent, but dust and dirt are drawn to the grooves. Sound Matters recommends using polyethylene sleeves to provide an additional barrier against dirt.

Keep them clean

Cleanliness is essential for keeping your records in good shape. Even if you store them properly in their sleeves, the very act of taking them out of the package can be a chance for dust to get into the grooves. All that spinning creates a static charge that attracts dirt. You should clean your LPs before each use, regardless of how clean they seem to be.

Clean your records with a soft brush to remove dust. There are carbon fiber brushes made especially for this. Apply little to no pressure with the dry brush, and move the brush in the same direction as the grooves.

If dry-brushing fails to remove dirt, then you will need to use a different approach. There are a number of methods for cleaning your records. One of the safest involves using vinyl cleaning fluid with a microfiber cloth. Dab a small amount of cleaning fluid onto the microfiber cloth, and gently wipe the record in the same direction as the grooves. Using too much pressure can scratch the record or press dirt more deeply into the grooves.

Don’t forget to clean your needle with a soft brush. Give your turntable a thorough dusting too.

Handle with care

Picking up a record is like picking up a photograph. You don’t want your fingers to touch anything holding content. Gently slide LPs from their packaging, and hold them by their edges. Touching the center label will not impair sound quality either. Just keep in mind that the oil from your skin can damage whatever it touches.

Vinyl records have unprecedented staying power and a sound quality that is all their own. Show them some love, and they be around for generations to come.

Jessica Kane is a music connoisseur and an avid record collector. She currently writes for SoundStage Direct, her go-to place for all turntables and vinyl equipment, including VPI Turntables.

Vinyl Revival Celebrates Three Years in Lansdowne

Vinyl Revival is celebrating their third anniversary Wednesday, August 17^th through Saturday, August 20^th with special events including a Sexy Scrabble Party, Anime and Pocky Party, a record sale, and complimentary refreshments. Not your ordinary record store, Vinyl Revival looks forward to providing the community with a great selection of new and used records, funky music accessories, independent and alternative movie screenings and live music from up-and-coming performers, for many years to come.

Vinyl Revival’s anniversary celebration kicks off with a fun mixer event, Sexy Scrabble, on Wednesday, August 17^th from 6 – 9 p.m. For all adult ages, singles and couples, attendees will play a wild and crazy word game, mix and mingle, win prizes and flirt for points. Tickets are $12 and advance registration at https://sites.google.com/site/sexyscrabbleparty/ is suggested as space is limited.

On Friday, August 19th and Saturday, August 20^th, Vinyl Revival will take 50% off all new and vintage albums and 45’s and serve complimentary light refreshments, drinks and birthday cake in honor of their third year anniversary.

Also on Saturday, August 20^th, Vinyl Revival presents an Anime Day and Pocky Party. From 2 – 6 p.m., attendees can snack on delicious pocky (a popular treat in Japan, pocky are biscuit sticks covered in chocolate and other yummy flavors) and drink tea during a marathon of old and nu skool anime. Tickets are $12 in advance online at vinylrevivalrecords.com and $15 in-person at Vinyl Revival up until show time. Guests can come anytime during the event and watch as little or as much as they like.

Vinyl Revival will continue to screen independent and classic films in association with FirstGlance Films and Ciao Bella Living Italian Style and as Vinyl Revival enters into its third year of operations, they are proud to present a new Japanese cinema screening series, After Dark Japan Night, in association with Tidepoint Pictures, beginning Friday, August 26^that 7:30 p.m. in their Vault Theater. The first film is TETSUDON: THE ABCs of FOOL JAPAN?, the craziest Japanese SCI-FI/Comedy/Anime anthology of short films. Film-goers can vote on their favorite short and discuss Japanese pop culture with event host, Alex Strang, and Tetsuki Ijichi from Tidepoint Pictures. The After Dark Japan Night will take place every other month on fourth Fridays and will feature J-Horror, bloody action, anime, martial arts, and more TBA. Tickets are $10 and are available online at vinylrevivalrecords.com or at the door up until show time.

Record Store Day 2016 Re-Cap

Wow, we had a GREAT Record Store Day this year! More and more people are coming to our store and we had a lot of what people were looking to get. We’re thankful to everyone who came by to support and party with us! We got lots of good feedback from customers who said they were happy to have a local record store to shop at again. We’re glad that we can share our love of music and vinyl with other old school record fans as well as the younger collectors who are newly discovering the beauty of the format.

We still have a number of Record Store Day releases in stock and might have the title you’re looking to get so stop by and browse our inventory. We also have some titles left from last year’s Record Store Day and Black Friday that we have reduced.

Here are some pictures from the day. Special thanks to Charlie Gracie, Patricia King and Orlando Hadad from Minas for their special appearance on Record Store Day and Mayor Campuzano and Neumann University’s 98.5!

Record Store Day Events

We’re only 22 short days away from Record Store Day 2016! Vinyl Revival will stock a selection of titles that are Record Store Day exclusive, limited edition and first releases and we’ll have a couple fun events during the day on April 16th.

11 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Meet Orlando Haddad and Patricia King from the Brazilian jazz group Minas and get advance and signed copies of their first album, Num Dia Azul, which will be re-released at their World Café Live concert on April 16^th at 8 p.m.

12 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Meet Philly’s first rock and roll star, Charlie Gracie, as he signs copies of his new book, Rock & Roll’s Hidden Giant: The Story of Rock Pioneer Charlie Gracie.

Gracie’s book and Minas’ album will be available for sale at their individual events.

As part of the Record Store Day celebration, light refreshments and drinks will be provided during store hours from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m and an assortment of Record Store Day promotional items will also be given out for free with each purchase while supplies last.

Hope you can celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store with us!

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