My interview with Godlis on the Vinyl District

I recently did a short interview with Godlis for The Vinyl District in light of his successful Kickstarter campaign. Please have a look...

"I’ve known David Godlis’ photographs longer than I’ve known him. If you’ve read any number of books or New York Times articles about CBGB and related subjects, chances are you know his work as well. I finally befriended him 6 or 7 years ago during one of my frequent periods of unemployment. He needed some help scanning proofsheets, and I was able and willing. Listening to a mix of Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, and Howard Stern broadcasts, we got to know each other pretty well." Continued here.

Brooklyn's loss is the Hudson Valley's gain: Dope Jams to re-open in Greene County

Former NYC-based vinyl spot and distributor, Dope Jams, have relocated to the Catskills in upstate New York - a welcome move to upstate music fans who still like their tunes on wax. To celebrate, the shop will be throwing a grand opening barbecue at the new location in Oak Hill, NY, on Sunday, June 9. Get the details here if you happen to be up that way.

This now adds to the growing amount of record shopping that can be accomplished in the Hudson Valley in a solid afternoon of browsing and driving. Download the Vinyl District Record Store Locator (free for iPhone and Android) for all of your record store locating needs, and hit the road!

Need help finding a record store? Use the Vinyl District Record Store Locator!

If you need some help finding a record store, especially as its Record Store Day this weekend, allow me to plug the first, the original, and still the best, mobile app for just such a task: the Vinyl District Record Store Locator.

It's free and available for iPhone and Android. 

For a deeper description, including screenshots, click here.

30,000 app users can't be wrong!

One year ago, along with The Vinyl District and Shoutem, I launched The Vinyl District Record Store Locator app for iPhone and Android. Happy one year birthday to us!

With about 30,000 users currently, and a few thousand record stores listed from 28 countries around the world, it would seem like we are the record buying travelers’ go-to app of choice, and we couldn’t be more honored.

Of course, you, the app user, have also been a huge help in keeping us informed on store openings and closings, and whatever else. We hope to keep on keeping on, as we all help each other do what we love - visiting and supporting independent record stores! Happy holidays all!

For your iPhone here | For your Android here

#recordstoreday

Not to brag, but I have to say last week was quite a week for the Vinyl District Record Store Locator. Not only was the app mentioned on the Billboard.biz website, on the very same day it was also mentioned on RollingStone.com!

For more on the Vinyl District app visit:
iTunes: http://bit.ly/tVIBP6
Android Marketplace: http://bit.ly/sx5hCm
The Vinyl District: http://bit.ly/rvzYNs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvdrecordstorelocator

I hope you had a good record store day weekend, and remember - record store day is everyday!

Billboard recommends The Vinyl District Record Store Locator for Record Store Day!

This just in from Billboard.biz - 

Record Store Day 2012: Useful Apps, In-Store Performances, More:

Record Store Day is right around the corner (this Saturday April 21, but you already knew that), so here's a few updates and miscellaneous pieces of information that will help you manage your weekend and make it as enjoyable as possible.

First off, if you haven't downloaded it yet, The Vinyl District has developed a free app for both iPhone and Android that allows users to locate the nearest independent record shop via its GPS locator. While useful in unfamiliar cities and neighborhoods throughout the year, the app is that much more useful this weekend, especially its social features. Users can make their own Vinyl District accounts or sign in with Twitter or Facebook and check in to record stores, comment in the "shout" section, and share what gems they've uncovered with others around them. There's also an events section that highlights record fairs, though it leaves out RSD-specific events. For the rest of this article, and more on record store day, click here.

For more on the Vinyl District app visit:
iTunes: http://bit.ly/tVIBP6
Android Marketplace: http://bit.ly/sx5hCm
The Vinyl District: http://bit.ly/rvzYNs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvdrecordstorelocator

Good ol' Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown - proud user of The Vinyl District Record Store Locator. 

p.s. Did you know that the word 'jazz' has its roots in baseball? I didn't.

What my week looks like

Modern Art Records

Bright Antenna

Black Bell Records

The Vinyl District

Noted

Find vinyl. Thanks to MPK.

‎"Full global reach can only be a matter of time."

 What a hell of a rollercoaster week...or at least the last two days. It started with the news of at least some sort of CBGB festival this summer, if not a full blown relaunch. Then came the news that Bleecker Bobs is being replaced by a Starbucks, and it must be going out of business, right? And oh yeah, by the way, the Holiday Cocktail Lounge is closing. Last call is Saturday night. Then today came a rumor that Bleecker Bobs may not be closing...they're supposedly looking for a new space in the East Village.

Also today, something I've been waiting on...Mojo magazine mentioned the Vinyl District Record Store Locator app in the news section of their brand new issue, March 2012. For me this is a great personal validation. I've read almost every issue of Mojo since they started when...18, 19 years ago? Anyway, I'm simply thrilled, honey. Thanks to Andrew Male of Mojo for noticing, and thanks to Phil Wilson for the JPEG today. And of course, thanks to Justin Bieber for having his picture taken with an iPhone so Mojo could use it for this piece...I love celebrity endorsements!

‎"Full global reach can only be a matter of time." Indeed.

The TVD RSL #tvdrsl

I've spent a good chunk of the weekend updating the new TVD RSL (has a nice ring to it, no?) with stores that were missing, or we didn't have in the first place. This includes many indie shops in the UK. So if you're located there please grab the app & give it a go.

And folks, please don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything missing, or whatever...all comments are gladly accepted!

The TVD RSL for iPhone - here
The TVD RSL for Android - here
The TVD RSL Facebook page - here

Thanks to everyone who has tweeted, facebooked, and written about the app so far. Its been amazing, and we're just getting started.

Happy holidays!
#tvdrsl

A work in progress

The Vinyl Garage, Woodstock NY

Originally published at the Vinyl District: One of the advantages of living in the northeast is the close proximity to so many major cities, and all they have to offer - including record fairs & sales. All of them play host to fairs regularly, and this includes many secondary cities as well like Amherst MA, and Albany NY. If you're really in the mood, you can do some serious sightseeing while doing some serious damage to your bank account.

One record dealing friend of mine, Mr. Mark Zip of Woodstock NY, has been selling records for years...not only does he regularly make the rounds to sell, he's developed something of a tradition at his home between Woodstock and Saugerties NY in the Catskill Mountains. Twice a year, like clockwork, he has a massive sale out of his garage. Mostly vinyl & CD's, its always a great excuse to hang out & shoot the breeze, and maybe catch up with a few folks who you wouldn't normally otherwise meet. Like any good record store. This happens on the Memorial Day & Labor Day weekends like clockwork. On occasion - nice days, when he has a new collection in to sort - Mark will open the garage for the heck of it. Residents & tourists of the Woodstock area know this because of the distinctive red & white signs that Mark posts along Route 212 leading to his house.

What may be of interest to TVD (and Stupefaction) readers in the northeast is that Mark keeps a blog of upcoming record fairs - at least the ones he's going to be at. He also updates it when he happens to be open at his house, like this weekend. So, if you happen to be visiting New Paltz, Woodstock, Saugerties, or even Hudson NY, make a quick stop at the Vinyl Garage, and keep an eye on NY Record Fairs for updates. See you at the garage.

Now contributing to the Vinyl District

For those who care, I'm happy to report that I'll now be contributing 

to the wonderful Vinyl District as a New York correspondent. If you're not familiar, it started out of Washington DC to support their local record stores, and has since grown to cover the entire country (and beyond). Its also become the official blog of Record Store Day! Happy to be on board, JM.