Music writer Jay Papandreas visited a soup west, bumping into "the best record store in the midwest" on the way. In his latest memo, he tries to identify what constitutes the best record store in general - "it’s a function of care. It’s about the selection and knowledge of buyers. It’s about the effort that goes into making a daunting collection feel as inoffensive as a grocery store. It’s about organizing and breaking the mold of the judgmental record store guy trope but still having a higher taste level than any other store. The care for the music, as well as the customer, is what makes a space different from others in the same industry."

Ecstatic Peace Library is the brainchild of Moore, made in collaboration with comic artist Savage Pencil and Soho Music, and Zippo Records head Pete Flanagan, with his son Jim working there. Guardian visited it in Hackney, London, where Moore lives now, and talked about the physicality of objects in a world where everything is digitised and streamed. Moore doesn't mind people going there to get a photo with him - “It’s fine. If Patti Smith walked into this place I’d want a picture with her”, and he doesn't mind dogs either - “We are everything friendly”. What about profit? - the G asked. “What about artistic profit, creative profit, intellectual profit?” - the Sonic Moore replied.

This week, Sunrise Records announced that it was buying FYE, America’s last remaining nationwide record and entertainment retail chain from Trans World. FYE currently has 206 stores in America, Sunrise owns 114 HMV record stores in the UK and 85 namesake Sunrise stores in Canada, bringing the total record store owned to 405. Between 2000 and 2010 nearly 4000 US record stores closed, leaving an estimated 1400, with most operating independently or in chains of less than 10 stores.