Needle to the Groove (record label)

For the track by Mantronix, see The Album

Needle to the Groove (NTTG) is an American independent record label, DJ collective, and two record shops, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Its wider operations include vintage curation and community events.

History

Needle to the Groove began as a store in the Niles District in Fremont, California, founded by Dan Bernal. Its second location was founded by Allen Johnson at a storefront on East Santa Clara Street in San Jose, California, before relocating to a larger 2,000-square-foot space at 424 E. Santa Clara St. in 2018.[1] The shop marked its 10th anniversary in San Jose in 2024 with an event at Still O.G. Hi-Fi Vinyl Bar.[2] It is also one of the few black-owned record stores in the country. The label arm operates out of the San Jose location.

Record Label

NTTG's label releases limited-edition music on vinyl, cassette, and digital formats, often in small runs (100–500 copies). The label has also collaborated on events like record swaps, curated festival stages,[3]and organized release parties across the San Francisco Bay Area.[4]

Artists

The label features a mix of local Bay Area artists and broader acts. Key artists include:

  • Prince Paul & Don Newkirk (By Every Means Necessary, Vol. 1,[5] the musical score to the Netflix documentary film, Who Killed Malcolm X?)
  • Valley Wolf[6] (Modesto Latin rock; full-length debut produced by Eduardo Arenas of Chicano Batman).
  • Fatboi Sharif[7] (remastered debut Ape Twin DELUXE with exclusive tracks on vinyl).
  • Will Sprott (former frontman of San Jose's The Mumlers, member of Shannon & The Clams; album Natural Internet).
  • Casual + Albert Jenkinsl[8] (Oakland collective Hieroglyphics, STARDUSTER EP).
  • Aceyalone[9] and MUMBLES ("Courage Under Fire" b/w "Freedom Now" 45 release due fall 2025).

Connection to San Jose

Located in downtown San Jose (DTSJ), NTTG supports the local music scene by supporting underrepresented artists from the Bay Area. Co-owner and general manager of NTTG Michael Boado[10] is a partner at The Ritz[11] nightclub, while music journalist David Ma teaches an "Introduction To Hip-Hop" course at San Jose State University's music department.[12]

NTTG has been featured in local press, including Content Magazine[13] and KQED,[4] for its vinyl curation and community role. The San Jose Mercury News[1] has profiled NTTG's role in San Jose's local music culture, specifically downtown San Jose. The shop hosts DJ sets and participates in civic collaborations like San Jose's Music in the Park (opening sets for Toots and the Maytals and Brenton Wood), and community events at venues such as San Jose's Mexican Heritage Plaza[14] and San Jose Jazz Festival.[15] In 2023, it released its first unofficial Record Store Day record title and is an annual participant in Record Store Day.

References

  1. ^ a b Pizarro, Sal (July 21, 2018). "Spinning vinyl pays off for San Jose's Needle to the Groove". The Mercury News. San Jose. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  2. ^ Yuriar, Melisa (August 14, 2024). "Needle to the Groove Marks 10 Years of Vinyl Curation". Metro Silicon Valley. San Jose. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  3. ^ Gee, Andre (August 8, 2023). "Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Birthday With These Concerts, Exhibits, and Events". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Meline, Gabe (January 15, 2025). "With Casual's 'Starduster,' a Rap Legend Reaches New Heights". KQED. San Francisco. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  5. ^ Suarez, Gary (May 19, 2020), "Prince Paul And Don Newkirk Talk Bringing Golden Age Hip-Hop Skills To Netflix's Malcolm X Series", Forbes, retrieved November 20, 2025
  6. ^ Roos, Brandon (November 25, 2020). "Valley Wolf". Content Magazine issue 13.1. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  7. ^ Gee, Andre (24 August 2023). "Fatboi Sharif's Experimental Raps Are Anything But 'Weird'". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  8. ^ Thorn, Jesse (18 April 2025). "Hieroglyphics' Casual on the song that changed his life: Bullseye with Jesse Thorn". NPR. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  9. ^ Morrison, John (7 March 2019). "Hidden Gems: Aceyalone, "A Book of Human Language"". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  10. ^ Yuriar, Melisa (18 July 2025). "Atomic Marks 20th Anniversary July 19 at the Ritz". Metro Silicon Valley. San Jose. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  11. ^ Chuyang, Alyson (15 June 2023). "A brief history of The Ritz nightclub". SJ Today. San Jose. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  12. ^ Tran, Christine (24 April 2025). "Professor Spits game on hip-hop". The Spartan Daily. San Jose. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  13. ^ Roos, Brandon (August 13, 2024). "Needle to the Groove". Content Magazine. San Jose. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  14. ^ "San Jose's Mexican Heritage Plaza celebrates 25 years". NBC Bay Area. September 17, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  15. ^ "Needle To The Groove DJs: Allen Johnson, David Ma & DJ Basura". San Jose Jazz Summer Fest. August 4, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
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