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High school football practice has started. Teams are preparing for that opening kickoff. And this fall in New Hampshire, more schools than ever before will be fielding varsity football teams.

NHPR sports correspondent Jim Jeannotte reports.

Today on Word of Mouth, designers without borders. A groundswell of architects is applying high-end skills to low-cost public projects. And updating the rules of etiquette for the Internet age. We also catch up with musician and New Hampshire native Will Sheff, frontman of the band Okkervil River, about recording concept albums in the age of iTunes and single downloads. Plus what bloggers outside the U.S. make of the presidential campaign.

(Photo by Christoph!)

Musician Will Sheff grew up in Meriden, NH, dreaming of becoming a filmmaker. When he realized how much it costs and how many people are needed to make a film, he decided to try writing songs instead. The songs he writes for his band Okkervil River have the cinematic quality of short films.

The Austin, Texas band’s fifth studio album, "The Stand Ins," comes out next week. It’s a follow-up to last year’s commercial success, "The Stage Names," which catapulted the band into the top ranks of indie musicians. We caught up with Will Sheff while he was sitting on a stoop in Brooklyn, and asked him about continuing the themes and characters that were introduced in "The Stage Names" on the new album, and the challenge of creating characters that feel authentic.

Jagjaguwar Records will release "The Stand Ins" on Sept. 9. Watch a trailer for the album below:

(Photo by Christoph!)

It’s no secret that the music industry is swimming in rough waters these days. Online downloads have cut CD sales dramatically. But the industry is finding a bright spot in an unexpected place: vinyl records - yes, those things gathering dust in so many attics.

Nationwide, shipments of vinyl went up by a third between 2006 and 2007, driven by baby boomer nostalgia and young hipsters inspired by the look and feel of vinyl. This week, Capitol/EMI launched "From the Capitol Vaults," with the release of 13 titles on vinyl, including Radiohead's "OK Computer" and the Steve Miller Band's "Greatest Hits 1974-1978."

But this news comes a little too late for vinyl fans in Mill Valley, Calif. Their local record shop closed its doors last year after 60 years in business. KALX North Gate Radio producer Julie Napolin brings us this profile of the historic Village Music record store.

(Photo of Village Music by Michael Scannell)