SHORT TAKES : A Lot of New Kids on the Block

If record stores seem a bit crowded today, it’s thanks to the teen-age music sensation New Kids on the Block.

Today is the official release date for the Boston-based band’s latest album, “Step by Step,” which has already shipped a whopping 2 million LPs, cassettes and compact discs to record venues across the country. Some stores have reported that as many as 3,000 buyers--mostly preteens and teens--have “preregistered” to buy the album, the group’s second.

Spokesmen for the Sam Goody / Musicland chain say they are geared for “maximum pandemonium” and a Sound Warehouse store in Dallas says it will keep its doors open past its normal midnight closing time to accommodate buyers.