Belleville, ON | The last Sam the Record Man store in Canada could be closing soon: The store owners says ‘they are exploring options’ to keep the store open after they retire. The last Sam the Record Man store in Canada could soon be closing soon. The beloved Canadian record store closed its Yonge Street location in Toronto in 2007. However, one store location in Belleville, Ontario, that many people might not know about has kept the brand alive all these years afterward. The Belleville store is located in the Quinte Mall and has been the only Sam the Record Man store standing since the Sarnia location closed more than a decade ago. The store owners posted on Facebook that after 45 years in business, they’ve decided to retire. People took to the post’s comments on Facebook to reminisce about Sam the Record Man and congratulate the owners on retirement. In a statement to Quinte News, the shop owner reportedly said, “They are exploring options to keep the store running while they go into retirement.” So the store closing isn’t guaranteed just yet.
Tiong Bahru, SG | Ronggeng Records: This record store tucked away in Tiong Bahru has rare Southeast Asian vinyl: Owner Shahrem used to be the keyboardist in his rock band, YingYang. If you find yourself near Kim Cheng Street from Wednesday to Sunday and catch melodies emanating from a corner, we strongly recommend following the music. That will lead you straight to Ronggeng Records, a charming vinyl store that is stocked to the brim with rare vinyl gems. Vinyl collecting has been quite the rave in recent years – everyone wants in on the analogue experience. Digitalisation being the future is inevitable, but many people find charm in looking backwards instead. The charm and tactility of analogue craft is something digitalisation can never parallel, and Shahrem Selamat, owner of Ronggeng Records, embodies just that, proving that analogue music will live on. “I opened this shop out of passion because I love music. In the late 80s and 90s, I was in a rock band. I still keep in contact with my bandmate. He is now repairing vintage music equipment,” Shahrem shares.
Cape Girardeau, MO | Spectrum Record Lounge hosts first listening session to celebrate Black History Month: A record store in downtown Cape Girardeau is celebrating Black History Month by highlighting artists who have made an impact around the world. Every Tuesday this month, the music played at Spectrum Record Lounge will only be from Black artists, ranging from hip-hop and rap, to jazz and afrobeat, to soul and R&B. Today was Bob Marley’s birthday, so to kick off the listening session, it was a day full of dub and reggae. Owner Travis Tyson said this is a great opportunity to expose people to music they have never heard before. ”Just important to get that silent music out and make sure that people know like the integral part that they were for the history of music as a whole,” he said. Tyson told us all of his staff chose Black History Month picks for customers to enjoy. Taylor Scott, an employee at the lounge, said this month-long celebration is the perfect way to learn more about some of their favorite genres and artists.
New Braunfels, TX | Full Circle: Yard Sale Records set to open first store in New Braunfels: Scottish-born music collector bringing Texas-based vinyl to town on March 1. Soon, New Braunfels residents will no longer have to take a spin over to Canyon Lake or Austin to find a Yard Sale Records booth at a market. In a month, the business will have an in-person location in New Braunfels. While Howard Lovell, owner of Yard Sale Records, was born in Scotland, his Texas upbringing influenced his taste in music. “The store is gonna be very Texas music-based, so it’s kind of like if you take ZZ Top or Doug Sahm and break them down into their influences; that’s the kind of sounds that’s gonna be part of my store,” Lovell said. “So Texas roots, blues, country jazz, everything — kind of Texas focused with a little roots based.” Lovell began his vinyl journey when he was 17 years old. “Records were like $3, $5 apiece, and CDs were $15, $20 apiece, and I thought, ‘Well, I can buy three records for the price of one CD, so I’ll do that,’ and I just never stopped,” Lovell said.
Fullerton, CA | Mo’s Fullerton Music harvests decades of flavorful memories: One of the most prominent so-called “destination” stores in the Orange County music scene still stands in the face of tribulations, making it an even more memorable gem of the city of Fullerton. …Maurice Palmateer, better known as Mo, started her venture in 1946, working at a local music shop. Marina Hernandez, an employee of a year and a half in April of 2024, plans for the store to have a lot more presence on social media to attract a younger crowd. However, this isn’t all they’ve got planned to seek more foot traffic. Hernandez shares that they plan on hosting both live shows starting in March, and a monthly flea market. Both of these would be free-admittance events to give people the opportunity to explore their new location, shop around and indulge in some talent-filled tunes. “It’s just more of providing another scene for music enthusiasts in the college areas,” said Hernandez.
Montreal, CA | Montreal mayor sparks reaction with rockers after visit to local record store: Montreal mayor Valerie Plante garnered quite a bit of reaction from music enthusiasts over the past couple of days following a visit to a local record store. More specifically, Plante visited Death of Vinyl on St. Laurent boulevard and posted a photo holding a copy of Black Sabbath’s debut album. Plante captioned her photo with, “Montreal merchants energize our city with their unique offering, but also with what they bring to the city’s atmosphere. […] My latest visits were to St. Viateur Bagel and La Fin du Vinyle (Death of Vinyl). […] I took the opportunity to taste the new bagels without holes and buy vinyl records for my son, who shares my passion for music!” Of course, the internet was quick to react to the mayor’s posts. CTV Montreal journalist and music aficionado Stephane Giroux commented, “Valerie bought a Black Sabbath LP?”
Chesterfield, UK | New radio studio forms part of expansion for Chesterfield record store: A record store in Chesterfield has announced an exciting expansion, which includes a new independent radio station for local DJs to follow their passion for music. Vanishing Point Records, based in Theatre Yard in the town centre, has become a popular spot for music lovers selling pre-loved vinyl records across many genres. The businesses, which began in 2017 had previously expanded in 2019. However in 2023, the shop took up a neighbouring unit which enabled further growth. Acquiring the extra space has given Vanishing Point Records the opportunity to showcase its huge 12″ single collection, which is thought to be one of the biggest in the East Midlands with a collection of around 5000. On top of this, the store has also been able to build a new radio studio. The studio is now a home for Radio Free Matlock, which is a station that Vanishing Point Owner, Corey Lavender was already heavily involved in prior to the store’s expansion.
Buena Park, CA | A lense into the OC Record Show: The OC Record Show, Southern California’s largest monthly vinyl record trade show, started the year with a record-breaking attendance of over 700 people last Sunday in Buena Park. The monthly event, held at the UFCW Union Hall is the only trade show of its kind, in the state, featuring over 90 tables of vinyl records and music-related items such as CDs, cassettes, movies, VHS tapes, band shirts and memorabilia. Established in 1986 by business partners Steve Brunner and Gavin Riley, the trade show evolved from their success in commerce leading them to focus exclusively on trading vinyl records. By July 2022, Brunner and Riley, found the physical demands of running the show to be too much. So, they made the decision to shift ownership to couple Ryan and Cynthia Blauvelt who sought to revitalize the event and extend its reach. …The move proved successful as it soon doubled the average monthly attendance rate from about 300 attendees to over 600 attendees.
New York, NY | These are the best vinyl bars in NYC: From Tokyo Record Bar to Public Records, these are the listening spots to drink, dine and tune in. Listening bars often incorporate vinyl-only music through a Hi-Fi sound system that first originated in Japan but they’ve continued to spread into the New York City scene. They’re the perfect places for audiophiles who want to get a drink after work or even want to take a date for a unique experience. While many of the listening bars on the list celebrate the Japanese roots that influenced them others take a new spin on experience. As a born and raised New Yorker, bar experiences can eventually start to blend together after a while, which is why when I went to my first listening bar, I was immediately impressed. It can feel like being teleported into a different era depending on the record that’s playing at the time. Not only do vinyl records have a distinct sound but there are bars for any type of audiophile on this list.
