Middletown, OH | ‘Just heartbroken’: Greater Cincinnati record shop catches fire. A record shop in Greater Cincinnati caught fire on Tuesday. It happened at Lester’s Rock N’ Roll shop on Central Avenue in Middletown. The business posted to Facebook Tuesday after the fire, writing, “just heartbroken.” The shop sells physical media, such as vinyl and cassettes, as well as vintage musical instruments.
US | The Rise, Fall, and Resilience of U.S. Record Shops: Once the beating heart of local music culture, American record shops have experienced a dramatic arc over the past seven decades-rising as essential community spaces, collapsing under digital disruption, and reemerging in a leaner but more intentional form. At their peak in the late 1970s and 1980s, the U.S. was home to an estimated 7,000-8,000 independent record stores, alongside powerful national chains. Vinyl LPs dominated music sales, and record shops served as discovery hubs where listeners encountered new artists, genres, and subcultures. …By 1999, the U.S. music industry reached its all-time revenue high, generating over $22 billion, largely driven by physical formats-first vinyl, then CDs. At the time, record stores were still central to how Americans accessed music.
Hyattsville, MD | Hyattsville’s New Record Shop Follows National Trend to Vinyl: A new record shop in Hyattsville is following a national trend toward vinyl. Located at 4344 Farragut St., just down the street from Vigilante Coffee, Fireplace Records specializes in vinyl from all kinds of genre, from rock, jazz and hip hop to gospel and reggae. The four owners previously sold vinyl at farmer’s markets and a periodic event for vinyl collectors in D.C. called the Crate Convention before joining forces to open the shop in November. The store’s owners have said it’s for everyone, whether they’re vinyl collectors, producers or “sample stalkers.” The store opened as vinyl is undergoing a renaissance, overtaking CDs to become the most popular physical music format, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Pensacola, FL | Easy Going Records on Palafox has rare, hard to find vinyl: There are rare and hard-to-find records at Easy Going Records & Hifi located in the Brent Lofts on Palafox, some costing hundreds of dollars. Then there’s the album by Houston rapper Viper that’s displayed on a display showcase behind the counter with a pretty hefty price tag—$10,000 for a copy of Viper’s 2013 release “Kill Urself My Man,” which isn’t even Viper’s biggest album. That would be 2008’s internet breakthrough “You Cowards Don’t Even Smoke Crack,” which the store does not have. That’s five zeroes—$10,000. Does Viper come mow your lawn too? “That’s what we’re asking for it,” Easy Going owner Will Bowers said with a smile, noting the album sells for about $300 online. “Yeah, make a serious offer. …But yeah, the price is a joke.”
London, UK | The first stand-up show to tour record shops: Alastair Clark recalls his time in an indie store. Alastair Clark has announced what’s believed to be the first ever stand-up comedy tour of independent record shops. His show, On The Record, is about his time working in such a store in Liverpool and covers stories such as telling customers their cherished collections are worthless and debates over sound quality. Clark said: ‘The show’s about how I fell into, obsessed about, then walked away from my life in vinyl. It’s for the record fanatics and hard-core collectors, but, at its heart, it’s about living your dreams… everyone can relate to that.’ He premiered the show at last year’s Fringe, where it also played a record store, Slow Progress, where a review from One4Review concluded: ‘He can spin a story as well as any vinyl.’
KS | Vinyl is back for another round at local sellers’ markets, bars and stores: The national resurgence of vinyl records is reflected in central Kansas, where collectors have built both collections and community. Michael Rumback once saw a man pull a “Butcher” copy of the Beatles’ 1966 record “Yesterday and Today” out of the bargain bin at a swap meet. It was an incredible moment—the lucky collector had just found the vinyl record equivalent of a diamond on the sidewalk. Those around him immediately understood what had happened, but the vendor sold it anyway. The “Butcher” cover shows the Fab Four wearing butcher’s jackets with doll parts and pieces of meat draped over them. The cover was an instant controversy, and it was immediately pulled from shelves at a great expense to Capitol Records, which had to pay to reshoot the cover art and re-distribute the album. But it was not fully stopped before several thousand copies made it into circulation, like the one pulled from a bin in Hutchison, Kansas.
AU | Record Store Day Australia is back on 18 April—here’s how to get involved: The annual celebration of independent record stores invites artists and labels to submit expressions of interest for exclusive releases across vinyl, CD, cassette, and new hybrid format KiTbetter. Mark your calendars: Record Store Day Australia is returning on Saturday, 18 April 2026, celebrating the vital role independently owned record stores play in Australian communities. Since 2008, Record Store Day has grown into a global celebration of independent music retail, supporting local stores, artists, labels, and the communities that keep physical music alive. There’s no better time to get down to your local record store and grow your collection.
Karnataka, IN | Vinyl-themed microbrewery 33&Brew raises funding from Optimistic Capital: Vinyl-themed microbrewery 33&Brew has raised Rs 20 crore or about $2.2 million in a Series A funding round led by Optimistic Capital. The funds will be used for construction and expansion. Founded last year by Karthik Chandrasekaran, 33&Brew is India’s first vinyl-themed microbrewery. The brand combines craft beer with a curated vinyl record collection based on the 33⅓ RPM format. Guests can select and play vinyl records, creating a personalised music experience along with their drinks. The outlet offers a progressive Indian menu with global influences and was conceptualised in collaboration with chef Sabyasachi Gorai. 33&Brew aims to stand out in the competitive brewery market of Bengaluru by bringing together craft brewing and analogue music culture.
Best seven inch vinyl 45 adapter with patent to prove it. WAXRAX introduced its unique 45A seven inch vinyl record adapters ten years ago, Then, there were only a few commercial 45 adapter options for play back of forty five RPM vinyl. Options then were slippery metal cone or hemispheric dome 45 adapters, and yellow plastic “spider” inserts. Plastic inserts could damage the edges of the record label when snapped in or out, of your 7 inch singles. Sure, your turntable may have come with a thin plastic or metal puck shaped middle, but those are also difficult to handle and look rather plain. Our 45 rpm adapters have the grip you need and the cool look you want, in seven color varients. If you love the “little records” as much as we do, then treat yourself to the only 45 rpm adapter you will ever need, the WAXRAX 45A.
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