Paris, FR | Record Store Day 2026: The day for independent record shops returns to Paris this Spring. Disquaire Day, or Record Store Day if you prefer, is set to make its comeback on Saturday, April 18, 2026. What’s in store for this new edition dedicated to independent record shops? Expect exclusive limited-edition vinyl releases from numerous independent stores, along with a series of special, ticketed musical events. Great news for vinyl collectors: the Disquaire Day, known as Record Store Day across the UK and North America, is making a comeback in Paris and Île-de-France—and it will be celebrated throughout the rest of France as well. Mark your calendars: the hunt for rare vinyl records is set for Saturday, April 18, 2026—you don’t want to miss it! Every spring, Disquaire Day is an opportunity to discover almost 200 previously unreleased, rare or collector’s items, sold exclusively at around 50 independent record stores in and around Paris.
New Haven, CT | “Freedom Songs” Creates A Sonic Roadmap For The Present: Music floated through the lower level of 1020 Chapel St, winding its way around low tables and handmade, wooden bins that housed sleeves and sleeves of vinyl. From a record player, a quartet of steady voices rose through the space, tired but clear. Oh Pritchett! Oh, Kelly! Oh Pritchett, open them cells, they called, unearthing a whole history in under a minute. Atop the collections, photographs of Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin, Oscar Micheaux, W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, and Mary White-Ovington looked back. That sound came to the Chapel Street record store GRAILS last Monday, during the shop’s first ever “Freedom Songs,” a day-long listening session dedicated to the music of the Civil Rights movement. Designed to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the day invited people to explore social justice and Black revolution through songs, speeches, and poetry of freedom, bringing to the present an urgent and bright roadmap from the past.
UK | Is ‘No Parlez’ the most common charity shop record? During the height of the CD age in the 1990s and 2000s, with vinyl records seemingly doomed to become an obsolete musical medium, record collectors, DJs, and old souls of all sorts were able to enjoy a field day of great finds and even better deals while crate digging. In the years before eBay, in particular, assistants at charity shops weren’t going to waste their time researching the individual values of old records someone dropped off in a cardboard box with insufficient structural integrity. …Paul Young’s 1983 debut album No Parlez seems to be one of the records people most associate with this phenomenon. In its day, No Parlez topped the UK charts for five weeks and went on to sell over a million copies in the UK alone. Forty years later, sadly, 990,000 of those records are now in charity shops, as the nation collectively snapped out of its Paul Young hypnosis by the 1990s, leaving minimal interest even in nostalgic spins of this record.
Augusta, GA | Vinyl Record Fair goes on without a scratch: Despite the impending arrival of Winter Storm Fern and the dipping temperatures, a Jan. 24 event at the Westobou Gallery on 1129 Broad St. had record numbers. Strike that. Reverse it. But don’t scratch it. They had a number of records—vinyl ones, that is. The Westobou Gallery hosted the second annual Augusta Vinyl Record Fair which saw approximately 10 vendors, from stores to collectors, with hundreds of records from which to choose. Early bird arrivals didn’t mind paying a $10 entry fee from 10 a.m. to noon; 20 collectors came to visit the vendors, anxious to put some needles down on some new finds at the second annual event. Bethany Marshall, programs director at Westobou, said they were considering cancelling because of the impending icy weather and expected a low turnout, but there were more than 100 in attendance by the end of the day.
Erie, PA | The Erie Record Riot! Over 10,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Sat January 31st at Perry Hi-Way Hose. The Erie Record Riot RETURNS! It’s a GIANT vinyl record POP-UP sale at Perry Hi-Way Hose, 8281 Oliver Rd. Sat January 31st. 10000+ vinyl records in one room! DISCOUNT TIX AVAILABLE ON EVENTBRITE! A giant record store lands in Erie! Dealers from far and wide converge for a giant music sale! LPs and 45s and CDs too. All types of music from punk to funk to country to classic rock, hip hop, soul/jazz and more. Dust off that turntable and come on down. DOOR PRIZES TOO! Regular admission starts at 10 AM ($5) with early admission at 9 AM ($15). Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!
Sony drops 2 new Bluetooth turntables for the first time in forever, days after pivoting away from TVs: TCL may be in charge of Sony TVs and soundbars now, but Sony isn’t giving up on vinyl. Sony has announced two new Bluetooth turntables after seven years of radio silence. The original Sony PS-LX310BT developed a cult following in that time as one of the few worthwhile beginner-friendly Bluetooth record players (along with the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT-USB). Now, instead of scouring Reddit for budget Bluetooth record player recommendations, those cautiously looking to replace their old Sony PS-LX310BT have two direct successors as an upgrade option: The $399.99 Sony PS-LX3BT (available to pre-order now) or the slightly more premium $499.99 Sony PS-LX5BT (coming this spring).
This Speaker Sits UNDER Your Turntable (And Won’t Ruin the Sound): We all love the ritual of spinning vinyl, but let’s be honest: finding space for a turntable and a pair of good speakers can be a nightmare in a small apartment or office. Usually, you have to separate them because the vibrations from the speakers will make your record skip or cause a dreadful buzzing sound (AKA feedback). Victrola just solved this problem with the new Victrola Soundstage ($349.99), which they just announced at CES 2026. …Think of it as a “soundbase.” It’s a flat, compact speaker designed specifically to have a turntable sit right on top of it. It eliminates the need for a receiver, amplifier, or separate bookshelf speakers, giving you a clean, all-in-one set-up that saves a ton of space.
This Affordable Amplifier is Perfect for Compact Stereo Systems: Give your old bookshelf speakers a new lease on life. Fosi Audio is an affordable hi-fi manufacturer that seems to be ever-growing in popularity and continues to churn out new gadgets. New to 2026, the company has revealed a compact integrated amplifier, the BT20A Max, for those looking repurpose a pair of passive bookshelf speakers. According to the brand, the BT20A Max is “well suited for desktop audiophiles, apartment dwellers, and budget-conscious hi-fi enthusiasts seeking strong performance without the size or complexity of a traditional integrated amplifier.” At its heart, the BT20A Max is an integrated amplifier designed to power a pair of passive bookshelf speakers. It has a built-in DAC, modern wired connections and support for Bluetooth streaming.
Pro-Ject’s latest turntable is a step-up model for those who want to treat their records more seriously: Newly designed upgrades make this an audiophile’s delight. While the Pro-Ject Debut range of turntables may have been around since 1999, a new treat is still all too rare—so this latest model is met with excitement. In fact, the brand currently tops our best record players guide—and features in there more than once. This is a name synonymous with high-quality vinyl playback which it makes available to more people than just professionals. Its latest—the Pro-Ject Debut Reference 10—aims to bring that quality to an even more premium level, while remaining relatively affordable thanks to some newly designed tech upgrades.
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