Verona, NJ | Needle Drop Records Gets Ready To Spin: Somehow, the mighty record, first invented in the late 1800s, has endured through the evolution of music consumption. Cassettes, CDs, Walkmans, MP3 players—none have managed to captivate music fans and inspire passionate collectors the way those spiral-grooved discs do. Luckily for vinylheads in Verona, a record store is about to open, called Needle Drop Records, right on the corner of Bloomfield and Grove avenues and next door to Threefold Coffee. According to the owner, Verona resident Brian Russell, the store is on track for a grand opening on Saturday, November 7.
Evanston, IL | Squeezebox Books & Music to mark 15 years with Abbey Road album celebration on Oct. 29: Chicago band The Empty Pocket is joining Squeezebox Books & Music from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, for a stripped-down performance, conversation and album signing as the shop wraps up its 15th-anniversary month. The event falls on the final day of Squeezebox’s anniversary sale, bringing live music and late shopping together at the independent bookstore and record shop at 743 Main St. CDs and green vinyl of The Empty Pocket’s new album Dear Billionaires, which comes out Friday, Oct. 23, will be available for purchase. The instruments were recorded together live at Studio Two at Abbey Road Studios, with no instrumental overdubs.
Baltimore, MD | John Legend to perform at Fells Point record store: John Legend, a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer, will perform at a record store in Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood on Tuesday, Oct. 27, according to the store’s social media post. The Sound Garden, which has received more than 50 Best-Of record store awards, will be hosting Legend at 6 p.m., following the release of his latest album “Muse” on Friday. The record store encouraged attendees on their website to pre-order the vinyl or the CD version of the album to secure entry into the limited-space event. Those looking to attend should select “in-store pickup” at checkout to obtain the album the day of the event, according to the store’s website.
Upper Darby, PA | Val Shively’s world of rare records takes center stage in documentary: Special screening at Jamey’s House of Music to benefit Delco Press Club. For Val Shively, a rare record is never just a rare record. It is a piece of musical history, a connection to an overlooked artist and, often, the beginning of another story. The legendary owner of the iconic R&B Records in Upper Darby has spent more than 60 years building a life around music. His shop is packed with millions of records, while his private collection of more than 11,000 rare 45-rpm singles represents a lifetime passionately devoted to music, especially the vocal-group harmony music of the 1950s and 1960s. Now, Shively’s extraordinary personality, his vast knowledge of music and his questions about what will become of his collection are at the heart of “Recollections: Val Shively and 50 Years of Collecting Records in Philadelphia,” a documentary…
Midland, TX | Discover art, music, and community at Cotton Flat Records: Just on the outskirts of the tall city is a group of warehouses. If you were driving past, you would never stop and think twice about what was inside these buildings. But if you let curiosity get the best of you, you would be pleasantly surprised by the hidden gem located at 1402 Cotton Flat Rd. The building in question is home to Cotton Flat Records, a space where, when you walk in, you truly feel like you have been transported into another city. That feeling is something business owner Jamie Ehl is looking to bring to the Permian Basin. “Forget everything you think about Midland. Walk in fresh and have an experience.” Further adding, “What we want to provide is that little breath of fresh air where it’s like this is for everybody and it’s something different and unique.”
Ipswich, UK | Music Takeaway record shop opens in Ipswich town centre: A new record shop is bringing a fresh beat to the high street. Music Takeaway has opened its doors on St Nicholas Street in Ipswich, promising to offer much more than vinyl, CDs and DVDs. Owners John Trowbridge and Sonia Webb-Heath, who previously ran a smaller shop in Halesworth, said the business began as an extension of Mr Trowbridge’s lifelong passion for music. Mr Trowbridge said: “We don’t want to be classed as a normal record shop. “We want to do something different for the people of Ipswich. “We want to stand out from any other record shop there is around the country.” …The pair hope Music Takeaway can help revive that spirit of community.
Colorado Springs, CO | Downtown’s newest record store, Easy’s Records & Vintage: Vinyl is making a comeback in downtown Colorado Springs with the opening of Easy’s Records and Vintage, which welcomed customers this September. Located at 327 N. Tejon St., the shop occupies the former location of Budget Records and Tapes, a familiar spot for music lovers dating back to the 1980s. Today, Easy’s is downtown’s only dedicated vinyl store. Easy’s specializes in most genres of music, from hip-hop, indie, electronic, soul, and punk to Ethiopian jazz and other international genres. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, Easy’s can also special-order records. Visit the store’s website for more information. Starting November 27, the store will also host DJs for its monthly Mixtape Sessions, giving music fans a chance to discover new sounds and explore unique genres.
East Orlando, FL | Judging a record by its cover: UCF introduces album art history course. From vinyl sleeves in the 1930s to AI-generated visuals today, album covers do more than wrap record grooves; they define generations of visual and pop culture. Starting in spring 2027, students can explore that intersection of music and art in ARH 3073: History of Album Cover Art, a new three-credit online course offered through the School of Visual Arts and Design in the College of Arts and Humanities. Taught by Keri Watson, professor of art history and director of visual arts and design, the fully asynchronous course is open to all majors with a prerequisite of ENC 1101: Composition I. “I think everyone can think about an album cover that impacted them some way or that they associate the image with that album,” Watson said.
Boise, ID | After a record-spinning downtown lounge closed, it plans a new location nearby: A “listening lounge” bar closed its doors in June, but it appears that it will soon be spinning vinyl in a new location. The Alley Lounge announced on its social media accounts in June that it was closing its current location at 414 W. Main St. in Downtown Boise and planned to relocate. A social post in early June highlighted the transition. “Our final day of operations at the current location will be Saturday, June 20th,” the social post said. “After that, we’ll begin to transition to our new home.”
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