Middletown, NY | Middletown record store owner honored for 40 years in business: City of Middletown honors Stephen Keeler of Rock Fantasy at Common Council meeting. With about $2500 cash and the blessing of his parents, Stephen Keeler, a lover of hard rock and heavy metal, opened his hard rock/heavy metal concert shop back in 1985. Rock Fantasy was the idea of Keeler, who wanted to open a shop that would be a place for heavy metal fans to get hard-to-find releases from bands like Metallica, Slayer, Venom, who weren’t really mstream in 1985. After years of doing the flea market circuit selling records, t-shirts, pins and such, a heatstroke would sideline Keeler and would eventually motivate him to open the physical store at 79 West Main St. Rock Fantasy Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Concert Shop would be successful at the location for many years, eventually moving next door to 75 West Main St. where the store would remain for nearly 20 years.
New Haven, CT | Grails, Put Your Records On: Spotify and Apple Music aren’t stopping a local polymath from opening a new record store downtown. More than 20 people filled that warmly lit store—called Grails, and located at 1020 Chapel St.—on Wednesday morning to dig through vinyl-packed milk crates, listen to R&B records, and chat. The store’s owner, King Kenney, was joined by Mayor Justin Elicker, Arts Council Executive Director Hope Chávez, and his longtime supporters to celebrate the grand opening of a music store that aims to serve as a gathering space for audiophiles. Before opening Grails, Kenney had worked as a writer, painter, DJ, and marketing executive for Long Wharf Theatre. Chávez, a longtime friend and former colleague, said she views Kenney as a “prolific artist” who produces “sophisticated,” “elegant,” and “deep” work. “He can tell you the full lineage of every hip-hop album, and then yesterday, he put on opera,” she said.
Nashville, TN | Ernest Tubb Record Shop Reopens in Downtown Nashville With a Few Additions: For any fan who visited Nashville over the recent years, they easily noticed that the home of country music was changing. Wanting to expand their careers beyond the stage, numerous stars like Miranda Lambert, Post Malone, John Rich, and even Blake Shelton owned a bar in the famed city. While not opposed to embracing the future, many hoped that the city would honor the past. And thanks to the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, that historic past was on full display when the iconic store reopened. Dating back to the 1940s, the record shop was a hidden gem in country music. For those unfamiliar with the history of the store, they could simply walk past the landmark without giving it a second glance. But for those dedicated country music fans, they knew the importance of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop.
Harrisonburg, VA | What’s old is new again, as local record stores grow in popularity: Despite the proliferation of music streaming platforms in recent years, local record stores are seeing increased traffic, especially among young people. WMRA’s Zack Furr reports. “I have always wanted a record store. Physical media kind of died out for a little bit, so I thought the dream was gone. But right around 2015, I think vinyl especially really started picking up. I had been collecting vinyl because I love the physical media aspect of it. And one day I realized I had about a thousand of them, and might as well make my dream come true since people are collecting vinyl now. Faraci opened Rhythm and Vinyl in the Liberty Street Mercantile building in May. Before owning the store, he had a space in the Factory Antique Mall in Verona and had worked in other physical media stores as well. Faraci said he’s been surprised by the rise in physical media, and by younger people getting involved in it.
Grand Rapids, MI | Record store prepares for Halloween opening in Grand Rapids: A brand-new vintage media and record store called Backwards Compatible will open in Grand Rapids on Oct. 31. “It’s an underground media culture store,” Brandon Hill, owner and founder of Backwards Compatible, said. “All forms of physical media.” Specializing in curated items across all genres and mediums of collectible media—including DVDs, vinyl, video games and more—Hill hopes that Backwards Compatible will serve not only as a home for popular fandoms but also a community space of learning and connection. “That’s how I learned things, too,” Hill said. “Asking people and connecting with people in the community.” Hill has deep roots in the West Michigan music and media collector community, having played with bands like Cloud Rat and worked at other popular vinyl shops, like Vertigo Music.
UK | The Spin review—laughter and vinyl in wacky Irish road movie as pals try to save their record store: Bizarre dialogue riffs add flavour to this likable film about two friends on a road trip to track down some super rare records. Here is a goofy road movie comedy with some cheeky borrowings from Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity; it’s a bit broad, and the ending doesn’t exactly gel, but it’s likable all the same. Dermot (Brenock O’Connor) and Elvis (Owen Colgan) are a couple of guys from Northern Ireland who run a record shop in Omagh, County Tyrone, dealing in old-school vinyl, but they are terrorised by their mean landlord, Sadie (Tara Lynne O’Neill), who owns the lease. They desperately need cash for rent arrears when Dermot discovers online that a farmer in Cork is offering what appear to be hugely valuable records by the blues legend Robert Johnson for just £30—not realising their real value.
Interscope Announces Second HBCU Vinyl Celebration: The vinyl exclusive ‘Homecoming SZN Compilation Vol. 2’ celebrates Interscope’s ongoing partnership with a new trio of HBCUs. Interscope Geffen A&M Records has announced Homecoming SZN Compilation Vol. 2, the continuation of an initiative celebrating the legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The vinyl-exclusive album series is filled with a curated selection of Interscope catalog songs that capture the spirit, pride, and energy of HBCU culture. This year’s edition includes standout hits from Kendrick Lamar (“TV Off”), GloRilla (“Let Her Cook”), Rob49 (“Wthelly), EVE (“Tambourine”), and more. This year’s campaign will partner with Hampton University, Clark Atlanta University, and Alabama State University for a variety of immersive activations during their 2025 Homecoming weeks.
Demon Records reveal special Doctor Who vinyl for upcoming Record Store Day Black Friday event: The BBC and Demon Records have announced a special vinyl edition of a Tenth Doctor story, read by David Tennant himself, and due for release next month. Record Store Day has expanded somewhat in the past few years, so there’s now a Black Friday event in addition to the annual day that encourages people to support their local music stores. As such, a bevvy of new titles will be released on 28th November 2025, notably The Last Voyage, written by Dan Abnett whose previous contributions to the Doctor Who universe include The Silent Stars Go By, The Forever Trap, and Nocturne. The Last Voyage is presented on 2LP Translucent Yellow Vinyl in a wide-spine sleeve with illustrated inner sleeves. …The vinyl will be available from your local record store on 28th November 2025. These things normally sell out, but individual retailers sometimes put excess stock online afterwards, so keep an eye out!
Lost in the Stream: The Case for Physical Media. In the height of endless streams, fans are rediscovering the power of music they can own. Music has never been more accessible. For about the price of two cups of coffee each month, listeners can summon almost any song ever recorded in seconds. This convenience has transformed listening habits, reshaped the industry and defined how a generation experiences art. But as the streams pile up in the billions, something odd is happening—people are beginning to crave permanence. They’re buying records again, pulling CD wallets out of their dad’s closet, snapping up cassettes at concerts. A smaller, more stubborn crowd is still paying for downloads, insisting the music files on their hard drives are more trustworthy than the algorithm-curated playlists.
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