Chicago, IL | Torn Light Records reopens after a month of mopping up: Torn Light Records moved from Cincinnati to Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood in June 2024 and quickly established itself as one of our city’s premier record stores. But in early October, broken plumbing in the unit above Torn Light flooded the shop four times in a 48-hour period, forcing owners Alex York and Dan Buckley to temporarily shutter the storefront. “It was a very scary month,” York says. “Truly horrible, making zero dollars for a month. For a small business, it doesn’t work. We don’t have excess cash.” Earlier in November, York and Buckley got some money from their insurance company, and they’ve been diligently working to reopen the shop.
Andover, UK | Andover’s Vinyl Haven Spins Into Its Seventh Year: Tucked away up the alley in George Yard, just by Wetherspoons, lies one of Andover’s most treasured hidden gems—The Record Box. This independent record store, founded in 2018, has now been serving the town’s music lovers for seven years, offering a haven for anyone with a passion for vinyl. Owned and run by Phil Nightingale, The Record Box is a celebration of music’s timeless appeal. With over 40 years of experience as a dealer in vintage and collectible items, Phil’s eye for quality and authenticity is second to none. His journey began decades ago in the world of vintage toys, but as the internet transformed that market, he shifted his focus to something closer to his heart—records.“Records just have a nicer sound,” Phil said. “We listen in analogue, not digital. Music is the key to life—it lives in people’s minds, tied to the good and bad moments of their lives.”
Peterborough, UK | Date revealed for opening of vinyl record store HMV in Peterborough: The date for the much-anticipated opening of vinyl record store HMV in Peterborough has been revealed. The new store will open on the ground floor of the Queensgate Shopping Centre on Friday, November 21. And bosses of the entertainment music chain are promising a free pop culture goodie bag to the first 20 customers through the doors. HMV first announced three months ago that it was returning to the Queensgate Shopping Centre. Details of the opening have been released by Queensgate managers. In a social media post, they stated: “The wait is almost over. “HMV returns to Queensgate on November 21. Be one of the first 20 customers to get a FREE pop culture goodie bag.”
Nashville, TN | Historic Ernest Tubb Record Shop celebrates revitalized space before reopening: “We want to restore the DNA of what made it great.” Tubb’s grandson Dale Tubb and Tusk Brothers’ Jamie and Bryan Kenney speak about reviving the longtime Nashville space. …While the shop sold vinyl records and music songbooks, it also became a heralded performance spot due to Tubb’s Midnite Jamboree, where artists who were performing on Saturday nights at the Grand Ole Opry (then centered at the Ryman Auditorium) would head to the nearby shop afterward to perform late-night sets that would broadcast on WSM radio. Over the years, Tubb, who joined the cast of the Opry in 1943, welcomed and encouraged artists including Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash, giving younger artists valuable career exposure. Over time, the shop became a home for community and camaraderie.
Guernsey, UK | Guernsey Record Exchange hits the right note at Vale Earth Record Fair: The Guernsey Record Exchange enjoyed another successful day at the recent Vale Earth Fair BIG VINYL EXPERIENCE on 26th October. Collectors from across the island came together to celebrate their love of vinyl and to find rare and classic records needing a new home. GRE showcased part of its online stock which featured several collectable titles from the 1960’s right up to present day releases. “The feedback was brilliant,” said a spokesperson from the GRE team. “People loved the quality and variety of what we had for sale, and it was great to see so much enthusiasm for records here in Guernsey.” The team is now looking ahead to a busy festive season where GRE plan to host a stall at late-night shopping events in St Peter Port this December. The Record Exchange will also feature at the annual “pop-up record shop” at Fountain Street over Christmas and New Year.
Colorado Springs, CO | Massive vinyl record event set to return to Colorado Springs: The Colorado Record Show, Southern Colorado’s largest vinyl record event, is returning to Colorado Springs on Nov. 22, set to take place at the Antlers Hotel. The event will include around 100 tables filled with records, CDs, cassettes, posters, music memorabilia, and more from vendors all around the state. According to the Colorado Record Show website, there will be tens of thousands of albums to dig through. Guests will also have the chance to win giveaways from local record stores and businesses, get some mate tea from Yerba Madre, or something from the cash bar. Early bird admission starts at 9 a.m. and is $13, and general admission opens at 10 a.m. for $5. The show ends at 4 p.m.
Orland Park, IL | Record Collectors Show: We’re celebrating our 40th Year Anniversary at the Georgios Banquets-Quality Inn Center located at 8800 W. 159th St. on Saturday, November 22nd. Beginning at 9 a.m. collectors and dealers with both the familiar, rare, or offbeat will have your choice of thousands of vinyl records, posters, cassettes, book and memorabilia will be offered at 40 vendor tables. Listening stations will be available too, the event concludes at 3 p.m. Make it a holiday event that will appeal to all ages and cross generation gaps to enjoy the variety from Heavy Metal, Country, Classical, Comedy, Punk Rock, plus many more choices. Free parking, wide aisles, great lighting make an inviting atmosphere to pause, reflect, and remember the sounds and memories of those days. Optional Pace Bus #364 on 159th Street has hourly drop off service on Saturdays too.
Maps on Vinyl: An atlas of album cover maps. We figured fellow map lovers might be interested in “Maps on Vinyl: An Atlas of Album Cover Maps,” which is exactly what the title suggests—a one-of-a-kind book showcasing 415 map-themed album sleeves. Take a peek at it here… I stumbled on this book, Maps on Vinyl, the other day and thought it was worth sharing. This interesting 332-page linen hardback showcases 415 album covers that feature maps, curated by Australian cartographer and avid vinyl crate-digger Damien Saunder, who has done work for Apple, National Geographic, and the giant atlas Earth. Spanning recordings from 1939 to today, the book presents high-quality reproductions paired with deeply researched notes, organized into eight themed chapters (“C(art)ography,” “We Built This City,” “On the Road,” “African Beats,” “Astroworlds,” “Ocean Whispers,” “Maps with Attitude,” and “Music from Here”).
Who Got Screwed When Vinyl Me, Please Went Bust? Inside the subscription vinyl club’s unpaid debts and troubled relaunch. This past summer, Nick Alt, the entrepreneur and founder of the record club VNYL, posted some big professional news on LinkedIn, that hallowed sphere where entrepreneurs go to post big professional news. His company, VNYL Inc., had acquired Vinyl Me, Please from the brink of bankruptcy, with plans to restore the “beloved, messy, magical business,” in Alt’s words, to its former glory. It had been a rough few months for the long-popular LP subscription club — first mass layoffs in March, then liquidation notices involving third-party entities and inscrutable legalese, plus a constant thrum of complaints from members regarding unfulfilled orders and unanswered queries. In April, the brand’s parent company, OffBeat Ventures, LLC, filed for bankruptcy. By all appearances, Vinyl Me, Please was toast, crushed by a combination of financial woes, hubris, and alleged corporate malfeasance—including a lawsuit accusing three former executives of misappropriating company funds…
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