Listening to music can lower dementia risk by up to 39%, study reveals: Actively engaging with music supports memory, emotional response and attention span, according to the search carried out by Monash University. A new study has found that listening to music regularly later in life can lower the risk of dementia. Led by Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, researchers looked at a sample group of 10,800 people over the age of 70. Those who regularly engaged with music showed a 39% reduction in the likelihood of developing the neurological disease, and a 17% lower chance of suffering more general cognitive impairment. Those who still played a musical instrument were 35% less likely to suffer the condition, and cognitive impairment also fell by 22%. The team behind the study believe this shows that music can be a simple and readily available lifestyle intervention to promote healthier ageing.
Bristol, UK | Nathan Worm opens new record store Hot Wax: On Gloucester Road and in dire need of mint records from brega funk to city pop? Nathan Worm, one third of DJ and event collective Worm Disco Club, talks to Epigram about the grand opening of his new record store, Hot Wax. Bristol’s best new go-to vinyl shop for all things underground music bargains, mint releases and beautiful classics has recently opened in the Old Drumbank Studios just off Gloucester Road with a coffee shop inside to get your caffeine fix as you shop! As if a career owning a record label and running multiple successful events companies wasn’t enough on his plate, Nathan, co-owner of Worm Disco Club, has recently added to his load with Hot Wax record shop.
Muncie, IN | The Record Parlor: Preserving music and gathering community around it. …Owners Derrick and Sara McNelly opened up The Record Parlor back in June of this year in the Rose Court Building in Downtown Muncie. The Parlor is described by its owner as a safe space to come in and talk about music. Derrick is well-versed and has a background with vinyl. “So the name Record Parlor in Muncie was chosen for a couple of reasons. One, because of RPM for the letters. Your rotations per minute. You’re 33 to 30 and 45 for a record. Also, the idea of the parlor is a conversational space. And I think that that’s something that’s missing from the music scene, is having those conversations with people outside of a vacuum about music so that you’re not just bouncing ideas off of the same thing,” said Derrick. Being a space for the community, The Parlor has multiple genres from modern to oldies. And prides itself on being here locally for Muncie’s community.
Queens, NY | Your guide to shopping small: 9 western Queens gems to visit. As November draws near, it’s the perfect time to put a spotlight on small businesses especially as days like Small Business Saturday and even Black Friday are just around the corner. Western Queens is comprised of small businesses, from restaurants to cafes, shops and clothing stores that highlight the diverse mosaic of the borough. From neighborhood gems to vinyl record stores, check out these small businesses to support throughout the year. Pancakes Records: Pancakes Records is a local shop that buys and sells vinyl records and accessories. The space is filled with a range of records from old classics to new releases. Whether you’re looking for a rare find or just getting into the realm of vinyl records the cozy space is perfect to stop by and explore all they have to offer.
Harrisburg, PA | Shops Up the Block: Harrisburg’s small business owners hope the community will step up for a successful holiday season. “…When you make an effort to shop local, you’re immediately involved in the community,” said Kenzie Brinkman, owner of The Meadow, located at 1126 N. 3rd St. “You don’t just support local businesses, but you end up having conversations with people you don’t know, and you make new friends. There are so many benefits to it.” “When I walk into JCPenney, it just has less soul than the local independently owned clothing store,” added Paul Sorrels, owner of several local businesses, including Full Circle Record Shop at 20 N. Cameron St. “The people working there don’t feel as committed and the energy isn’t there. There’s no community.” It’s true.
AU | The rise of bars where no one wants you to talk: In Japan they’re called jazz kissa – bars and cafes fitted out with high-quality sound systems and libraries of hundreds of vinyl records. They became popular after World War II when many couldn’t afford luxury items, such as imported jazz albums or record players. Here, you could drink tea and coffee during the day—and sake, whisky and beer at night—while quietly listening to music selected by the owner. When the phenomenon peaked in the ’70s, there were more than 250 of these places in Tokyo alone but, with an ageing population and gentrification, fewer than a hundred remain in the city today. You can still find them, from Meikyoku Kissa Lion in Shibuya, which plays classical music and is the city’s oldest listening cafe, to Dug, a basement jazz joint in Shinjuku that featured in Haruki Murakami’s 1987 novel Norwegian Wood.
Odenton, MD | Naptown Vinyl Record Show at Crooked Crab Brewing: Naptown Vinyl Record Show Holiday Edition hosted by Crooked Crab Brewing will feature: 15+ Record vendors with quality crates to dig through, Music merchandise, DJ’s Spinning Vinyl all day, Crooked Crab serves fantastic craft beer and delicious brick oven pizza. FREE! Family Friendly!
‘Wolf Creek’ Soundtrack Secures First-Ever Vinyl Release With ‘Blood-Filled’ Record: “As much as the film is pure horror entertainment, the score helps to expose us to our fear of the unknown. What we don’t know, we fear. The outback is Mick Taylor.” Wolf Creek is about to haunt us all over again with the news that its soundtrack is coming to vinyl for the first time. And it’s not just any old vinyl: it’s a “blood-filled” record. Arriving in early 2026, the surprise record is being released via Impressed Recordings in partnership with Rubber Records. Horror fans will be able to experience the film’s score like never before, with a new remaster and pressing on 180g vinyl in Impressed Recordings’ first-ever blood-filled record.
Nintendo and Laced Records Announce The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Vinyl Soundtrack Collection. You Can Now Pre-Purchase the Score from the Epic Adventure in a Collectible Double LP or Premium 8-LP Box Set coming June 2026. …Nintendo has partnered with Laced Records to bring the sweeping music of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to fans with collectible vinyl collaborations arriving June 19, 2026: a double LP and an epic 8-LP box set, both available as limited-edition colored vinyl or standard black vinyl and featuring archival artwork created by the game development team. Pre-purchase for the limited-edition colored vinyl collections is available today on My Nintendo Store and at Laced Records. …The limited-edition 8-LP Box Set features alternative blue and gold splatter effect heavyweight discs with printed disc inners and spined inner sleeves, housed in a rigid board dual slipcase.
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