Shibuya, JP | Tower Records Shibuya, Undergoing Major Reformation: Tower Records Shibuya (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), the iconic flagship store in Tokyo operated by Tower Records Japan Inc., is currently undergoing renovation works, starting from the entire 1st floor and parts of the 3rd to 6th floors, scheduled to hold the grand opening on Saturday, February 28, 2026. Reflecting the latest and freshest trends of the times, the store plans to proudly present the five fully-renovated floors to its customers. …The store will also launch a brand new feature on the same floor, “Tower Records Beer,”—a space where visitors can enjoy craft beer while they immerse themselves into their favorite music, providing an experience that blends music culture and lifestyles, precisely what the company is so well known for.
Los Angeles, CA | Forget Spotify, Here Are L.A.’s 27 Best Record Shops: Everyone would have said you were crazy to open a record shop in the last few decades, as sturdy and convenient cassettes, CDs, MP3s, and music streaming services took over the world’s speakers through the years. It’s a good thing Los Angeles didn’t listen. We live in an incredible town for record collectors, with a surfeit of vinyl shops and stands in just about every one of L.A.’s 88 cities and sprawling bewilderment of neighborhoods. So many that we feel we only scratched the surface in delivering you 27. Even after we added 10 more. So whether you’re a dedicated digger of crates, a touring name in turntablism, or merely a tocadisco-dilettante hoping to start your collection, we can promise you, you’re in the right town. Here are 27 of L.A.’s best record shops.
Georgetown, KY | Georgetown Underground to bring record shop, space for local musicians to downtown: Georgetown’s music community is continuing to grow and Georgetown Underground is setting up shop to be there for musicians and music fans alike looking for a space to belong. A passion project for James Maupin, Georgetown Underground will serve as a record shop and music venue in the heart of downtown. “I’ve always had the love of music,” Maupin said. “I go to concerts every time I have the chance. Mostly the heavier metal concerts. I love being around music.” Maupin is excited to support the local musicians in Georgetown and surrounding areas, he said. “We think there is a niche in Georgetown that needs to be filled,” Maupin said. “I buy tons of albums and music all the time and always have to go somewhere else.”
Toronto, CA | The gift of music: Here are 5 Toronto vinyl shops to find the perfect holiday present: From rare finds to independent releases and classic albums that shaped entire genres, there are plenty of record shops in the city that offer the whole package for every collector, casual listener, and vinyl novice. Vinyl is one of the most meaningful ways to connect with music, and Toronto’s record shop scene is at the heart of finding the perfect soundtrack for your favourite person this season. Skip the bustling store chaos this year and give the gift of music instead, as the city is stacked with incredible vinyl stores, each with its own vibe, specialties, and hidden gems. From rare finds to independent releases and classic albums that shaped entire genres, plenty of record shops offer the whole package for every collector, casual listener, and vinyl novice.
Mansfield, OH | Operation Fandom/Blackbird Records expands with magical bookstore & apothecary: Step aside, Diagon Alley—Mansfield is unveiling its own fantasy-packed hideaway, giving locals their first look on Black Friday. Bethany Lehman and her husband, Josh Lehman, own Operation Fandom/Blackbird Records. Their newest expansion at 34 West Fourth Street is gearing up for even more excitement. Blackbird Books, Curiosities and Apothecary will have its soft opening on Friday, Nov. 28, which will also serve as Record Store Day. Bethany said they plan to schedule an official grand opening in the near future. …“Having Operation Fandom, Blackbird Records and Blackbird Books, Curiosities and Apothecary as a growing and successful family business in Wooster, Medina and Mansfield has been such a blessing for us.”
Nashville, TN | Ernest Tubb Record Shop Returns After Renovation, Expansion: Nashville’s legendary Ernest Tubb Record Shop made its historic return to Lower Broadway last week with a grand opening celebration on Nov. 13. A treasured country landmark where icons including Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley once performed, the shop has been restored to preserve its original charm and also expanded with new additions, including a four-story bar, rooftop honky-tonk and an exclusive lounge, The Forty Seven. …On the second floor guests will step into a carefully restored version of the original Ernest Tubb Record Shop, complete with rows of vinyl displayed on wooden shelves. The space will also host live acoustic performances in an intimate setting that echoes the shop’s legendary roots.
Lagos, NG | What It’s Like To… Run an Indie Record Company and Keep Vinyl Alive: Yinka Bernie’s Egwu Records has filled a distinct space as a vinyl collective. The Lagos-based creator tells OkayAfrica about how he’s “extending the sound experience.” …Egwu Records was born out of my love for music and collecting records. I’ve been collecting records for a while, so I was just creating a community to find more people that collect records. It started as a community of people I exchange records with, then turned into this whole vinyl collective and independent music enterprise, where we press records now, host parties, curate vinyl sets for events, and do partnerships. I have two partners, Kayotunde Animashaun and Orry Shenjobi. We run everything together. It’s set-up like a company ‘cos we have staff, there’s day-to-day running, we have projects we work on. We have events frequently. We sell records, players, and we source records for people as well. It’s a whole company on its own; it’s not a record label, but a vinyl collective and independent music enterprise.
Cambridge, MA | Veteran crate diggers love a good challenge; Christine Fawson Quartet blew away the croon: The Cambridge Record Fair set up shop in the bottom floor of the Education First building on Saturday, separating thousands of vinyl junkies from their hard-earned dollars with the promise of the perfect groove. The event, hosted by Recordville, featured more than 50 tables of merchandise, duly mustered into battle formation by 28 vendors eager for their inventory to outshine the rest. If you wanted rare records, you got them. If you wanted cheap records, you got them. But if you wanted records that were rare and cheap, that was more of a challenge—and veteran crate diggers love a good challenge. Oldhead vinyl aficionados descended on the inventory like wolves pouncing on a fresh kill, taking their pleasure in separating the meat from the bone.
Cambridge, MA | First-ever Cambridge Record Fair aims to make vinyl collecting accessible to all: Vinyl lovers of all kinds filled the lobby of the Education First building on Nov. 15 for the first Cambridge Record Fair — designed to be accessible to everyone in the city. “We’re all a big community,” said the fair’s co-runner, Janice Chaka. “Making sure that everyone can attend as well as vendors … [is] something that we look out for.” For a $5 admission fee, shoppers could visit 45 tables of more than 50,000 records and CDs from vendors across the northeast. The fair was conveniently held within a fifteen-minute walk from Lechmere, Community College and North Station T stops. “[We’ve been] wanting to also do one in [the] Boston area because there’s only one record show per year that’s actually close to a T [stop],” said the fair’s co-runner, Justin Cohen. “We think that there should be more than one.”
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