Poughkeepsie, NY | Darkside Records Opens at New Poughkeepsie Location: The popular vinyl emporium has moved into a former church in the city’s historic downtown. In these days of encroaching AI, it’s gratifying to see the digital slop being counteracted with a rising love in human-made, tactile, and analog media among music fans of all ages. And on the Hudson Valley retail landscape perhaps the most glorious manifestation of this phenomenon has been the success story of Poughkeepsie’s Darkside Records, which this month opened its new store on Cannon Street. The new site, which occupies a 19th-century, Grecian-columned building in the city’s downtown, is Darkside’s third location and marks its return to the historic neighborhood.
Woodbridge, ON | ‘These records you find feel like treasures’: New Woodbridge record store offers something for everyone. Vaughan Record Exchange, located at 7611 Pine Valley Dr. Unit 14 Upper, opened in October and is one of the only independent record stores selling rare collectibles in the city. It was in spring 2024 when Woodbridge music lover Paul Mandel was crushed by the closing of his favourite record store in Vaughan. At the time, the now closed Allora Records on Rutherford Road was one of the only independent record stores selling vinyl in the city, Mandel says. But the closure acted as the catalyst for the 45-year-old to open his own shop in Woodbridge, so other local music enthusiasts could have a place to buy their favourite albums without having to travel too far. “I couldn’t believe it and I was quite sad after finding out that there was no longer a record store in Vaughan,” Mandel said.
Wichita Falls, TX | Antique 78 RPM Vinyl Records aims to reconnect former students with band records: A Wichita Falls record shop owner is reconnecting people with the records they helped create decades ago, back when they were in junior high and high school band. Justin Goode got a hold of the collection after the family of longtime band director Bill E. Smith sold him a batch of jazz records. He and his wife decided to get the word out so former band members from the late ’60s through the ’80s could pick up a piece of their own history, for free. “Me, as a former band member in grade school, I would love to have the opportunity to hear the music that I made in high school again,” Goode said. Goode is all about keeping music in its purest form, so, when he came across a large collection of UIL regional recordings and other school band albums, he made it his mission to get those records back into the hands of the people who helped create them.
Kingston, UK | Bullseye legend and former Kingston record store owner dies, aged 91: Andrew Wood, who co-created the iconic darts-themed game show Bullseye in 1980 and opened Kingston’s first-ever record store, has died at the age of 91, his daughter Laura Wood has confirmed in a heartbreaking statement. The legendary darts-themed game show, co-created with comic Norman Vaughan in 1980, quickly became a hit and was a staple on ITV throughout the 80s and 90s. Andrew’s daughter, Laura Wood, announced his passing on the social media platform, LinkedIn. She shared that her father died on Sunday, 16 November in a touching statement. It read: “On Sunday morning, my Mum and I said a goodbye that we always knew was coming, but so desperately never wanted to. “Most people will know him as the man (the legend) who created Bullseye. I simply know him as Dad…”
Limerick, IE | Record Room will host merch fair and launches second live recording compilation vinyl: The Commercial Bar / Record Room will stage its second annual Merch & Record Fair on December 6, featuring more than 30 local artists and brands alongside the exclusive launch of Live at Record Room Volume 2 on vinyl. The free-entry event runs from 1pm to 6pm and follows overwhelming demand from artists after last December’s inaugural fair. Participating acts include God Knows, Windings, His Father’s Voice, Japanese Jesus, The Hitchers, and Bad Rep, alongside local labels Steamboat Records and Downbeat Records. The fair will also mark the release of Live at Record Room Volume 2, a compilation featuring 12 Limerick-based artists including Annie Cheevers, MuRli, Citrus Fresh, and The Labourers.
South Bend, IN | Final South Bend Record Show of 2025 set for December: The South Bend Record Show is holding its final vinyl and music fair of 2025 on Sunday, Dec. 7, at The Gillespie Conference Center in the Hilton Garden Inn north of St. Mary’s College. General admission for the vinyl fair will open at 11 a.m. for $2, with early admission after 9 a.m. costing $7. The fair will feature 37 vendors from six states, selling music and music memorabilia. Attendees are encouraged to bring cash. The next show is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at the same location
Youngstown, OH | Westside Bowl hosts day all about buying, selling, chatting vinyl records: Created by the owners of CycleBreakers Records and Tapes, the owners started the event in 2022 to showcase their love for music and share it with the community. Westside Bowl, located at 2617 Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown, hosted community members at its “Record People Day” event on Friday, November 28. The event aimed to connect people together with buying, selling and sharing vinyl records. Created by the owners of CycleBreakers Records and Tapes, the owners started the event in 2022 to showcase their love for music and share it with the community. “We just love records, love music and love people and love the community. We just always wanted to plan something that was ours that would get people together to get excited about record collecting and music in general,” said Adam Berry, Co-Owner of CycleBreakers Records and Tapes.
We put the new pocket-size vinyl format to the test—with mixed results: It’s a fun new format, but finding a place in the market may be challenging. …most of the songs I listened to tended to have a slight but audible increase in distortion as the grooves approached the physical limits of alignment for the stylus. This was usually only perceptible in the last several seconds of a song, which more discerning listeners would likely find objectionable. But sound quality overall is still comparable to typical vinyl records. It won’t compare to the most exacting pressings from the likes of Mobile Fidelity Labs, for instance, but then again, the sort of audiophile who would pay for the equipment to get the most out of such records probably won’t buy Tiny Vinyl in the first place, except perhaps as a conversation piece.
Chicago, IL | Rob Miller’s new memoir captures the crescendo, and crash, of Chicago indie label Bloodshot Records: “The Hours are Long But the Pay is Low,” out Tuesday, details Miller’s three-decade journey through music and how he helped build the prominent indie-punk-country label. …Across 299 pages with highly entertaining footnotes and appendices (see: “The greatest hits from the demo wall of shame”), Miller recalls his three-decade journey through music, how he helped grow a prominent record label and, ultimately, how it came crashing down. He recollects his trials and tribulations with quick-witted, Gonzo-like detail, coming back to a main tenet he shares in the very first pages of the book: “I love music.”
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