Lincoln, NE | All I want for Christmas is to shop local: …Lincoln is full of hidden local business gems that provide a wide range of gifts for all of your loved ones. Whether they’re a sucker for a sweet treat or love a unique treasure, you can find them something right here in Lincoln… First Day Vinyl: Everyone loves music, and there’s so much you can give surrounding music. First Day Vinyl is the perfect place to shop for all things music. First Day Vinyl is a local record store that stocks new and used records, CDs, cassette tapes, turntables and other music-related products. They have a wide variety of artists and are constantly receiving more products. Shopping for someone can be hard, but using their love for music can make it easier. This year has been full of new releases from some of the top artists.
Oak Park, MI | Oak Park record store giving away hundreds of albums—for free: Street Corner Music needs to clear some space. That’s where you come in. Street Corner Music in Oak Park has an unbeatable sale on used vinyl: The store is giving away more than 1,000 records, absolutely free. The store is unloading its entire $0.25 used section, beginning when doors open at noon on Saturday. Take one, take 10, take 100, just take ’em, says Street Corner co-owner Chris Flanagan. “I have too many cheap albums,” Flanagan said on Wednesday. “So rather than store quarter albums in storage units, we decided to give them away.” …”I wouldn’t pump it up as being something sensational,” says Flanagan, “but there’s zero price tag, so we thought some people would get a kick out of that.”
Islington, UK | Islington DJ bid to open new cafe record shop and bar: A DJ who has worked with scores of music stars is bidding to open his own cafe cocktail bar and record shop. Rod Gilbert is a lifelong Islington resident whose CV includes performing with the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Norman Jay, Gilles Peterson, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Erykah Badu. For two decades he has run hip hop house and soul events under the brand The Doctor’s Orders and promoted shows at venues from Fabric to the Royal Albert Hall—as well as travelling the world as DJ Spin Doctor. Now he wants to put down roots in the community where he grew up by opening a “neighbourhood hangout” serving up beats, coffee and cocktails in Holloway Road. The lease and licence for One Eighty One are secure with the venue in the final stages of renovation and plans for a soft launch before Christmas.
Helston, UK | New record shop in Helston, Rotten Records has opened: With a live band and visitors from across Cornwall, Rotten Records officially opened with a bang in Helston on Sunday. The record shop on Wendron Street is owned by Ana and Nick, who both described the opening day as “mind-blowing.” “Mind-blowing,” Nick told the Packet. “As strangers to Helston, it was incredible to see so many people. “People brought us in gifts, including a 3D printed Kiss sign, massive Subway posters from the 70s and 80s, and Kiss beer – it was absolutely incredible.” To truly get customers in the spirit, Ana and Nick invited The X-Rays, a local band who perform punk and rock songs and covers. Despite the band having to perform in a tiny corner of the shop, Nick said they “smashed it.” Ana explained how nice it was to see different age groups come into the shop.
Jacksonville, IL | Comedy returning to downtown record store: Comedy is returning to Pizza Records. Cryptid Comix will play host Dec. 12 to a night of comedy and art at the record shop on the downtown Jacksonville square. Ryne Thorson will headline the evening’s performance. The rest of the lineup—all comedians from around central Illinois—includes Al Nimpson, J.T. Cage, Kody Freeman, and Chunky. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance at cryptidcomix.com or $20 at the door. Pizza Records does not serve food or drinks, but audience members can bring their own. Nearby KJB’s Bar & Grill at 222 E. State St. offers $5 cooler rentals for the evening, according to Cryptid Comix founder Wesley Riley. Each person who buys a ticket to the show also will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win a piece of original art by Cryptid Comix founder Wesley Riley.
San Antonio, TX | First Look: San Antonio is about to get a sexy new vinyl bar. The Government Hill ‘listening room’ Volta is by the same minds behind Lonesome Rose, Slow Ride, Holy Diver and other San Antonio bars. The needle is about to hit the groove for a new vinyl “listening room” in San Antonio’s Government Hill neighborhood. Poised to be a paradise for local crate diggers and vinyl junkies—not to mention, others simply looking for a classy and curated night out—Volta is nearly ready to make its big debut. Volta has already held its soft launch in the space once occupied by Gen Z haunt Snake Hill. Over Thanksgiving weekend, the fledgling nightspot played host to a full roster of DJs spinning tunes ranging from ’60s and’ 70s psych and garage rock to cumbia, soul, blues, jazz and hip-hop. “Basically anything that’s on vinyl, you can spin here,” co-owner Danny Delgado said.
Tampa, FL | Finest in Funk: All Vinyl Rare & Classic Grooves DJ Set by AJ Hall. Join us inside Hotel Haya’s Flor Fina restaurant and lounge for AJ Hall’s all vinyl set every third Friday of the month for 2025. Join resident DJ—A.J. Hall at the funkiest monthly party in Tampa happening every second Friday of the month at Flor Fina 8-11PM! Classic and Rare Grooves from the 70’s through the 80’s all in their original format and spun entirely on Vinyl records! A.J. Hall is a veteran DJ, Music Producer and Drummer with 15 years experience on the road in the United States and abroad. …Sip some cocktails from Flor Fina and hit a two step to a highly curated, non-stop all vinyl set full of soulful gems by artists like Cameo, Sister Sledge, Shalamar, The Gap Band and Teena Marie. No laptops. No gimmicks.
Washington, DC | Taylor Swift is the ‘variant queen,’ but plenty of artists are cashing in: Variants—alternate versions of the same album with different covers, mixes or bonus tracks—have become one of pop music’s most powerful sales tools. Like millions of Taylor Swift fans, Aiden Watson checked his mail in early October and found “The Life of a Showgirl” waiting for him on vinyl. He had been obsessed with Swift since he was a child, falling further in love with her songwriting as he grew older. But as a self-described Swiftie, a vinyl collector and a TikTok influencer who does unboxing videos, Watson had a gargantuan task in front of him. He didn’t want just one vinyl: He wanted to buy all of the vinyl records, the 16 CDs and even the lone cassette of “Showgirl.” All in all, he spent roughly $800 on versions of the same album with alternative cover art, vinyl colors, voice memos and bonus acoustic versions. “She is obviously the variant queen,” Watson, 20, said in a phone call.
London, UK | Is digital music destroying the art of DJing? Digital DJ’s have replaced vinyl, and now artists feel they have lost the ‘soul’ of spinning. Born out of technological advancements and creative exploration, DJing used to be about finding a sound specific to an artist and using the turntables and records as the instruments to create unique tracks. Now, many disc jockeys (DJ’s) use digital tracks, bought in bulk, in the same key to make up their set, paired with controllers that can beat-match for them, meaning some say DJing has become less unique and skilful. Steve Faulkner, a 56-year-old part-time DJ who uses vinyl, said: “You could not even listen to what you’re mixing and not even know what you’re buying to be able to mix a set in public. “That’s what’s killing DJing.”
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