West Allis, WI | ‘I don’t see it slowing down’: West Allis record store says vinyl sales are better than ever, for all ages. The 67th Grammy Awards aired on CBS Sunday night, Feb. 2, shining a light on music’s hottest stars, like Kendrick Lamar, Chappell Roan, and so many more. The longtime awards show is a reminder each year that music can be a time capsule. A record store in West Allis provides a space for you to step into the time capsule. “It’s a little bit of everything, right?” CBS 58 reporter, Jenna Wells, asked Scott Heifetz, the owner of Record Head. “It is,” he said. “It’s a lot of everything.” Walking into Record Head is nearly overwhelming. Rows of vinyl records, new and old, line the store from front to back. “We have all the types of music that people would want…”
UK | Sam Fender Named Record Store Day UK 2025 Ambassador, Announces Exclusive Vinyl Release: The Brit Award-winning artist will celebrate RSD 2025 with a special six-track vinyl EP, ‘Me And The Dog.’ Sam Fender has been named the official ambassador for Record Store Day UK 2025, joining the ranks of Taylor Swift, Kate Bush, and Elton John in supporting independent record stores. The annual event, celebrating vinyl culture and independent music shops, will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2025, with over 270 indie record stores across the UK participating. To mark the occasion, Fender will release an exclusive six-track vinyl EP, ‘Me And The Dog’, available only in physical stores on RSD 2025. The record will feature a mix of unreleased tracks, fan favorites, and songs never before pressed on vinyl.
Missoula, MT | Record stores keep Missoula grooving: In the era of music streaming, Missoulians continue to jam out to records. With the internet, virtually any song is just one tap away but, that has not paused Missoula’s thriving record scene. “This town is record rich for sure,” said Slant Street Records co-owner Collin Pruitt. “There’s a lot of people that are pretty passionate, not only about music but about physical media and records in particular.” In the age of streaming, Missoula’s music stores are still slinging plenty of records. Local sellers say listeners still connect with vinyl despite today’s virtual world. “We hear it from people all the time that walk in and say ‘oh my gosh, this place smells like records,’ and there’s some sort of attachment that records created that I don’t think a lot of the other formats did…”
Paris, FR | North of Paris, this futuristic record shop has 10,000 vinyl records in its bins. Yoyaku Record Shop is gradually becoming the reference for second-hand electronic music in Paris! Collectors and music lovers beware, today we’re heading for the 18th arrondissement to discover one of Paris’s coolest and most unusual shops. Considered one of the most cutting-edge record shops for electronic music, Yoyaku Record Shop is a work of art in itself. In these ultra-purely designed spaces, you’ll simply find a collection of over 10,000 second-hand records! Time to dig up some nuggets! Decidedly, after Dizonord and its success beyond the borders of France, the 18th district seems to be the undisputed and unavoidable den of good record shops in Paris. Yoyaku Record Shop is much more than just a record shop: it’s a veritable institution for electronic music fans.
Chicago, IL | Subterranean and Val’s halla Records Unite for a One-Day-Only Pop-Up Record Store as Part of #SubT30 Anniversary: Vinyl lovers can shop, enjoy live music, and celebrate 30 years of SubT at a one-day pop-up with Val’s halla Records on Feb. 8 in Wicker Park. Vinyl lovers and live music fans will collide at Subterranean’s first-ever Pop-Up Record Store, a one-day collaboration with Val’s halla Records. As part of SubT’s 30th-anniversary celebration, this event takes over the venue’s first-floor lounge on Saturday, February 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., bringing together an afternoon of music, vinyl, and community. “Subterranean has been a cornerstone of Chicago’s music scene for three decades, welcoming fans from across the city and suburbs,” said Robert Gomez, owner of Subterranean. “Partnering with Val’s halla Records for this event is an exciting addition to the six-month-long #SubT30 anniversary celebration.”
Bloomfield, PA | Bloomfield is getting into a new Groove for albums and artwork: They were living on a boat in paradise—Key West, Fla.—in some kind of Jimmy Buffett dream-life scenario. Two years later, Dave Cee and Jennifer Quinio are perfectly happy to be walking icy sidewalks from their Bloomfield home to put the final touches on Groove, a new art gallery and record store on Liberty Avenue. If their names sound familiar, it’s because Cee and Quinio have a productive history here. Quinio, a University of Pittsburgh fine arts grad, turned a blighted storefront in Garfield into Modernformations, a much-loved art and performance space she ran from 2001 to 2015. During that stretch, she also worked at The Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Science Center and Pittsburgh Zoo and taught Zumba classes.
Huntsville, AL | Tune in: Huntsville’s Vinyl Record Trail sees hundreds of visitors. AVIQ in Huntsville held a Vinyl Record Trail to bring out nearby collectors, raise awareness about old-school tunes and help out local record shops along the way. AVIQ is a hi-fi, or high-fidelity audio, store here in Huntsville. They sell stereo equipment, home theater systems and vinyl record players. But they decided to host a vinyl record sale and partnered with other local record shops here in town to get the word out about old-school music. Co-owner Chip Bowen said along with the other involved shops, AVIQ partnered with Downtown Huntsville, Inc. (DHI) to help put the event in the spotlight. “When I was a young man in Huntsville, there were five or six hi-fi stores,” Bowen said. “We do a number of things, but the ability to be able to come to some place and listen to quality equipment has not existed in this town nor in most towns.”
Sunbury, AU | Day of records and radio: Sunbury FM is hosting a record fair fundraiser, with 20,000 vinyl records across a broad range of genres up for sale. Sunbury FM presenter and record fair organiser Marsden Williams said there will be over 20 vendors from all across Victoria. He said the high-quality sound and tangibility of records have contributed to their ongoing popularity. “Records are an investment if you buy wisely. They are not going to lose money, they are going to either go up or stay the same,” Mr Williams said. “There’s also, with a really nice turntable and arm and cartridge and stylus and amplifier, nothing like the sound of a really good vinyl pressing. I haven’t found anything that sounds quite that good.” The event will also include a live outdoor broadcast from the station. Entry to the fair will cost $3. “Everyone in Sunbury should come along, support the station, and buy some records…”
Fullerton, CA | Fullerton store brings vintage back to life: …The vintage store got its name from the rockabilly band Stray Cat from the ’80s, a three-piece boy band that was inspired by the ’50s both musically and in their clothing as well. …Evans has been able to curate a variety of collectible items and vintage clothing for her inventory since customers are also able to sell their own clothes at the store. It does not matter what decade it’s from—if it is unique, Evans will buy it for the store. Stray Cat also shares its storefront with Black Hole Records, owned by her husband William Evans. Both businesses come together for an annual Day of Music. The stores join downtown Fullerton businesses that provide live music for their customers and the Fullerton community. “We are a family business, we know our customers and our community. We stand out because we care, and we actually work our shop.”
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