Vancouver, CA | Vancouver’s indie Neptoon Records celebrates 45 years of spinning fresh sounds: Main Street records store has seen its fair share of major music moments over the years. Rob Frith started Neptoon Records in a storefront on Fraser Street near 41st Avenue in 1981. In 2000, he relocated to 3561 Main St. The instantly recognizable bright green building once housed the free Museum of Exotic World, an eccentric collection of postcards, posters, collectibles and kitsch. These days, Neptoon Records continues the tradition as it is also packed to the rafters with rare collectibles, posters, postcards, vinyl albums, CDs, cassettes and even 8-track cartridges. As the company prepares to celebrate its 45th anniversary with a sold-out anniversary party at the Rickshaw Theatre [Feb. 8], Frith and his son Ben are looking back at a life in music retail.
Clifton, UK | Beloved Keynsham record store opens at new site in Clifton—first look inside: Photos show what music lovers can find in the new store. A beloved record store has made the move from Keynsham to Clifton, opening the doors to its brand new home at Clifton Arcade on Saturday (January 31). Speaking with BristolLive during a visit to the new location on Boyces Avenue this week Iain Aitchison, who founded Longwell Records back in 2015, said that the shop’s first few days open in Clifton had been a mix of emotions. He said: “I’m loving it. I feel a little bit of heartbreak leaving Keynsham, but who wouldn’t want to come to the Clifton Arcade? It’s a wicked location, loads of wonderful people, got ‘Reg the Veg’ over the way, Primrose Cafe for cups of tea. It’s good!”
Portland, OR | Owner of Pacific Northwest’s oldest record store seeks ‘right person’ to acquire shop: The longtime owner of the Pacific Northwest’s oldest record store is seeking someone to usher the cherished business into its next era. Terry Currier has launched the search for Music Millennium’s new owner. In an interview on Tuesday, the 70-year-old Portlander told KOIN 6 he is hoping to find someone passionate about maintaining the shop he has worked at for six days a week over the past 42 years. “I’ve never felt old, and I still don’t feel old, but when you hit 70, you start thinking of mortality a little bit,” Currier said. “I’ve had several friends who’ve had really great independent stores in other cities that have retired and sold their business. And I go, ‘Maybe it’s something I should think about.’”
Vancouver, CA | Downtown business attuned to customers seeking vintage tone: Beauty is in the ear and eye of the beholder at a shop in downtown Nanaimo, where people are finding a revived appreciation for music from vintage formats and equipment. Sound Heritage on Victoria Crescent, founded in 1986 and under new owner Nathan Randall since 2022, has ‘found its groove,’ so to speak, with the revival of vinyl records, but more recently with the rising wave of enthusiasm for vintage home audio equipment from the 1960s to mid ‘90s. “I think, actually when Nathan took over the business, he was at the cusp of it just beginning to really popularize,” said Simon Schachner, assistant manager. “There’s been a pretty steady rise in the interest in vinyl, but I think Nathan saw what was coming…”
Richmond, VA | Love & Vinyl is a rom-com set and staged inside Plan 9: Record stores have always been more than retail. People go in saying they’re just browsing, but that’s rarely the whole story. It’s a treasure hunt. They’re chasing a feeling. They’re hoping to recognize themselves in someone else’s taste. That’s why Plan 9 Music makes sense as the setting for Love & Vinyl, a site-specific romantic comedy by playwright Bob Bartlett, produced by Cadence Theatre Company. The play doesn’t simulate a record store onstage. It takes place inside one. The audience sits among the shelves and turntables, watching a story unfold in a space that already carries decades of memory and habit. Bartlett has spent the last several years writing plays meant for real locations rather than traditional theater spaces. Laundromats. Cemeteries. Record shops.
Saratoga Springs, NY | The Saratoga Springs Record Riot! Over 15,000 vinyl records for sale in ONE ROOM! Sun February 22nd! The Saratoga Springs Record RIot RETURNS! It’s a GIANT vinyl record POP-UP sale on Sun Feb 22nd! Over 40 dealer tables in one room! Great music & family fun. LPs, CDs and 45s too. VINYL FUN! The Saratoga Springs Record Riot! It’s a giant vinyl record sale in downtown Saratoga Springs at the City Center! Over 15,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Great music and amazing family fun. LPs, CDs and more.. Dealers from far and wide converge for a giant music sale! All types of music from punk to funk to country to classic rock, hip hop, soul/jazz, and more. Dust off that turntable and come on down! Regular admission starts at 10 AM ($5) with early admission at 9 AM ($15). Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!
Towson, MD | The Towson Record Riot! Over 10,000 LPs in one room! The Recher. Sun March 1st! The Towson Record Riot! Over 30 tables of LPs!.Over 10,000 LPs in one room, select CDs too. The Recher. 12 noon-6 PM, $5 admission, $15 early at 11 AM. Great food and drink next door at The Rec Room! It’s a GIANT pop-up VINYL event in Towson at The Recher! Over 30 dealer tables: LPs, select CDs too.. Dealers from the Baltimore area and beyond. Punk, funk, classic rock, country, oldies, disco, and more—too many records, too little time. 12 noon- 6PM, $5 admission at 12 noon, $15 early at 11 AM. Great music and family fun. Door prizes all day! Don’t miss the BIG DIG! Sign up for mailing list at www.recordriots.com. See you at the show!
Bristol, UK | Diverse Vinyl At The Bristol HiFi Show 2026: Independent record retailer Diverse Vinyl will once again exhibit at the Bristol HiFi Show 2026, continuing its regular presence at the UK’s longest-running audio show. The company is known for its focus on vinyl records across a wide range of genres, with an emphasis on new releases and forthcoming titles and a huge audiophile selection. They are a fab team of super-knowlegable music lovers and we love partnering with them at HiFi Shows and events. Visitors to the Diverse Vinyl stand will be able to explore a broad selection of upcoming vinyl releases. The retailer is highlighting a varied slate of new albums available for pre-order, reflecting the diverse musical styles that feature in its catalogue.
Streaming Services Respond to Backlash and Boycotts: Spotify, a music streaming service, is facing a growing wave of user boycotts and artist pushback following a series of controversies involving artificial intelligence and federal immigration advertisements. Meanwhile, their competitor Bandcamp doubles down as a platform that prioritizes human-centered connection. Bandcamp, an online record store popular with independent artists, officially announced a total ban on AI-generated music on January 13, 2026. The company’s new policy prohibits any audio “generated wholly or in substantial part by AI” and restricts the use of AI tools to impersonate other artists. “…We believe that the human connection found through music is a vital part of our society and culture, and that music is much more than a product to be consumed.”
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