Pittsburgh, PA | Amazing Books and Records commits to staying in Downtown full time: Amazing Books and Records never wanted to leave Downtown. It wasn’t part of the businesses’ plan, but its old store on Liberty Avenue being sold in 2024 somewhat forced the bookstore’s hand into leaving. But after a chance at opening a pop-up store in One Oxford Centre, which lasted from November to late December last year, Eric Ackland, the owner of Amazing Books and Records, decided he wanted to stay. And just shy of one month of being in what was once the pop-up space, Ackland said things have been great. According to Levi, an employee at the bookstore who declined to provide his surname, the city has been throwing support at the bookstore.
Baltimore, MD | El Suprimo Records is a Treasure Trove of Vinyl in Fells Point: Owner Jack Moore has his own record label, plays in bands, is writing a book, and DJs—notably at an avian-themed listening party that’s become a monthly hit at The Wren. Descend the stairs from Aliceanna Street into the basement shop of Fells Point’s El Suprimo Records and you’ll quickly feel like you’ve entered not so much a record store as an archive, which indeed you have. As many as 7,000 records fill the tiny space, which is 10-by-12 feet at most. The center is a maze of stacks reaching toward the ceiling, itself decorated by discs like a vinyl version of the tin ceilings that still top many bars in the neighborhood. Bins fill both sides of the shop, divided into genres, with radios and speakers and other paraphernalia jigsawed in between more records. So many records.
London, UK | Back In The Groove: Revert to Vinyl Records at the Olympic Studios Records, Barnes. As the popularity of vinyl records has been resurged in the recent years, driven by the nostalgic sentiment attached to them, their superior sound quality and collectable nature, London has fully embraced this growing trend. The capital city of London currently possesses near to 50 vinyl record shops, with the Olympic Studios Records being a particularly notable community shop that commemorates the impressive recording history of the Olympic Studios, Barnes. A host of noteworthy artists have recorded here, including the remarkable David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Queen, among many others. The shop first opened in July of 2018, and is located at 66 Church Road, directly opposite the Olympic Studios and Cinema at SW13 0NU.
Watertown, SD | Musician opens The Groove Shop, bringing nostalgic tunes to Watertown: Shawn Lenning, a lifelong musician and music aficionado, opened The Groove Shop on Nov. 21 in downtown Watertown. Seeking to share his passion for music, the Watertown native felt there was a need for it across the community and decided to take a shot. The Groove Shop offers a wide variety of genres for collectors and listeners. He has gathered an assortment of vinyl records, CDs, cassettes and even 8-tracks. …There is a lot for visitors to enjoy at the shop. “It is kind of nostalgic when people come in,” Lenning told the Public Opinion. “It’s not a huge store, but I try to make it a little like going back in time.”
Conwy, UK | Conwy guitar and vinyl store closes as business moves: A guitar, ukulele and vinyl record store in Conwy has shut after the company merged its showroom and warehouse under one roof. Mayalls, also known as the Guitar Warehouse, has closed its store on Bangor Road, Conwy after more than five years. …The store has moved to the business’ other site in Mochdre Business Park, with that premises now set to act as both a showroom and a warehouse. Mayalls added that operating both sites was “becoming tricky”, and that it was “incredibly grateful” for the support the Conwy store received. In a statement on social media, the business said: “As many of you know, we’ve been growing steadily over the years, with more guitars coming through the door and increasing demand both in-store and online, it was time for us to make a change.
Hagerstown, MD | Blues legends to play Hub City Vinyl for new album release show: Blues legends Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials are set to perform March 18 in Hagerstown to celebrate the release of their new album, “Slideways.” The show is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Live at Hub City Vinyl, 28 E. Baltimore St., according to a community announcement. …Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials have been together for nearly 40 years, delivering Chicago blues to audiences worldwide, according to the announcement. The band consists of Ed Williams, his half brother James “Pookie” Young on bass, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton. Their new album, released in February, features 13 songs, 12 of which were written or co-written by Williams. The announcement describes the album as a mix of “smoking slide guitar boogies, raw-boned shuffles, and heart-stopping slow blues.”
Boston, MA | Inside Back Bay Social’s new ‘Retro Room,’ where vinyl sets the mood: The Back Bay staple’s new Retro Room blends vinyl, ’70s decor and upgraded comfort food classics. Vinyl is spinning again at Back Bay Social in Boston—this time in a new ’70s-inspired listening lounge called the Retro Room. Colin Kane of The Lyons Group says the Back Bay staple needed a clearer identity. The answer: a space built around nostalgia, from the glassware and magazines to what’s on the TVs. The biggest surprise may be the food: elevated “TV dinners” with classic comfort staples—Salisbury steak, square pizza, sloppy Joes—reimagined with higher-end ingredients. “We use wagyu in the sloppy Joe,” Kane said.
Technics updates its five-star SL-1500C direct drive turntable with premium technology for better sonic performance: The “technically enhanced” SL-1500CS is out in March. The Technics SL-1500C direct drive turntable has been a favourite of ours for many years, picking up a few What Hi-Fi? Awards and earning a spot on our best turntables list ever since we first reviewed it in 2019. And now, an updated version has arrived in the form of the Technics SL-1500CS. This new record player carries on many of the hallmarks of the 1500C—an iron-coreless direct drive, built-in phono stage, S-shaped tonearm and rock-solid build—and features new technology first seen its more premium models. The ΔΣ-Drive (Delta-Sigma) drive technology we first encountered in the SL-1200GR2 and Award-winning SL-1300G has now made its way into the 1500CS model. This technology aims to further reduce motor vibrations and aid rotation accuracy to deliver a more stable and accurate performance from your records.
Gary Moore Reissues on the Way: BMG and Gary Moore will reissue four beloved titles from the legendary guitarist’s catalogue in 2026: the studio albums Old New Ballads Blues (2006), Close As You Get (2007), and Bad For You Baby (2008), along with the live album Live at Bush Hall (2014, recorded in 2007). All titles will be available on CD and vinyl from 24th April. Old New Ballads Blues, Gary Moore’s 15th solo album, continued his exploration of the blues with a mix of classic blues tracks—written by legends such as Otis Rush and Willie Dixon—and his own original compositions. The album also features Don Airey on keyboards. One year later, Close As You Get was released, reuniting Moore with his former Thin Lizzy bandmate, drummer Brian Downey, who performed on every track.
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