Durham, NC | Durham record store will close soon after 20 years. When you can still shop: A downtown Durham record store is closing after 20 years, its owner shared on social media. Bull City Records owner Charles “Chaz” Martenstein announced the “retirement” of the store Sunday, March 29 on social media. “It has been my absolute pleasure connecting with all of you through our shared love of (and need for) music,” Martenstein said in the post. “Without your support it would not have succeeded as long as it did and for that, I am eternally appreciative. This community has been amazing from the start.”
UK | Ask The Reader: What’s the UK’s best independent record shop? Vinyl Week is coming soon, and we want to know your favourite stores to buy from. Record Store Day (RSD) is on the horizon, and to celebrate, we’re hosting our usual Vinyl Week in the run-up. This covers all things vinyl, from the best record players to buy, to tips for buying second-hand vinyl and the best RSD special edition releases. But we have a question. What’s the UK’s best independent record shop? And we want you, the readers, to help us answer it. Maybe you have a long-term favourite that’s served you well for years. Or there’s one particular shop that specialises in a niche genre. Perhaps it’s the staff that make it, and you pop there for a chinwag when you’re not even buying anything. Or maybe you just stumbled upon a great little shop while on a weekend away.
Brisbane, AU | Relove Oxley Makes 2026 Record Store Day About Community: Music lovers and collectible hunters, Record Store Day Australia returns this month. The annual, global celebration of independent record stores that originally started in 2008 when Metallica launched the debut event at Rasputin Music in Mountain View, California, will land on Saturday 18 April. As the resurgence in physical formats of music offering tactile experiences blooms further, Record Store Day (RSD) continues to support music communities, labels, emerging and established artists, while highlighting local indie record stores and their unique role as cultural hubs and community spaces. A prime example of this ethos is Relove Oxley. Nestled in a leafy corner of Oxley (near the local train station) in inner-southwest Brisbane, and formerly a FoodWorks store, Relove Oxley is an oasis for lovers of nostalgia, offering an expansive collection of vinyl, CDs, DVDs, toys and collectibles as well as vintage furniture.
Fayetteville, NC | Back-A-Round Records reintroduces vinyl to Fayetteville: The door chimes as Joseph Mason opens the door at Back-A-Round Records. The sound of rock music fills his ears as he ascends the narrow staircase lined with graffiti-esque art, glowing under black lights. Mason, a regular at the record store, begins thumbing through the worn sleeves of vinyl that crowd the small shop. All around him are boxes packed with music from records, CDs and cassette tapes, spanning genres and decades. “You never know what you’re going to find in a place like this,” Mason said, his eyes fixated as he flipped through the records. “It’s like you’re actually surrounded by Spotify.” During his search, Mason pauses when he pulls out “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” an album by War, and smiles.
Bridport, UK | Jazz legend to perform concert at record store in Bridport: One of Britain’s leading jazz musicians is set to perform an intimate concert in Bridport. Saxophonist Iain Ballamy, who appears on the BBC’s ‘100 Jazz Greats’ list, will play at Clocktower Records on Thursday, April 16. The respected musician is known internationally for his distinctive sound and wide-ranging contributions to contemporary jazz. Roy Gregory, owner of Clocktower Records, said: “It’s a real privilege to host an artist of Iain Ballamy’s standing in such an intimate space. “It’s a bit of a coup getting him to play. “Nights like this give people the chance to experience the music properly, without any barriers or distractions. “It will be an amazing evening. But seats are limited so I’d advise early booking to avoid disappointment.”
New Orleans, LA | Charley Crockett to appear April 9 at New Orleans record store: Country singer set for performance and signing at Euclid Records. Country singer Charley Crockett is set to make a surprise stop in New Orleans next month for a record store performance and signing. According to a social media post shared by Euclid Records, Crockett is scheduled to appear at the store at 4 p.m. on April 9. The event is planned for Euclid Records at 3301 Chartres St. in New Orleans. The post says Crockett will perform songs and sign records during the appearance. …Fans planning to attend should check Euclid Records’ social media pages for updated event details.
UK | A Announce UK In-Store Appearances: A are gearing up for the release of their first new album in 21 years, and are making sure that everyone has a chance to celebrate with them. The album in question is ‘PRANG’ and will be released on May 22 via Cooking Vinyl. You can grab a copy of the record in a variety of different exclusive formats from Rock Sound. Pick it up on purple cassette, hand-signed CD or exclusive signed vinyl from SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV. …“Alright everyone, we’ve read your comments… we’re going to be taking PRANG on the road this May, playing some shows at some of the best record stores in the UK. We’ll be playing a set filled with songs, new and old, followed by a session meeting all of you, signing your records and taking photos.”
Vinyl destination: Why record bars are drawing a crowd. Many aspects of our lives have become increasingly ephemeral with the advancement of technology. Photo albums and polaroids once stuck to the fridge have made way for private albums on our phones, with only a select few images making it to social media. Physical records and CDs that at some point lined shelves in our homes, waiting for friends to flick through them, have been superseded by music streaming apps. And scribbled shopping lists, observations, and messages to ourselves have left the realm of the physical notepad and entered the Notes app in our phones. As these once-physical mementos of our experiences and interests are digitized and hidden away on our devices, a new fear emerges.
London, UK | Stage Door Guy: Table Turners pop-up record store: Over 3-4 April, we will be amongst 10 artists playing live at our pop-up record store in Forest Hill (8 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London) 122 Music Management will be running a pop-up record store (Table Turners) at Better Things (Forest Hill) between 31 March-5 April. We will be selling vinyl, cassettes, CDs and various pieces of merchandise. With a focus on independent artists and grassroots labels, we aim to bring you the best acts who you may never have heard of. Across Friday 3 and Saturday 4 April, we will be hosting some amazing talent from across London (and Canada) in-store. Ten artists performing live on the hour, from 3-7pm on Friday, and from 1-7pm on Saturday.
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