Damariscotta, ME | New Coastal Maine record store is a dream for vinyl lovers: In recent years, we have seen vinyl make a major comeback. For decades, vinyl records were the way that people enjoyed music at home (and in the clubs). Even the convenience of the 8-track did not put an end to vinyl’s dominance. However, by the 1980s, people were making the switch to cassette tapes and CDs. By the early 1990s, CDs were affordable enough to be everywhere. Slowly, even the CDs were surpassed by MP3s. Later, streaming would all but end music ownership. However, over the last few years, we have seen vinyl records really making a comeback. At first, it was just special pressings of notable albums. Now, it seems like every album is being released on vinyl.
Taylorsville, UT | How one Utah record store has mastered the art of longevity: Graywhale had 10 locations at its peak, but its two remaining stores are fan favorites. Inside Graywhale, there are stacks of CDs and rows upon rows of vinyl records. There is always something spinning. And, after 40 years as a physical media haven, there is always a story to tell. To celebrate the anniversary, co-owners Dustin Hansen and Zane Pendleton are hosting a video series—40 for 40—featuring stories from employees and customers who have formed friendships, connections, and lifelong memories through the store. One man waits outside the store every year with a group of friends on Record Store Day. Another woman has met all her friends from working at the store. Someone stumbled upon a record they thought they’d never find, while another person found a rare book he had searched for from coast to coast. “We don’t exist without those people,” Hansen said.
Boston, MA | Dive into Orpheus Treasures, the reknowned classical records shop owned by a former professor: In the heart of Back Bay, tucked between the brownstones of Commonwealth Avenue, Orpheus Performing Arts Treasures has quietly built an international reputation among classical music collectors. Inside the narrow shop, shelves are lined with vinyl records, CDs and sheet music, creating a space that feels both historic and personal. For owner Ed Tapper, the store has always been about more than selling music. In many ways, it became an extension of the classroom. Before focusing full time on the store, Tapper taught music history at UMass Boston and Suffolk University. He said he enjoyed introducing students to classical music and opera, especially because many had little prior experience with the genre.
Maricopa, AZ | New record store offers fresh tunes near Maricopa: A record store is opening near Maricopa, with a local family looking to bring their passion for vinyl to the public and restore a (somewhat) lost facet of the city. Thomas and Teresa Milliron are the minds behind this new record store, dubbed Geno’s Records after Thomas’ late brothers Gene and Bob, with whom he shared a deep love for music and one another, to honor their memory and give an outlet to their lifelong hobby of collecting vinyl. “Thomas has been collecting vinyl records most of his life. He has been a passionate collector, especially when it comes to Pink Floyd and Roger Waters. (He even has 25 different versions of ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’),” said Teresa. That passion also runs through the whole Milliron family it seems, as the couple’s daughter Zoe is a similarly passionate collector of records, meaning a house full of a diverse selection of music.
Southampton, UK | Remembering Southampton’s lost record shops before Spotify: Before streaming algorithms dictated our musical diet, discovering new sounds in Southampton involved surrendering a Saturday to dusty crates, obscure imports and the uncensored views of the employees in our many record shops. This was a physical, tactile business, a weekly pilgrimage that usually began with a pocketful of saved-up paper-round wages and a scrupulous, cross-town route map of the city centre. Whether you were scouring for a rare white-label 12-inch, arguing over the music press with a random punter or simply elbowing your way to the counter for a Top 40 cassette single, Southampton’s streets were once a glorious, noisy map of competing chart walls and battered listening posts.
Hawthorn, AU | The “vinyl revolution”: The Hawthorn record store mixing coffee with electronic deep cuts: “I think what people love about vinyl is that they can hold something in their hand.” French expat DJ Max Le Bras thought his Hawthorn record store would be killed by the digital revolution. Now, 19 years after taking over, he said Alley Tunes Records is seeing healthy interest as vinyl sales surge among young collectors. The Eastern Melburnian spoke with the co-owner, who emigrated from France in 2003. …Working as a DJ in France, Max Le Bras first visited the store in 2001 during a holiday. He took over the business alongside his business partner Fabrice Lemoyne in 2007, with the pair quickly deciding to open a cafe to supplement their revenue as collectors and DJs alike were switching to digital. “There was no way we could pay the rent with record sales,” Le Bras told the Eastern Melburnian.
Los Angeles, CA | LP Vinyl Bar presents DJ Santi playing an all-7” vinyl set of 80s, New Wave, Synth-Pop & Latin: LP Vinyl Bar features vinyl-only DJ sets every Wednesday through Sunday night with no cover. Located at the corner of Hollywood & Vine, LPVB opens onto one of L.A.’s most storied entertainment corridors, just steps from Amoeba, Avalon, The Fonda, Pantages, and Montalbán—making it an ideal stop after record shopping, before the late show, once the curtain falls, or whenever the night calls for craft cocktails, deep cuts, and a room built for listening. Doors open by 8:00pm and the bar stays open late. On Saturday, May 23, DJ Santi—LPVB friend and L.A. music aficionado—spins a special all-7” vinyl set of 80s, new wave, synth-pop and Latin all night long! Check out DJ Santi’s Instagram for a taste of what to expect.
New Providence, NJ | Passion for Vinyl Fills New Providence Memorial Library as Friends Host Record Sale Benefiting the Library: Collector Kathy Martin Channels Her Late Brother’s Legacy Into a Love Letter to Music and Community. Walk into the New Providence Memorial Library on Saturday and you would have heard it before you saw it—the warm, rich sound of a needle dropping on vinyl, music filling the room as tens of thousands of records waited for new hands to flip through them. The Friends of the New Providence Memorial Library hosted its first-ever Vinyl Slam sale Saturday, and what started as a fundraising idea quickly became something much more—a gathering of music lovers, serious collectors, casual browsers and everyone in between, united by the kind of shared passion that does not translate to a streaming playlist. …But the story behind how this sale came to be is as much about love and loss as it is about music.
Middleton, WI | Attic Sale returning to Keva Sports Center later this month: The Attic Sale, an event where high-quality gently used furniture, home décor, kitchenware, artwork, and other items are sold, is returning to Keva Sports Center in Middleton on May 29 and 30. This tradition began in 1961 as a fundraising sale. Now, attendees can also find vinyl records, collectibles, and household finds. The Attic Angel Association hosts the sale, in which thousands of donated items are collected and given new life every year. Proceeds from the Attic Sale and other Association Signature Events help fund Attic Angel community grants to nonprofit programs aligned with the organization’s annual focus. The 2026–27 focus supports collaborative efforts addressing food insecurity for families with children and older adults age 55 and older.
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