Bemidji, MN | Sundown Records opens in new location on Beltrami Avenue: Sundown Records, which was launched in October 2023 at 209 Beltrami Ave. NW, opened its doors at 317 Beltrami on Wednesday. What a difference one block can make. That’s what Peter McKenzie is counting on after moving his Sundown Records store into a new space in downtown Bemidji. Sundown Records, which was launched in October of 2023 at 209 Beltrami Ave. NW, opened its doors at 317 Beltrami on Wednesday, May 21. …“It’s at least twice as much space,” said McKenzie, who started the business with his brother, Bill. “I have some more inventory to put out. It will allow me to expand a little bit without expanding too much. I definitely expect more traffic at the new spot.” While vinyl records are the store’s biggest sellers, it also has cassettes, compact discs and videos on VHS, laser discs, used turntables, and retro toys such as Transformers and G.I. Joe products. “We sell a lot of vinyl,” Peter said.
Amagansett, NY | Vinyl Vibes and Rock Legends: How Innersleeve Records Became a Cornerstone in Amagansett: Amagansett’s Main Street is home to InnerSleeve Records, the only record store east of Patchogue. The name of Craig Wright’s business pays homage to a tiny record shop he owned in San Francisco in the early 1990s. Wright has been in business for over 13 years, first in the Amagansett Square and then moving to Main Street, making InnerSleeve Records one of the longest-lasting brick-and-mortar shops in the hamlet. “I’ve been in the music business for most of my life on both coasts,” Wright said, while standing behind the counter of his shop, getting his ducks in a row for his annual Record Store Day event, which is held on April 12 of each year. Record Store Day is when certain releases are only available at independent record shops. ….“I wasn’t actively looking to open a record store, but I always wanted to do something musical,” Wright said. “It was a chance of opportunity…”
Chicago, IL | Chicago’s former Wax Trax! Records building officially gets city landmark status: The Chicago City Council this week officially designated the former Wax Trax! Records building in Lincoln Park an official Chicago landmark. The City Council approved the designation at its meeting on Wednesday. The old Wax Trax! Records building is located at 2449 N. Lincoln Ave., about half a block northwest of the six-way intersection with Halsted Street and Fullerton Avenue in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The two-story Renaissance Revival-style building was constructed in the 1880s, the city said. From 1978 until 1993, the building housed Wax Trax! Records. Founders Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher opened the first Wax Trax! store in Denver in 1975, and moved to Chicago and opened the Lincoln Park store three years later.
Amarillo, TX | How one venue owner is helping to keep the torch (or lighter!) burning for area live music fans: …Nestled in between a tattoo shop and vintage goods store on 6th Avenue is High Fidelity Records. While it has a lot of great music on offer in the form of vinyl, CDs and other physical media, High Fidelity also hopes to continue carrying the torch of record stores past through hosting small underground shows that appeal to those of many different walks of life. Ray Wilson, owner of High Fidelity, sat down with me in a cozy corner of the shop to discuss the history of the music scene in Amarillo, how it’s evolved over the years, what role venues like his and others on Route 66 play in keeping the scene alive, his own history as a performer in Amarillo, and all of the great music that you can still catch on a warm summer evening throughout the city.
Ellensburg, WA | Mark Pickerel provides a home for vinyl lovers: …Before the explosion of grunge fully set-in with fans all around the world, Pickerel left “Screaming Trees” to pursue his own business endeavors by starting his own record store right here in Ellensburg. The record store he opened went by the name “Rodeo Records,” and used the space that is now “Dirk’s Pizza.” “I needed a change in lifestyle,” Pickerel said, “and it was a really exciting time to do business in this county.” Rodeo Records offered a wide selection of the newest hits for the time and was “the first store to fully recognize or predict the success” of the “Hip Hop crossover to mainstream.” Pickerel’s knowledge of the music industry lent itself well to the Ellensburg music consumer. He even found a way to be the first record store in town to sell new releases by having a “midnight sale on the eve of the release date.”
Punk band Private Function release record that smells like Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina: Australian punk outfit Private Function have released a special edition of their latest record, which they say “smells like Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina.” The band announced the pressing on Instagram, where member Lauren Hester is seen in a lab holding the manufactured, pink vinyl. “I want you to cast your mind back to the fabulous year of 2020,” Hester commands. “There was one news story that completely dominated the headlines: Gwyneth Paltrow released a candle that smelt like her vagina. This was potentially the greatest thing anyone had ever done,” she says coyly. Hester explains that these candles now sell for over $700 each. The band “decided to take things into their own hands” and created the first scratch-and-sniff vinyl. Claiming that the tall order of almost a thousand dollars to smell the candle is “classist,” Hester continued: “We at Private Function think that every working-class person deserves to have access to the smell 24 hours a day.”
Denton, TX | Revolution Record Convention 2025: In partnership with iconic Recycled Books & Records, KUZU 92.9 FM will host their third annual Revolution Record Convention at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center in the heart of downtown Denton June 28, 2025. This cost-free family-friendly event will feature local, regional, and national vendors offering collectible vinyl records, posters, memorabilia, and other music media. Live entertainment will include DJs, a panel discussion and special guest appearances. Attendees can order personalized screen-printed gear from local merchant Pan Ector Industries, grab a drink from Union Bear Brewing, or snack on food from local food trucks. For those who would like to browse before the crowds, Early Bird tickets for $10 provide one hour of exclusive entry from 10am-11am. Doors open free to the general public at 11:00am and the event will run until 5pm.
Miniot Wheel 3 record player with optical pickup puts vinyl on display: …Miniot is re-launching one of the most unusual record players on the market by giving the third-generation Wheel a sleeker, more modern design and a range of technical improvements. The record player can be set up vertically, placed on a table, or mounted on a wall, which means that records can be played both vertically and horizontally. The linear tonearm sits behind the record. Technically, the optical pickup is the most notable feature of the Miniot Wheel 3. Instead of using a magnet or coil cartridge like almost all other record players on the market, Miniot has developed a new type of optical pickup. This is not only designed to deliver great sound, but it should also be gentle on records since they are scanned by light.
Minus The Bear Announces ‘Menos el Oso’ 20th Anniversary Reissue: The August release will precede the band’s performance of the album in its entirety this fall. Ahead of their reunion tour slated for this fall, Minus The Bear will reissue their sophomore album, 2005’s Menos el Oso, to commemorate the album’s 20th anniversary. The beloved Seattle indie band unveiled the deluxe vinyl release, as well as the demo version of the track “Hooray,” on Tuesday (May 20), with the reissue scheduled for an Aug. 22 release on longtime label Suicide Squeeze. “We toured so much for Menos el Oso—all these songs and riffs are stuck in my muscle memory like core childhood memories,” says guitarist Dave Knudson. “The fingers and feet instinctively know where to tap and stomp at just the right time to make the notes and melodies leap out of my guitar.”
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