Eugene, OR | Oregon Rainmakers: Talking physical media with House of Records owner Greg Sutherland. .”..Then in 1999 came the iPod, and that just stopped business cold. We went five straight years where we made less money each year than the year before. We just thought there wouldn’t be any physical media because everybody was going to be listening on their iPods. What ended up happening is that people quickly discovered that iPods were easy to lose and sounded terrible, and that listening to music in earbuds is not the same as listening to music on a nice stereo system with good room sound and good speakers. Around 2005 or 2006, coincidentally or not, that’s when the resurgence of vinyl started. It was just a trickle at first, but by 2006 or 2007, we could tell something was going on.”
Coeur d’Alene, ID | Coeur d’Alene destination record store The Long Ear to close in July after 53 years in business: Business was so slow when Terry and Deon Borchard first moved their record store, the Long Ear, to Coeur d’Alene in 1985 that they relied on relatives to keep the phone line busy. “When we moved up here, nobody knew we were here,” Deon Borchard, who along with her husband has been running the shop since they lived in Big Bear Lake, California, in 1973, said. …The independent record store, which has moved around the Lake City three times and outlasted former industry giants such as Borders, Sam Goody and Hastings, will see those phones go silent in July. Their building at 1620 N. Government Way sold last summer, and the business plans to shutter when its lease expires after its owners fruitlessly searched for another new home.
Meadville, PA | A sound investment: VinylMugshot opens in downtown Meadville. …After numerous odd jobs as a caretaker, information technology worker and factory lineman, among others, Zinz found his groove in the vinyl business. He began building up his collection of records and concert posters and selling them on eBay about 26 years ago. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” he said of opening his own record store. In fact, he opened one in 2011 called Round Again Records on North Street, but it closed after a few years in business. This time around, he thinks vinyl is a sound investment. In the past six to 10 years, he said the interest in collectibles like records has skyrocketed.
Youngstown, OH | Weathered history of Geo’s Music on record: Embedded in the history of downtown Youngstown is an all-welcoming, musical rendezvous—record store Geo’s Music. Founded in 1998, Geo’s originally started as an idea to bring creative minds together and give them a home. For founder Geo Case, this store literally served as a home for a number of years as he was sleeping on a mattress in the back of the shop. Case said the store serves many purposes, and he is happy to be involved in the community. “This is your home place for Geo C and Tha Storm, the band, to make music, practice, write and arrange … And then we can have a hub here that people can come to buy music, or to, if you’re an artist locally, we of course love to sell your music, or t-shirts or whatever…”
Bengaluru, IN | Bengaluru Gets Its First Vinyl Microbrewery with 33&Brew: Bengaluru’s craft beer story continues to evolve, and this time, it comes with a soundtrack. At Brookefield, 33&Brew has opened its doors as India’s first vinyl microbrewery, bringing together small-batch brewing, analogue music, and a thoughtfully designed social space. Located in Prestige Technostar, the brewery moves beyond the conventional brewpub format, positioning itself as an experience-led destination where beer, music, and design flow together seamlessly. At its core, 33&Brew is built around rhythm. Not just the rhythm of music, but of how guests move through the space—arriving, settling in, and staying awhile. The idea is simple yet intentional: create a place where people slow down, connect, and return.
Salt Lake City, UT | New “listening bar” opens in Salt Lake City: Mono Tape Club, a new 21+ “listening room” cafe and bar, has opened on the eastern edge of Fairpark. Why it matters: It’s one of the up-and-coming area’s most exciting additions since Koyoté, a popular ramen spot, opened in 2024. Plus, I can walk to it! The intrigue: The cafe-by-day, bar-by-night concept is inspired by Japan’s famous “listening bars,” featuring a wide collection of vinyl and cassettes. The menu includes espresso drinks and a variety of beers and highballs. Tip: Bring your ID even if you don’t plan to drink alcohol.
Las Vegas, NV | New Las Vegas Strip nightspot to display ‘thousands’ of vinyl albums: A club taking over the former Foundation Room is putting the “high” in hi-fi. The Vinyl Room, its title nodding to its collection of vintage albums, is taking over the rooftop spot where the Foundation Room operated from March 1999 through its shutdown last fall. …The company emphasizes the 63rd-floor club’s “sweeping” views of the Strip, same as before, but a totally overhauled design hearkening to 1970s Japanese listening lounges. Thousands of albums are on display. Live, late-night entertainment is promised. The new Vinyl Room is a sister club of the venue that opened this year inside the Hollywood Palladium. Though not required for entry, annual membership starts at $2,000.
Ithaca, NY | Ithaca Grooves to Physical Media: At Ithaca’s record fair, demand for vinyl and CDs turns the tables on streaming services. Binghamton resident Jess Bennett began selling vinyl and CDs in 2019 as a way to save up for an engagement ring. After making enough to afford not just a ring but help fund their wedding, and because “it was kind of fun,” Bennett and their wife Kaia O’Neill have since sold vinyl, CDs and cassettes as Sweet Baby Angel Records. They were among many vinyl sellers across the Northeast who trekked to Ithaca on April 25 for a record fair. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., record enthusiasts, lifelong collectors, and the vinyl-curious streamed in and out of a first-floor ballroom in the Downtown Ithaca Conference Center, hoping to find rare editions, new favorites, and physical copies of their favorite albums.
Recycled Vinyl Campaign Highlights Sustainability in Music Industry Practices: Record labels join forces to launch recycled vinyl albums, marking World Environment Day and promoting sustainability. In a move to address environmental concerns, Secretly Group, Exceleration Music, Warp Records, Ninja Tune, and Beggars Group have partnered with Music Declares Emergency and the Music Climate Pact to launch a sustainability-focused campaign. Coinciding with World Environment Day on June 5, 2026, the initiative will feature special edition albums pressed on 100% recycled vinyl, available in the US, Canada, and UK, as well as through direct-to-consumer channels. Music Declares Emergency, founded by a group of artists, music industry professionals and organizations, has been harnessing the power of music to put the climate emergency on the front page of culture.
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