San Diego, CA | Vinyl grooves set the mood at Nómade Tapas and Records: Spanish small plates joined by Japanese and more at Adams Avenue listening bar. Don’t tell the tech bros, but I’ve found a new bar and restaurant in North Park that gets me better than the algorithms ever have. Nómade Tapas and Records has an intimate vibe, decor styled around warm wood grains, and a soundtrack governed by individual music lovers. The restaurant’s discreet sound system means there are no blaring speakers harshing the vibe. Everyone can hear the music, yet nobody has to shout to be heard. It almost gives a second meaning to “listening bar”—I’m hard pressed to think of a better place to practice the lost art of conversation. Vintage vinyl LPs fill shelves behind a long bar that’s bracketed at one end by two turntables and a mixer. DJs might step in to provide fresh evening jams, but on a mellow weekend afternoon, Nómade’s management may simply drop the needle on Side A of something classic from off the shelf, and let it play.
Petaluma, CA | Montagne Russe moving its tasting room (and vinyl record shop) to Petaluma: Named for a French term for a roller coaster, this fun-forward winery is bringing great Pinot and an awesome record collection to downtown Petaluma. The wine industry can seem a lot like a roller coaster sometimes, which is part of the reason that winemaker Kevin Bersofsky named his winery Montagne Russe, translated as Russian Mountain, the original name that the French gave to roller coasters. Bersofsky—who once designed roller coasters while studying engineering in college—started making his own wines in 2006, experimenting in his tiny garage until he got busted in 2013, and finally emerged as a legally acceptable wine-making business in 2015. Almost immediately, Montagne Russe wines—affectionately made from grapes grown in places like as the Petaluma Gap—began winning fans. The operation’s Healdsburg tasting room quickly became a popular spot for visitors eager to check out offerings like its Dragon’s Back Pinot Noir and Poet-Laval White Blend, and also for its Vino & Vinyls Record Shop, featuring over 2,000 vinyl records ranging from $5 to $40.
Denver, CO | Record pressing plant is thriving in Denver after Vinyl Me, Please debacle: The owners of a 14,000-square-foot record plant in the River North Arts District have finally found their groove. After two years of delays, and a surprising breakup with their former partners at Denver’s Vinyl Me, Please record club, Paramount Pressing and Plating expects to be pumping out 1 million vinyl LPs per year once it hits full capacity, ranging from major-label reissues to boutique pressings of 200 copies for local artists. But even as the company nears its first anniversary in July, it can already claim success in its mission to create some of the highest-quality vinyl records in the world. Its exacting standards are meeting a growing market of not just turntable audiophiles, its owners said, but younger fans who have made vinyl records the top-selling music media in the world for three years straight, beating out CDs and bringing in $1.4 billion in revenue last year, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, the highest amount since 1984.
AU | DJ Muro joins Kirin & Deus for vinyl launch: As vinyl culture explodes in Australia, Kirin Ichiban has collaborated with Deus Records and renowned Japanese hip hop pioneer, DJ Muro to release a limited edition ‘first press’ album, short film and exclusive Deus ‘record hunting’ jacket and t-shirt. Known by those who know vinyl, Takayoshi Murota or “DJ Muro” is a legendary Japanese DJ, recording artist and record producer, and is considered a cultural expert on anything vinyl related – earning him the title, ‘The King of Diggin’. DJ Muro is returning to Sydney and Melbourne for the first time in 12 years to activate the partnership with a series of curated events open to all audiophiles over 18. Launching in March, the collaboration between DJ Muro, Kirin Ichiban and Deus Records celebrates craftsmanship, precision and the undeniable quality of the art of the ‘first press’. Kirin Ichiban (which means first and best in Japanese), unlike other beers, is made using the ‘first press’ of the wort.
Are Smaller Vinyl Companies Crashing Amid a Broader Sales Slowdown? Vinyl sales slowdowns amid broader economic uncertainty spell trouble for several smaller vinyl companies. Vinyl records surpassed CDs as the most popular physical music format over the past few years; 2024 marked the 18th consecutive year that vinyl record sales grew. But the strain on vinyl production facilities has only been compounded by the increased demand. That increased demand was made all the more difficult by many manufacturing plants having closed down when vinyl sales first started to slow down back in the 80s. Now, the problem is getting worse again as vinyl sales appear to be cooling off—after a 33% drop in sales between 2023 and 2024. he birth of new manufacturers, like Jack White’s Third Man Records, helped ramp up capacity over the last decade. But supply shortages during the pandemic contributed significantly to longer lead times.
New York, NY | VHS, cassettes find new life at NYC event as hundreds of analogue fans are ‘fed up with streaming services.’ Here’s a rewind to the days before streaming. Hundreds of analogue enthusiasts spun through rare VHS, cassettes and even eight-tracks at the first-ever NYC Tape Fair in Bushwick on Sunday – as buyers said they’re getting sick of streaming shenanigans. “It’s the artistry of it all: It’s easier to connect with the art when it’s in your hands, when you’re looking at it,” festival co-founder Anthony Morton, 33, told The Post at the inaugural fair, which included more than a dozen vendors at cafe-art gallery-record store Selva. Organizer Ricardo Marerro, 30, said buyers are “curious and they want more.” “I think people are fed up with streaming services and the options available to them are getting fewer every year,” said Marerro. “If you pay for a streaming service, you don’t own these movies. “A lot more people are realizing that there’s a whole world of music and movies that are not on streaming services, and there’s a lot more to explore,” he added.
Edmond, OK | Vinyl Record Show of Oklahoma City: Vinyl Record Show of Oklahoma City July 12th! Find the Music You Love and the Memories It Holds at the Vinyl Record Show of Oklahoma City! What Awaits You: Vinyl LP Records: Tens of thousands, from budget-friendly $1.00 LPs to rare collectibles worth hundreds of dollars. There’s something for every music lover. More Treasures: Dig through a variety of music memorabilia, 45’s, CDs, T-shirts, posters, cassettes, and even a few 78s. Exciting Door Prizes: Every attendee has a chance to win a free record, a cool T-shirt, or even tickets to future shows! Join us for your shot at some fantastic goodies. Memories and Music: Rediscover the tunes that bring back your best memories and connect with fellow vinyl enthusiasts.
KISS celebrates 45th anniversary of ‘Unmasked’ with colored vinyl and new merch line: KISS is celebrating the 45th anniversary of their eighth studio album, Unmasked. To mark the occasion, KISS will release the album on colored vinyl, limited to only 2,500 copies. The vinyl comes with an Unmasked track list T-shirt and is set to ship on May 16. There was also a super-limited-edition picture disc, which came with an Unmasked hoodie, sticker sheet and double-sided poster, but it was limited to only 500 copies and is already sold out. In addition, KISS has launched an all-new Unmasked merch line that includes hoodies, T-shirts, posters, an air freshener and puzzles. …Released May 20, 1980, Unmasked was the first KISS album without drummer and founding member Peter Criss, although he was featured in the album’s artwork.
Duran Duran to release ‘Greatest’ compilation on vinyl for the first time: Duran Duran is revisiting their 1998 compilation album, Greatest. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band is set to release a remastered version of the record on limited-edition white vinyl, marking the album’s first-ever vinyl release. The remastered edition will also be released on CD. Both the vinyl and the CD are due out Oct. 24 and are available for preorder now. Originally released in November 1998, Greatest was an updated version of Duran Duran’s 1989 10th anniversary compilation, Decade. It included all 14 tracks from the original record, including “Rio,” “Hungry Like The Wolf,” “Girls on Film,” “A View To A Kill,” “Notorious” and “Wild Boys.” It also featured the addition of the Seven and the Ragged Tiger single “New Moon on Monday” and four additional singles from the ’90s, including “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone.”
Follow The Vinyl District on Facebook HERE, Instagram HERE, Threads HERE, Bluesky HERE, and X/Twitter HERE.
