San Antonio, TX | Longtime South Side record store closes its doors amid financial struggles: Flipside Records has served music lovers on the South Side for generations. This week, the doors closed after its owner said he was locked out after rising rent costs pushed the business into a financial crisis. Owner Roman Cuellar said he was unable to keep up with increasing operating expenses, so the property management locked him out. Cuellar posted a sign notifying customers on the business’ front door and social media. “Right now, FSRP is going through an incredibly difficult financial crisis. I know many of us are feeling the squeeze of the current economy and rising costs of living, and it pains me to share that our shop is facing those same harsh realities,” Cuellar wrote in the post. “Everything that we make goes to rent now.”
Carrollton, GA | The Vinyl Frontier Keeps Vinyl Spinning After 10 Years in Carrollton: After a decade in business, The Vinyl Frontier in Carrollton is still spinning strong and continuing to grow in new ways. The business was started in 2016 by co-owners Trey Carter and Nick West, opening during Mayfest after months of preparing inventory and getting the store ready. What began as a passion project has since grown into one of Carrollton’s most recognizable independent businesses, now holding an estimated 40,000 records packed throughout the shop. West recently reflected on the store’s 10-year journey, calling the milestone hard to believe. One of the biggest changes over the past year has been expanding into online sales, something the store had avoided for years outside of occasional eBay listings. Since launching online ordering, their business has surged, bringing both new customers and new challenges.
UK | Qobuz launches global streaming partnership with indie retailer Rough Trade: High-quality streaming platform Qobuz has launched a new global partnership with independent music retailer Rough Trade. While digital and physical music might once have been at odds with each other, the two sides are increasingly complementary as both streaming consumption and vinyl sales continue to rise in tandem. …The two-year initial partnership will integrate Qobuz directly into the in-store experience across all Rough Trade locations in the US, UK and Germany. “Aligned since day one on their commitments to the independent music community, best quality sound, expert-led music discovery, and emphasis on human curation over algorithms, the deal will establish Qobuz as the official streaming service of all Rough Trade stores worldwide through 2028,” said a statement.
Portland, OR | Music Millennium Opens a Call-In ‘Thought Line.’ Owner Terry Currier hopes people share memories and messages about the longtime record store. Music Millennium wants to know what you think of it. And the venerable record store has teamed up with advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy to find out. Music Millennium’s “Thought Line” is a toll-free phone number that anyone can call to leave a memory, a message or anything at all about the Portland record store that originally opened in 1969 on East Burnside Street. Owner Terry Currier announced in February that he plans to retire and is seeking a buyer for the record store. When a small group of Wieden+Kennedy employees—and Music Millennium fans—heard this news, they reached out to Currier to see what they could do to ensure that the culture of the record store carried on. The idea for the Thought Line was born.
Cowplain, UK | New music shop One Love Records to open in Cowplain this summer: New music store a ‘labour of love’ for owner. It was only three years ago that Lee White began collecting records and now the Waterlooville man is preparing to open his very own record store. The 52-year-old who runs his own flooring business has announced that One Love Records will be opening in around two months time on London Road in Cowplain. It has been a whirlwind three years for Lee, whose attention only turned to record collecting after he decided to change his life and give up drinking. He said: “For 35 years I would leave work and go to the pub to meet my mates, then walk home and get some cans of beer at Tesco on the way. I would be like that and my life needed a change. Some people get that chance to change their life and I have, and I discovered my love of music because of it.
Melbourne, AU | Spin city: Melbourne loves records—but is it really the vinyl capital of the world? From a vinyl-focused music exhibition to beloved record stores, ‘listening bars’ and clubs, the Victorian capital’s fondness for wax reverberates in every corner of the city. When the needle drops, Elias Rahbani’s 1972 album Mosaic of the Orient (Näi, Buzuk & Guitar) cascades out from a Technics SL-1300GE-K turntable and a colossal pair of Tasmanian-made Pitt & Giblin Superwax speakers. I’m in the Listening Room—a temple for audiophiles, and to the vinyl record—in Melbourne’s Acmi, as part of Rising festival’s new exhibition The Vinyl Factory: Reverb. The gear sounds extraordinary—and it is only one story in a room filled with countless more.
London, UK | East London vinyl ‘record crawl’ including dates, stores taking part and map: The vinyl crawl aims to show off a corner of the city as the place to be for record-shopping. If you are a lover of vinyl records, this one-day event is for you. The Dig – East London will be a one-day, multi-venue celebration of vinyl culture, community and discovery. Taking place on Saturday, June 27, The Dig will bring together 14 of East London’s best record stores, giving avid collectors and general buyers a chance to sample rare records. The Dig is free and open to all, and gives the audience a chance to navigate East London through a crawl. You’re not expected to make it to every single store, but the hope is that by walking through a few you’ll find something you’re looking for and maybe something you didn’t expect.
How to Design the Cozy Vinyl Listening Corner for Your Home: Discover vinyl corner ideas that blend design and function. Explore walnut bookcases, modern listening corners, and smart storage solutions. Vinyl corner ideas can shape the entire mood of a home. Records are not just music collections anymore. They are part of daily rituals, interior styling, and personal identity. A well-designed vinyl corner feels intimate and lived-in. It invites slow mornings, evening listening sessions, and quiet moments away from screens. In many homes today, the listening area has become the emotional center of the living room. From warm walnut shelving to layered lighting, thoughtful storage can turn even a small apartment into a refined music retreat.
Reading, PA | The Reading Record Riot! Over 10,000 vinyl records for sale in the Berkshire Mall! Sun June 7th. The Reading Record Riot! It’s a BIG VINYL RECORD SALE! Over 30 dealer tables in one room! Sun June 7th, 12-6 PM. INSIDE THE MALL! A few doors down from FYE. Enter via Woodland Avenue portal. BIG FUN! The Reading Record Riot! It’s a BIG vinyl record POP-UP sale in the Berkshire Mall! Over 10,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Great music and amazing family fun. LPs, CDs and 45s. Dealers from far and wide converge for a giant music sale! All types of music from punk to funk to country to classic rock, hip hop, soul/jazz and more. Regular admission starts at 12 noon ($5) with early admission at 11 AM ($15). DISCOUNT TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE! Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!
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