Portsmouth, UK | Cherished forgotten echoes of long lost record stores in the Portsmouth area—from Focus Sounds to Ross Records and much more: If you needed to find me in my mid to late teens, there was a good chance I was in my local record shop. Growing up in Waterlooville there were a number of options available in the town centre to pick up the latest release or peruse classic albums. In the town centre alone there was Ross Records and Woolworths, but my go to was Focus Sounds on London Road. This was the noughties so the now rejuvenated vinyl scene was in the distance and it was the early days of streaming. Napster had already fallen and iTunes was on the rise but not the behemoth it would become. As such CDs were my vice and Focus Sounds was my enabler. Unless my memory deceives me, it had a bold pink sign with block white capitals spelling out the name and covered two shop units with a wall knocked out in between to cross through.
Phoeniz, AZ | Zia Records is celebrating its 45th anniversary with a host of vinyl exclusives: This round of vinyl treasures is highlighted by a double album of the Gin Blossoms’ classic 1992 release, New Miserable Experience. Zia Records may sell music in all its analog forms, but for the past 45 years, what they’ve truly provided customers is a sense of community for audiophiles, like musician Seth Kasselman. “Zia was my babysitter,” he recalls. “My parents would drop me off while they ran errands, and I would spend hours going through their inventory. It was before the internet, so I’d often buy things based solely on the artwork.” That longstanding community bond with patrons hits a high note during in-store events. “We hold a lot of listening parties where we’ll take a new vinyl release and invite fans to the store the night before it’s available to hear the record together,” Mike Durham, media buyer for Zia Records, says. “They’re super fun with prizes and as a gathering place with that shared experience that you can’t replicate.”
Amsterdam, NL | Amsterdam mobile record store Tale of Bus opens new permanent space: ToB Garage will kick off its opening weekend programming this Saturday, June 7th. Amsterdam-based mobile record store Tale of Bus has a new permanent home in the city. Called ToB Garage, the new studio space at Het Salon is outfitted with a custom-built sound system and a trove of the traveling shop’s back stock. The venue hosted a soft opening on May 31st, and has an official opening night event planned for this Saturday, June 7th at Doka. Berlin-based moonstompers will provide the soundtrack—a daytime gathering at the Garage is also planned for Sunday, June 8th. Operated out of a white, circa-1990s camper van since 2022, Tale Of Bus is the brainchild of Daan Donk, a DJ and vinyl collector who also spearheads the event series Likeminded worldwide. In addition to pop-up shopping, the van has also hosted events like April’s Kingsday Block Party, which featured sets from Donk, DJ Sweet6teen and more.
Durham, NC | Bull City Records’ Chaz Martenstein is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet: In 2025 Bull City Records is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The shop was opened in 2005 by a fresh-to-town Chaz Martenstein. Martenstein grew up north of the Triangle in Richmond, Virginia and spent some time in Boulder, Colorado, working at Bart’s CD Cellar, before settling down in Durham after his wife moved down to start a business with her sister. “I had a record store job in Boulder and never thought I’d like Durham, but once I came to visit I thought there was something very magnetic about it. There was plenty of stuff going on, but it also felt like a blank canvas with lots of possibilities.” Since opening Bull City Records he has seen the record store landscape change quite a lot. He witnessed the decline of CD sales, the resurgence of vinyl sales, entered the age of streaming, and weathered both a recession and a lockdown. …He’s also spent that time defying the stereotype of the record store guy and established himself as one of the friendliest in the business.
NJ | New Jersey’s best vintage vinyl record stores are just a short drive away on a rainy day: Vinyl records continue to captivate music enthusiasts, and New Jersey remains a prime destination for collectors and casual fans alike. With a vibrant scene of independent record stores, the Garden State offers a diverse array of shops perfect for finding vintage LPs, rare 45s, and more. Here’s a list of the top 10 vintage vinyl record stores in New Jersey for 2025, based on selection, atmosphere, and community impact, plus a spot that’s a must-visit for music lovers.
Southampton, UK | Pulp: Secret listening party for new album in Southampton: A secret listening event has given fans an early taste of Pulp’s long-awaited return. Vinilo Record Store in Southampton was one of 38 shops nationwide to host a listening party for the Britpop band’s new album More. A few dozen fans gathered to hear the album in full. Guests also received a free goodie bag and the chance to buy a limited edition vinyl. The event took place on May 29, one week before the album’s official release on June 5. The Sheffield band were one of the biggest acts of the 1990s Britpop era. Their return to the stage comes more than 24 years since they released a single, with the band admitted to toying with the idea since the great response to their reunion tour in 2023.
Inverness, UK | Much-loved music store in major Scots city shuts down after 11 years: Punters will have one last chance to visit the store as it hosts a closing down sale. A much-loved music store in a major Scots city has pulled the shutters down after 11 years. Union Vinyl, located on the Market Brae Steps in Inverness, closed on Saturday, just weeks after celebrating its anniversary. The store was known for its extensive collection of albums, though it did not stock music from some of today’s most popular artists. Owner Nigel Graham said: “We do have a certain type of customer. “If they are into Taylor Swift or whatever, they can quite happily go to HMV for that.” Instead, classic albums like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Blondie’s Parallel Lines, and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours would only last a few days on the shelves at Union Vinyl. Nigel explained that rising costs had become “too much” for the independent shop to handle. He told The Press and Journal: “The cost of living has proved too much.”
The Best New Turntables That Prove Vinyl Isn’t Just for Audiophiles: 2025 has already been a banner year for new turntables. The fact that vinyl is experiencing a resurgence is no longer a surprise. Record sales have grown every year since 2005 and, according to recent projections, global sales could reach $3.5 billion by the end of 2025. Of course, this has inspired a boom in turntable manufacturers, too, with brands like Pro-Ject, Audio-Technica, Fluance and U-Turn Audio (to name a few) all releasing modern turntables for those who have caught the vinyl bug. Today’s turntables cover the board, ranging from the truly entry-level (think less than $200) to their truly grail-worthy (think more than most cars), with the vast majority of new releases coming somewhere in between. Below, we round up the latest turntables from the last six months—all have been announced since the start of 2025.
Charlottesville, VA | Art and vinyl vendors take over cidery’s lawn: On Sunday afternoon, Potter’s Craft Cider collaborated with a local radio station to support local artists and their craft. The Pints, Platters, and Prints vendor market invited artists to set up on the cidery’s lawn and sell art and vinyl records. They were joined by a variety of DJs from WTJU, a radio station affiliated with the University of Virginia. As part of the Vinyl Takeover series, DJs spin all types of music at different pop-up locations in Central Virginia. Potter’s Craft Cider teamed up with WTJU to support local artists and sell vinyl records. “Being a very small owned business, making really good cider and bringing a lot of different aspects of the community together is really fun,” said Abby Blackburn, manager of Potter’s Craft Cider. Potter’s Craft Cider will hold more of these vendor markets throughout the year, and so will WTJU with its Vinyl Takeovers Series.
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