In rotation: 6/8/26

Gen Z is having more of an impact on physical sales than you might think: The first generation of digital natives have started spinning wax. The resurgence of physical media is starting to sound like old news. We’ve been reporting on the artists and trends behind rising vinyl sales for almost a decade, while 2024 was, according to Music Week, the first year in more than two decades to see overall physical sales register year-on-year growth. In the same year, a survey by Key Production showed that a greater proportion of Gen Z was listening to music in physical formats than any other age group. Since then, physical revivals have blossomed in the strangest of places.

Berks County, PA | From Nostalgia to Sound Quality: The Modern Vinyl Revival: Vinyl records have made a resurgence over the past decade, and both collectors and artists have taken note. “The comeback started probably 20 years ago and then picked up steam about 15 and started to really go like crazy around 10,” said Chris Holt, who opened Young Ones Records in Kutztown 35 years ago. Record Store Day is a huge part of that resurgence, he said. Launched in 2008, the semi-annual event held the third Saturday in April and every Black Friday in November draws collectors and fans to thousands of independent record stores around the world. Many records are pressed specifically for the occasion, making that limited pressing highly valuable.

Fullerton, CA | Record Store Recon: Rating White Rabbit Records in Fullerton, California: This clean and bright record store has high-quality used records at a fair price. A fun store that really does a lot with limited space. They stock LPs — new and used —CDs, 45s, some cassettes and even a few shirts. You will find most genres of music, and they do a great job of staying on top of the new stuff. The store often will have some amazing Japanese pressings. …When I was there, I met Tracy, the manager. He has been selling records for over 35 years. The man knows his stuff, and he has some great stories to share. He has been with the store since it was reb White Rabbit. He has seen the store change and adapt to meet the needs of the customers.

Falmouth, UK | Falmouth record shop Jam premises licence bid approved: Falmouth record shop Jam has had a premises licence bid approved – but a dispute over building repairs means the lease for the High Street shop has still not been signed. In April record shop owner Mandy announced that she was selling the business as a going concern to an unidentified business, which was later revealed to be Verdant Brewery. However at the end of May she posted on Instagram that the deal was on hold for an undisclosed reason, which wasn’t known until now. …Alex Morrell, representing Verdant and Green Spaces Cornwall, told the hearing the plan was simply to add a drink to the existing record-shopping experience. “It’s just basically to apply for a premises licence to be able to add an option of people having a little beer while they’re browsing records in a record shop,” he said.

Bryan, TX | Curious Collections Moving From Rosemary Drive to the Record Garage: Curious Collections plans big move to a former service station on 29th Street. Curious Collections Vinyl Records and More is the only brick-and-mortar record store in the Bryan-College Station area. The store began on Texas Avenue in a 900-square-foot space before later moving into the cozy corner building it occupies now. Owner Mary Jean said relocating wasn’t on her radar, but when the opportunity came along, she felt it was the right time. “We will be on 29th Street, which is very exciting. It’s just going to be a great new chapter,” Jean said. “It wasn’t something that was on my radar, and our lease came up, and I said, ‘I think this is the time.’” Jean said the transition will happen quickly, but transforming the new location—an old service station—will take place in phases.

Vinyl Bars, Film Cameras, and the Rise of Asia’s Analog Revival: Spending habits are changing from online to offline worlds, and this phenomenon is driven by Gen Zs and millennials. RADII breaks down the newfound pursuit for the tanglible. Inside a dimly lit listening bar in Bangkok, customers sit quietly as a jazz record spins through towering speaker shelves plugged into a DJ’s deck. But there are no playlists shuffled by algorithms here; it’s all curated cuts from the DJ’s stash of records. Customers sip cocktails while watching the DJ carefully lift vinyl records from their sleeves, lower the needle, and flip sides by hand. Across Asia, scenes like this are becoming increasingly common. …What first appeared as niche nostalgia has evolved into something much broader: a cultural shift toward physical media, tactile rituals, and slower forms of consumption.

Austin, TX | Community vinyl drive brings hundreds of records to Dell Seton patients: When Tyler Jorgensen, M.D., a palliative care physician and assistant professor at Dell Medical School, wheels a record player into a patient’s room, he’s offering something medicine can’t prescribe: a way back to somewhere familiar. Jorgensen and his team at Dell Seton Medical Center have been doing this since 2022 through ATX-VINyL—Audio Therapy eXperience-Vinyl for Inpatients Near the end of Life—a program that uses music to help patients and families connect during the final stages of care. The collection started at about 60 records. This spring, it grew by nearly 500, thanks to a two-week vinyl drive organized by UT Social Work’s Moritz Center for Societal Impact.

Melbourne, AU | Visit Victoria’s exclusive one-night Winter Solstice vinyl event takes over 9 secret Melbourne venues this June — celebrating the city with the most record stores in the world: Melbourne is pausing for the Winter Solstice. On 21st June, Visit Victoria is synchronising nine of the city’s best listening bars for a one-night-only vinyl activation celebrating local music and cozy winter nights. …On Sunday, 21st June, nine of the city’s listening bars will synchronise for a “pin drop” moment at exactly 6:24pm, marking the official start of the winter solstice with a shared hour of locally curated music. Instead of chatter and clinking glasses, venues across the CBD and inner suburbs will pause and press play in unison, spinning a selection of Victorian artists on vinyl.

Rock Springs, WY | Broadway Theater to host special Wyoming’s Big Show edition of Vino & Vinyl: The Broadway Theater and The Loft are partnering with the Sweetwater Events Complex for a special Wyoming’s Big Show edition of Vino & Vinyl on Thursday, June 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Loft inside the historic Broadway Theater, 618 Broadway in downtown Rock Springs. This special edition of the popular social series will celebrate the upcoming Wyoming’s Big Show After Dark Concert Series with an evening of music inspired by the 2026 lineup. Hosted by DJ Kyus Havskjold, the event will feature vinyl selections from artists performing at this year’s Wyoming’s Big Show, including Ned LeDoux, Lit & Fuel, Hairball, Corey Kent, and Ian Munsick. Admission is free and open to the public, with no cover charge.

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