AU | What Are The Most Popular Titles At Aussie Record Stores? Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, Ethel Cain, and more are still resonating with today’s record store frequenters. In a celebration of our country’s fine record stores, who are continuing to do outstanding work despite the trials and tribulations they face in today’s precarious, expensive digital age, this month, The Music’s search for Australia’s best record store is officially on. To vote now and enter the draw to win a $200 voucher to spend at the store, click here. In conversation with The Music, record store owners across Australia have revealed the most popular titles that are still being constantly purchased, and there are certainly some patterns—and some surprises.
Glenside, PA | Vinyl Chickie Makes Music With Glenside Shop: Lisa Schaffer opened her record store on Mount Carmel Avenue, turning her passion for music into a business enterprise. She’s the Vinyl Chickie behind Vinyl Chickie. Over a month ago, Lisa Schaffer turned an idea into a reality: She opened a record store. The self-described “music nerd” who also does freelance event photography wanted something that provided a little more stability by opening Vinyl Chickie at 2256 Mt. Carmel Ave., a stone’s throw from the iconic Keswick Theatre, where concerts are frequent on the calendar. “I was looking for a new chapter in my life,” she said. “I love music. It’s my passion.” On her walls are photos she snapped of superstar Taylor Swift, the legendary Rolling Stones, and other singers and groups at the various concerts. Big Star, Thin Lizzy, Phish, the Grateful Dead, Green Day, and the Ramones are showcased under the concert photographs, and her record bins feature new and used records, and some gems. She also buys old records.
Pembrokeshire, UK | Quirky Pembrokeshire shop combining record store and brewery proves popular: A shop combining a record store and a brewery has become a popular hub in a Pembrokeshire town. Core of the Poodle, in Market Street, Haverfordwest, opened in April 2021, and has since proved popular among residents. The shop is owned by Malcolm Herbert and his wife Cheryl, who were inspired to open the shop after visiting the former AW Jazz shop to look for records. The couple said they “liked the vibe of the top-of-town Haverfordwest” and thought it would be a great location for their shop. Core of the Poodle owners Malcolm and Cheryl Herbert (Image: Malcolm Herbert) As the shop became more popular, Cheryl left her job at Pembrokeshire County Council to help with the day-to-day running of the store. Mr Herbert said: “The people make the shop and bar.”
Enfield, UK | For the records: Andrew Warshaw meets the man behind a new second-hand record shop in Crews Hill. Many of you will know that there has been a vinyl record explosion in recent years, with second-hand shops springing up in towns and cities across the country. Just as in the 1960s and 70s, vinyl is again all the rage, with record sales in some areas outstripping those of CDs! And now Enfield has its very own store. Tucked away in a corner of Crews Hill, Enfield Records opened a few months ago and stocks all manner of LPs, twelve-inch discs and 45s, from soul to jazz, reggae to rock, house to Motown – covering virtually every decade. The store, based at Browns Garden Village off Theobalds Park Road, is run by Mark Wootton, an avid vinyl fan whose tiny shop—open from 10am-5pm, Wednesday to Sunday—is a veritable treasure trove, with prices as low as £1 rising to close to three figures for the store’s most prized assets.
Brixton, UK | Dash The Henge record store opening in Brixton Village on Friday, 18th July 2025. Camberwell’s loss is absolutely Brixton’s gain as the team behind the wonderful Dash The Henge record store will be relocating into Brixton Village later this month. Launching with an opening party on the 18th July, the new, fully licensed record store—and independent record label—will be stocking brand new and second-hand vinyl, CDs, books and merchandise. They’ll also be hosting stripped back live sets and DJ sets from Wednesday to Sunday and serving pints and cocktails to thirsty punters. We’ll look forward to visiting them soon.
Los Angeles, CA | VIP Records sign: The world famous sign may get a new home. After years of languishing in storage, city officials are planning to return the famous VIP Records sign to Central Long Beach. Where will it be relocated to? Officials confirmed last week—barring public disapproval—their desire to raise the sign at the southwest corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, across the street from the original storefront location. It will sit on a quarter-acre plot of public land, which officials said can be used to hold events, artwork or something more permanent. The backstory: The sign, which was taken down in 2018 when VIP Record’s original location became a 7-Eleven, will also be refurbished. Removal of the sign revealed serious signs of wear. As a designated historic landmark, officials said it will undergo restoration that meets federal standards, which may include “repainting, electrical repair, repair of acrylic, replacement of globes, repairs for rust and other damage, and other similar work.”
Did You Score Great Vinyl at the Record Store? Here’s How to Clean & Protect Your Finds: Maintain your vinyl collection with these simple tips and products. How was your Record Store Day? This year I spent about an hour and a half and $150 picking up some great vinyl at two stores in Berlin, where I live. (Shout-outs to Soultrade and Dussman.) Every year seems to bring more music fans into stores, along with more releases in more genres. I personally picked up reissues of the Passengers album and Emmylou Harris’ Spyboy, plus archival live releases from Ry Cooder and Talking Heads, and a split 7” single from Goat and Graveyard. While I was at Soultrade, I also found a used album I’ve wanted forever—a 1973 copy of This Is Amon Düül, which is hard to find and even harder to wrap your head around. That record was in great shape for 1973, but it needed to be cleaned—as do many old records. These days, some new ones do, too…
John Coltrane’s ‘The John Coltrane Quartet Plays’ Set For Reissue: The jazz musician’s vinyl re-release will arrive in August. John Coltrane’s The John Coltrane Quartet Plays is the latest classic jazz album to receive a vinyl reissue through Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series. Originally released in 1965, the record was one of his last releases before his death in 1967. The reissue will be available on August 29. The album was recorded in just two sessions shortly after the release of 1964’s A Love Supreme. Recorded alongside quartet members McCoy Tyner (piano), Elvin Jones (drums), and Jimmy Garrison (bass), The John Coltrane Quartet Plays captures the sonic transitional period Coltrane was experiencing at the time, where his music became even more experimental and bombastic. The album also features bass players Jimmy Garrison and Art Davis, as Coltrane wanted to play around with multiple bass sounds.
Lake Como, IT | Il Sereno, Lake Como Presents the Darsena Listening Suite: the World’s First Hotel Suite Built Entirely Around the Art of Listening. This season, Il Sereno Lago di Como introduces its most personal and immersive offering yet: The Darsena Listening Suite. Conceived by owner-audiophile Luis Contreras and brought to life together with designer Patricia Urquiola, this 200 m² lakefront sanctuary redefines the travel experience through music. The suite becomes a cultural space where high-fidelity analogue music, tactile contemporary design and Michelin-starred cuisine converge, with the lake as natural backdrop. Drawing on Tokyo’s jazz-kissa listening cafés—intimate venues where vinyl is revered—The Darsena Listening Suite is believed to be the first hotel guestroom anywhere designed entirely around the act of listening.
Follow The Vinyl District on Facebook HERE, Instagram HERE, Threads HERE, Bluesky HERE, and X/Twitter HERE.
