Hamden, CT | Beloved CT Record Store Closing; Owners Plan To Keep Music Alive With Online Shop: Hamden’s go-to spot for vinyl collectors and music fans is preparing to close its storefront after 36 years, but the owners promise to keep the music alive with an online shop. Replay Records, which opened in 1989, announced on Facebook that it will close the store at the end of July. The owners, Doug and Mary Snyder, thanked the customers who’ve shopped there for the last three decades. “So many people have come through our doors in the last 36 years,” Mary posted. “It’s truly been a remarkable adventure for us both. We’ve always done our very best to bring you quality vinyl at affordable prices. I hope it’s been an enjoyable ride for everyone. I know Doug and I sure loved it.” Through the end of the month, the store is offering big discounts on used records and CDs.
London, UK | Vinyl Variety: Grace Hayhurst Goes Through Some of Her Favourite London Record Shops: Musician Grace Hayhurst joins us for Vinyl Variety, sharing five of her favourite record stores in London, England, including Crypt of the Wizard, FOPP, Sounds of the Universe, Sister Ray, and Reckless Records. The world faces some cold, complex realities, and Grace Hayhurst is coming to terms with some of them on her new album The World Is Dying. This is the singer and guitarist’s debut full-length album, inspired by some of her perceptions of the world’s predicament. …As an old school musician, you better believe Hayhurst loves her vinyl. She joins us today for Vinyl Variety, sharing with us five of her favourite vinyl shops, one of which is her own!
Batumi, GE | Tbilisi’s Vodkast Records opens pop-up store in Batumi: One of the Georgian capital’s key underground labels is coming to the coast. Tbilisi-based label and vinyl outlet Vodkast Records has opened a new pop-up space in Batumi. Located inside the hotel Rooms Batumi, the new outpost operates daily from 12 PM to 8 PM, serving as a hub for analog culture and leftfield sounds. Alongside its curated record selection, the pop-up will host a rotating array of artists—an opening party on June 30th hosted Georgian DJs Zurkin and Vakho, as well as Norway’s DJ Fett Burger. Since launching in 2013, Vodkast has grown from a record store into a label, podcast series, and key platform in Georgia’s underground music scene. The new location will remain open for the entirety of the summer season.
Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix record store for sale after 43 years: ‘Burnt out on being a stool jockey.’ Timmy Stamper isn’t selling Tracks in Wax because the business isn’t doing well. It’s just that he’s been feeling like it might be time to see what else this world has to offer. It’s been nearly 10 years since Stamper purchased Tracks in Wax, a record store at 4741 N. Central Ave., just south of Camelback Road in Phoenix, from Julie Chiesa, the widow of Dennis Chiesa, who opened the business with his brother Don in 1982. By the time he bought it, Stamper had been working there for nearly 10 years. “There’s a lot of things that since I’ve had the store, I’ve put on hold: playing in bands, making records, vacationing, that sort of thing,” he says. “I don’t have employees, so it’s just a matter of hitting the wall and getting burnt out on being a stool jockey. It just becomes a grind after a while, like any job. And when you get burnt out, it’s time for something else.”
Minneapolis, MN | After 37 years, Hymie’s in Minneapolis spins its last record: After nearly four decades of serving the Twin Cities’ vibrant music scene, Hymie’s Records has decided to close its doors. Originally opened in the 1980s, the Longfellow neighborhood shop once praised by the Beastie Boys and Rolling Stone, announced that it has no plans to reopen. Adam Taylor, the store’s fourth owner, bought Hymie’s in 2019. Taylor says that throughout the pandemic, record shops around the Twin Cities were hit hard, experiencing financial hurdles that put some out of business. While Hymie’s managed to stay afloat, Taylor says that added financial pressures chipped away at the business’s future. “Rent is astronomical. I can’t afford 4,000 bucks a month,” Taylor said, “I’m out of spirits. My tank is empty.”
Boston, MA | 6 places to sip, snack and listen to vinyl in Greater Boston: The world feels noisier than ever, and it’s never been more tempting to go analog. Fortunately, the vinyl record scene is booming. In fact, the sale of vinyl records nearly tripled between 2016 and 2023, according to data company Luminate. At its best, vinyl is a social listening experience — best enjoyed piped through towering speakers—a welcome reprieve from a world dominated by noise-canceling headphones and earbuds, and local businesses are taking note. An increasing number of bars, restaurants and shops are getting in on the vinyl rush, providing top-of-the-line listening experiences for audiophiles in Greater Boston, with tasty bites and beverages on offer to fortify the experience. Whether you’re looking to shop, sip or snack, there is no shortage of great places to hear vinyl, new and old, across Greater Boston.
Palm Springs, CA | Former Employees Reunite at Palm Springs’ Beloved Record Store Location: The Warehouse. Before Spotify playlists and digital downloads, music and movie lovers in Palm Springs had The Warehouse—a bustling retail hub where vinyl, cassettes, CDs, and even VHS tapes lined the walls. One of its most beloved locations, Store No. 214, opened in 1985 and quickly became a hangout spot as much as a shopping destination. NBC Palm Springs historian Steve Sumrall was part of the original crew. “I worked here starting in ’89,” he said. “I took a semester off college and kept coming back summers through ’92.” That staff included future Bob’s Burgers executive producer John Schroeder, and many others who formed lifelong friendships on the sales floor. “We still had a big vinyl section and a wall of cassettes,” Sumrall recalled. “I once sold Sonny Bono a Bob Marley CD.”
Cheektowaga, NY | The Buffalo Record Riot! Vinyl Records! Sat July 19th, Knights Hall, 2735 Union Rd, Cheektowaga, NY. The Buffalo Record RIot! It’s a GIANT vinyl record POP-UP sale at the Knights Hall in Cheektowaga! Over 15,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Great music and amazing family fun. LPs/CDs/45s, DOOR PRIZES. The Buffalo Record Riot returns! It’s a GIGANTIC vinyl record POP-UP sale at Knights Hall, 2735 Union Road in Cheektowaga! Over 15,000 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. Dust off that turntable and come on down. DOOR PRIZES TOO! Regular admission starts at 10 AM ($5) with early admission at 9 AM ($15). Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!
Stockport, UK | Stockport Vinyl Record Fair on 20th July: The Stockport Vinyl Record Fair is held every couple of months throughout the year at Stockport Masonic Guildhall, Wellington Road South, Stockport, SK1 3UA. With an average of 25 traders each time across the Guildhall’s 2 ground-floor rooms, we have tons of vinyl records and CDs on offer. The next Fair is on Sunday 20 July 2025 from 10:00am to 4:00pm. There are albums and singles, and always new as well as pre-loved stuff in practically all music genres. £1 per person at the door, or £5 per person for early entry from 9am It’s £1 to park in the car park which is at the back of the building on Brentnall Street.
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