Alexandria, VA | Alexandria record store devastated by floods finds new location: A popular record store in Alexandria, Virginia, that saw much of its merchandise destroyed by flooding in January, has found a new home after nearly six months. The good news for customers is that it is just blocks away from their previous location. Crooked Beat’s new home is on the same street, Mt. Vernon Avenue, in the Del Rey neighborhood of Alexandria. “It just feels great that we’re going to be in this neighborhood, and our customers are very, very happy,” said Bill Daly, the store’s owner. The previous store saw several devastating floods in January that destroyed hundreds of records, some decades old. “Over $107,000 in damages, and we got zero compensation,” Daly said.
Toronto, CA | Where a city learns to listen to a record shop: Twenty-five years on, Sonic Boom has become part of Toronto’s listening memory. Walk into Sonic Boom on Spadina with 10 minutes to spare and the store will probably take more than 10 minutes from you. That is part of what it does, and it does it without ceremony. You come through the door with a loose plan, maybe a new release, maybe a used copy you have been half-looking for, maybe only a need to fill the space before the next appointment. The room starts to alter the terms almost at once. You drift downstairs. You turn left when you meant to keep straight. You stop in front of a section you rarely visit and pull out a record you had no thought of buying until your hand found it.
London, UK | Faces of Fifty: 50 years of Rough Trade. As Rough Trade celebrates its 50th anniversary, we’re looking back at five decades of independent music, vinyl culture and the community that has made our record stores what they are today. From London to Bristol, Nottingham, Berlin and New York, music lovers share the memories that have kept them coming back. Fifty years is a long time for anything to survive. For an independent record store, it borders on the miraculous. Rough Trade opened its doors in 1976 on Kensington Park Road, and the world of music has changed almost beyond recognition since then. Formats have died and been reborn. Streaming has changed how we listen. Entire genres have come and gone, returned and evolved. But through every shift and evolution, the people kept coming back. We didn’t make it to fifty years alone. You got us here.
Coeur d’Alene, ID | After 4 decades in Cd’A, Long Ear’s last day marked by memories, ‘Last Christmas.’ When the doors of the Long Ear closed for the final time at 6 p.m. Friday, when the last sale had been rung up and the last customer had wandered away, Terry and Deon Borchard stood together. They looked at each other, decades of emotion on their faces, and hugged. A friend rushed over with a camera to capture the moment. “You guys are gold,” she said. After 41 years of operating the record store in Coeur d’Alene, and 53 years total including time in Bear Lake, Calif., it was over. The rollercoaster day included tears, laughter and hugs. And so many memories. “Happy, sad, relieved,” Terry Borchard said when asked how he was feeling.
Tempe, AZ | Eastside Records was a beloved vinyl destination. See the iconic Tempe store: Rewinding nearly four decades at one of the Valley’s most influential record shops. Long before streaming playlists and Discogs wish lists, local music fiends found new favorites at Tempe’s beloved Eastside Records. On any given afternoon, customers roamed the aisles, local musicians left fliers and co-owner Michael Pawlicki and the rest of the store’s crew were somewhere in the middle of it all, debating records, playing obscure albums and chatting with regulars. Eastside Records wasn’t just another place for buying new and used LPs or CDs. It was a Valley institution. From 1987 to 2010, the often-cluttered and always colorful independent record store at University Drive and Ash Avenue was beloved by vinyl geeks and music fans for its diverse selection, knowledgeable staff and eclectic atmosphere.
Tokyo, JP | Backspacer Records Is Putting OPM on Japan’s Shelves: Tower Records in Tokyo is now stocking Manila’s best, freshly pressed on vinyl, all for the love of physical media. It was after hours. Backspacer Records was closed to customers when the Chino Borromeo, the store’s business development manager, warmly welcomed me in. It was only my second time going there. Inside, shelves of vinyl records, both local and international, fill the walls. Packaged boxes of merch litter the floor. Backspacer Records has accomplished most of what it hoped to do almost five years after its feature in 2021. The store has expanded twofold. In the new space, a wall is dedicated to their trophies—that is, some of the OPM records they have released in vinyl over the years with the signatures of their artists.
Boston, MA | Vinyl & Vino: Some nights are better when everyone gets a turn behind the music. VINYL & Vino invites guests to bring a favorite record and a bottle of wine to Impeccable Art Gallery, creating an evening where the playlist is built one vinyl set at a time. Each participant can spin records for 10 to 15 minutes, turning strangers into DJs and conversations into shared listening sessions surrounded by contemporary art. Whether you’re introducing someone to an old favorite or discovering an album you’ve never heard before, the night feels less like a party and more like a gathering of people who genuinely love music. In a city full of bars and live shows, it’s a refreshingly personal way to spend an evening.
South Bend, IN | South Bend Record Show expands with inaugural Summer Bash: Music lovers in the South Bend area can look forward to a bigger, livelier vinyl shopping experience this summer. The South Bend Record Show is expanding beyond record bins, adding live DJs, food trucks and other entertainment to its popular vinyl event. Outdoor music vendors, food trucks and live screen printing will be part of the inaugural South Bend Record Show Summer Bash from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 12 at the Gillespie Conference Center, 53995 Indiana 933, according to a press release. The event will feature more than 100,000 new and used LPs, CDs and cassettes, along with vintage stereo gear, posters and music-related merchandise. Nearly 45 vendors from six states will fill 110 tables with records spanning classic rock, pop, metal, punk, jazz, blues, R&B, country and soundtracks.
Cheektowaga, NY | The Buffalo Record Riot! Vinyl Records! Sat July 18th! The Buffalo Record Riot returns! It’s a BIG vinyl record POP-UP sale at Knights Hall, 2735 Union Road in Cheektowaga! Over 15,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! 10 AM-4 PM. 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!
Follow The Vinyl District on Facebook HERE, Instagram HERE, Threads HERE, Bluesky HERE, and X/Twitter HERE.
