New Bedford, MA | Inside the Hard Rock Heart of New Bedford, MA’s Purchase Street Records: New Bedford may not yet carry the musical pedigree of cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, or Seattle—hell, maybe not even Grand Rapids, Michigan—but this hardworking coastal city, with its rich maritime and whaling history, could very well become the Long Beach/San Pedro of the Northeast. …At the heart of the city’s hard rock and metal community is Purchase Street Records, owned and operated by Roger Chouinard. His connection to rock runs deep: his uncle played guitar in Billy Squier’s band, giving Chouinard a genuine connection to the world of rock that goes far beyond being a vinyl collector who decided to open a shop as a side hustle.
Harrisonburg, VA | Switz-Mix Records relocates to Harrisonburg: The music at Switz-Mix Records didn’t die, but it did change locations, moving from Luray, where it has been based for more than a decade, to Harrisonburg. Up until the beginning of August, the record store was located in Luray, where the Switzer family lived until recently. But after Dave Switzer got a job in Harrisonburg, where his wife also works, and their daughter goes to school, it made sense for the store to follow the family, who moved southward to Dayton. …The record store began as a passion project for the Switzers, who both love music, although not the same kind, and it still is.
Why that small clothing (or record, or book) store you love also sells coffee: In a challenging climate, independent retailers are turning to an item New Yorkers buy every day. …“We know that coffee, chocolate, and alcohol are apocalypse items—they say people will buy them when they have no money, buy them no matter what,” Ogiba says. “Records, we just don’t know. We can’t control the economy. We can’t control the market. We watch it sway, we watch it blow up.” It helps that the pair consider themselves to be coffee guys. Ogiba and Polnasek were drinking coffee at diners in New Jersey well before they could imagine walking into a bar. (Don’t call them coffee “snobs,” though). But just as they’re obsessed with digging through record collections, they know how they want the coffee they sell to taste and smell.
Berkeley, CA | The Largest Independent Record Store In Northern California Has Thousands Of Records To Choose From: Amoeba Music, an iconic independent record store chain, has kept the vinyl record industry alive since its inception in 1990. For vinyl collectors and music enthusiasts across the world, Amoeba Music is practically a household name. With three iconic locations across California, this independent record store chain started a musical revolution when it first began opened its doors in 1990. Since then, Amoeba has continued to survive as owning physical media has seen fluctuations in popularity (FYI, owning vinyl is on the rise!) To this day, its original Berkeley location is still selling wax to the music-loving masses. Check it out.
Kansas City, MI | 5 KC record stores worth digging through: KC vinyl hunters are spoiled for choice, whether that means a cavernous Westport shop or a south KC storefront that started in the owner’s backyard shed. Wednesday’s National Vinyl Record Day is reason enough to hit one. Why it matters: Independent shops took more than 4 in 10 U.S. vinyl sales last year, Luminate reported, and nearly every store below is locally owned. Flashback: California financial planner Gary Freiberg came up with the day in November 2001, saying he wanted to give people a break from the war and terrorism coverage after 9/11. He set the date for Aug. 12 because Thomas Edison is said to have invented the phonograph that day in 1877, though the Library of Congress notes he likely didn’t finish it until December. Check out these five shops that span both sides of the state line, from Westport to Overland Park.
Provo, UT | These Utah music lovers want to fight the algorithm with their own radio station: 3hive started as a music blog in 2004. Sam Cannon just “can’t let go of the past.” “I just really believe in tangible media as a way to build community,” he said. He’s shown his belief time and time again: in 2004, when he and his friends started a music blog called 3hive; 14 years later, when that blog led to a brick-and-mortar record lounge in Provo, with a basement venue space; and in 2022, when an online radio station was added. Now it’s that same belief that has led Cannon to initiate the next iteration of 3hive: a terrestrial, or physical, FM radio station—Radio3hive. After finding a station available for lease, Cannon has started a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $15,000 to help cover equipment and fees, and a physical studio space above the Provo record lounge.
Pro-Ject Just Made Its Entry-Level Turntable Even Better for New Vinyl Listeners: The revered Austrian hi-fi brand just introduced two new configurations of its E1.2 turntable. Last year, Pro-Ject introduced the E1.2, a new entry-level turntable designed to deliver audiophile-grade sound at an accessible price. The company said it was designed with the same ethos as its first-ever turntable, the Pro-Ject 1, released in 1991. Priced at $399, the Pro-Ject E1.2 is a fully manual, belt-drive turntable with no modern features. It has no built-in phono stage; it needs to be paired with an external phono preamp or an integrated amplifier with one. It also lacks Bluetooth streaming or USB connectivity. Basically, the E1.2 is a turntable designed for budget-conscious audiophiles who want to build a traditional vinyl hi-fi system without any shortcuts.
Penrith, AU | Collectors unite! Records by the River makes debut this weekend: For the first time Penrith will host a vinyl and CD fair on the banks of Nepean River. This weekend Records by the River will be held at the Taproom on Tench from 10am to late on both Saturday and Sunday. “It’s the first time there has ever been a record and CD collectible fair in the river area,” event coordinator and vinyl collector Michel Le Goff said. “This has never happened before! “The aim is to bring communities together to enjoy the experience of purchasing vinyl records which are making a huge comeback in Australia. The setting here at the Taproom on Tench where the event is being held… is just magnificent.” The event is free entry and there will be live music as well as DJ’s spinning vinyl. “Whether you’re from Sydney, Penrith, the Blue Mountains congregate at this wonderful event,” Le Goff said.
Southampton, UK | Chart-topping British singer to perform ‘intimate’ show in Southampton: A chart-topping British singer is set to play an “intimate” Southampton show in collaboration with an independent city centre record store. Ellie Goulding is holding an “outstore” show in collaboration with Vinilo Record Store in Southampton. The intimate show, organised with the Queensway record store, will be held at Engine Rooms on September 1 at 7pm. It celebrates the release of Ellie Goulding’s new album I Know Too Much, which will be released on September 4. A spokesperson for Vinilo Record Store said: “We are the only record store in the city that works with the labels to launch the albums. It’s great to have her back, she’s a legend and such a nice person.”
Los Angeles, CA | Spin by DTLA for VinylCon!, a hi-fi happening with record dealers galore. Your next tune-filled treasure may be waiting at the California Market Center. …VinylCon! has those pros and an array of albums, all to give record mavens the chance to dip into different aural universes, and musical stories, again and again. The weekend-long event is back at the California Market Center on Aug. 22 and 23 and tickets are available for purchase. The sizable venue map tells the expansive tale: There are a bevy of record stores and vinyl outfits set to attend, with dealers hailing from all over. SloLow Records from Albuquerque, Sundae Soul of Oakland, and San Diego’s Strictly Retro will be there, along with a bevy of places from around Los Angeles and neighboring Southern California communities.
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