Nottingham, UK | How music lover overcame tragedy to open dream record shop and coffee lounge: Nick McCaffery hopes the shop will become a destination for vinyl fans. When he was a teenager Nick McCaffery spent his Saturdays trawling record shops in Nottingham—Arcade Records, the Music Inn Records, Rob’s Records, Selectadisc, Our Price, Virgin Megastore and HMV. Nearly all have gone but he remembers it as one of the best times of his life. A love for vinyl has stayed with him over the decades and now he gets to enjoy his hobby every day after opening Hi-Press Records with a coffee lounge in Carlton.
London, UK | 10 of the best vinyl shops in London: The renaissance of vinyl records provides a whole new realm for shoppers looking to buy locally, and offers another strand for renewable purchasing. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing perusal on the riverside, or a deep dive into perhaps unseen areas of London, record shopping is perhaps the most fulfilling experience for visitors young and old. From cool jazz to emphatic punk, here are ten of the best record stores the London area has to offer.
Maldon, UK | Record dealer opens Vinyl Destination in Maldon High Street: A record dealer who sold a Led Zeppelin album to Jimmy Page has opened a new shop on Maldon High Street. Nick Horne travels the world in search of rare and interesting vinyl records, which he has sold to celebrities including snooker player Steve Davis. After running a pop-up shop at the Emporium shortly before it closed last Christmas, Nick has now opened a permanent store named Vinyl Destination. Nick told the Standard: “People can come in, chat about music and pick up some records. It’s been great.” Alongside vinyl, the shop also stocks cassette tapes, music t-shirts and CDs. “We try to cater for everyone, with different eras and genres,” he said.
Lorong Telok, SG | Dig deep at Lifted Trax, Singapore’s new specialist record store: For record collectors, half the fun is never knowing what you are going to find. That spirit of discovery sits at the heart of Lifted Trax, a new specialist record store at 25 Lorong Telok, in the middle of Singapore’s music and nightlife district. From secondhand dance records and rare groove to new releases from artists and labels across Asia, the shop is designed as somewhere listeners can dig deep, discover something unfamiliar, and stay awhile. Tucked away on the third floor of a shophouse, Lifted Trax is the project of Singapore-based DJ, producer, and label head Jordan Glick…
Portland, OR | Portland’s Coolest Game Shop Hides in Black Water’s Record Store: Dark Future brings High Fidelity vibes to the gaming community. Though it sits on a busy stretch of NE Sandy Boulevard, Dark Future can be tricky to find. But I duck through the door of all-ages vegan punk/metal venue Black Water and hook a left into its adjacent record store by the same name—more specifically, the dedicated shop-within-a-shop that takes up about a third of the record store’s floor space. As doom metal grinds overhead, I dig into boxes titled “New and Newish Arrivals” before briefly skimming the vintage shelves, packed with releases from the ’90s, ’80s, and even ’70s.
Columbia House Announces End of Mail-Order Music Club: Mail-order music and media club Columbia House will stop accepting new orders after Sept. 15, 2026, ending a once-popular way for consumers to purchase media. A message posted on the Columbia House website reads, “After 9/15/26, The Columbia House will no longer be accepting new orders. You can still purchase books with your credit card or credits as normal.” Cord Cutter News reports that Columbia House launched in 1955, as part of Columbia Records (then owned by CBS. At the time, the mail-order service offered a way for those in rural and suburban areas to access the records and films easily available in more densely populated areas.
Santa Barbara, CA | A Very Santa Barbara Vinyl Bar: “I wanted a vinyl bar with a killer sound system,” says Lama Dog founder Pete Burnham of his new establishment, The Mullet, which opens tomorrow. “But most of the ones I’ve been to, in Japan and other places, are quiet and dim, more about listening. That’s not me. I want happier, brighter. And I want it to be really nice, but also fun—after all, I had already decided on the name.” …The Mullet is meant to complement Lama Dog, so you can take drinks between the two; while Lama Dog’s focus is on beer, The Mullet is more about cocktails and whiskey (although the menu has beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options, too). The bar’s signature drinks have been named after classic mullets—late ’70s Bill Murray, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust…
Solvang, CA | New Venue for Sippin’ and Spinnin’: The Unique Analogue Room in Solvang Combines Wine, Food, and Turntables, from Standing Sun Wines’ John Wright. Among the multitude of places to chill in the Santa Ynez Valley, we can now add the aptly named Analogue Room. It is a unique concept and hangout zone, with rotating vinyl and a rotating wine list, nestled in the Founders’ Square area of Solvang, and extending special appeal to vinyl lovers. Turntables assume a prominent place on the long bar in the space, with a selection of albums packed onto the shelves on the wall, adjacent to the wine and craft beers on display. Vinyl and adult beverages add up to an in-house killer combo on tap.
Birmingham, AL | Vinyl, Cocktails & Good Vibes: Birmingham’s New Listening Lounges. …A new kind of hangout is making its mark across the city, pairing curated vinyl with cocktails and conversation in spaces designed for truly hearing the music. High Dive HiFi Lounge in Lakeview and Ralph’s Listening Lounge downtown are two of the newest Birmingham listening lounges to join the scene. While each has its own distinct personality, both put the music front and center, inviting you to hang out and vibe for a while. High Dive HiFi Lounge: High Dive HiFi Lounge makes a pretty compelling case for slowing down. Located in the Lakeview District, this new spot—which opened last December—couples vinyl and curated sound with coffee, cocktails, and a menu that carries you from breakfast through dinner. But the music is what sets it apart.
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