Solihull, UK | Solihull vinyl spot nominated for Best Indie Record Store just nine months after opening: A Knowle-based record store which opened less than a year ago has been nominated for Best Independent Record Shop at this year’s Independent Music Awards. Slow Century Records, named after a seminal documentary on influential US rock band Pavement, was founded in November 2025 by Pavement fan, rock DJ and mental health nurse John Ellis. In addition to recognition from the music industry via the Association of Independent Music’s (AIM) Independent Music Awards, Slow Century is also in the running for the Best Breakout Business prize at the annual Solihull Chamber of Commerce Awards, with winners announced at a ceremony next month.
Vancouver, CA | Groove Cat Records & Books relocates to West End: New Westminster’s loss is the West End’s gain. Citing mediocre foot traffic at its previous location on 6th Street in the Royal City, Groove Cat Books and Records has packed up and relocated to 1823 Robson Street, not too far from Stanley Park. Proprietors Cat and John Hughes have also brought their newest feline companion, Chester, to the store with them. Gotta love a book-and-record store with a cat in it! “We want to say how excited we are to meet our new West End neighbors,” John Hughes told the Straight. “Cat and I actually started dating years ago when we were both living in the West End, so in many ways this move feels like coming home.”
Nantwich, UK | Nantwich record shop shortlisted for national independent music award: Applestump Records in Nantwich has been named among the finalists for Best Independent Record Store at the AIM Independent Music Awards. The national recognition marks another milestone for Applestump, which began in 2021 with around 100 records and a click-and-collect service before growing into a thriving independent record shop. Today, its Oatmarket store stocks new releases, re-issues and pre-loved vinyl, from indie and alternative to soul, electronic, jazz, pop and classic albums. Applestump, owned by Steve and Danielle Cook, also supports new music through its work with record labels, distributors and artists on album releases.
Nederland, CO | Boogie Records’ new groove: New owners take over record store. When taking an assessment of your life and coming to the realization that the career you’re in no longer serves you, what steps would you take to correct this existential threat? Do you continue serving the status quo, dig in your heels and double down on your buttoned-up lifestyle? Or do you choose to do something a little more “punk rock”? To wave a certain finger in the face of The Norm and choose a life of substance over stature? Jeff and Kristianna Sanders chose substance, after sudden sea changes in their lives altered their perspectives, forced some introspection, and led them towards their happiness—which happens to be here in the mountains, in Nederland, where providence made itself known in the form of a record store for sale.
Timmins, ON | Alzheimer Society looking for vinyl record donations: Those vinyl records you haven’t listened to in years could come in handy at the Alzheimer Society. Day program manager Sylvie Tremblay says it’s accepting donations for its seven programs between Hearst and Temiskaming Shores. “When we go back in time, what do we remember?” she asks. “We remember music that made us sad; songs that made us happy; we remember songs that our Moms used to sing.” Tremblay says the music can be in English, French, even Italian. “And also new music, because the more it goes, the more we have people younger with early onset dementia that love rock music, that love pop.”
Tustin, CA | Olivia Rodrigo releases new song ‘Serena Joy’ via CD single at one indie record shop: Tustin, California’s Analog Music Shop, the record store closest to singer’s Daisy Chain Fields, was recipient of Handmaid’s Tale-inspired track ahead of its digital release; all 500 copies have sold out. Olivia Rodrigo surprise-released her new song “Serena Joy” Friday via a limited-edition CD single sold exclusively at an indie record shop closest to her upcoming Daisy Chain Fields festival. Tustin, California’s Analog Music Shop—located 7.5 miles from Irvine’s Great Park, where Daisy Chain Fields will be held next weekend—announced on social media Friday that Rodrigo had provided 500 CD copies of her Handmaid’s Tale-inspired new song to the store, Variety reported; by Friday night, the shop sold all copies had sold out.
Delhi, IN | The best thrift and vintage stores in Delhi: Upcycled boots, genuine vintage shirts, secondhand goodies that don’t smell like an unwashed armpit—Delhi’s got them all, if you know where to look. …Pagal Records Store: Pagal Records is Delhi’s coolest hideout for vinyl lovers, specialising in handpicked mixes of new and used records. They’re genre-agnostic – classic rock, disco, funk, jazz, Indian film soundtracks, electronica and other experimental finds sit happily under the same roof, with many titles you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the country. Prices vary depending on how rare the item is, but usually start from ₹1,000 onwards. Some stuff gets pricey quickly, since several records are imported from labels abroad.
UK | ‘It brings me joy’: how young people are making CDs cool again: Compact discs are back, with searches for players up 96% at John Lewis and popular models sold out online. With more than 800 million people subscribing to a music streaming service, wireless speakers have become a familiar sight in homes. But expect to get reacquainted with a different object to play music soon: the CD player, once consigned to obsolescence, is back. John Lewis report that searches for CD players are up 96% since July, possibly owing to students heading to university and buying the systems for their rooms. The £79 Crosley Voyager, and the £129 Pure Classic C-D6 are both sold out online, with the Voyager scheduled to return in October. Portable CD players are also popular.
Verve Records to Launch Verve essentials Vinyl Series for 70th Anniversary: A second wave of releases will follow with recordings by Oscar Peterson, Alice Coltrane and Charlie Parker. As Verve Records marks its 70th anniversary, the label and UMe announced Verve Essentials, a new vinyl series offering an accessible and immersive way to discover some of the most celebrated artists and albums in jazz. Drawing from Verve’s extraordinary catalog and family of labels, Verve Essentials introduces new audiences to the music that has shaped jazz and American popular culture for decades, while offering listeners an inviting way to explore the genre and build their vinyl collections with some of its most important recordings.
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