Long Beach, CA | ‘Final Groove’: Long Beach Record Store To Close After 7 Years. “This isn’t goodbye — just the moment where I flip the record and see what’s waiting on the other side,” the store’s owner said. After seven years as a community space for vinyl enthusiasts, a local record store will be closing its doors, its owner announced on social media. Record Box was started as a mobile record store in 2018, before its owner transitioned the business to its brick-and-mortar at 324 Elm Ave. in Long Beach. It served as “more than just a record store,” according to its owner, becoming a community space that hosted events, meetups and listening parties. On Wednesday, Record Box owner Jose Jurado announced that the store, which just celebrated its 7th anniversary in July, would be closing. Its last day would be Sept. 19. He thanked customers and the community for supporting the shop, saying they had been the “soul of this place.”
Fort Myers, FL | For the Record: Downtown Fort Myers store keeps vinyl alive with hidden gems from throughout the age. For as long as humans can remember, there has been music. From the high-pitched tunes we can find at the opera to that perfect guitar chord that plays just right while you’re driving across the bridge to your job, music is everywhere when we are listening and aren’t. Music doesn’t discriminate against its listeners and can be heard by anyone, anywhere. For the lovers of vinyl records, your ears may just guide you across Southwest Florida and direct you to the doors of Downtown Fort Myers’ Joe’s Record Exchange located at 2439 First St., Fort Myers. Many lovers of the arts enjoy not just listening to music digitally, but taking those earbuds out and picking up something physical that you can cherish with the use of a record player.
Nashville, TN | Metro police searching for Hermitage record store burglary suspects: A family run business in Hermitage is out nearly $1,000 after a woman was caught on camera stealing Taylor Swift records. “Before I knew it, the mother sent the daughter outside and scooped up the stack of records and walked out the door,” Romeo Records and Cafe owner Rebecca Johnston said. Johnston, a self-proclaimed “Swiftie”, chased the woman down. “I told the lady to come back inside and that I have her on camera,” Johnston said. “She said she didn’t care.” Now, the alleged thief’s picture is posted on the walls of the store. Metro police want to know if you recognize her. Johnston said the woman drove off in a white or silver Jeep Cherokee. Johnston said she opened Romeo Records and Cafe a few months ago. She said it was a dream of hers.
St. Albans, VT | Maple City Music wants to create community for vinyl fans; moving downtown next fall: With vinyl records making a comeback, online retailer Maple City Music is looking downtown for a physical store to match the popularity. Set up with a vinyl cleaning machine, two Audio-Technia turntables, headphones and a Microsoft Surface laptop, owner and Vermont Army National Guard member Walter Byrne said the basic idea is already sketched out for a planned opening in fall of next year. His online store sells and ships vinyls, cassettes, CDs and video games through the decades. The website also touches up visitors’ knowledge on the Vermont music scene with a featured Vermont artist of the week. “The thought of having community show up and just people coming in to visit, catch up, explore new things, listening to music and different genres.” Byrne said. “Community is kind of one of my tag lines.”
Bethlehem, PA | Railroad Records spins a new community hub on the South Side: When 26-year-old Asa Blynn impulsively bought a tiny storefront on Vine Street, he chose his love for music over Wall Street. That leap of faith became Railroad Records, a South Side store that sells vinyls, CDs, 8-track tapes and even VHS tapes to the Bethlehem community. What began as a quick decision has grown into a community-focused music store, creating a space for Lehigh students, locals and South Side community members who share Blynn’s love for music. “It felt like a more mature part of me had taken control and just shook me awake saying, ‘Okay, you’re doing this now,’” Blynn said. The store’s tiny size is noticeable upon entry. It has a mid-century modern aesthetic, with knick-knacks lining almost every inch of the room.
Rutland, VT | Music Box: Nick Grandchamp’s latest installation holds music you can hold. Nick Grandchamp wants to make sure children of the digital era don’t miss out on the thrill of discovering a local band through picking up a cheap cassette. The local musician has retooled a Rutland Herald newspaper box to serve as a miniature record store. It is and parked at the Bookmobile on Center Street. It holds the work of numerous area musicians in a variety of formats—all physical. “It’s DIY, punked-out Rutland music,” Grandchamp said on Wednesday. “If you’re from out-of-state, and you want to check out what local music is all about, you can find some in here. I’m hoping this will be like a farm stand—people can come, put a suggested donation in, and leave with music. I want to bring back physical media, actually holding a record.” The selection includes 12-inch and 7-inch vinyl, tapes, regular CDs and downloadable CDs. A label on the box asks individuals to leave just enough money to keep the project viable.
Morrisville, PA | Vinyl Records Spinning Back into Mainstream: Audiolab Vinyl Record store celebrated its grand opening on August 23 with face painting, live music, and food trucks. David Levitan, owner of Audiolab believes he is passing his passion for music to the next generation. “The record store is a love. Being surrounded by all of these young people I hired brings out my inner child” said Levitan. The Morrisville based record store had a exceeded all expectations when a whopping 700 people filled their record store throughout their event. Vinyl has been spinning back into mainstream in recent years, thanks to its vintage look and its nostalgic appeal to people. Sales have been rising steadily for the past fifteen years. They hit their peak at the start of 2020 and have only increased since the present day. Music lovers of all ages are discovering the warm, rich sound and tactile experience of vinyl, and record stores are not only booming with sales but also making a huge comeback for physical media as well.
Long Beach, CA | Long Beach Public Library’s vinyl club brings music lovers together: Vinyl records are alive and well at the Long Beach Public Library. Alexandra Blau, the library’s media librarian and acting head of youth services and Tom Wojciechowski, the library’s program coordinator joined forces to create what is considered a one-of-a-kind experience that’s bringing a growing community together through shared musical experiences. Blau started the Vinyl Collectors Club in March of 2023, a monthly gathering featuring a theme such as favorite soundtracks, cover songs or 1980s records. Members bring their chosen records, select a track and are given a stage to share their personal stories about the music to an engaged audience. “We have people who collected records back in the day, and since have pulled them out of storage, along with high schoolers who are just starting to collect,” she said. “We’re stimulating each other’s imaginations and shaping each other’s taste.”
Interscope and Capitol Records Target Audiophiles with ‘Definitive Sound Series’ Vinyl Releases: Interscope Records and Capitol Records have joined forces to unveil the Definitive Sound Series (DSS) limited-edition vinyl releases. These releases are targeting audiophiles and serious vinyl collectors thanks to their One Step manufacturing process. The DSS vinyl releases are designed to deliver albums in numbered, limited-edition runs of only 3,000 copies per title. These pressings utilize the One Step process, a technique respected among audiophiles for minimizing fidelity loss during production. DSS editions are pressed on 180g high-definition vinyl, housed inside tip-on gatefold jackets meeting archiving standards. Each record is presented in a custom slipcase that features original artwork, full track listings, and details about the One Step process. Accompanying every copy is a certificate of authenticity providing specifics about mastering, plating, and pressing.
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