Author Archives: TVD HQ

Victoria, AU | New Report Outlines The Full Depth Of Victoria’s Vinyl Ecosystem: “Victoria’s direct-to-consumer vinyl economy exists because artists and labels choose to build it, one pressing run at a time,” the report notes. Six months after an in-depth report named Melbourne the vinyl capital of the world, the second part of these findings has been released, showing the full depth of Victoria’s vinyl ecosystem. It was back in December that For The Record was released, placing the state’s vinyl ecosystem under the microscope, and looking at figures relating to how vinyl goes from the pressing plant to the retail shelf. The results showed that Melbourne’s 5.9 record stores per 100,000 residents exceeded Tokyo (2.3), London (4.9), and Berlin (2.9), and that Victoria’s store count grew 18% since 2023, while national vinyl sales increased 5.6% to $44.5 million.

Record Labels Are Pressing New Vinyl From Old Records and Blind Tests Already Exposed What the Marketing Won’t Admit: The defect only surfaces on certain genres, and your favorites might be one of them. When seven expert listeners at Abbey Road Studios evaluated recycled vinyl pressings in a blind test, the 100% recycled variant finished last. Panelists reported more crackle, more clicks, more background noise. And the defects weren’t evenly distributed across the test record. Side A, pressed with acoustic post-rock spanning a wide dynamic range and quiet passages, exposed pressing artifacts that Side B’s louder, compressed rock concealed. Recycled vinyl might be inaudible on a pop album mastered to hit hard. On a record that breathes, the surface noise breathes with it.

Bang & Olufsen revives vintage turntable in exclusive Beosystem 3000C release: Bang & Olufsen has introduced a new limited-edition audio package that blends one of its classic turntable designs with modern wireless speaker technology, creating a system aimed at vinyl enthusiasts who want contemporary streaming features alongside analogue playback. Called the Beosystem 3000c Dune Grey Edition, the setup combines a restored Beogram 3000 Series turntable with a pair of Beolab 8 speakers. The launch forms part of Bang & Olufsen’s ongoing Recreated Classics programme, which focuses on bringing historic products back to life through refurbishment and integration with current-generation technologies. The centrepiece of the package is an original Beogram 3000 turntable from the mid-1980s.

Two Japanese Hi-Fi Icons Just Introduced a Stunning Pair of Audiophile Headphones: The brands say the headphones will “captivate guitar enthusiasts and enjoyers of high-quality, portable audio.” Audio-Technica introduced the ATH-WP900 back in 2020. The beautifully designed, over-ear headphones are a joint collaboration with Fujigen, the iconic Japanese guitar brand, as their earcups are made of the same maple hardwood that it exclusively uses to build its guitars. Audio-Technica still currently sells the ATH-WP900 for $699. Fast forward to the present, and the two Japanese audio makers are collaborating again on a special edition version of those same headphones. The all-new ATH-WP900SE has a new look and promises improved sound (as well as a significantly increased price).

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Milwaukie, OR | Milwaukie record shop asks for help identifying burglar after $5,000 in records and cash stolen: B-Side Record & Vintage posted a photo of the burglar on social media that was taken from a surveillance camera and captured the theft in progress. The owners of B-Side Record & Vintage, a Milwaukie record shop, are asking for help identifying a burglar who broke into their store and stole approximately $5,000 worth of records and cash. B-Side Record & Vintage posted a photo of the burglar on social media that was taken from a surveillance camera and captured the theft in progress. The person appears to be wearing a black hoodie, a black baseball cap and a red bandana covering part of their face.

Denver, CO | Wax Trax is opening a “real store” at Stanley Marketplace: The new branch will be the mini-chain’s fifth location. Pete Stidman has learned firsthand that the Mile High City has a serious addiction to vinyl since taking over Wax Trax Records, a mini-chain that’s in the midst of expanding its kiosk at Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace to what he refers to as a “real store” set to debut next month. “I do think Denver is unique in terms of how many records people buy and how many people love to buy records,” he says. “I chalk that up to shops like Wax Trax and Twist & Shout being here all along and never leaving. People have a tradition that they’re passing along to their kids of buying records.” Wax Trax certainly has a rich history.

Jacksonville, FL | Vinyl is back in style: 5 record stores in Jacksonville worth visiting. Making a cassette mixtape for your high school sweetheart to rocking a portable Walkman down the street were the early days of engaging with top hits. Today, the main way to listen to the latest chart-toppers is through streaming services. Recently, there has been a shift in mainstream pop culture aesthetic by embracing the past, from clothes to TV shows, including “vintage” ways of listening to music. Modern artists are starting to gain inspiration from legacy artists before them, and older music itself is also resurfacing. Specifically, vinyl records are one of the biggest music-listening forms that are on the surge, making what once was the past, the present. …Here are a few local record shops worth checking out.

US | 14 Vintage Images of Seventies Record Shops: Before everyone could access all the music in the world at their fingertips, discovering your taste in music meant spending time in one of the coolest places in the world. Record shops in the seventies were more than just stores; they were hangouts and cultural hubs where people flipped through vinyl sleeves, asked for song recommendations, and spent entire afternoons surrounded by music. Rows of album covers, people listening to albums together, and browsing customers reveal a slower, more hands-on way of engaging with music. Each photo reflects a time when finding a new favorite record meant wandering the aisles and talking with staff. Let’s take a look at 20 vintage images of seventies record shops.

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Ypsilanti, MI | Local record shop Wyrd Byrd strengthens music-loving community in Ypsilanti: Since opening in October 2022, Wyrd Byrd has grown from just a record store to a community space dedicated to uplifting music lovers. Wyrd Byrd is an independently owned record store in Downtown Ypsilanti. The store, located at 9 S. Washington St., is open 12 to 4 p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and open from 12 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. “I always wanted to have a record store. It’s just something, for some reason, since I was a kid, I always wanted to do. As I got a little older I got more into books, role-playing games, that sort of thing. So the idea kind of turned into all of these things. I get sort of obsessed about a lot of different things,” said store owner Shawn Gates.

Denver, CO | A new Wax Trax Records is opening in Stanley Marketplace: A 1,000-square-foot storefront will replace the record shop’s experimental pop-up kiosk. Wax Trax Records will open a 1,000-square-foot storefront in Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace, where it has run a kiosk in the hallway since 2024. The new space—the fourth permanent Wax Trax in the metro—will allow the record store to expand its offerings and create a hub for vinyl, occasional live music and community. Wax Trax will move from its kiosk into a nearby storefront previously occupied by the local streetwear company Abstract. That store, meanwhile, has moved to a different space at Stanley Marketplace. The store’s owners decided to sign the lease after the company’s best Record Store Day sales ever.

Milwaukie, OR | Police investigating record, vintage store burglary in Milwaukie: Police are searching for FOX 12’s Most Wanted after a burglary at a family-owned record and vintage store was caught on camera early Monday morning. “Broken glass, and inventory pieces, and empty trays, it’s a horrible feeling,” said co-owner Rebecca Stavenjord. A burglary was caught on camera at B-Side Records and Vintage in Milwaukie early Monday morning. “He was in and out in less than 10 minutes, and now we’re cleaning it all up,” said Stavenjord. Stavenjord said the burglar broke a door, stole cameras, jewelry, and cash that could cost the business more than $5,000.

Auckland, NZ | Business owners on Auckland’s K’ Rd feeling the pinch amid closures: Business owners in one of Auckland’s most colourful spots are feeling the pinch as some institutions are forced to close. Karangahape Rd has long been a vibrant counterculture pit stop with a mix of shops, eateries and music venues. But in the last two days, two businesses in the area have announced they’re shutting down. On Thursday, live music venue Neck of the Woods took to social media to announce it would be closing next week after 11 years. “Like a lot of music venues, we’ve been struggling since Covid, and this year has just gotten harder. We see sold out shows and think a club is doing well, but we live or die by our bar sales. That’s fine when the economy is up, but unsustainable in the current climate and as people are drinking and spending less,” the venue said.

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Manchester, UK | Altrincham record store owner says shop ‘isn’t dead, only sleeping’ as update given on closure: The beloved independent vinyl shop on Regent Road has closed its doors. The owner of a Greater Manchester record store has confirmed its closure, prompting a huge outpouring of sadness. One of Altrincham’s best-loved independent businesses, Tasty Records is closing its doors after eight years of trading. Ben Molesworth, owner of the store Regent Road in the town centre, confirmed the news via social media, describing the decision as ‘complicated.’ In the update, he said the store “deserves more than [he] can give it.”

Auckland, NZ | ‘Unpleasant, perfect storm’: Akl record store to close after tough trading years. A well-established Auckland record store is closing down, with its managing director saying a confluence of factors had created an “unpleasant, perfect storm” for the business. Matthew Davis and co-director Ben Howe opened their brick-and-mortar shop Flying Out on Pitt St in 2015, building off the rapid success of an online music store they launched 18 months earlier. But the popular haunt for music-lovers and collectors had reached its end, Davis announced this morning, telling customers it was “the hardest thing we’ve ever had to write.”

Yamaguchi Prefecture, JP | Japanese Shop Lists 80,000 Vinyl Records for 8 Million JPY, “Pick-Up Only” Sparks Wild Debate: “Who Can Even Move That?!” A legendary listing has popped up on a Japanese auction site, sending shockwaves through the collecting community. Nandemoya, a second-hand shop in Yamaguchi Prefecture, is selling a mind-boggling collection of 80,000 vinyl records and CDs as a single lot for a cool 8 million JPY (approximately $51,000 USD). The catch? It’s “pick-up only.” This insane deal immediately sent ripples across Japanese X (formerly Twitter). The buzz started when a user posted about the 8 million JPY listing, highlighting that the entire shop’s inventory—nearly 80,000 vinyl records, CDs, and other collectibles—was up for grabs in one go, but only for self-pickup.

Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis salon mixes rock and roll with haircuts: Inside HiFi Hair and Records. HiFi Hair and Records sits on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, marked by a leopard print awning and a vibe that’s all about community through music. “I tried to model it after a barbershop,” said Jonny Clifford, owner of the salon. Clifford opened the shop in 2011, inspired by his father who introduced him to music and was battling terminal cancer at the time. The salon brings together the hum of blow dryers and the sounds of rock and roll, with Clifford saying, “Music is the uniter. Most everyone who is alive today grew up on rock and roll.” He added a record store the following year, letting customers browse new and used vinyl and CDs while waiting for their appointment. “I jokingly refer to it as the coolest waiting room in the city…”

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Auckland, NZ | Auckland record store Flying Out to close: Iconic Auckland record store Flying Out has announced it will close its doors. Managing director Matthew Davis said the closure was due to a number of factors. “Over the last few years, a pandemic, 3 festival cancellations, the effects of ongoing roadworks, the CRL construction and the continuing economic downturn has become an unpleasant, perfect storm,” he wrote on the store’s Facebook page. “Flying Out has been a true labour of love, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make it what it was—our F|O team (past and present), customers, suppliers, artists, and wider community.” Davis said what happens next will be announced in the coming weeks.

Evanston, IL | Animal Records moving to new location in downtown Evanston: After just about two years at its 624 Grove St. location, Animal Records plans to move to a new, larger storefront just down the street at 620 Grove St. “We need more space,” said owner Greg Allen. “We’ve just got a ton of inventory that we’re unable to display in our current spot, because it’s so crammed.” Allen hopes to have the new, larger location open in mid-July. Andy Vick, executive director of Downtown Evanston, told the RoundTable that he thinks it’s “wonderful” Animal Records will stay downtown. “Animal Records has been a great addition to the retail mix in downtown Evanston, and the store has been a regular participant in a lot of our downtown programming,” Vick said. “It’s exciting that the business is thriving and growing.”

York, UK | New addition to York’s thriving vinyl record scene: In recent years, the city of York has been transformed into a veritable haven for vinyl shoppers. Whether you’re a hardcore record collector, a DJ in the making, or a casual Sunday spinner, there are more places than ever to get your fill of fresh wax in York, including longstanding Your Local Link advertisers Vinyl Eddie and FortyFive Vinyl Café, as well as hidden vinyl treasure troves such as Earworm Records, Rebound Records, and the new Gillygate arrival, Record Plant York. Our city has also seen a recent upsurge in annual Record Store Day celebrations, with regular record fairs popping up across town, including The Crescent Record Fair at the Crescent Community Venue, York Record Fair at the Knavesmire, and The Great Yorkshire Fair, held for the first time at York RI this spring.

Barcelona, SP | Yoyaku expands to Barcelona with first permanent store outside Paris: The new space is located within the Bridge 48 arts hub near Ciutadella Park. Yoyaku has expanded its physical presence with the opening of a new record store in Barcelona. Located inside the Bridge 48 arts hub near the city’s Ciutadella Park, the shop opened on June 15th, 2026, and marks the company’s first permanent retail space outside its Paris headquarters. The new location will stock a selection of records spanning Yoyaku’s own catalogue, releases from local labels, new arrivals, and an extensive collection of second-hand vinyl. The opening further strengthens the company’s connection to Barcelona’s electronic music community while extending its network beyond France.

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