Author Archives: TVD HQ

St Paul, MN | In defense of physical media, owning your cultural history: …Physical media may still be alive right now, but soon there may come a point when the storefront for every game console is a monopoly. Where only one company gets to set the price as high as they please for any game that they choose. Where your new favorite movie can go straight from theaters to streaming, never being available for purchase. Music fans have already pushed back against the encroachment of streaming, and CD and vinyl sales have seen a resurgence in recent years, and the time to support physical media for other media is now.

Alexandria, VA | The Beat Goes On: Crooked Beat Records Reopens After Devastating Flood: When Bill Daly arrived at Crooked Beat Records on the morning of Jan. 11, he stepped into six inches of standing water. The deluge poured from multiple directions, swallowing rare inventory, vintage stereo equipment, and nearly three decades of work. It was also his son’s birthday. “I couldn’t believe what I saw,” Daly recalled. The immediate damage was estimated at $63,000. But the compound effect of water damage rarely stays within early forecasts. Months of lost revenue, commercial storage fees, moving logistics, and structural remediation pushed an attorney’s financial impact estimate between $200,000 and $300,000. For an independent retailer, such numbers often signal liquidation. Daly, however, never considered throwing in the towel. “I like doing this,” he said. “I want to do it for another 10 years, or more.”

Sacramento, CA | Sacramento-area record store to open second location in region. Here’s where. A Folsom vinyl records and CDs store is opening its second location in mid-October. Fat Elephant Records, Books & Music is moving into the Folsom Outlet Stores at 1300 Folsom Blvd. on Oct. 16, the store’s owner told The Sacramento Bee. The shop will mostly sell pre-owned CDs and records, with some new releases, but overall, the focus will be on vintage albums. The location will sell leftover inventory from The Beat, a much-loved independent record store that closed in 2013 after 30 years in business. Vinyl records will be priced between $3 and $10, depending on rarity, according to the store’s owner. This reflects the affordable prices of the outlet center, he explained.

U2 team up with Jack White’s Third Man Records for ‘Carnaval De Luz’ limited-edition vinyl: The yellow and black design has been created specifically for independent music retailers. U2 have joined forces with Jack White‘s Third Man Records to drop a limited edition vinyl version of their new album ‘Carnaval De Luz’. The rock icons recently announced new album ‘Carnaval De Luz’, which they describe as a “messy, provocative, sacred collection of songs”, set for release on November 13. Comprised of 12-songs, the Jacknife Lee-produced album has already been previewed by the lead single ‘Silencio’, which Bono and co. played live at some surprise shows last week – including a stop at their former high school in Dublin and a gig from the balcony of a cafe. …Now, ahead of the release next month, U2 have joined up with Third Man Records for a special edition of the album.

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AU | Double J Collector’s Edition: Take 5 instores, ticket giveaways, physical media on radio: For the next few weeks, Double J is celebrating music in its most physical form. The Double J Collector’s Edition is all about vinyl, CDs, magazines, posters — if you can hold it in your hands and a human (not an algorithm) made it, we’re shining a light on it. Here’s what’s in store: Take 5: live in record stores As part of it, we’re heading into record stores with some very special guests—and we want you to come along. Zan Rowe will visit four record stores in New South Wales and Victoria to record rare, intimate live episodes of the Take 5 podcast, which celebrates 20 years in 2026.

Denver, CO | Wax Trax Pushes Established Legacy As Vinyl Institution Across Colorado: Just like any thriving industry, vinyl has its institutions. Some point to Amoeba Records in Los Angeles or shops like Rough Trade and Newbury Comics, but in Colorado, a humble operation has opened its doors to new generations of collectors since the mid-seventies. Wax Trax Records has become a landmark, not only for vinyl fanatics, but the local community as well. The mom-and-pop operation now boasts four locations across the great state of Colorado while maintaining a quaint feel across its wax empire, making it one of the more recognizable and long-standing names in record collecting. Wax Trax shows no signs of slowing down.

Phoenix, AZ | No stage, no problem: DIY music venues across downtown Phoenix: From record shops to crepe cafes, the Valley’s DIY scene makes venues out of everyday spaces. …Central Records is a small record shop and venue that is a 10-minute walk from the Downtown Phoenix campus. On Oct. 14, Central Records is hosting Solace Bloom with support acts Stab and Featherframe. Solace Bloom is a contemporary shoegaze and dream pop band. They released their EP “FIRM ROOTS” on Oct. 31, 2025. Every first Saturday of the month, Central Records hosts a house party with guest DJs. Their upcoming party is on Saturday, and ticket sales will be donated to one·n·ten.

London, UK | Zuru’s Mini Brands brings vinyl pop-up to London: The one-day Listening Lounge welcomed crowds in London over the weekend with music, giveaways and refreshments Zuru’s Mini Brands turned up the volume on its Really Works Vinyl collection last weekend with a one-day Listening Lounge pop-up café in London, created by experiential agency Backlash. A pop-up retro record store, decked out in neon vinyl signage, crates of mini records, and a live DJ spinning mini-sized hits, welcomed crowds on 26 September. With real coffee and real crowds, guests moved through the Listening Lounge to spin the Really Works Vinyl collection on real-size and mini-size record players, all while sipping a free Mini Brands-themed coffee.

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Leigh, UK | Man set to open Float On Records music shop in Leigh: A Leigh man has described the chance to open his own record shop in the town where he grew up as a “golden opportunity” after years of dreaming about working with music. Sam Wood, 26, is preparing to launch the new business in Leigh and hopes to welcome his first customers through the doors on October 9. The music enthusiast, who has been collecting records since childhood, said the unexpected opportunity came at exactly the right time after he returned home following university. “…An opportunity came up to start my own business. I love music. It was an opportunity and I couldn’t miss out.”

Ennis, UK | Clare poets go on the record for under threat Ennis store: A campaign to keep the doors open at Ennis’ only vinyl record store and cafe The Record Break has been given a ‘write’ boost as a collective of women poets has come back together for a fundraising tour of the county in support. In 2018, a group of women poets in Clare formed under the name Seven Sisters to perform in response to the lack of representation of women’s work in a historic collection of Irish poetry. Among the original line-up of poets was Record Break owner Sinéad Nic Síoda and when fellow poet Ruth Marshall heard about her ongoing fundraising campaign to save the business she was determined to do something. She contacted a number of female poets to ask if they would help by bringing Seven Sisters back with a series of fundraising readings and she was thrilled with the positive response.

Minneapolis, MN | Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis take WCCO inside the music at Electric Fetus: For more than four decades, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have helped make some of the songs we know by heart. But during a recent morning inside Minneapolis record store Electric Fetus, the legendary production duo offered a glimpse into something else: How they hear those songs. Surrounded by albums that shaped them—and several they helped create—Jam and Lewis talked about the samples, sequencing, voices and decisions hidden inside records millions of people have heard hundreds of times. Fair warning: This one is for the music nerds.

Miami, FL | New Times members celebrate 35 years of Nirvana’s “Nevermind.” Grunge fans gathered at Technique Records in Miami for a listening party celebrating more than three decades of the landmark album by the Seattle band. Music has a way of bringing people together, and what better excuse for a gathering than the 35th anniversary of one of the most influential albums in rock history? On Wednesday, Sept. 23, Miami New Times took over Technique Records for a listening party celebrating 35 years of Nirvana’s seminal album, “Nevermind.” Members and local grunge fans gathered to revisit the record, trade memories and celebrate the lasting impact Nirvana has had on generations of musicians and listeners. And this wasn’t just about dropping the needle on a record.

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Villanova, PA | The Value of Nostalgia: …Vinyl sales in the U.S. increased by 9.3% last year, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, and about 60% of Gen Z now reports buying vinyl, according to a study by Futuresource Consulting. I used to assume this was just a small, specific aesthetic some people were into, the same way that some people are into film cameras or vintage clothes. However, that explanation doesn’t do justice to the scale of the trend or why so many people are beginning to feel nostalgic for things they likely never experienced.

4 science-backed reasons to love physical media: Although physical media offers various advantages over streaming and digital downloads, collecting it doesn’t necessarily come without challenges. For example, depending on where you live, finding somewhere to actually buy DVDs, Blu-rays, and vinyl records in person could be a struggle. Even if you have access to a quality physical media retailer (or you don’t mind ordering all your discs and records online), you might be reluctant to fully embrace the physical media trend for fear of coming across as, well, pretentious. When vinyl first made a comeback, there was no shortage of jokes about hipsters pretending the format simply offers greater “warmth” than digital formats. It’s understandable if you don’t want your hobby to make you the target of similar jabs.

Evanston, IL | New Evanston record shop puts Chicago house music front and center: In what will likely be music to the ears of house fans, Evanston will soon be getting another record store this fall, with a heavy emphasis on one of Chicago’s own creations. Although an official opening day has not been announced, E-Town Records will be located at 2601 Prairie Ave. in the Central Street business district, just a block from a Metra station and less than a half-mile from Northwestern University’s Ryan Field. The owner is Dan Chiss, a 56-year-old Evanston native who said he has always dreamed of having his own store. Chiss, who works in the technology industry by day, said he’s been selling records online for a few years and about three years ago sold records at Frolic & Detour, a vintage shop that operated at 1909 Central St.

Pittsburgh, PA | Wallflower brings books, vinyl and ‘quiet corners’ to Downtown Pittsburgh: Cocktail bar soft-opened in April ahead of the NFL Draft and officially opened in June. At Wallflower in Downtown Pittsburgh, the shelves are lined with books and records, but the bar’s namesake gets its own display: co-owner Lauren Mathews’ high school copy of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” Mathews bought the olive-green MTV Books edition of Stephen Chbosky’s Pittsburgh coming-of-age novel at Barnes & Noble in 1999. Slightly dog-eared in one corner, it hangs framed on the wall. “It’s a little beat-up because it passed through my friends. It’s seen some life,” Mathews said. She owns Wallflower with her significant other, Jimi Farrell. When considering names for the bar, they wanted something that “nodded” to Pittsburgh without being “too on the nose.”

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Milwaukee, WI | What’s driving today’s physical media resurgence? This week, Lake Effect is celebrating Bob Reitman’s new album, 12th House, ahead of an Oct. 12 release party that WUWM is hosting at the Pabst Theater. The album will be released exclusively on vinyl. And while that’s exactly on-brand for Reitman, it did get us thinking about the resurgence and continued relevance of physical media—especially among younger generations. To find out more, Lake Effect’s Audrey Nowakowski spoke with Marc Tasman, director of Digital Arts and Culture at UW-Milwaukee. Tasman discusses a handful of factors that make vinyl and other physical media so attractive today.

Burnaby, CA | Physical media’s popularity continues to rise: Why are so many old-school forms of media still used? Physical media has been coveted by collectors and niche communities for decades. DVD’s, CD’s, vinyl records, video games, VHS tapes and cassettes continue to be loved by those who hold onto them. Everyone has a different story about how they became interested in them, but a common theme is having these formats be introduced by a family member or close friend. Maya Cresine is a lifelong collector and enjoyer of records, CD’s, tapes, DVD’s, VHS’s and more. She’s one of many who frequent thrifts stores and record stores all around the world, and that crowd is growing.

UK | Jake Bugg announces intimate record store tour ahead of new album Alamo: Singer-songwriter Jake Bugg has announced an intimate UK record store tour to celebrate the release of his seventh studio album, Alamo, arriving on 13 November 2026 via Thirty Tigers. Fresh from a headline appearance at Nashville’s Centennial Park as part of Americana Fest, Bugg will kick off a 20-date in-store run starting at Circuit in Kingston on 8 November. The tour includes stops at Rough Trade East in London, Rough Trade Nottingham, and HMV location across the country, featuring acoustic performances, live Q&A sessions, and album signings. Produced by multi-Grammy winners Jimmy Hogarth and Steve McKewan, the 11-track record sees the 32-year-old artist return to his folk and country roots.

Los Angeles, CA | Inside 5 of Los Angeles’s best hi-fi bars: Where they are and why they sound so good: LA had some of the first hi-fi bars in the US, and now they’re all over the city. In 2018, the first hi-fi bar in the United States opened in Los Angeles. It was called In Sheep’s Clothing. While that establishment unfortunately closed in 2020 during the pandemic, it started a trend of hi-fi bars and spaces spreading all over the City of Angels. Hollywood. The beach. Northeast LA. Downtown. No matter the neighborhood, a place to have a drink and listen to a top-tier sound system in LA is never too far away. As MusicTech reported earlier this year at VinylCon Los Angeles, the explosion in vinyl sales has sparked greater interest in hi-fi listening, and these spaces can serve as entry points to showcase analog quality.

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Alexandria, VA | Crooked Beat Records reopening in new Del Ray home this weekend: Crooked Beat Records is reopening in a new location in Del Ray this weekend. Owner Bill Daly announced on social media that the store will be open at 2101B Mount Vernon Avenue on Friday, Sept. 25, from 4-7 p.m., Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 1-6 p.m. “It’s like the Twilight Zone, same colors, same atmosphere,” Daly said in a video on Wednesday. “We’re excited about everything, and it’s going to be a work in progress. And we should be open for full time in about a week or so.” The new space, a two-story townhouse with 950 square feet, has been vacant for more than a decade, according to neighbors. In May, Daly was forced to close his previous basement location up the street at 2417 Mount Vernon Avenue after significant flooding in January.

Liverpool, UK | Liverpool store ‘overwhelmed with love’ after winning ‘UK best’ award: The Liverpool-based record store and live music venue operator was founded in 2015 by Graham Stanley. Jacaranda Records has been awarded Best Independent Record Store at the Independent Music Awards. Organised by the Association for Independent Music (AIM), the 16th edition of the Independent Music Awards was held at London’s Roundhouse last night (September 22). Jacaranda Records was founded in 2015 by Graham Stanley. Today Jacaranda has two record shops, two venues, and a bar, made up of the iconic Jacaranda Club on Slater Street and the newer Jacaranda Baltic in Cains Brewery. The original Jacaranda on Slater Street is credited with a key role in launching The Beatles’ early careers and first opened in 1958.

New Paltz, NY | The Good Times Roll at Bad Time Records: On Sept. 19, Bad Time Records joined a wide collection of record stores that call the Hudson Valley home. The space on Church Street sits between Beans Cat Cafe and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital, a cozy spot whose small dimensions do not confine the array of records and books that can be found inside. It is owned and managed by Mike Sosinski, longtime member of the ska-punk band Kill Lincoln and champion of the ska music genre since he founded his record label, Bad Time Records, in 2018. Sosinski’s mission focuses on delivering for people who already love ska and introducing it to people who know nothing about the genre, treating it with a sense of dignity that contradicts how it has been portrayed in the past.

Aberdeen, UK | Shoppers slam ‘gutting news’ as popular Scottish vinyl store announces closure: The store shared the announcement on Facebook. A popular vinyl store in Aberdeen has just announced it will be closing down. It has left loyal customers distraught at what they have called “gutting news.” Maidinvinyl took to Facebook earlier today (September 23) to share in a statement that it would be permanently shuttering its shop on Rosemount Viaduct. There is also a second stall at the Errol Sunday Market that has not been affected and will remain open as normal. The move has been made due to “ongoing cost increases” that the business “can no longer sustain.”

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The dark side of the vinyl revival: As demand for LPs reaches its highest level in decades, counterfeiters are cashing in on the record boom. The unlikely resurgence of vinyl has delivered plenty of unexpected sights over the past two decades. Major labels have discovered the lucrative joys of deluxe packaging. Teenagers are buying turntables again. LPs are selling in quantities that would have seemed unimaginable 20 years ago. But there is another, less welcome, sign that records are genuinely valuable again: counterfeiters are making a fortune from fake LPs. The issue has been thrust into the spotlight following the jailing of Rehan Ahmed, the west London businessman behind what investigators have described as Britain’s largest counterfeit vinyl operation.

Pittsboro, NC | CDs, tapes, and treasures: All Day Records in downtown Pittsboro: A few steps from the traffic circle in downtown Pittsboro, Charlie Hearon has filled a small storefront with the possibility of discovery. The bins at All Day Records hold familiar names—The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson and Paul Simon among them—but Hearon is less interested in steering every visitor toward a prescribed canon than in making room for the search itself. The store’s mix of vinyl records, compact discs, cassette tapes and vintage stereo equipment reflects both the renewed demand for physical media and Hearon’s belief that music culture grows when people have places to browse, listen, talk and occasionally stumble across something they did not know they needed.

UK | DJ and label boss Paul Ridney awarded Guinness World Record after 24-hour vinyl shop marathon: DJ, producer and label boss Paul Ridney has officially been certified as a Guinness World Record holder after taking on a 24-hour vinyl shop challenge across England’s South Coast—a mission designed to shine a spotlight on the independent record shops keeping music culture alive. Head of independent electronic dance label Paharas Musica, Ridney set out on 15 October 2025 to break the record for the most vinyl retail stores visited in 24 hours. Travelling from Brighton to Worthing, Chichester, Shoreham-by-Sea and back to Southampton using only public transport and a serious amount of walking, he racked up around 57,000 steps in the process. After an 11-month wait, the result is finally official: Ridney visited 28 stores in total and is now a Guinness World Record holder.

Miami, FL | Miami’s beloved Sweat Records expands with Sweat Annex: The Little Haiti record store’s new space will offer more used vinyl, workshops, meetings and community gatherings. Little Haiti’s popular record store Sweat Records announced today that it’ll be expanding with Sweat Annex. The new space at 204 NE 55th Terrace will be around the corner and two doors down from the familiar flagship location at 5505 NE 2nd Ave. “We are expanding. After 21 years we have needed more space for a while,” Sweat Records owner Lolo Reskin said in the announcement video that went up on social media this morning. “We’re going to be having more used records, space for meetings, workshops, crafts, and community gatherings of all kinds. It’s a blank canvas.”

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