Author Archives: TVD HQ

Brooksville, FL | Grandaddy Records & Vintage debuts in Brooksville: More than a decade ago, independent record store owners kickstarted a day to celebrate their groovy enterprise and keep analog music alive. …One of those openings came through this year with Brooksville-based Grandaddy Records & Vintage. Tyler Mauriello launched the store on Feb. 1 alongside his partner, Sydney Brown. Mauriello said he fell in love with the quaint downtown vacancy on Broad Street and constantly imagined how it could be “the coolest little record shop.” When Mauriello saw a “For Rent” sign plastered out front, that was his calling. “I was like, ‘No freaking way,’ and that was what really kickstarted it,” Mauriello told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

Houston, TX | Go Crate Digging At The 10 Best Record Stores In Houston: Prepare for your next needle drop at the best record stores in Houston: from speakeasy listening lounges to city institutions. Record Store Day 2026 drops this weekend. Whether you’re hoping to score re-issues, B-sides, and live recording—or are simply seeking to stack your own catalogue with personal favorites, check out our list of the best record stores in Houston. From staples of Houston’s counterculture to hip brunch spots, speakeasies, and more: here are the best vinyl stores in Houston. 1. Sig’s Lagoon: Nestled in the company of Double Trouble Caffeine & Cocktails, Tacos A Go Go, and The Continental Club in Midtown, Sig’s Lagoon is a seriously stacked two-story Houston record store. In addition to over 10,0000 new and used vinyl, Sig’s offers a range of CDs, books, art, t-shirts, and collectibles…

Newburyport, MA | This Newburyport record store just turned 50. Here’s their secret. “I have customers who’ve been coming in since the ’70s, who have literally explored a lifetime of music—their lifetime of music—right through that store.” John Coyle still remembers the first vinyl he ever bought at Newburyport’s Dyno Records, back when an $8 Elvis Costello album was an extravagant buy for a local kid with a paper route. Decades (and countless LPs) later, Dyno is celebrating its 50th anniversary with Coyle on the other side of the counter as the shop’s latest owner. “I’ve been afforded an opportunity to sort of caretake this place into the future,” he reflected roughly 10 months into his tenure. “I have customers who’ve been coming in since the ’70s, who have literally explored a lifetime of music—their lifetime of music—right through that store.”

Schenectady, NY | New record store takes over space on Jay Street in Schenectady: A new record store has made its way to Schenectady. Party Shark Records has opened in the former space of The Re-Collector on Jay Street. The record store, located at 167 1/2 Jay Street, is currently focused on selling used and vintage physical media. Owner Scot Seguine said most of the floor space is occupied by records, but CDs and tapes are also for sale. The shop also buys used music from any community members who may be looking to clear up some space. Seguine said the opportunity to open the vintage media shop naturally fell into place. He was in search of a new job opportunity just as the the owner of The Re-Collector was looking to get out of the business. “So I decided to get weird and own a store instead of job hunting,” Seguine said.

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UK | Record Store Day UK sales up 25% in record-breaking year: Over 300 independent record shops took part in this year’s event. Sales on last weekend’s Record Store Day in the UK were up 25% on the previous year, making it a record-breaking day for the long-running event. Over 300 independent record shops across the UK took part in the Saturday, 18th April event, hosting live performances, signings, DJ sets and other special activities to mark the occasion. This was the 19th annual Record Store Day event. Kim Bayley, CEO of ERA, which organises the event, said: “This year’s Record Store Day demonstrated as never before the emerging role of record shops as cultural hubs on the high street, bringing together music fans across generations and breathing new life into town centres…”

CA | Explore Ontario’s best vintage finds. From Toronto record stores to Hamilton’s Cabinet of Curiosities, here is your 2026 day-trip guide: Now that springlike weather has finally returned to Ontario, vintage markets and collectible stores are springing back into action. Weekend day-trippers can find souvenirs, antiques and unique gift items as they explore the province. Here’s a list of some of the best places to find collectibles, cool nostalgia, vinyl records and more. Sonic Boom Music: Physical music is making a major comeback, and you can shop for your favourite CDs and vinyl at Canada’s largest independent record store. Sonic Boom Music also offers turntables, speakers, movies, gifts and band T-shirts. Find new classics and hidden gems, all in one place or speak to the staff for personalized recommendations…

St. Paul, MN | One of the few Black-owned record shops in the country needs help staying open: Urban Lights Music, a Black-owned St. Paul record store, struggles to survive amid a changing era. For Tim Wilson, owner of Urban Lights Music, Record Store Day feels like Christmas morning. “It is Record Store Day. So yeah, it’s like a holiday,” Wilson said. The comparison is fitting, because for up-and-coming DJs like Jared Gillespie, known as JG, Wilson has been something like Santa Claus. “He’s been like a mentor, you know,” Gillespie said. “I came in here one Saturday and I was like, ‘Hey, do you mind if I come DJ here sometimes?’ And as soon as I stepped in here, he’s like, ‘Yeah, go up there right now.'” Wilson offers free space for people to sharpen their skills and produce music. “We teach DJing, we teach production,” Wilson said. Urban Lights Music, located at 1449 University Ave. in St. Paul, is one of the few Black-owned record shops in the country and the only one in Minnesota.

Salisbury, UK | Word Up: Vinyl revival hits the right note in Salisbury: Last Saturday, I got up early and headed into town. A sunny Salisbury spring morning is not one to be missed, and by the time we made it to the market square, the town was already buzzing with early birds. Not that birds actually buzz, British Telecom’s Buzby aside, but you get the idea. A Buzby reference might be as finger on the pulse as the phrase finger on the pulse itself, but he might have understood what I was doing up early. For Saturday was Record Store Day, the annual celebration of all things vinyl, when the nation’s independent record stores offer a tantalising range of musical rarities and one-off releases. A Buzby reference might be as finger on the pulse as the phrase finger on the pulse itself, but he might have understood what I was doing up early.

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UK | Bringing Record Store Day To Social Care: The excitement of Record Store Day was brought directly to social care services across the nation, as our charity teamed up with The Darkness singer Justin Hawkins, rising music stars The Daydreamers, and one of the UK’s coolest record stores, Jacaranda. A video call grid showing multiple people in separate home settings. Several participants are holding up circular black signs or cards with orange arrows pointing up or down, while others hold paper cards or sit watching.The charity—its acclaimed hub offering free, accessible and inspiring live online experiences for people who draw on care and support. The powerful online experience, delivered via our acclaimed www.What-To-Do.co.uk platform, was inspired by Record Store Day—a major global celebration of the unique culture of record stores and of music.

Oxfordshire, UK | Busiest Record Store Day to date for Oxfordshire stores: Record store bosses in Oxfordshire are celebrating their busiest Record Store Day to date. Truck Store in Cowley Road, and Truck Store in Witney, formerly Rapture, were packed with customers all day on Saturday. Record Store Day is a global celebration of independent record store culture, and is dedicated to shining a spotlight on the shops that support music fans all year round. On the day itself, hundreds of highly limited releases were available exclusively from indie record stores, all on a first-come, first-served basis. Music fans bought special edition RSD releases including Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and The Colourfield.

Edinburgh, UK | Edinburgh record store owner has equipment returned following theft: An Edinburgh record store owner has had some of his equipment returned after what appeared to be a brazen theft on Saturday which was Record Store Day. Darren Yeats, the owner of VoxBox Music in Stockbridge, was preparing to make his way to St Vincent’s Chapel for a Record Store Day celebration on Saturday when some of his equipment was purloined. He left an amp and some cables on the pavement outside his building while he re-entered his flat for a couple minutes to say goodbye to his wife. A man approached unnoticed while Darren was inside and made off with his Marshall amplifier, cables and chargers, as well as a bag which was a gift from his mother. …Good news was also just round the corner for Darren, as the very man who was caught on a neighbour’s CCTV camera making off with the goods appeared at his door on Tuesday to humbly return the amp and bag.

Doylestown, PA | Record Store Day Draws Crowd At Siren Records: The Doylestown shop offered exclusive merchandise for Record Store Day on Saturday. He was the first in line, showing up with a chair and a book at 4:19 a.m. on Saturday. The man was among the vinyl fans who showed up early and often at Siren Records for Record Store Day on Saturday, considered the best of the two days devoted each year to the exclusive offerings. Among some titles that fans flocked to Siren Records for were live shows from Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Yes, the Power Station, and The Cars, among others. Other exclusive offerings were a box set or the first solo records from Crosby, Stills, and Nash, two Brian Wilson records, a Taylor Swift single, two from David Bowie, a remix of Elton John songs, and a Rolling Stones item that included six 3-inch records, a crate, and a 3-inch record player.

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Burlington, IA | ‘Nice to See Everybody Celebrate Music’: Music fans rush stores for Record Store Day. There was no shortage of special albums and collectors items for people to get their hands on during Record Store Day on Saturday. Area music lovers flocked to Weird Harold’s Records, located at 411 Jefferson St. in Burlington, and Pool 19 Plants & Records, located at 616 7th St. in Fort Madison, to celebrate the groovy holiday. Record Store Day is an annual shopping event that promotes independently-owned record stores and offers music fans special, limited-edition music on vinyl, along with stores’ regular inventory and other sales and deals. The “holiday” started in 2008 and typically takes place on the third Saturday of April and every Black Friday in November.

St Albans, UK | St Albans vinyl store enjoys best-ever Record Store Day after customers queue overnight: A customer started queuing 19 hours before the doors opened at Empire Records in Heritage Close for this year’s Record Store Day. Saturday’s annual event—the 12th since RSD began—saw a staggering 500 exclusive records released, all of which are only available from independent record stores. National Record Store Day originated in the United States in 2007 after a group of independent record shop owners came together to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture of their stores, and soon spread across the Atlantic. The queues outside Empire Records lasted well into the afternoon, much longer than usual, and reached as far back as Starbucks in High Street.

Erie, PA | Vinyl enthusiasts come out in droves to celebrate Record Store Day: It was an exciting day for vinyl enthusiasts as Record Store Day brought collectors together across the world. The celebration saw independent record shops celebrate the day by selling exclusive releases and represses of albums by various artists of all genres. The 1020 Collective was one of the local participating spots. Enthusiasts said there’s still a deep love and appreciation for vinyl records and a strong following. “It’s cool to actually own the physical media, and the other thing about vinyl is it’s really an art form in itself, so like, the album covers are really a work of art, and then you’ll open them up and they’ll have special posters,” said Rick Bowser, director of the 1020 Collective and owner of Rick’s Records.

Nashville, TN | Nashville Turns Out—and Turns Up—on Record Store Day: Catching powerhouse performances from Soot and more at The Blue Room at Third Man Records and Nicole Atkins and others at Vinyl Tap. Third Man Records and The Blue Room offered a choose-your-own-adventure model on Record Store Day, with a mellow vibe inside the shop and four ferocious sets starting at 11 a.m. in the venue space. Pop-ups from Danger Zone Video, East Nashville Books and more offered retail options, while Clownsums Diner and Secret Bodega provided sustenance in the courtyard. The crowd was packed and varied, the best kind of daytime show: Two-steppers thrashed in the mosh pit while families stood a safe distance away, their kids wearing ear-protecting headphones and tiny X’s on the backs of their hands.

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Rochester, NY | Record stores see stretched lines for exclusive Taylor Swift, Nirvana, Record Store Day releases: Music lovers lined up around the block Saturday as Record Store Day brought a surge of energy, and customers, to local shops across Rochester. At the House of Guitars, crowds gathered early in search of limited releases, rare finds and a shared appreciation for vinyl. “It’s a day everyone looks forward to,” said store manager Aric Schaubroeck. “Every record company puts out something that people have been waiting for… and people are just excited to finally get it.” Schaubroeck said the turnout this year was especially strong, with a line stretching out the door and around the corner for hours. “It reminds me of the old midnight sales,” he said. Shoppers said the experience goes beyond just buying music, it’s about connection, nostalgia and discovery.

Indio, CA | Coachella 2026: How Record Safari became a staple for Record Store Day: At a festival defined by quick moments, Record Safari offers something a little more lasting. As festival goers weave through the music and desert heat at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, a different kind of experience awaits just steps from the entrance, one that trades booming speakers for the soft crackle of vinyl. Inside Record Safari, the festival’s on-site record store, fans flip through crates of new and used records, many stopping in during Record Store Day, which landed on Saturday, April 18, during Weekend 2 and continuing into Sunday as crowds make their final rounds. For Alex Rodriguez, the man behind Record Safari, the moment is the culmination of more than a decade spent building something that started almost by accident. “I was part of the Glass House in Pomona,” Rodriguez said. “One year, the people doing the record store at Coachella couldn’t do it, so they kind of scrambled and asked me…”

Burlington, NC | Main Street Vinyl celebrates Record Store Day: People line the street to attend the special sale in Burlington. Whether they were crate-digging for something rare or just soaking in the vibe, attendees lined the street bright and early for some fun. Burlington record store, Main Street Vinyl, participated in celebrating Record Store Day on Saturday, April 18th. Inspired by the nationally recognized day, the record store offered limited edition albums only available in independent record stores, as opposed to mainstream ‘box’ stores. Co-owner Ed Meyer highlighted the uniqueness of what they have to offer. “There is something special about everything released,” Meyer said. “A lot of it had never before been on vinyl. There are live concerts on vinyl and all kinds of different stuff like that.” Kate Meyer, Main Street Vinyl co-owner, said today is all about indie record stores and indie releases in support of both the artists and local businesses.

London, UK | Vinyl revival: Fans queue across the South East for Record Store Day 2026. Music enthusiasts across the South East proved that the physical record remains a cornerstone of British culture, as hundreds braved the early morning chill to participate in Record Store Day 2026. As reported by the BBC, the global event saw over 300 independent shops across the UK and Ireland open their doors to crowds seeking exclusive, limited-edition releases. In towns like Dorking, Surrey, the dedication was palpable. Fans began forming lines outside Spin Sounds on South Street as early as 04:00 BST, four hours before the shop’s 08:00 opening. Store owner Lee White observed a mixture of excitement and anxiety among the regulars. “People are nervous to know if they get what they want,” he noted, highlighting the high stakes involved when supply for popular titles is strictly limited.

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