Category Archives: A morning mix of news for the vinyl inclined

UAE | UAE vinyl collectors tell how they ‘love the process of discovery’ To appreciate the way the vinyl record market is booming, look no further than the growth of Dubai’s Raw Music Store. Launched online in 2019 with nearly 5,000 records, the shop moved to a brick-and-mortar location in DIFC two years later. To accommodate an increasing demand from UAE record collectors, the store is relocating again, to its biggest premises yet, in Al Quoz. Opening on Saturday in celebration of Record Store Day on April 22, the airy warehouse will be stocked with 7,000 new and vintage records. Tunisian manager and co-founder Yassine Hakimi says the expansion echoes the fortunes of the international market. “Vinyl record collecting and purchases have been on the rise everywhere over the past few years and that has partly moved many of us to open up businesses to accommodate it,” he tells The National. “But I have to say that it remains a very niche business and it’s all about passion.

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | The 12 Best Record Stores in Dallas-Fort Worth: Keep these North Texas record stores in constant rotation—you never know what vinyl gems you’re going to find. As Record Store Day approaches on April 22, you’re going to want to keep some of Dallas-Fort Worth’s best vinyl shops on your docket. Vinyls are all the rage right now, as listeners find themselves trapped inside the smooth grooves and nostalgic sounds. Sure, we may be in an era when we can stream our favorite music anytime we want, but nothing beats being able to physically touch and hold your favorite album. So skip Target and Urban Outfitters, check out our favorite vinyl shops and keep these stores on rotation. Spinster Records: This is a staple for crate diggers in Dallas. Spinster Records is always stocked with the latest vinyl releases, as well as DJ singles, B-sides, rarities, and record-playing systems. Not to mention, you can get an early listen at some of the most anticipated new releases at Spinster’s listening parties, which often take place just days before the album’s release date. While this may be a little shop, you can easily spend hours sifting through boxes, and you may just leave discovering your new favorite record.

Memphis, TN | Vinyl Revival: Memphis Record Pressing opens second location: Long before streaming music and CDs, there were vinyl records. But today, they’re making a major comeback and are more popular than ever thanks to a Mid-South company. At Memphis Record Pressing on Appling Center Drive in Bartlett, there was a ribbon cutting for a vinyl company whose spin on a once-dying format has it on record to become one of the largest pressing plants in North America. “We never thought that we would get to this size and we were going to be one of the major players in the global market,” said Mark Yoshida, Co-founder and COO of Memphis Record Pressing. This is the company’s second of its two expansion facilities and to the overall tune of $30 million. The expansion includes a new 33,000-square-foot pressing plant floor at the Brother Boulevard headquarters as well as the new 100,000-square-foot packaging and shipping facility at Appling Center. “The size of our packaging facility here is about 108,000 square feet. It allows us to package more records. A year ago, we were producing about 28.000 records a day. Today we’re producing about 65,000 records a day and by June we’ll be producing 120,000 records a day,” Yoshida explained.

Manchester, UK | Seven best record shops in Manchester city centre for stocking up on vinyl: Vinyl collectors flock to Manchester from all over the country to stock up on LPs and singles in the city centre. Some things just go together. Fish and chips. Ant and Dec. Batman and Robin. Manchester and record shops seem to be one of those things that just make sense. And for vinyl enthusiasts – whether collectors or hobbyists – the city’s vibrant Northern Quarter is a treasure trove of shiny plastic discs with a record store on nearly every corner. …Vinyl records are still seeing a huge resurgence, outselling CDs for the first time in 35 years last year – but Manchester has always had love for the humble medium. If you’re wondering where the best place to head to stock up on your LPs and singles are, you won’t have to look too far. Here are some of our favourite record stores in Manchester city centre, all of which are just a short walk from one another, making for the ultimate musical trail with plenty of coffee shops nearby for a pitstop.

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Bristol, VA | Record Store Day celebrated at Bristol store: Vinyl records have been making a comeback in recent years, and it was on display Saturday. Saturday was Record Store Day and Cheap Thrills Records in Bristol is one of many stores seeing a huge turnout. The owner says people were camped out waiting in line even before they opened. In addition to discounts, local record stores also have exclusive, limited-edition prints from big name artists. Cheap Thrills opened just before last year’s record store day, and this is now their biggest sales day ever. Record store day is always the third Saturday in April. It started in 2008.

Brighton, UK | Record Store Day 2023 was a resounding success! Well that’s it for another year! The annual Record Store Day took place today throughout Brighton, Sussex and the UK. Hundreds of vinyl junkies set their alarm clocks last night so that they would be able to rise before the crack of dawn this morning and queue outside their favourite independent record shop in order to secure their desired limited edition releases, which in most cases will be instantly highly collectible. The records being sold were available in every colour imaginable, including picture discs, whether it be 7”, 12” or other formats such as 10”. It’s certain that the 22nd April has been marked in those folks’ diaries ever since the list of exclusive vinyl releases were announced for the annual event. Independent record shops from right across the UK came together in order to celebrate their unique culture. Not only that, but thousands more shops celebrated the day around the globe in what’s become one of the biggest annual events on the music calendar.

Springfield, MO | Fans line up outside Springfield record store for ‘Record Store Day’ finds: Dozens of vinyl record lovers camped out Saturday morning outside Springfield’s Stick it in Your Ear, hoping to get an exclusive deal. Record Store Day is an annual event to unite fans and support independent record stores. A big part of the draw is for records only on sale during the event or have never been released. “The main thing about small business is a community,” said Eric Milan, owner of Stick It In Your Ear. “We live here. I mean, this is our life just as much as our customers. And then, for me, a small business to me is more about the type of service that you’re getting.” Some, such as Tori Freeman from Ozark, Mo., arrived at 10 p.m. on Friday. She waited for Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ album. “This album is very emotionally deep,” said Freeman. “And I have a deep connection to this album, so it’s very important…“

Melbourne, AU | Melbourne’s vinyl obsessives in a spin over Record Store Day: A sleek group of 20-somethings carrying stacks of vinyl along Brunswick Street normally wouldn’t spin heads in Fitzroy, but the sheer numbers on Saturday might just have been a record. Usually held on the third Saturday in April, Record Store Day is an opportunity for vinyl lovers to descend on their local store and hopefully bag a hidden gem. Long-time Melbourne DJ Ethan Hill, also known as DJ Manchild from the PBS Radio show The Breakdown, celebrated the event at his newly opened bar, Old Plates. DJs at the venue spun eclectic vinyl all day from a vast collection. Some selections were fresh out of a shipment of rare records direct from West Africa, which weighed in at about 230 kilograms. “The African diaspora has really grown in Melbourne in the last 10 to 20 years,” Hill told The Sunday Age. “It’s good to be able to explore kind of different sounds that actually exist in Melbourne, but people might not know or might not have heard yet.

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Lackawanna County, PA | Celebrating ‘National Record Store Day’ in Lackawanna County: Music fans from all over our area celebrated ‘National Record Store Day’ Saturday, and folks in Lackawanna County flocked to Gallery of Sound to celebrate. Saturday was a day filled with music in Lackawanna County as music fans celebrated ‘National Record Store Day’ in Lackawanna County. Many artists put out special albums for the occasion. Gallery of Sound in Dickson City had 300 mostly vinyl new releases ready to go. Featured artists included Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, and Pearl Jam. Customers say it’s great to be able to listen to new records while supporting local businesses. “You can only get the records one day, this is the day, and so you get to go a place and support a local business and listen to amazing vinyl,” said Kim Stenlake, Moscow. ‘National Record Store Day’ began in 2007 and has only grown since then.

Casper, WY | Sonic Rainbow packs in music lovers for Record Store Day: The line was long before the doors opened and the rush of people getting there early enough to get their hands on some of the most coveted albums packed the small store. For over 20 years, Sonic Rainbow has given the community a locally owned source for independent music. Through the evolution from CD to digital, they’ve been there, nestled into their downtown Casper home. Familiar faces and a rotation of smiling music-loving folks have always been behind the counter, and Record Store Day is the day all the devotion pays off. Packing the store with music fans and artists timing releases for the day brings plenty of excitement to Record Store Day, but certainly don’t forget about Sonic Rainbow for all of your vinyl and hard-to-find/independent music desires throughout the rest of the year.

Ocean Springs, MI | Vinyl is king on National Record Store Day: National Record Store Day may not be the best known retail holiday, but you can bet that those into vintage vinyl have been planning their lives around it. “I’ve had it on my calendar for months now because I was like, I will be going out there,” said Tori Sullivan. “It’s just absolutely amazing. Because then you get to see different people who also love the same thing as you. And you can get so many things that you normally wouldn’t be able to get on a normal shopping day.” Special releases on this day are for locally owned record stores only. “We have 1,400 independent record stores in the United States,” said Matthew Comstock owner of Maynard’s Music in Ocean Springs. “So, when you have something with a limited production amount of 500 – and here we are in Ocean Springs I’m able to get two of the Paul’s here, that makes it really special, and that’s why people are out there lining up waiting to get their hands on it.”

Fresno, CA | Locals celebrate National Record Store Day! Hundreds of people gathered at Tower District Records in Fresno for Record Store Day. “We had a line all the way down the block, even before we opened,” said shop owner Nick Navarro. The store owner says Record Store Day is a celebration of independently owned record stores across the country, which is why they treat it like a party. Shoppers enjoyed food and music while looking for and purchasing records. According to the store owner, it sold out of Taylor Swift records in the first hour. The store carries many different genres like heavy metal, blues, hip-hop and country.

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UK | Record Store Day 2023 sees vinyl fans descend on UK record shops: Eager customers have been queueing since the early hours of the morning to get their hands on limited-edition releases. Record Store Day 2023 kicked off earlier today (April 22) with vinyl fans descending on UK record shops around the country. A number of limited-edition and special releases were made available over-the-counter at over 260 participating stores, with many customers queuing since the early hours. The 1975, Blur, Pixies, U2, London Grammar, Madonna, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Foals, Donna Summer and Björk all released vinyl as part of the 2023 event. Taylor Swift, who was last year announced as the first-ever global ambassador of Record Store Day, released ‘folklore: the long pond studio sessions’ on vinyl for the first time today, with many fans taking to social media to celebrate grabbing the limited-edition record. “Still can’t believe she is mine,” said one fan, posing with the vinyl. “MY FIRST TAYLOR VINYL EVER SECURED!!!” “First RSD: got to the shop at 5am for a 8am opening and the shop had 30 copies and I got one!!!! Met some lovely girlies and we gushed and had someone’s wee dog sit on me,” wrote a third Swiftie.

Baltimore, MD | As vinyl sales grow, Record Store Day continues to take on a life of its own: ‘It’s a big party’ They say there is nothing new under the sun, and the popularity of vinyl records proves it. In 2022, vinyl outsold CDs for the first time in 35 years, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. That interest is part of the reason there’s such excitement around Record Store Day, which takes place Saturday. Record Store Day was created in 2007 during a meeting of independent record store owners in Baltimore and has since been recognized as an official holiday throughout the United States. It’s a celebration of the culture of record stores and the impact they have on music, while also financially supporting them. Customers are often treated to special activities, such as meet and greets with artists, performances and parades, but one of the main reasons people participate is to purchase special vinyl, CDs and other products made solely for the day.

Rochester, NY | Vinyl record fans line up at local store ahead of National Record Store Day: It turns out that records still have a lot of appeal in today’s digital age. “I really like having that piece of physical media, being able to hold it and look at the artwork,” said Julien, who camped out in front of Record Archive. “Not only is it a hobby, but I meet a lot of different people that are interested in it, making new friends.” Record Archive said they were stocked with hundreds of limited record releases to celebrate the day. For vinyl record fans, it’s a national holiday. Music fans look forward to the release of limited edition special albums to mark the occasion every year. Record Archive celebrated with $1 records, live music, and happy hour events throughout the day!

Wellington, NZ | Record Store Day 2023: ‘More titles than I’ve ever had before’ Lines stretched down the roads outside New Zealand’s record shops today, with music fans lining up for hours to get exclusive Record Store Day releases from artists including Taylor Swift and Pearl Jam. Started in 2008, the day celebrates independent record stores and features exclusive releases only available on the day. At the time, the stores were struggling due to illegal downloads. Today there were exclusive releases from artists like Taylor Swift, Pearl Jam, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Fleetwood Mac and Donna Summer. Stock was extremely limited. By 9.10am, Slow Boat Records in Wellington had already run out of Taylor Swift’s limited LP. People had lined up waiting for doors to open since 5am. Lines down the road was a common theme of the day.

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Miami, FL | Where to Shop on Record Store Day 2023 in Miami: Frankly, what are you even doing if you only go to your local record store once or twice a year? In South Florida, there’s an embarrassment of riches at our excellent musical emporiums year-round. Nevertheless, Record Store Day (RSD) is a decent excuse to peruse the stacks, have a dig, and possibly bring home some exclusive releases each April. Local shops mark the occasion with sales, live performances, DJ sets, and other special events. New Times has compiled some of the best places to celebrate RSD on Saturday, April 22. If you are interested in RSD exclusives, call ahead to see what will be in stock.

Milwaukee, WI | Record Store Day 2023: Here’s what’s planned in the Milwaukee area, including at three new shops: Last year’s Record Store Day in Milwaukee marked a couple of farewells. This year, there are some new beginnings. The Exclusive Company, Wisconsin’s largest and longest-running record store chain, closed its stores last year, including its east side and Greenfield locations after last year’s Record Store Day. Fortunately, two new record stores emerged in the same locations — Lilliput in Milwaukee, and Volta in Greenfield. Both stores are going all-out for their debut Record Store Day Saturday. The day also will include the busiest celebrations in years at Acme Records and Rush-Mor Records, as well as an inaugural Record Store Day celebration for newish shop Vinyl Vault in Waukesha. Here are eight stores to check out on Record Store Day in the Milwaukee area, and what they have planned. You can also expect many RSD exclusive releases and can find the full list of titles at recordstoreday.com.

London, UK | Record Store Day 2023: Call yourself a vinyl junkie? Then you’ll already know that Record Store Day is back this Saturday. Founded back in 2007 in the early days of the vinyl revival, the annual celebration of indie record stores has since become a key fixture in any crate digger’s calendar, with thousands of stores across every continent except Antarctica participating. London is home to around 50 indie record stores, which means there are all sorts of fabulous RSD events taking place across the city. Musos will find plenty to do in Soho on Saturday, with beloved record stores like Sister Ray, Reckless Records, Sounds of the Universe, Phonica and Third Man staging in-store performances or offering limited edition vinyl releases to mark the occasion. Our pick of the bunch is dance specialists Phonica, whose previous RSD shindigs have featured high-profile DJs like Skream, Shanti Celeste, Daniel Avery and DJ Boring rocking up to surprise punters with a live set.

DE | National Record Store Day is Saturday, April 22. What new releases will you jam to? National Record Store Day is Saturday, April 22, and we’ve got details on the cool music merch you can score. The twice-annual event began in 2007 and is held on a Saturday in April and again on Black Friday. The goal is to celebrate the culture of independently owned record stores and bring together fans, artists and record shop owners worldwide. Music aficionados who prefer to jam out on 33s and 45s with the crackle of vinyl and scratch of the needle, here’s how you can celebrate: Where can I celebrate National Record Store Day in Delaware?

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Washington, DC | Calling all cratediggers: Celebrate Record Store Day 2023 at these DMV stores: Record Store Day is a music-lover’s dream, where independent record stores across the country sell exclusive releases. Record Store Day is April 22, 2023, and independent record stores across the country, including here in the DMV are gearing up for another celebration. Record Store Day is a music-lovers dream, and vinyl enthusiasts circle the date in anticipation of getting their hands on exclusive releases. This year’s release list includes new music and vinyl from the likes of Taylor Swift, Jason Isbell, David Byrne, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, The Sisters of Mercy, The Black Keys and more. Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently-owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally. The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008. Today, Record Store Day is celebrated at independently-owned brick-and-mortar record stores around the world.

Detroit, MI | Detroit Spins Harder: Local Shops Celebrate Record Store Day. Whether it’s a vintage Tamla 45, a J Dilla box set, or a Stooges French pressing on red vinyl, Detroiters are passionate about records. Some say it’s the warmth of the sound. Others like the big artwork and liner notes. The releases you can’t find in any other format. And supporting the artist by buying instead of streaming. From the moment you pull the vinyl from its sleeve and drop the needle onto its first groove, an album demands your attention in a way that clicking the Play button doesn’t. It can be a relaxing, meditative experience that’s relatively rare in the era of distraction. And so, the popularity of Record Store Day, which celebrates the unique culture of nearly 1,400 independent record stores stateside and thousands of others internationally. Conceived in 2007 by shop owners and their employees, the annual celebration supports indie retailers with several hundred exclusive releases and various store events, sales, and performances. This year, it happens on April 23rd, and many Detroit metro shops have something special planned.

Teddington, UK | Record Store Day 2023 lands in Teddington this Saturday! The ‘Christmas Day’ for over 260 independent record stores across the UK is happening this Saturday, April 22nd. In reality, it is known as Record Store Day (RSD), a must for all serious-and not so serious-vinyl collectors. The annual celebration champions the people who make up record stores across the country and internationally – staff, customers and artists, and provides an opportunity to mark the special role the stores have in their communities. Each year on RSD, the music industry release limited edition vinyl that has previously been unavailable, and can only be purchased in person from independent music stores. Teddington’s beloved Roan Records will be opening its doors to music enthusiasts on Saturday from 8am who are able to buy as many titles from the this year’s list of over five hundred albums, but only one copy of an individual album.

Louisville, KY | Record Store Day Returns This Saturday, April 22, With Its Usual Fun and Sales: On Saturday, April 22 independent record stores around the world will once again celebrate Record Store Day, celebrating the culture of independent record sellers and the experience of the brick and mortar record store. Louisville indie record stores will also be taking part in the celebration again this year. The Great Escape (2433 Bardstown Rd.) has announced they are giving away five free records/CDs per person from their $.99 cent selection all day on April 22. The store will open four hours early at 8 a.m. to kick off the festivities. Better Days Records (921 Barret Ave.) will host Louisville’s rock station LRS102.com for a live broadcast at the store starting at 8 a.m. Guestroom Records (1806 Frankfort Ave.) is preparing new releases and will release more information about the event sometime this week. Underground Sounds (1006 Barret Ave.) will also open at 8 a.m. for the celebration. While not officially getting new releases or promotions, Surface Noise (600 Baxter Ave.) will be having a sale that day on used merchandise.

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Canberra, AU | Record Store Day means different things to different shops and customers: Record Store Day is not what it used to be. Some would describe it as bigger and better than ever, while others would say it’s been hijacked by corporate interests to the detriment of vendors and buyers alike. Whatever your take on the calendar’s big annual event for vinyl lovers, there will be no missing the long queues and busy counters at record stores across the country – Canberra included – on Saturday, 22 April. Landspeed Records, the capital’s largest store, always attracts a huge crowd on Record Store Day, with this year expected to be just as popular. The line-up of eager buyers starts way before the store opens, all competing for the treasures to be found inside. Landspeed promises “a large selection of limited edition RSD releases”, but you have to be there in person as “there are no pre-sales or holds available on RSD releases, they are sold on a strictly first come first served basis on the day.

Isle of Wight, UK | Get ready for Record Store Day at Ventnor Exchange: Free live music, rare vinyl releases and more. Ventnor Exchange celebrates its ninth annual Record Store Day next Saturday, featuring rare vinyl releases, live music, a book signing and a quiz night. Keeping with tradition of the last nine years Ventnor Exchange will open its doors early on Saturday 22nd April to host music lovers from far and wide. Ventnor Exchange is the original official RSD outlet on the Isle of Wight, and have been enthusiastic participants of the event ever since the store opened in 2014. This worldwide phenomenon has been one the driving forces behind the vinyl revival that started in 2007. As ever, there will of course be all the exciting special vinyl releases, the return of a full lineup of music including some of the young DJs from Brave Island hitting the decks with Ed Eldridge to show off their skills they have been honing.

Minneapolis, MN | Electric Fetus Beats on for 55th Year: Welcome to Electric Fetus—as important and enduring a Minneapolis landmark as the Stone Arch Bridge or Minnehaha Falls but with way more good vibes. Walking into Electric Fetus is a visceral experience. Incense greets you at the door and settles into your hair and clothes, while the creak of the store’s wood floorboards and the gentle clicking of staff and customers sorting through CDs provide accompaniment to the music playing overhead. “We don’t sell music; we sell experiences,” one of the Fetus’s co-owners, Aaron Meyerring, tells me on a wintry Wednesday. It’s a sales pitch, of course, but by the end of my day there, I begin to believe it. When I reflect on the many, many memories I have of this special place, from the in-store performances I’ve attended to the formative years I spent working behind the record counter, what I treasure most isn’t the armloads of LPs I’ve added to my collection or the many last-minute birthday presents I’ve nabbed from the gift department. Nah. It’s the experiences. Damn, Aaron got it right.

Lancashire, UK | East Lancs record shops getting ready for Record Store Day: East Lancashire’s independent record shops are bracing themselves for one of the busiest days of the year. Townsend Records based in Clitheroe and Great Harwood, is taking part in Record Store Day next Saturday – a national event which sees music lovers from all over the country trying to get their hands on some of the exclusive vinyl releases. Some of the most sought-after releases of the 400 or so items this year include Taylor Swift’s Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions; a boxset of David Bowie singles from the Sixties; a 10-inch boxset of John Lennon tracks and a 50th anniversary release of Paul McCartney and Wings’ Red Rose Speedway album. Paul McGowan, manager of Townsend Records in Clitheroe said: “Record Store Day is always special. It’s a day which many music lovers and record collectors mark on the calendar and this year there are a wide variety of releases. “We will have people queueing from the early hours to be among the first in line when we open at 8am next Saturday to have a chance of getting their hands on that one release they really want.

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Cleveland, OH | 14 Record Stores to Check Out in Greater Cleveland: Dig through crates and find your next great listen at Northeast Ohio’s vast variety of independent record shops. Interest in vinyl has continued to soar in Cleveland and across the country, but collectors like it for different reasons. For some, like Bridget Ginley, the search for that one record she has wanted for years is just as important as the score. “We’re Midwesterners,” she says. “We like a good hunt.” Ginley, the host of Erie Effusion on WRUW-FM 91.1, owns a couple thousand records with her partner. She cycled through the different formats — tape, CD, download — before coming back to vinyl. There’s something about that sound that isn’t present in other formats; and then there’s the aesthetic. “It’s like a piece of art, to find the condition it’s in and wonder where it’s been,” she says. The spotlight on vinyl is perhaps brightest on April 22, when independent stores celebrate Record Store Day. Many also carry special releases, which this year includes everything from Taylor Swift to Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.

Crewe, UK | Crewe town centre shop announces permanent closure just 12 months after opening: A Crewe town centre shop selling craft beer and vinyl has announced it will be permanently closing down – just 12 months after launching. The Doghouse Craft Beer & Record Shop, Crewe Market Hall, shut downs for good at 6pm on Sunday 16 April. General manager of The Crewe Dog, Louis Delaney, launched the store in April 2022 – as an expansion of the popular market hall bar. The craft beer and record store has offered modern and vintage vinyl as well as a raft of music memorabilia and merchandise for the past 12 months. It has also filled its shelves with over 200 takeaway beers and ales from around the world. On Thursday 13 April, The Doghouse Craft Beer & Record Shop announced it was leaving Crewe Market Hall on social media. A statement read: “As some of you may or may not have heard by now, The Doghouse—home of great vinyl & delicious craft beer—is closing.

Jackson, MS | Water ruined his vinyl, but store owner gets by with a little help from his friends: For Phillip Rollins, who owns the record and comic store OffBeat in Jackson, Mississippi, the last month has been all about recovery after a fire broke out in a neighboring building. “We had a lot of flood damage due to that fire, so we lost a lot of our used records,” Rollins said. Rollins relocated his store in Jackson, Mississippi, to the city’s downtown area last fall. Selling used records is his main source of income, and while the flood damage was painful, his family and community have helped him recover. “We’ve acquired a lot of new collections to replace the stuff that got water damaged,” Rollins said. “We’ve gotten some good stuff in due to people seeing me on the news and just really supporting the shop, and helped clean up and dry stuff off.” While Rollins and his wife are still assessing the damage, he’s also looking ahead to the summer. In particular, Rollins is hoping to bring customers to the shop with album listening parties.

Los Angeles, CA | 50th anniversary for ‘Nuggets’ compilation kicks off events and RSD set: Lenny Kaye’s iconic ‘Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968’ compilation celebrates its 50th anniversary with 3 days of events in Los Angeles and a box set (with unreleased material) for Record Store Day. Rhino is throwing a three-day party in Los Angeles to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968, one of the most influential rock anthologies ever released. The groundbreaking collection more than doubles in size for a new anniversary edition that will be released on vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive on April 22. …The event features Lenny Kaye, who compiled the original Nuggets collection and the new anniversary edition. Kaye (who also plays guitar with the Patti Smith Group) will answer questions from DJ/producer Tana Yonas. This is a free all-ages event, and their conversation will stream live on dublab radio on Sunday, April 30, 10am PST and will be made available in the station’s archives afterward.

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Gainesville, GA | Moe’s Record Shop is moving. Here’s when and where. Moe’s Record Shop is moving on up — not to the east side, but three doors down from its current location. The record store is moving from its 105 Bradford St. NE address in downtown Gainesville to 119 Bradford St. NE, which previously housed Thrasherville Skateshop. Owner Moe Lyons hopes to be set up in his new digs by April 25 — four years to the day since launching Moe’s Record Shop in Flowery Branch. The store has occupied 105 Bradford St. NE since 2020. “I just saw an opportunity,” Lyons said. “I’ve grown a lot, so there will be an opportunity to expand some more (in the new space). The timing was right.” Moving from roughly 500 square feet to some 2,000, Lyons plans to add CDs and cassettes to his shop’s offerings, in addition to further expanding his already sizable record collection and potentially hosting live music “from time to time.”

Detroit, MI | Record Store Day carries the right tune: Cue those turntables: It’s time to kick out the jams. On April 22, local independent record stores will open up shop for Record Store Day 2023. Record Store Day, held internationally, was launched in 2007 to give employees and customers the chance to gather and celebrate the independent record store culture. In addition, record companies release new music or re-release albums on vinyl not available elsewhere. That could include picture discs and LPs from bands no longer together. “Record Store Day started out when vinyl was making a comeback,” said Davey Taylor, who with wife Lisa Taylor owns Weirdsville Records at 61 Macomb Place in Mount Clemens. “It’s about helping the mom-and-pop shops. Sometimes you get a lot of new customers that have never been to the store or new people who just got a record player.”

Boise, ID | Yea! Record Store Day! It’s a weekend-long celebration that feels like a special holiday (think if the Fourth of July and NYE had a baby) — and it only happens once a year. On Saturday, April 22, hundreds of music fans and vinyl collectors will line up (some overnight) outside The Record Exchange to get their hands on 300 exclusive Record Store Day releases. According to a press release, these exclusives are only, I repeat, only available at independent record stores, including a one-time pressing of a 2020 Taylor Swift live recording (cue up the Swifties). Other releases include: Pearl Jam, The 1975, Mac Miller (as Larry Lovestein), Miles Davis, Beach House, Stevie Nicks, Carole King, Grateful Dead, Duran Duran, The Cure, Ramones, Madonna, Wilco, The Black Keys, Van Halen, Dolly Parton, Orville Peck, Billy Joel, Elton John and many more. Throughout the extended weekend, The Record Exchange will offer sales on vinyl, video, apparel and more, as well as the debut of a new limited-edition T-shirt designed by Boise artist and BW illustrator Jerms Lanningham.

Northampton, MA | Turnin’ the tables: Vinyl albums making a resurgence: When digital downloads became widely available in the early 2000s and subsequently surpassed sales of physical music, the music industry and the public had all but signed the death certificate for local record stores, resigned to the idea that music consumption through vinyl albums and CDs was firmly on the road to obsolescence. In fact, a March 2010 edition of The Valley Advocate even references Northampton music store Turn It Up! as one of the Valley’s last outposts of what was referred to as “old school” music-buying. “There was a period where people would ask us what we were going to do when we went out of business,” said Patrick Pezzati, owner and founder of Turn It Up! However, it turns out the numerous speculators were wrong. After nearly three decades in business, the Northampton shop’s pulse is still strong in the Valley, selling physical media products to this day. Pezzati also maintains locations of Turn It Up! in Montague and Brattleboro, Vermont. “We went from being cool to uncool to cool again. And we’re still here.”

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Boston, MA | 11 Best Boston-Area Record Stores for Record Store Day: Shop vinyl and score some exclusive deals. Vinyl is making a comeback. Fans say they prefer vinyl’s collectibility and richness of sound compared to streaming services like Spotify. In 2007, independent record store owners got together and created Record Store Day to celebrate the culture and impact of records and independent businesses. Record Store Day has been celebrated every year since, and became a global sensation with big-name artists like Taylor Swift, Pearl Jam, Metallica, and Brandi Carlile adopting the role of “Record Store Day Ambassador.” This year, it falls on April 22 with Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires as ambassadors, releasing a special joint EP titled The Sonic Emporium EP with new songs from the two musicians.

Milwaukee, WI | How Lilliput Records Saved This Beloved East Side Shop: A new record shop in a familiar space on Farwell Avenue. Tanner Musgrove thought about owning her own store while working at the Farwell Street location of Wisconsin record store chain ​The Exclusive Company. But “it was more of a pipe dream,” she says. Then, when Exclusive announced, in early 2022, that it would close all of its stores, her dream morphed into a mission to save the beloved shop, with the help of her co-worker Brian Kirk. Vinyl-loving patrons opened their wallets to help, kicking in over $22,000. The plan worked, and Musgrove and Kirk are now co-owners of a new store in the location called Lilliput Records. “Record stores are such special places,” Musgrove says. “We didn’t want to lose this one.” This month, Lilliput Records is celebrating Record Store Day. On April 22 there will be coffee, live music, raffles and, of course, sales on some of their inventory.

Lansdowne, PA | Vinyl Revival celebrates Record Store Day with live music and special promotions: Vinyl Revival, 26 N. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne, will celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store on Record Store Day, April 22. The day brings together fans, artists, and thousands of independent record stores around the world. This year’s Record Store Day will feature a variety of artists and a diversity of releases. Vinyl Revival will stock a wide selection of releases, including exclusives, which are physically released only at indie record stores; RSD First, titles that are found first at record stores but may be released to other retailers or web stores at some point; and small run/regional titles, titles that are either regionally based and sold at specific stores or are press runs under 1,000.

Melbourne, AU | Old Plates Is Fitzroy’s Cosy New Record Store Bar From PBS’s Long-Spinning DJ Manchild: Dig through an impressive collection of rare vinyl with a cocktail in hand — and catch guest selectors on the decks three nights a week. Melbourne’s bar culture and its music scene are friendlier than ever these days, as listening bars continue to sprout across the city. You’ve got beloved spots like Waxflower and Music Room ingraining themselves into our lives, not to mention newcomers like the soon-to-launch Stella’s within the newly revived Saint Hotel. And now, Fitzroy has scored a music-fuelled drinking den of its own, with the arrival of Brunswick Street bar and record store Old Plates. This one’s got some serious musical pedigree behind it, too, as the long-planned brainchild of Ethan Hill. Best known by the moniker DJ Manchild, Hill’s been the guy behind PBS FM’s The Breakdown for almost two decades, and has been spinning funk and soul records around town since his high school days.

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Springfield, IL | One for the records: Third-generation downtown business closing its doors April 29: Alison Cox of Springfield admitted she hadn’t been in Recycled Records in years. News of the downtown store’s closing is what brought Cox and her 12-year-old daughter, Ryleigh, in on a recent Saturday afternoon. “Every Saturday (of my college days) was spent here shopping,” Alison Cox said, clutching vinyl records by the Beatles and Tom Petty. “It’s going to be sad when it’s gone.” Gary Kessler, one of its owners, confirmed last week that the iconic downtown store, which has operated in some capacity in the family for 113 years and has become a destination place for record shoppers throughout the Midwest, would shutter for good April 29.

Houston, TX | Shop at These 8 Houston Record Stores for New and Vintage Vinyl: Blues, country, punk rock—Houston is awash in varied vinyl. Blues. Country. Hip hop. Rap. Cumbia. Punk rock. Houston’s music scene is about as diverse as its population, a point our finest local record stores reflect. The city’s top vinyl shops offer a curated megamix of new and vintage music, rocking limited run box sets, albums with special bonus tracks, and all kinds of genres in formats from cassettes and CDs to etched vinyl. Spend some time sifting through the goods to build your collection and find your next musical obsession. Here’s where to find the best Houston record stores for new and vintage vinyl.

Melbourbe, AU | Celebrate at JJ’s Vinyl as Record Store Day turns 16: Exclusive RSD titles, new and used vinyl, discounts and DJ Brett Wolfie; the crate diggers’ favourite day will be a big one this year. Record Store Day turns 16! The annual event traditionally takes place on the third Saturday of April and celebrates the culture of independent record stores worldwide. Thousands of stores take part as collectors try to get their hands on must-have limited edition records that are pressed specifically for RSD and released in different countries. As die-hard vinyl lovers in Melbourne know, JJ’s Vinyl is a gem where you can find new arrivals and classic restocks, along with those quirky, hard-to-find titles you didn’t even know you needed but do. To celebrate the 16th year of RSD, JJ’s will be hosting an in-store event with loads of exclusive RSD titles, stacks of new and used vinyl with some exciting discounts and tunes spinning from DJ Brett Wolfie, care of the Melbourne Record Club.

Bucks County, PA | Record Store Day 2023 is almost here. How to get the most out of it in Bucks County: Small indie record shops everywhere are gearing up for Record Store Day which falls on April 22 this year. The occasion is so coveted by music fans and vinyl collectors looking to get their hands on the rarest and most exclusive vinyl releases, it almost harkens back to the days when folks would line up for hours outside their nearest Ticketron location in hopes of scoring the best concert tickets. Those long lines are a huge part of the experience, said Kevin Sandridge, owner of Positively Records in Levittown. “Everyone who shows up has the same love for music, the same interests, so they start talking about what they’re looking for or what concerts they’ve been to. And it almost becomes this big music lovers’ fest,” he said.

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Saginaw, MI | Local record shop celebrates comeback of vinyl albums: Saginaw’s Records and Tapes Galore, a record shop with 50 years of experience, is embracing the resurgence of vinyl album sales in the US. Vinyl’s resurgence has been welcomed by music enthusiasts, and its popularity continues to grow. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. Bill Wegner, owner of Records and Tapes Galore, never expected to see the format make a comeback, especially after it faded away in the mid-90s when CDs took over. “When we started in 1974, we had records, a few cassettes, because most people were using eight tracks, and of course we had eight tracks too. And then, of course, years went by. The eight track finally was discontinued. The cassette came in real strong. The album started to fade. The mid 90s, what happened? They stopped making albums. Nobody bought albums,” Wegner said.

Nottingham, UK | Rough Trade Nottingham announces Record Store Day 2023 line-up: Independent record store company Rough Trade has announced its live-in store line-ups and exclusive collaborations ahead of Record Store Day 2023. On Saturday, the 22nd of April, music lovers attending celebrations at Rough Trade record store in Nottingham can expect to hear live performances from a variety of artists. From 11 am until 10 pm, the Broad Street store will host an exclusive signing from Chris Olley of Six by Seven and live performances from Do Nothing, Divorce, Mouth Culture and Jemma Johnson, among others. Dylan Whatley, Events Assistant for Rough Trade, said: “We’re really excited to welcome such a cool mix of artists to Rough Trade Nottingham this RSD, especially where we’ve curated a local focus with some of our new favourite acts like Divorce and Cj Pandit on the bill. “It’s going to be a top day for locals and visitors alike, we can’t wait.”

Lima, OH | Band returns to Groamy’s for Record Store Day: Paulding County band the Neon Straightjackets got their start performing at National Record Store Day at Groamy’s CDs and Tapes in 2021. Now they are set to return to the Lima venue for the newest edition of the day that celebrates independent record stores in the show, scheduled for April 22. Larry Stahl, who sings and plays guitar for the band that tries to combine ’90s alt-rock with Seattle grunge, said the band jumped at the chance to come back to the store for part of its tour to promote the release of the new EP “Ex-Girlfriends and Ecstasy.” “The first time we ever played a show was here, and there was a good crowd that day,” he said. “Everybody really liked the music. Everybody kept asking how old we were and how long we had been doing it, and we just felt welcomed with open arms.”

Boston, MA | What’s your favorite independent record store in Greater Boston? Now that vinyl has come roaring back, where do you go to pick up the golden oldies and the latest spins? The record is back! Who’d a thunk it? After all, it wasn’t that long ago that vinyl records, that staple of music reproduction for most of the 20th century, seemed dead and buried. Record-pressing plants sat fallow as cassettes and then shiny new CDs took their place in the music-buying consciousness, followed by the digital download revolution of the early 2000s. But an interesting thing happened as the advent of streaming made the concept of “owning” music even more ephemeral: Society got together and decided it would like to have some music it could hold in its hands, thank you very much. And vinyl records—with their outsized, artwork-laden covers and a pesky habit of having to be flipped over at least once during listening—started their comeback.

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Canandaigua, NY | ‘Come hang out, listen to music, talk music.’ Record store finds new home in Canandaigua: The harmonies of The Beatles are that much sweeter and Jimi Hendrix’s guitar riffs are that much nastier on vinyl, better than they sound on cassette or compact disc, anyway. That can be true, said Jon Cooley, the owner of the Canandaigua Record Exchange, relaxing on a chair underneath the store logo in the lounge area of his new location on Coy Street. Cooley moved the record store from one side of Canandaigua’s Main Street to the other, gaining extra floor space in the process, partly for him or anyone else to be able to talk music and importantly, listen to it. As a shopper flips through records ranging in taste from 1980s rockers Def Leppard to William Shatner – yes, that William Shatner and his Christmas album – Cooley opines on Taylor Swift, the difference between collecting records and listening to them, and, reluctantly, his band growing up. Bamboozled played the Strawberry Festival in Canandaigua and another show at a defunct coffee shop

Mold, UK | Mold to embrace music for annual Record Store Day 2023: This month sees the return of an annual celebration of vinyl, and all things music. Popular event Record Store Day take place on Saturday, April 22, and one Flintshire store is happy to be taking part again. More than 260 independent record shops are participating, with VOD Music, in Mold, the only one representing North Wales this year. Owner Colin Trueman, who just celebrated the record shop’s 14th anniversary, has plenty on offer music lovers and collectors on the day, starting from 8am. Hundreds of vinyl limited editions are released for the day on a first come first served basis, in store. There will also be giveaways for the first few customers and live music by The Boy With The Greyhound Tattoo. There will be a record fair at the Daniel Owen Community Centre in Mold (free entry 9am-4pm) and a vinyl night at the Queens Head pub, on Chester Road from 8pm. Record Store Day is the one day of the year when hundreds of independent record shops all across the UK come together to celebrate their unique culture.

Princeton, NJ | Record Shopping in New Jersey: A Playlist From a Fresh Haul: Thumbing through the crates at the Princeton Record Exchange, and rediscovering albums by Stevie Wonder, Linda Ronstadt, Broadcast and Merle Haggard. I love the unpredictability of walking into a record store with a regularly replenished New Arrivals section. You never know what you’ll find: maybe that obscure rarity you’ve spent years hunting down, maybe a familiar classic discounted too low to resist, maybe a chance purchase that sends you down a rabbit hole of related artists. To honor this spirit of musical serendipity, here’s the first of a recurring Amplifier segment, My Record Haul, featuring playlists from my recent finds at brick-and-mortar record shops. I’m going to begin close to home, with a visit to one of my favorite record stores in the world (maybe one of my favorite places in the world, full stop) the Princeton Record Exchange: a vast 4,300-square-foot music lover’s paradise tucked down a side street near Princeton U’s campus.

Sheboygan, WI | Local music stores ride renewed vinyl interest: When John Selak started with Music Boxx Records in 2004, compact disc and movies were the bread and butter of the business. Almost 20 years later, he’s the owner and the stock in the store has shifted. “Around 2009 was the first year we had records,” Selak said. “It’s now two-thirds records compared to CD. If not even slightly more than that.” Consumers are buying an increasing number of records on vinyl. That has record companies releasing — and re-releasing — more titles on the medium. “I’ve been noticing a lot more hip-hop albums released on vinyl and a younger demographic embracing the records,” Selak said. “I’m talking about teenagers to young adults. Probably that 13 to 24 group. I’ve also noticed older people who grew up with records are getting back into it, too.” Events like April’s annual Record Store Day have helped put a spotlight on independent music stores around the state and nation.

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Point Pleasant, NJ | Clarizio Music Record Department brings vinyl to the Boro: Local record store sees growing numbers of success. The record Department of Clarizio Music Center, located at 2428 Bridge Ave, has been celebrating the success of their record department — selling new and used vinyl records and CDs — since opening its doors in December, 2021. Residents of Point Boro may be familiar with Clarizio Music Center, which has been a staple of Point Pleasant for over 25 years and offers music lessons, musical instrument sales, rentals and repair services. …Like so many other businesses, Clarizio was affected by COVID, but Mr. Kindler took this obstacle and made it an opportunity. He said that himself and his family always wanted to open a record store in conjunction with the other part of the business. Having another space right next to their musical center, previously used for more lessons, he then decided it was time to convert this into the record store.

Alexandria, VA | City Creatives | He’s got the beat: Crooked Beat owner overcomes industry trends, and rats, to keep selling vinyl: Bill Daly, unsurprisingly, is a lifelong lover of music. Daly’s record collection and knowledge of bands were turning heads long before he opened Crooked Beat Records, which sells old and new vinyl in Alexandria. “One night I got a call from a friend of mine who used to date one of my housemates. When he’d come over to see her, he’d look at my album collection and was always mystified. He wanted me to come work with him at a record store near North Carolina State and next thing I know I was there seven years,” Daly said. Daly decided to take the leap into entrepreneurship with his own store. In 1997, the first Crooked Beat Records opened its doors in Raleigh. The Raleigh location became difficult to keep afloat due to dwindling foot traffic in the early 2000s. Though Daly and his partner had fewer in-store customers than desired, records were still being shipped out every day. Most of these records were going to the Washington, D.C. area. A move to a new DMV location started to make sense.

Madison, WI | WORT Record Store Day DJ Party At Boneset Records: Join WORT 89.9 FM at Boneset Records, 222 North Street Suite B, to celebrate Record Store Day on Saturday, April 22nd! WORT DJs will be spinning from 10am to 6pm in celebration of the strong connection between volunteer-powered radio and the record stores that help keep our shows unique! Our music show hosts are always on the prowl for new (and old, possibly forgotten) musical treasures to share with the public, and independent record stores like Boneset Records (Madison’s newest record store) are a rich source of audio delicacies for everyone. Come down and enjoy sets from WORT DJs while browsing the racks.

Phoenix, AZ | Unmistakable rhythm of cumbia music grows louder in Phoenix as local DJ duo and fusion band work to create thriving scene: …Cumbia — a percussion-heavy style of Latin music that originated in Colombia — has a distinctive rhythm, with a pattern known as clave, heard in Afro-Cuban music such as reggaeton and reggae. Today’s cumbia is a melting pot of musical culture. Eduardo Pym and Felix Trejo, Phoenix natives who founded the DJ duo Vinyl Vagos a year ago, found inspiration in their mutual love for the music and its cultural significance to the community. “It’s important to preserve and to play this for our generation, because the music that we’re playing, it’s nostalgic,” said Trejo, adding Vinyl Vagos is hosting its biggest cumbia event to date—a Selena Birthday Bash in honor of the late American Tejano singer—at Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix on April 15. Cumbia traces its roots to Colombia’s 19th century African culture. Enslaved Africans who were brought to Colombia and other Caribbean countries created cumbia as a style of courtship dance.

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Seattle, WA | Top 5 Music and Vinyl Record Stores in Seattle: Looking for some great music and vinyl records in Seattle? Check out these top 5 stores that offer a wide selection of CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records. Have you visited any of them yet? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 1. Sonic Boom: Sonic Boom is a well-organized record store that is highly supportive of local music in Seattle. The store has a wide variety of used and new CDs and vinyl, with continually updated used records in excellent condition and at fair prices, and a great selection of newer vinyl. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the store offers other useful items like LP covers, slip mats, vinyl cleaning solution, cool merch, magazines, etc. The store is well-decorated, and the music they play is well-picked. However, prices may seem high, and some staff members handle records roughly. Overall, Sonic Boom is a must-stop for record shopping in Seattle, with an excellent atmosphere and plenty of music…

Cloverdale, CA | Cloverdale’s Elevated Music hosting second annual Easter egg hunt: Store also preparing for upcoming Record Store Day sales event on April 22. Cloverdale’s Elevated Music is hosting another Easter egg hunt. Last year, Bill Haggerty, Elevated Music proprietor, hosted an inaugural Easter egg hunt throughout downtown Coverdale. He hid a half-dozen eggs, but this time around he’s decided to up his game. “This will be the second annual event,” said Haggerty. “This year, the hunt will take place on the main drag (176th) with over 100 eggs, roughly 50 eggs on either side of the street.” Haggerty said he’ll post clues online ahead of time with rough locations of the eggs. The hunt itself will take place Saturday, April 8. “They won’t really be out of sight and will be fairly easy to spot and find,” he added. The eggs will have raffle tickets inside for a chance to win gift cards and 7-inch single giveaways. He said in several of the eggs there will also be 10 per cent off coupons for the store. And each egg will have chocolates inside.

Chicago, IL | Best place to find vintage music ephemera at reasonable prices: Let’s Boogie Records & Tapes. et’s Boogie Records & Tapes (3321 S. Halsted) is a time machine to a different era. Bridgeport and Pilsen have no shortage of outlets for serious crate diggers (shout-out to 606 Records), but Let’s Boogie has been around longer than any other shop in the area—Neal S. Keller opened it in the mid-70s—and it has the ambience to match. These days it’s open only one day per week (Saturdays from 11 AM till 6 PM), so it’s definitely a labor of love—a place where music enthusiasts can experience classic dad-rock record-store vibes without paternalism or condescension. The store is plastered with posters that look like they haven’t moved since the 80s, and it smells historic. But it’s run by the friendliest people, and they’re always excited to talk all things music and Chicago.

London, ON | Village Idiot owner looking to pass vinyl torch to next generation: Old South’s Village Idiot is a “survival story,” building back its business after the COVID pandemic. Old South’s Village Idiot is a “survival story,” building back its business after the COVID pandemic. Now, the record and music store is looking to survive a little longer, owner Robert Charles-Dunne said. After 23 years, he is retiring but hopes to sell the business to an entrepreneur who wants to keep alive the funky Wortley Village shop and the vinyl it sells. “It has been a survival story and I didn’t work this long and hard for it to evaporate. I need to find the next generation. I hope it stays open for another 23 years,” Charles-Dunne said. “We shut down for seven months through the nightmare of COVID and we’re bouncing back now. This is very much a viable store.” The Village Idiot sells vinyl records, musical instruments, and stereo gear.

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