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

Redditch, UK | Redditch independent record shop announces closure: It’S the end of an era—or rather a decade—for indie record shop, Vintage Trax after its owner, Ros Sidaway, reluctantly announced the closure of the shop. It’s fair to say that 2023 has been a challenging year for the business, just off Church Green East in the town centre. The ongoing cost of living crisis and the overall state of affairs in the town have negatively impacted both footfall and customer spend, with income not covering the overheads for the past few months. In addition, a bad fall at the end of May kept Ros away from the shop for five months and her husband, David, had to step in and keep things ticking over with her sister, Teresa, who has worked with Ros since Vintage Trax began trading back in 2013. “I had hoped that, with Christmas fast approaching, trade would have begun to pick up but with just over four weeks to go there is no sign of that happening,” said Ros. “So, it’s with a heavy heart that I have had to take the hard decision to close down the shop early in the New Year.”

Grand Rapids, MI | First Black women-owned vinyl record shop opens in Grand Rapids: Grand Rapids welcomed a new cultural milestone with the opening of Della Soul Records, the first vinyl record shop owned by a Black woman. On Nov. 4, Grand Rapids welcomed a new cultural milestone with the opening of Della Soul Records, the city’s first vinyl record shop owned by a Black woman, according to WoodTV. Della Marie Levi, driven by her lifelong passion for music and inspired by her father’s vinyl record collection, has transformed her dream into reality by establishing this unique record store. Music has always held a special place in Levi’s heart, as she reminisced about her father’s enthusiasm for vinyl records. “He loved vinyl records. He was in the special zone whenever he listened to his vinyl records,” Levi fondly recalled to WoodTV. Her journey into vinyl records began when she decided to learn DJing using this classic medium. Starting with pop-up shops, she recently expanded into her permanent brick-and-mortar store on Kalamazoo Avenue near Hall Street, officially named Della Soul Records.

Newark, DE | Main Street record shopping: I started record shopping at some point during the pandemic. All of the time I spent alone allowed me to expand my listening habits and develop new interests, one of them collecting vinyl records. Since then, I’ve accumulated a rather sizable inventory consisting of a variety of genres and sounds. From The Strokes’ “Is This It” to Sufjan Stevens’ “Illinois” and “Carrie and Lowell” to, of course, the “La La Land” soundtrack (the cinephile in me always prevails), I now have enough records to satisfy myself for eternity. That doesn’t mean I have any plan of stopping. In the age of digital streaming, not enough people are aware of the solace that can be found in record shops. So, I recently visited all three of Main Street’s record stores, purchasing one album from each. Let this article act as a guide to the venues, as people should be more inclined to check them out.

St. Peter, MN | Gustavus professor, rapper opens record store in downtown St. Peter: For philosopher, rapper, theologian and now St. Peter’s newest business owner Jon Ivan Gill, music’s power to move and shape people’s lives is comparable to the influence of the divine. The idea that music can imbue its listeners and practitioners with identity, purpose and even guide them toward a good life drives Gill’s own work as an Assistant Professor in Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College, where he explores the boundaries between hip-hop and philosophical and religious thought in courses like Philosophy and Battle Rap. So when Gill and his brother Steven Andrews decided to open up a new record store at 123 S. Minnesota Avenue, they chose a fitting name to describe the shelves of cutting edge and classic records inside: Aesthetic Religion, Records & Texts. Sandwiched between Rick’s Consignment and Antiques and Southern Minnesota Orthodontics, the downtown record store celebrated its grand opening on Friday by bringing the music to downtown St. Peter with a symphony of special events.

Read More »

London, UK | New record store, Upside Down Records, opens in South London: The new Deptford pre-loved vinyl and CD shop is run by Philippe Giron, who managed Camberwell’s beloved Rat Records for 15 years until its closure in June 2022. A new record store has opened in South London. Upside Down Records is the newest addition to Deptford High Street and aims to be a “social hub for music heads”. It specialises in secondhand vinyl and CDs, and so far pre-loved stock includes genres like house, reggae, drum & bass, IDM, jazz, funk, fusion and more. …The shop is run by Philippe Giron, who managed Camberwell’s beloved Rat Records for 15 years until its closure in June 2022. “Record shops may have a reputation for being intimidating sometimes, but I believe you won’t find that here”, Giron wrote on the store’s website. “…I’m always amazed by the level of passion from customers, and find that to be contagious. That’s why I’m starting Upside Down Records, to keep my passion alive.”

Belfast, IE | New business continuing the Van Morrison family legacy in east Belfast: A new east Belfast business is following in the footsteps of Van Morrison’s parents bringing vinyl sales – with a twist – to the Beersbridge Road for the first time in years. Set up by long-term friends Paddy Baird and Jason Hawthorne, Bread and Records brings together two unlikely businesses under one roof. Heading up Assemble Bakery, Mr Baird brings freshly baked treats and coffee to the shop, while Mr Hawthorne sells a carefully curated selection of new and vintage records through First Press Vinyl. The new bakery and record shop is based on the ground floor of a former two storey office building, on the Beersbridge Road. That same road was once home to Caledonia Records, a record shop set up by Van Morrison’s parents Violet and George after they returned to Belfast from California.

Stockton, UK | Tom Butchart’s Sound It Out Records makes staggering £23,500 as first lot goes under the hammer: The vinyl shop closed two months after Tom sadly died suddenly in his shop. More than £23,000 has already been raised from Sound It Out Records stock in memory of much-loved owner Tom Butchart. Store owner Tom sadly died suddenly in his shop in June, leaving his wife Clare, parents, three younger brothers, and the Teesside music community devastated. The Stockton vinyl shop closed two months later after serving the North East since 1998. …Over the years the shop grew and became one of the most popular vinyl shops in the country. At the time of Tom’s death, Teesside Live reported on the hundreds of tributes left to Tom. His wife Clare said: “Thank you to everyone for the many kind, heartfelt messages we’ve received about Tom. “There are so many of them which shows just how well loved and respected Tom was. We are utterly devastated at his loss but people’s kind words are a comfort to me and Tom’s family at this impossibly difficult time.”

Palm Beach, FL | Rust & Wax store grows along with the popularity of new and used vinyl records. It’s almost cliché to say that the pandemic inspired bold change in people’s lives. Quarantine-induced reflection worldwide saw individuals taking stock. For Florida natives Melanie Feldman and Jesse Feldman, COVID-19 couldn’t have come at a better time. It helped propel their side gig selling vintage goods into one of Palm Beach County’s premier record stores, Rust & Wax. The West Palm Beach-based store focuses primarily on selling new and used vinyl records, everything from the latest Taylor Swift album to classic rock, indie pop, reggae and jazz. Business is going so well that the store will move to larger digs in January, just a few doors down from their current location within Industry Alley, a hip, rehabbed retail oasis just off Belvedere Road adjacent to the railroad tracks. “We’re doubling our size, to about 1,600 square feet of retail space,” says Melanie.

Read More »

Fresno, CA | Black Friday shoppers take over Tower District record store in Fresno: On Black Friday, a long line formed before sunrise for the opening of a record store in Fresno’s Tower District. Ragin Records was set to open its doors at 8 a.m. for their sale of exclusive vinyl for Black Friday’s Record Store Day. Ragin Records has another location in Fresno’s River Park, but the Tower District location was releasing 82 exclusive titles for Black Friday. These records can only be purchased in person at independent record stores across the country, no one can find them at chain stores, online, or be mail-ordered. It is the biggest day of business for Ragin Records. “The day is so important, it’s the biggest day for business. It is imperative the record labels made it where we have something the chains do not…”

Madison, WI | Madison record store’s Black Friday line goes ‘round and ‘round: Record heads – this one’s for you. A local record store in Madison celebrated Black Friday with dozens of customers lining up around the block to get limited editions of their favorite artist’s records. According to Strictly Disc’s owner, Rick Stoner, customers began lining up last night – with the first two already set and ready by 11:30 p.m. “A lot of people were also showing up as early as one or two o’ clock in the morning,” Stoner said. With the chilly weather, customers were bundled up in coats, hats, scarves, and blankets as they braved the cold with vinyl in hand. To make the process as efficient as possible, each person gets handed a ‘menu’, where they check off what records they want to buy. An employee will then grab the discs from inside the store, hand it back off to the customer, who will then check out with a different employee outside.

Rochester, NY | Independent record stores spin exclusive titles for ‘Record Store Day.’ Shoppers are often looking for deals on the latest tech during Black Friday. Others, they’re looking for deals on the classics. Friday was Record Store Day. The main Record Store Day happens in April. Alayna Alderman with Record Archive in Rochester says Black Friday is like a baby version of the holiday. It started as a way to give independent stores exclusives to set them apart from the bigger stores. Included this year, a red and yellow splattered pressing of local legendary band Joywave’s first EP, only at Record Archive. We also went to Hi-fi lounge on Monroe Avenue in Brighton. Owner Mark Kaidy says this day stirs up a lot of emotion. “For a record store owner when you go to sleep and dream about the perfect day,” Kaidy said. “It kind of looks a lot like record store day. So, I’m really happy to do it.”

Jacksonville, IL | Pizza Records Sees Good Turnout For Second Record Store Day Event: Jacksonville’s lone record store kicked out the jams for Black Friday and for its second Record Store Day event. The inaugural nationwide Record Store Day was first held in 2007. Jacksonville had outlets in the past, but Pizza Records’ owner Devin & Heather Smock brought the tradition back to Jacksonville this past year. The event is known for hosting special pressings of rare albums and releases of popular and limited edition albums for patrons to purchase. Devin Smock says his day began early yesterday morning with a line of music lovers awaiting to get their hands on the special edition releases: “There was a pretty decent-sized line. I got here at 6AM and a couple of my regular customers were already here waiting outside. It was a good line and a nice turnout. It was steady since then, so yeah, it’s been another good one.”

Read More »

Warren, OH | Celebrate Record Store, Record People day on Black Friday: …Record People Day is the brainchild of Dean Anshutz and Adam Berry, owners of Cycle Breakers Records and Tapes inside Westside Bowl in Youngstown. …nstead of folks showing up hours before doors open in hopes of buying one of those rare releases, Record People Day is planned as a more informal gathering from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 24. There will be about eight to 10 record vendors, including other retail shops like Underdog in Hubbard and Fat Hippy in Brookfield, pizza, giveaways and music from the Peppermint Pals (Anshutz of Red Wanting Blue and Anthony LaMarca of The War on Drugs spinning records made in the region). “We just want it to be a fun, record-store hang,” Anshutz said.

Spokane, WA | There’s much to choose from at local record shops on Black Friday: Every day is record store day for Taylor Swift. However, the ubiquitous pop star isn’t issuing a new release for Black Friday. That’s not music to retailers ears. However, there is a consolation, which is 200 new albums, which will drop Friday and there are an array of recently released box sets and albums. The big seller at Resurrection Records is nu-metal. “Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Korn and Incubus are selling well right now,” Resurrection Records owner Mike House said. “There’s a nu-metal resurgence.” House grew up with nu-metal while coming of age in the South Hill. “That’s what I listened to in middle school,” House said. “But it’s not like people my age (33) are buying Limp Bizkit. It’s the kids of those who grew up on it 25 years ago who are buying it.” 4000 Holes owner Bob Galllagher concurs. “We’ve been selling a lot of Limp Bizkit and other nu-metal and will probably do so on Record Store Day.”

Lubbock, TX | Lubbock’s Josey Records dumps thousands of books after closing Tuesday evening: Lubbockites flocked to salvage thousands of discarded books from garbage containers Wednesday after a closing store apparently trashed some inventory following their final day in business Tuesday. After five years as a stop for book lovers and record collectors in Lubbock, Josey Records near 82nd Street and Slide Road announced Sept. 11 that it would close its Lubbock location. After weeks of progressively marking down books up to 90% off, the retailer’s final day came on Nov. 15 when the store locked its doors for the last time. About 2:30 Wednesday afternoon, Danielle Demetria, the executive director of the East Lubbock Art House, posted photos on Facebook showing what appeared to be thousands of books in dumpsters and grocery carts, saying the books are free. The post had been shared more than 1,000 times by late Wednesday afternoon. By 4:30 p.m., dozens of dumpster-divers were salvaging books behind the store.

Majorca, SP | Palma has amazed me: At the shop with … Silas de Corrals. Just next to La Rambla where it meets OMS you will find C/ Sant Elies. Walk down to number 8 and you will find Silas de Corrals in his small specialist second hand vinyl and recording studio, Got Blues Listen To Jazz. He specialises in Jazz and Blues Lp’s, 12’s, 10’s & 7’s. …What are your customers like? It’s 50/50 locals and tourists. Lots of Germans, English, Norwegians. And I have regulars who come in. And I trade and buy records as well. I sell in person, and I sell online on the internet as well. I ship across Europe. Has there been a vinyl revival? I’ve always bought records. So for me in a way, I haven’t seen a revival. But I think that the bubble will burst soon. There are too many reissues coming out. There’s too many musicians making and selling their own records, which in the end they realise is a lot more hassle than it’s worth. But also there’s loads of new music coming out. I mean, loads of old music being discovered that people didn’t know before.

Read More »

Shaw, IL | Records Department: At Woodstock’s Old Courthouse, new retailers get a head start in city’s business incubator. …“The Committee reviewed numerous business plans from applicants and selected the two that seemed ready to take the next step to open a store. When our businesses are women-owned or minority-owned, it is another reason to celebrate,” Tracy wrote. Kempf said she and her business partner, Michael Sacco, have been in business since mid-August and had a grand opening celebration around Labor Day. “Everyone was ready for a record store,” Kempf said. Kempf said she sees a lot of traffic from Wisconsin and other areas to the store. “CDs are dying quickly,” Kempf said, and added that people are interested in vinyl records. Kempf added that the Records Department primarily sells new records, and while they generally focus on punk, grunge and indie music, they stock all genres. “Taylor Swift fans deserve to be seen as much as Metallica fans deserve to be seen,” Kempf said.

Leeds, UK | New specialist vinyl record store opens in Leeds from ex-Mercury Prize nominee: A brand-new specialist vinyl record store has opened at Sunny Bank Mills, the award-winning mill complex in Farsley, near Leeds. Managed by vinyl obsessives Choque Hosein, Colin Richardson, Jamie Styan and John-Paul Craven, Record Plant opened its doors on National Album Day. Choque was a member of the Leeds band Black Star Liner, whose album Bengali Bantam Youth Experience was shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Prize in 1999, alongside Blur, the Chemical Brothers, the Stereophonics and the Manic Street Preachers. Choque commented: “While we had an amazing time at the Mercury Prize awards ceremony, rubbing shoulders with icons like Damon Albarn and the Manics, I think I am more excited by our new shop. This is a dream come true for me. “Vinyl is a massive, massive part of my life and the Record Plant is a celebration of this.”

Murfreesboro, TN | Crying Cat Books: The place for audiophiles and book lovers alike: Slow jazz playing softly in the air. Grouped together by genre, from wall to wall a mixture of both used and new books line the shelves. Off in one corner of the store, vinyl records. In another, DVDs and Blu-rays can be found. And in-between the two there is a small collection of VHS and cassette tapes. Decks of Tarot and various incense can be found by the front door. All are welcome to venture inside this little gem and hopefully walk away with a book or two. Since 2021, Terri Delong has owned and operated Crying Cat Books and Records. Located on the corner of East Bell Street and North Maney Avenue in Murfreesboro, roughly a mile from Middle Tennessee State University, stands Crying Cat Books and Records. A fantastic bookstore for any booklover and audiophile looking to buy gifts for the holidays.

Dallas, TX | Digging Through the Josey Records Co-Owner’s Personal Vinyl Collection: Josey Records co-owner Luke Sardello has a story about every record in his collection. All 50,000 of them. Like many babies of the family, Luke Sardello’s youth was set to the soundtrack of his older sibling’s albums. For him, that meant classic rock, Journey, and the like. It all changed in junior high when a friend played for him Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. “The way it sounded was like nothing I’d ever heard,” says Sardello, who now co-owns the Josey Records retail shops, record label Skylark Soul Co., and the recently launched Tuned In Grading, a biz that grades vinyl records and encapsulates them in tamper-proof packaging. “That record was one of the first that really threw a bunch of stuff at the wall with sampling. It almost had some punk elements to it. It was very loud. And it changed the way rap sounded.” He got a job at Bill’s Records and Tapes while in high school. “That’s when the bug really caught me,” Sardello says. The “bug” being record collecting.

Read More »

Leigh, UK | Leigh Save Our Souls Records shop opens in Rectory Grove: Customers have been eager to catch a glimpse of a new vinyl record shop in a former bakery in the heart of Leigh. Save Our Souls Records, in Rectory Grove, welcomed the community on Monday to flick through the many racks of rock and roll and punk vinyl and high-quality music artwork prints. In addition, the Save Our Souls brand also has a vegan-friendly clothing line, which is inspired by the punk movement. Stacey Donoghue, owner of Save Our Souls Records, said: “The response to the store has been really good so far. “When we opened at 10am, people didn’t hesitate to come straight in and have a look at our range of vinyl records, music artwork and the Save Our Souls clothing range. “Some young people have come in also, and it’s great to see a whole new generation discovering the greatness that is vinyl and them having something tangible as opposed to getting their music through streaming.

Antwerp, BE | British record store HMV opens store in Wijnegem/Antwerp: The first store of the music chain was opened in 1921 on the famous London shopping street Oxford Street. In 2010, there were approximately 300 HMV stores across the UK, but then things deteriorated due to a decline in CD and DVD sales. In 2013, the company had to be protected from its creditors for the first time. It happened back in 2018. The rescue came from Canada: businessman Doug Putman’s music company Sunrise Records & Entertainment put £900,000 on the table for HMV, which still had 114 stores at the time of the takeover. Putman focused on the renewed interest in vinyl records and brought a broader commercial exposure to stores. There are now over 120 branches again. Earlier this year, the first store opened in Ireland. Now the chain has begun a “wider expansion” into mainland Europe, with Belgium as the first step. A store of approximately 300 square meters will be opened in the Wijnegem shopping center in Antwerp.

Overland Park, KS | ‘Sad to see it go’: This decades-old Johnson County record store is closing for good: Vinyl Renaissance and Audio’s exterior is a little inconspicuous, tucked in the elbow of a shopping strip at 9038 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park. But through its doors, past smiling cardboard Elvis: hundreds of CDS, records, turntables and speakers. Since the store announced on Wednesday it would be closing, dozens of customers have been trickling in, flipping through records of their favorite artists — Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Blink 182, newer stars like Taylor Swift. Most of its items are heavily marked down in an attempt to get rid of its stacks (and stacks) of records and CDs — vinyls are going for as low as $1, some CDs are selling for 50 cents apiece. “Everything must go,” as the sign says.

Birmingham, AL | Birmingham-based independent record store, Seasick Records, celebrates 10 years: Dan Drinkard was in Memphis, Tennessee, a college drop out playing in a band, practicing photography and running a “hobby” record label, when he had the urge to open a vinyl record store. In the pre-internet era, devoid of curated Spotify playlists, Drinkard would scour records he liked to draw connections to other artists. One had to take matters into their own hands when it came to finding new music. …“I always wanted to know who recorded the record and what studio did they record in and what other artists did they thank in the thank you notes.” His first introduction to vinyl records was in high school when his then-girlfriend’s dad gave him some of his first records. Drinkard said he was drawn to the larger size of the vinyl records, and how they distinguished themselves from CDs as the lesser-used medium of the time.

Read More »

Birmingham, UK | The 8 best record stores in Birmingham, according to Google reviews: Despite the advances in technology and the many ways to stream music in 2023, many music lovers still enjoy searching record stores to find classic vinyls. Many great record stores across the UK have closed down in the last decade, but there are still some brilliant ones out there to enjoy, especially in Birmingham. A number of shops also take part in Record Store Day every year – the day when over 260 independent record shops all across the UK come together to celebrate their unique culture. This year’s event was held in April. So, If you are a fan of records, looking to get your hand on releases from major acts, we’ve decided to take a look at the city’s favourite record stores. Here are the 10 record stores rated in Birmingham, according to customers on Google reviews.

Overland Park, MO | Vinyl Renaissance & Audio in Overland Park to close at year’s end: Vinyl Renaissance & Audio, 9038 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, is set to close on New Year’s Eve of this year, after decades of presence across the metro serving as a hub for music lovers and the greater scene. Dan & Eva Phillips started selling records out of a Johnson County store in 2005, after several years of pedaling their wax online and out of their home. While they’ve bounced locations a few times, the Metcalf location has been their main home for the last few years, where there are currently more than 50k records and CDs available along with various music adjacent memorabilia. The closure comes as Dan Phillips, now approaching 72 years of age, is ready for his next adventure. Dan Phillips shared the following in a public Facebook post on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. ““When one hits their 70s, you’re constantly reminded of the old maxim to stop and smell the roses…”

Isle of Wight, UK | Wight Vinyl and AAA Records present 80 years of music: A new exhibition will bring together eighty years of Isle of Wight music for the very first time. The event, which opens next week, will feature vinyl by modern hitmakers such as Wet Leg and Coach Party as well as musicians from yesteryear like Level 42, The Bees, Craig Douglas and the Isle of Wight Cherokees. Three week exhibition: Dozens of rare records and related ephemera will be on show at Montage Place, Ryde, for three weeks from Monday, 20th November 2023—all with an Island connection. The earliest 78rpm records date back to the 1940s, while some exhibits are so new they are not due for release until the end of the year. The free display has been put together by Island record label Wight Vinyl, with support from Newport shop AAA Records.

Lincolnshire, UK | Now And Then: The Beatles’ final single pleases Lincolnshire record store owners: 53 years after The Long and Winding Road, The Beatles chapter of music history is now complete. More than 50 years after the world’s most popular band split, the closing sequence of The Beatles’ career has finally been rounded off with the group’s last single Now And Then achieving chart-topping status — and it has been a big hit in Lincolnshire’s record stores. The Beatles released a new single on November 2 called Now And Then, using modern technology and AI to mix together old recordings from the late members John Lennon and George Harrison, along with present-day mixes from the band’s two surviving members, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. The track consists of John Lennon vocals that sound very much like his solo outputs from the 1970s, but they have been intertwined with contributions from McCartney to create that classic Beatles buzz. Mixed in with George’s guitar chords and Ringo’s drum patterns and you have a blueprint Beatles ballad.

Read More »

Philadelphia, PA | Is Val Shively’s Philly-area shop ‘the world’s greatest record store’? Val Shively is telling a story about his father, and a fish. Actually, a shark. It has to do with obsession, genetics and how the charmingly cantankerous owner of R&B Records in Upper Darby wound up with 4 million 45 rpm records — “Or maybe it’s 5 million, I don’t know” — in the fantastically cluttered shop that Smithsonian magazine has called “the world’s greatest record store.” The larger-than-life subject of Christopher Plant’s new documentary film “ReCollections: Val Shively — 50 Years of Collecting Records in Philadelphia” has spent his life assembling a personal library of group harmony records from the 1950s and 1960s that’s regarded as the finest in the world. …And not just for the music, but for the stories Shively, 79, carries in his head as a one-of-a-kind living, breathing repository of music history who now wonders what legacy a lifetime of collecting will leave behind.

Copenhagen, DK | Vinyl cut: Copenhagen’s coolest record shops: Cratediggers of the world—make for the Danish capital. It’s one of Europe’s best spots for rooting out rare grooves. Donald Trump used to have “executive time”; I like to have “record-shop time”. On most of my foreign trips, if I get a spare hour I go hunting for vinyl treasure rather than eat lunch. As vinyl has come back into fashion in the past decade, overtaking CDs in sales, so traditional second-hand-record shops have regained their place at the heart of music enthusiasts’ shopping. For my money, Copenhagen vies with Stockholm for the honour of the best Nordic capital to dig for records in, making it one of the best cities in Europe too. There’s a wide range of shops accounting for most tastes, especially second-hand ones. Vinyl may be bulkier than CDs but the sound is warmer, the album art bigger and the range of titles from around the world and all the way back to the 1950s and ’60s far greater. I tend to visit only one shop per trip, but it’s possible to spend an entire afternoon touring the best in the Danish capital.

Indianapolis, IN | Don’t fret, LUNA Music sells songs on vinyl, CD and cassette: “Like most businesses, the music industry is cyclic,” Todd Robinson said. “I think it’s just the natural evolution.” An evolution Robinson witnessed firsthand. “From a very, very, very early age, music always captivated me and captured me,” Robinson said. “I just really couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life.” Robinson is the owner of LUNA Music in Indianapolis. It’s a shop he began nearly 30 years ago when he was unable to find a record store to sink his teeth into. “I was just so passionate about being involved in music,” Robinson said. “I really liked the interaction that you have at a record store with people and that really fed me in a lot of ways because now we’re talking about something that I love with like minded individuals.”

London, UK | London’s best independent record shops—and the top turntables to play your vinyl on: With Black Friday and Record Store Day nearly upon us, we flick through our favourite London record shops and celebrate the unique culture of spinning vinyl. They say cocaine and sugar are the two most addictive substances on the planet. They clearly haven’t tried vinyl. That uncontrollable urge as your favourite artist releases a new album or when rumours of a repress of a classic must-have LP filters through from your network of fellow junkies reverberates through your veins until you have no alternative but to scratch that itch. You know it won’t go away until that needle (or stylus, but you get where I’m going with this) lands on the surface and injects life into your speakers. The age-old argument that CDs or digital files sound better falls on deaf ears to those who worship the vinyl format. There is no argument; they don’t— vinyl rules.

Read More »

Andover, UK | The Record Box celebrates milestone five years of trading: An Andover business has celebrated five years of trading in the town centre. The Record Box, which is located in George Yard just off the High Street, celebrated its fifth anniversary in the town on Wednesday, November 1. The Record Box is Andover’s only dedicated record shop. Owner, Phil Nightingale said in a post on Facebook: “I am very proud to say that today, November 1, is our birthday. Can you believe we have been open five years.” Phil added: “We may be small, but we have a lot of stock in our little compact area. We have a great music selection for everyone, with anything from Abba to Zappa. Please come in and have a browse and a chat!” The store is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am until 4pm, with new stock arriving regularly and all methods of payment accepted. Albums are available from £10, and singles available from £4.

Liverpool, UK | ‘It’s an emotional day for Liverpool’: fans gather to buy new Beatles single Now and Then: At HMV Liverpool, Beatles heads—including one called John Lennon—queue up for vinyl copies of what is billed as the final Beatles song. It almost resembles 1963 more than 2023, as fans pack into a Liverpool record shop in the early hours of Friday morning to buy a new Beatles single that went on sale at midnight. Incredibly, first in the line at HMV to buy Now and Then on 7in and 12in is none other than John Lennon – his real name, and he has the passport to prove it. “I started queueing at 8am Thursday,” he says, wearing the same round sunglasses and “New York City” T-shirt as his legendary namesake. “I was determined to be first.” Behind him is Brian Jackson, 62, who runs Liverpool record/memorabilia shop Allkinds and has been a fan since he was four: “Our family used to play Beatles’ records on a Dansette. It’s never left me.” Some fans recognise the historic nature of the occasion. “I want to tell my children and my grandchildren that I bought a Beatles record on the day of release,” said Ved Desai, 19, a student from Dubai.

Rochester, MN | A record store blossoms anew in Lowertown: Hidden World Vinyl Records has moved into a smaller space, but keeps its mission of connecting the musical community. Being transplanted hasn’t stopped everything coming up roses for Hidden World Vinyl Records. The hidden gem has now taken root behind Fox & Fern Floral, in the Lowertown neighborhood, located at 615 Sixth Avenue NW. “I feel it’s extremely beneficial for a community’s creative residents to have spaces where they can pool resources, share creative ideas, energy, and build relationships,” says Brianna Prudoehl, owner and lead designer at Fox & Fern Floral. “It creates a space that is safe and inspiring to foster new ideas and motivation.” …“We appreciate and are privileged to have folks take us in and support us in so many ways,” says Thorng. “We are kind of on the outside of the business community due to our way of not trying to just generate profit but build something cool and accessible for everyone regardless of money or means.”

Aberdeen, UK | Aberdeen music lovers still flocking to popular record shop as it celebrates 10 years in business: The Union Street store has been visited by famous faces over the years. It’s been 10 years since Aberdeen Vinyl Records first opened its doors. Since then, thousands of customers have visited the Union Street shop, including some famous faces. For owner Bob Smith it’s been an enjoyable decade and he has continued to see his business flourish despite some challenges. The 60-year-old has amassed nearly 5,000 records for customers to browse, with something for everyone. Bob, who has been interested in vinyl since 1971, admits he fell into the trade of record selling by accident. He said: “A friend of mine said he had a bunch of records he wanted to sell. We had premises doing various things so we put them in to help him out. “They flew off the shelves. I asked if he had anymore and he was a bit of a dealer, so he managed to get some bits and pieces more.

Read More »

Houston, TX | Sound Revolution to move vinyl record collection to Louetta Road in Spring: Sound Revolution—a music store that was originally opened in 1976—will be relocating to the Spring area. The business is owned by Sunne Walton and Donnie Mcclure and offers vinyl records, tapes and CDs as well as t-shirts, skateboards, jewelry and gift items. Sound Revolution was previously located at 1312 FM 1960, Houston and also has a location at 21153 Tomball Parkway, Houston. Opening mid-November. 8312 Louetta Road, Ste. B, Spring

Philadelphia, PA | Lean Into Your Hipster Side at University City’s Newest Cafe: Milkcrate Cafe’s new Baltimore Avenue location serves up local treats and creative brews—and a killer soundtrack to match. For those of us who have dabbled in Philadelphia’s vast landscape of hipster coffee shops, the scene inside Baltimore Avenue’s newly opened Milkcrate Cafe on a sunny autumn morning wouldn’t appear at all surprising. …In many ways, that is, except for one—“cafe” is only half of Milkcrate’s job description. As its website boasts, Milkcrate is both a coffee shop and a “vinyl record boutique.” While tables, chairs, and espresso machines fill its airy interior, the space also houses a collection of vintage records, decor, and musical paraphernalia, much of which is for sale. Alongside their chai lattes, customers can purchase authentic hip–hop, rock, and jazz vinyls; toasted everything bagels can be enjoyed underneath 1980s concert posters, below LP cover displays, and next to bins of records.

Eugene, OR | Three stores to check out for band t-shirts in Eugene: Band tees merge the worlds of expression in fashion and music. Rock bands like AC/DC, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin have had their thumb on the zeitgeist of musical expression through merchandise. In Eugene, vintage stores have tapped into the popularity of band tees. Moon Rock Records: Moon Rock Records, located at 443 W 11th Ave, has a respectable collection of band tees. The store’s focus is selling records, yet the assortment of clothing is worthy of mention. …Plenty of metal and punk band tees line the rack along with some classic acts. Some of the most common bands being repped are Green Day, Descendents and Black Flag. A few of the tees seem slightly out of place—a red and blue Weyes Blood tee stands out next to massive commercial successes like Queen. But sleeper-hit bands like Suicide having two colorways on the rack should make any band tee connoisseur smile gleefully.

Mankato, MN | Golden Hour concert series at the Wine Cafe goes vinyl: For Nick Silva — a hip-hop musician known as DJ Shjoba who has performed in Mankato and in the Midwest for years — finally getting the chance to have his artistic skills on vinyl was a big deal. “Everything I’ve ever made is digital. Spotify, Apple, Bandcamp — all the digital formats. This will be my first time having anything of mine on vinyl,” Silva said. “It’s extremely exciting.” The vinyl in question is also something exciting, at least according to the creative and business minds behind it. On Saturday, the Golden Hour live music series — which has taken place the past three summers on the patio at Mankato’s Wine Cafe — will release a vinyl pressing of the series’ 2022 iteration, a collection of 13 songs from local artists. An album release party is 7-9 p.m. Saturday at the Carnegie Arts Center in Mankato.

Read More »

Paducah/Benton, KY | Vinyl boom alive and well in western Ky. as two new record stores prepare to open: The warm, vibrant crackle of vinyl records is steadily making a comeback, and far western Kentucky collectors will see a pair of new record shops open this weekend in Paducah and Benton. The sale of vinyl records has consistently grown over the last two decades as new generations of music fans have started collecting. Billboard reported that more than 43 million new vinyl albums were sold in 2022 – which marked the 17th consecutive year of growth for the format and the largest total since at least 1991. Statistics released by the Recording Industry Association of America also indicated growth as revenue from vinyl sales grew by more than 17% in 2022, reaching $1.2 billion. Murray has been home to Terrapin Station for more than 35 years, but no other store that specializes in new and used vinyl records has found success in far western Kentucky in recent years.

UK | ‘The Record Store & Black Music, A UK History’- 2Funky Arts seek interviewees and memories: Do you have memories of record shops that specialised in Black music? People are being asked to share their stories as part of a major UK project made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund. ‘The Record Store & Black Music, A UK History’ will explore memories people have of browsing aisles, discovering new artists, and socialising in these cultural hubs, to document a fascinating history. Volunteers will conduct interviews with artists, DJs, store owners, customers and music fans to discover the stories and the facts that shaped this fascinating history. The 2Funky Arts team is also looking for photographs, footage newspaper articles that might help with research. The project will see interviews and memories pulled together to create a film, publication, podcast series and educational resource. Interviews will take place in the Midlands, North, London & The South and virtually. For the Windrush generation and Black diaspora, the early independent UK record store was a music-fuelled vehicle for resistance against systemic racism.

Williamsville, NY | ‘Now and Then’: Why The Beatles, and local record stores, remain a staple: The Beatles live on with a newly-produced work, and Western New York record stores continue to thrive and share all music with all ages. The Beatles continue to live on and cement themselves in music history as, on Thursday, they released their “final” song over 45 years in the making: “Now and Then”. And although half of the fearless four have passed on and the song was modified using new Artificial Intelligence tools which music lovers have mixed opinions of, their music lives on for eternity as both young and old continue to enjoy the band for who they are, what they represent and the quality of their vast catalogue of ear worms. “They were always a step ahead of everyone else,” says Phil Machemer, owner of Revolver Records Inc., a group of record stores in Western New York. “If you listen to albums they made in the late 60s, it sounds like a lot of the music from the 70s, and we can see that now. It was huge back in the day, but I feel like how much it resonated back then, will just always be that way. It’s timeless. People are still using their music as an influence and it’s ever present. It’s like, the standard.”

Brighton, UK | OMD meet loyal fans in Brighton record shop: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) have sold an astonishing 25 million singles and 15 million albums, which has established them as electronic synthesiser pioneers and one of Britain’s best-loved pop groups. …In support of the new 12 song (almost 43 minute long) release, Paul and Andy made a scheduled appearance here in Brighton at Resident records in North Laine in order to meet and greet fans who had purchased copies of the vinyl LP or CD options. As you would expect, the Kensington Gardens shop had an orderly queue that ran up every aisle and out the door and down the street. The new album was playing over their soundsystem as well as historic OMD hits. Unfortunately this was not a live instore performance this time around, but OMD fans won’t have to wait too long in order to see their heroes up on the big stage, as they have announced a 22 date UK tour for this coming February and March, which includes two performances in Sussex.

Read More »

Boise, ID | Record Exchange in Downton Boise turns 45: Michael Bunnell founded the record store in 1977 after investing a workplace injury payout back into his passion. Michael Bunnell has been spinning records for as long as he can remember, but before he owned the Record Exchange in Downtown Boise, he worked as a logger in McCall in what seems like a previous lifetime. “Then I had a logging accident,” Bunnell said. “I took that money and used it to open the store.” In 1977, The Record Exchange was born. However, its initial home sat on Orchard next to a McDonalds for roughly half a year. The current home of 45 years – on the downtown corner of 11th and Idaho – is celebrating the milestone and its founder on Thursday. …”We’ve come full circle, you know, the vinyl – LP – was the dominant format when we opened, and now it is again. We’re very comfortable with that.”

Washington, DC | Your Guide to 11 Record Stores in the DC Area: Where to spend a day sifting through new and used albums to build your vinyl collection. If you grew up in DC during the 1980s, you remember when record stores were popular and plentiful. You couldn’t walk a block in Georgetown or Dupont Circle without hitting at least one new- or used-­vinyl shop. Even in the wake of streaming services, you’d be mistaken if you thought record stores had gone the way of the dodo. Vinyl sales have rebounded enough that there’s still a healthy supply of independent stores in the Washington area. If you’re looking to drop a needle on some new-to-you tracks, follow these itineraries and pretend it’s the ’80s all over again.

Odessa, TX | Wednesday is the last day to see Endless Horizon’s mural from the 1980’s in its original location: The mural will be preserved while the longtime record store works on putting it up at another location as a public art display. Endless Horizons, a longtime Odessa record store that closed on Oct. 21, has something that hasn’t been seen in a long time. According to a Facebook post, their second mural from the early 80s is visible after their most recent mural got torn down. The mural will be preserved while Endless Horizons works with the city on putting it up at another location as a public art display, according to the post. They say feel free to come by and take pictures, as the building will be there until Wednesday.

Palm Springs, CA | Vinyl record sales increasing, Palm Springs music store helps meet demand: For music lovers Edith Gallardo and Israel Pinedo, there’s something very special about the sound of vinyl records. “People want to be able to hold stuff and feel more connected to it,” Pinedo said. “It’s a whole experience on its own.” At Music Heals Inc. in Palm Springs, these music fans are adding to their growing record collections. “Vinyl is the lead here; vinyl is king,” said employee G. Leonard Winston. Winston says this store’s vinyl record sales are up nearly 20 percent compared to this time last year. “History repeats itself,” he said. “According to the younger people who come in here, vinyl comes back. It’s back.” We’re learning what’s happening in Palm Springs with vinyl records is following a national sales trend.

Read More »

Montreal, CA | Mile-Ex’s Death of Vinyl on keeping records alive: Co-Owner Daniel Hadley speaks on the history and future of vinyl in Montreal: Whether it’s older collectors looking for a hit of sweet nostalgia or younger shoppers looking for a deeper connection with the artists they love, increasingly more people are coming to appreciate owning physical copies of music. When record store Death of Vinyl first opened in the early 2000s, some may have been unsure of vinyl’s longevity. “Many headlines at the time were asking ‘is this the death of vinyl?’” said co-owner Daniel Hadley. He said that Montreal vinyl shops, tailored for style-specific DJs that fueled the era’s nightlife, were closing left and right. In 2006, Hadley and his business partner, Steve Ludvik, were running a vinyl import and distribution business out of a warehouse near the end of Beaubien Street West. All of a sudden, they found their business model collapsing. Both their distributors and the stores they sold to were closing up shop, leaving their business directionless. However, as one door closed, another one opened.

Bastrop, TX | ‘Love and Vinyl’ offers Bastrop audiences an immersive experience in Bastrop: This November, the Lost Pines Theatre Guild will present the romantic comedy play “Love and Vinyl” at Astro Record Store on Main Street. Exploring the challenges of love, loneliness and friendship, the play offers audiences the chance to be a “fly on the wall” to the characters’ relationships and conversation, play producer Christine Long said. Each performance is limited to 25 audience members, ensuring an up-close and intimate experience. “Because the play is in real time, and because it’s immersive, you’re really just watching all of it unfold in front of you,” Long said. A prolific playwright from Maryland, Bob Bartlett is known for writing site-specific plays. Bartlett’s previous works have taken place in a laundromat and the middle of the woods. A regular at Astro Records, Long said that after learning about the play, she decided the store was the perfect backdrop. “I just think that all of the characters are so charming and that you can identify yourself in all of them,” Long said. “The challenges that they’re having are all challenges that all of us have.”

College Park, MD | How WMUC’s record librarian is keeping Zambian rock alive: Amid gray iron shelves stacked high with dusty sleeves and carefully preserved vinyl at the University of Maryland, senior information science major Jake McInturff holds court as WMUC’s record librarian. But his true passion lies outside this university, the state and the country. The preservation of zamrock, a nearly-forgotten rock subgenre that emerged from Zambia during the 1970s, occupies most of McInturff’s mind. Once lost to time, zamrock was pulled from obscurity by California label Now-Again Records. The label’s re-issues of WITCH albums and other Zambian works reignited interest in the genre, leading vinyl divers and record raiders to the nation in search of these records. McInturff’s journey to zamrock started when he stumbled across the niche genre on YouTube his freshman year. “[Zamrock] absolutely blew my mind and I became obsessed with it,” McInturff said. “I wanted to be one of the people that was bringing it to life.”

Durango, CO | Four Corners Record Show Extravaganza returning to Durango: Vinyl records alive and well in the Four Corners; event will be held Saturday. The Four Corners Vinyl Record Club’s annual Fall Record Show Extravanganza will return to downtown Durango this weekend. The event will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn & Suites, 21636 U.S. Highway 160. Club founder and president Phil Gallacher expects a strong turnout, as the club is rebounding after the COVID-19 pandemic. Gallacher said the club has been doing record shows in the spring and fall for over a decade. “Vinyl records are alive and well in the Four Corners,” Gallacher said. “(The record show) started through Southwest Sound in Durango around 2010 or 2011.” Gallacher took over organizing the show when Southwest Sounds closed. He said a lot of the vinyl records vendors are part of the “boomer generation who are not on social media.” “So I created the club as a bridge, a platform for us to indulge in sharing our record hobby and also be able to communicate with a group of people,” he said.

Read More »

Orlando, FL | Park Ave CDs expanding into former Junior’s Diner: Iconic Audubon Park record shop, Park Ave CD’s (Instagram) has announced that it will be expanding its store over the next few months. The shop, which just celebrated its 39th anniversary, first opened on Park Avenue in Winter Park, before finding its way to its current home at 2916 Corrine Drive [GMap], and has been in business since 1984. The store will now be expanding into the former home of the adjacent Junior’s Diner, which has been shuttered for months following a sudden unannounced closure and abandoned renovation. Shop owner, Sandy Bitman, shared that his team was still, “putting our idea board together,” but that the diner was in fairly poor shape and that it would take some time to put it into order. …Though we can only hope they keep it a diner and add a jukebox featuring records from their collection and lots of fun new merch.

Eau Claire, WI | New record store in downtown Eau Claire holds grand opening: A new store opened in downtown Eau Claire on Saturday, and it specializes in vinyl music. Abraxas Wax opened on Graham Avenue on Saturday, with people coming in to peruse the hundreds of records and CDs, along with a few cassettes and VHS tapes. They have records for everyone, from classic rock to pop music. They even have Taylor Swift’s 1989 Taylor’s Version on vinyl for sale. Owner Seth Larson said that he decided to open a record store after seeing them when he was traveling abroad. The name of the store comes from one of his favorite music albums. “Abraxas Wax, it’s an album by Santana, it’s a pretty monumental Latin jazz, rock album,” Larson said. “But to me, it’s about the spiritual connection between music and people, so that’s really what I’m touching on when I call it the Abraxas.”

Dundee, UK | Opening date set for music-themed Dundee bar Groucho’s: The live music venue will open before Christmas. The new music-themed bar replacing legendary Dundee record shop Groucho’s has revealed its opening date. The Nethergate pub, at the site of the former record shop and namesake, will open in time for the festive season. Groucho’s was once considered a rite of passage for music lovers in Tayside – until it closed in 2020 following the death of owner Alastair ‘Breeks’ Brodie. However, the Groucho’s name will live on at the new venue. In a post on Facebook, managers revealed Groucho’s will open on Friday December 1. In the post, the bar also announced the live music bill for its opening month, with acts already lined up for Hogmanay. Irish singer-songwriter Johnny Scullion and former Morgan Academy pupil Pete Smith are among the acts set to play at the former record shop.

Beacon, NY | The Vinyl Room in Beacon, NY—Where Food, Music, Dancing, and Nightlife Collide: As I continue my quest for uncovering the hidden culinary gems in the Hudson Valley and Catskills, Beacon, NY has emerged as a beacon of exciting possibilities. For my dedicated readers at Hudson Valley Style Magazine, I’ve embarked on a mission to seek out the most vibrant, unique, and captivating dining and nightlife experiences in the region. Beacon, situated in the heart of the Hudson Valley, has proven to be the ultimate destination to escape the stale nightlife offerings of NYC. …Located at 396 Main St in Beacon, NY, The Vinyl Room isn’t just a restaurant; it’s an immersive experience. It seamlessly combines a cocktail bar, record shop, and arcade into one vibrant space. With a culinary chef on hand and an impressive selection of 12 rotating craft beer taps, the dining and libations are nothing short of extraordinary. Furthermore, The Vinyl Room has solidified its position as Beacon’s ultimate late-night haven.

Read More »

UK | Independent record store Rough Trade relaunches music subscription service: Independent music retailer Rough Trade has expanded its music subscription service, Rough Trade Club, to broaden its appeal in-store, online and for events. The music subscription service, which was formally available to customers for £30 a month for LPs or £15 a month for CDs, has had a complete makeover, with a whole new selection of offers split into three tiers and a design overhaul. The new model now consists of three tiers – Tier 1 (basic tier), Tier 2.1 and Tier 2.2 – all available at different price points to make the Club more accessible and appealing. …Designed for loyal customers who regularly come to the shop, to events and buy online, Tier 1 subscribers will get free shipping on all orders all received in our iconic packaging, 10% off food and drinks at the bar, exclusive access to events, early access to online sales and 10% off Rough Trade Vintage in-store.

Opelika, AL | Alabama record shop feels the wrath of ‘Swifties’ after ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ release: Russell Baggett, who owns 10,000 Hz—a small, locally owned vinyl record store in Opelika—felt the wrath of “Swifties” late Thursday night as the contingent of Taylor Swift fans anxiously awaited the pop star’s release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”. “Nobody was messaging us saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and literally kill you’,” Baggett said. “But there were some people who were not very nice about some things. There were some kinda veiled threats.” The backlash started after Baggett teased a Swift-related surprise on the shop’s Instagram page. Thursday afternoon’s Instagram post featured pictures of cardboard squares with “Taylor Swift 1989 ‘Taylor’s Version’” and “Super Secret Taylor Swift 1989 ‘Taylor’s Version’” scrawled across them in black permanent marker. The post’s caption read: “Midnight tonight… also a good time to buy Taylor Swift records, just FYI.”

Orlando, FL | Park Ave CDs announces retail store expansion for their 39th anniversary: Park Ave CDs is expanding into the former diner next door. One of Orlando’s most redoubtable independent record stores is turning 39 and giving itself a large birthday gift in the form of more leg-room. Park Ave CDs this week announced the expansion of their store, located in Audubon Park. The record shop is set to expand into the somewhat ill-starred former diner space next door. “You will certainly find newly expanded sections for vinyl along with some other creative ideas we can’t share with you just yet,” said Park Ave CDs staff in a post on their Facebook. Established in 1984, and having long moved on from their former namesake location on Park Avenue near Rollins College, the store is celebrating 39 years slinging vinyl (and, yes, CDs) in Orlando.

Stamford, UK | Rock On Records, in Stamford, to launch sale of 5p and 10p stock after flood hits owner’s Ketton home in Rutland: Thousands of vinyl records are to be sold for 10 pence or less after unprecedented flooding hit the home of a record shop owner. Rock On Records was opened in Stamford last year by former Thin Lizzy manager Ted Carroll as a means to clear out his huge archive of vinyl, with all profits going to charities. But when last Friday’s torrential rain flooded the cellar of his Ketton home, as the River Chater burst its banks, thousands of record sleeves were ruined, including around 800 albums and 12 inches. …“Water does not damage vinyl, however record sleeves after being submerged in water are history and have to be thrown away,” said Ted. “About 2,500 seven-inch singles have been damaged so we will sell them off cheap for 5p or 10p, and albums will be a pound or whatever we can get for them.”

Read More »