Oxford, UK | Big Scary Monsters Social Club in Oxford set to close: Big Scary Monsters Social Club—a craft beer bottle shop also selling vinyl records – is to close. The shop at 98 Cowley Road—known as BSM Social Club – was launched at the end of 2020 by Kevin Douch, and he has been running it with Gemma Hefferon-Douch and Leigh Shorter. Now, despite the support of loyal customers over the past three years, a decision has been taken to close due to ‘skyrocketing costs.’ It’s not the first Cowley Road business to fall victim to the cost of living crisis. Reign, a vintage store which traded for 17 years, closed in April and Atomic Burger closed in January. And restaurateur Clinton Pugh has revealed his Cafe Tarifa has been re-possessed and has blamed LTNs in east Oxford for making trading conditions difficult.

Bengaluru, IN | Bengaluru’s Record Room Launches Label, Set for Vinyl Launch of Indian Indie Compilation: Artists like Peter Cat Recording Co., The F16s, Easy Wanderlings, RANJ x Clifr x Issamood, Ditty and Lojal are among 10 acts featured on the LP, which has been in the works since 2021. When he was about 10 years old, Manipur-origin, Goa-based artist Lojal aka Martin Haokip discovered vinyl records in his mother’s old room. It was only a decade later that Lojal would hear music on an LP record player. “The idea of a vintage and worn-out technique or technology still captivating the ears and spiritual responses of a listener in today’s fast, compact, digital and modern world is captivating at the least,” he says. Lojal is among 10 other Indian independent artists featuring on vinyl in 2023, courtesy of craft beer and vinyl bar Record Room in Bengaluru. The space is launching Record Room Volume 1 – the first collection of 10 songs pressed on an LP – on June 11th. It also marks the start of the label arm of Record Room.

South Bend, IN | Music lovers flock to South Bend Record Show: Billed as the “largest, one-day sale of music,” the South Bend Record Show made its way back to Michiana on Sunday for the third time in 2023. Vendors from multiple midwestern states filled 85 tables with thousands of vinyl records, CDs, memorabilia, and more at the Gillespie Conference Center. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., hundreds of people came to talk about music, add to their collection, or find a music lover’s perfect holiday gift. “I just hope people can continue to enjoy the medium that they can come out here, swap stories with our vendors who are all really knowledgeable,” said Jeremy Bonfiglio, owner of South Bend Record Show. “Whether you’ve been doing it for 50 years or five minutes, you’re brand new to vinyl, it’s a great experience to come out.” The next record show takes place on Aug. 6.

Brisbane, AU | Brisbane Scores New Vinyl Listening Bar ‘Ruby, My Dear.’ Ruby, My Dear is a “true haven for music lovers.” Brisbane has scored the spectacular new vinyl listening bar, Ruby, My Dear, and it’s now open. Hosting regular Guest DJs, Ruby, My Dear also presents delicious meals including vegetable dumplings, deep-fried Agedashi tofu, seared Bonito tuna, Berkshire pork collar with caramelised mandarin miso and green chilli nashi, and much more. Also on the menu: an abundance of cocktails, including a good old Espresso Martini, the Yardbird, Honey Hiball, and Hard Boiled Wonderland, as well as beer on tap and a selection of wines. Ruby, My Dear officially opened on Thursday, 13 April. In a Broadsheet wrap-up, the publication revealed that the venue hosts DJs four nights a week, from Thursday to Sunday. In addition to the regular DJ spots, Ruby, My Dear will also have a live jazz band coming in to jam on the first Tuesday of each month.

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Portland, OR | Iconic record shop in Portland shuts down amid skyrocketing crime: “It was finally after the third break-in, I had just said, ‘If this happens again, I can’t do it anymore.’” On Thursday, Exiled Records closed its location at Southeast Hawthorne and 47th Ave in Portland, OR after 15 years in business due to multiple break-ins and a decline in foot traffic at the location. In a post on Instagram, the store wrote, “To say we are sad to leave the Hawthorne community is an understatement.” The post continued, “We are hopeful that those who visited will come dig at EXILED WEST, where we will continue to have an incredible selection of new and used vinyl as well as CD’s and tapes!” According to KATU, the move comes after the location experienced three break-ins and vandalism in the last year and a half. The most recent incident occurred less than two weeks ago when a man experiencing a mental health crisis smashed store windows with a skateboard.

Philadelphia, PA | Latchkey celebrates anniversary with tunes and treats: If you haven’t made it out to Latchkey, the vintage and vinyl boasting East Passyunk hotspot, this weekend holds the perfect opportunity to check it out. On Saturday, June 10, from noon to 6 p.m., Latchkey is throwing their First Anniversary Karaoke Blowout, which will be packed full of refreshments (from Otto Distilling Co. starting at 3 p.m.), games, prizes and the main event of karaoke, hosted by DJ Pat Pharari. Those who pipe out the best performances also will have a chance to win $20 Latchkey gift cards. Then, Philadelphians are also invited to join in on an afterparty celebration called the “Afterparty Like It’s 1999.” The ticketed 90s-themed bash will kick off at 7 p.m. and run until 10 p.m. and will feature more karaoke, burlesque and drag performances, a best-dressed contest, complimentary cocktails and light bites, and other surprises.

Jacksonville, IL | Local Record Store to Host Outdoor Music Festival: Local record store Pizza Records have announced they’ve organized their first outdoor musical event. The first ever Pizzapalooza will be held Saturday, June 10th in the Gilham House parking lot, located at 326 West State Street, at 4PM. The line up of musical acts include local talents Sean Taylor starting things off at 4, followed by Scratching the Surface at 5:30, and Robinia Groove closing the night 7. Food vendors Coatney’s BBQ and That’s My Jam! A Sandwich Company will be serving from 4-9PM. Shopping will also be available inside Gilham House during the event. Pizza Records has been in business since October and have been hosting monthly music shows inside Gilham House since January. Owners Devin & Heather Smock said in a press release that they are starting the event small, with plans to grow the event each year.

Manchester, TN | Upcoming vinyl album sale to benefit Historical Society: From classic rock staples by Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles to the folk stylings of Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary, more than 300 vintage vinyl albums will be available for purchase during the Manchester Community Market Saturday, June 10. The albums are being sold by The Coffee County Historical Society. “The albums were donated by Button Dale and she was one of the founders of the museum,” Historical Society volunteer Bonnie Gamble said. …While a collection of vinyl albums was started for the Coffee County Historical Society Museum, located in the historic Coffee County Courthouse on the Manchester town square, the museum is trying to refocus its collection on items more directly related to Manchester and Coffee County. “She started the collection of the albums, but at this point, now that we have so many items we need to weed out a little bit,” Gamble said.

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Longmont, CO | New thrift store for retro enthusiasts opens its time machine doors: The store’s location, which is a little off the beaten path on Eleventh Avenue and Kimbark Street. Just a block away from the main drag, Longmont’s newest gem Omnia Vintage Thrift & Collectables isn’t merely a shop, it’s a time capsule, a treasure chest brimming with an eclectic collection of memorabilia from yesteryears. In Longmont, Omnia Vintage distinguishes itself from conventional thrift stores by specializing in retro collectibles. At a lively intersection of past and present, visitors can expect to find treasures ranging from vintage t-shirts from the 80s, 90s, and 00s to Magic the Gathering cards, antiques, vintage toys, vinyl records, comic books and just about anything the mind can imagine. The store’s location, which is a little off the beaten path on Eleventh Avenue and Kimbark Street, may mean residents won’t stumble upon it during a regular stroll down Main Street. But the owners aren’t counting on foot traffic. They’re confident in their excellent collection, aiming to win customers over by reputation, quality and the uniqueness of their offerings.

San Francisco, CA | Vinyl Dreams celebrates 10 years in the business of beats: Dance music shop to host four days of free DJ sets on Haight Street. 10 years ago this week, Michelangelo “Mike Bee” Battaglia softly opened Vinyl Dreams at 593 Haight Street. The below-ground storefront previously held two other dance music-centric stores: Black Pancake Records and Tweekin Records. Vinyl Dreams is still hanging on, an achievement made all the more incredible by the fact that former Amoeba Music electronic genres buyer Battaglia’s curation doesn’t include anything you’ll find on the pop charts. Instead, you’ll find dividers for super-specialized slices of boundary-pushing electronic music. Not just house or techno but, for instance Balearic, a more fluid and chilled-out style of dance beats that gets its name from the Balearic Island of Ibiza. Vinyl Dreams hearkens back to an era when there was a circuit of record stores in San Francisco for DJs and fans alike to stay connected with dance music sounds and styles from around the world.

Emilia-Romagna, IT | ‘People have lost everything’: Italian record shop Flexi launches fundraiser after flood damage: In the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, 15 people have died and thousands more have been forced to leave their homes. Flexi, a longstanding record shop in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, is raising funds following severe floods. In a GoFundMe launched on Friday, May 26th, the shop explained how “flood water filled the entire basement,” leaving furniture, electrical equipment and roughly 2000 records “irreparably damaged.” The statement continued: “We’re conscious that the disaster around us is huge, and there are much more badly affected areas where the river has taken almost everything. But we also know that Flexi isn’t just an ordinary shop. In almost 40 years, it has become a centre of culture and sharing, which is keeping up, standing firm and reshaping itself by looking to the future, always focusing on passion and love for music. That’s why we need your help in order to be able to restart and face the immediate costs of restoring what’s no longer there.”

The Stars of Record Store Day—Who Sells the Most Records? Record Store Day 2023 has become the most successful since its creation in 2007. We look at some revealing data—like how few vinyl record buyers own a record player—and the biggest stars of Record Store Day 2023. For those who don’t have their finger on the pulse of the record industry, Record Store Day might sound like a madcap attempt to drum up enthusiasm for a niche resurgence in the physical format—even among some who appreciate the younger generation’s seeming interest in vinyl alongside the diehard enthusiasts. Conceived in 2007 as a way to celebrate the fun and diverse culture surrounding independent record stores and the communities they serve, Record Store Day has also become a way to encourage and celebrate the unique culture of the physical music format space in an industry dominated by streaming. But naysayers to the sheer volume that Record Store Day is capable of moving need look no further than the Luminate data revealed following Record Store Day 2023 to see the value in the promotion and to recognize that it’s more than just a nod to vinyl’s comeback in the industry.

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