Bristol, UK | The friends bringing metal music to the masses: A record shop and a pub are building an underground metal music scene in Bristol. Black City Records – a metal music record shop in Bristol – is the only store in Bristol nominated for the Love Your High Street Award. Together with the heavy metal pub The Gryphon down the road, they are forming the “Bristol Metal Quarter”, where a community can come together, make friends, and form bands. David Savage, owner of Black City Records, said: “It’s one of those scenes where everyone kind of knows each other to a degree. You get a lot of unity in it and a lot of friendships.” Mr Savage said he is running the “South West’s only heavy metal record shop”. He was 14 in 1988, the heyday of heavy metal. “I had £5 burning a hole in my pocket and this cover art just really took me, it was an Iron Maiden cassette. I bought it on a whim and now here we are,” he said.
Indianapolis, IN | Twenty One Pilots listening event big success for Indy’s Luna Music: I recently got to mark a couple more firsts off my list, as I had never before attended an album listening party at a record store nor had I ever visited Luna Music, a cool CD & vinyl record store located near the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis. The listening party was for my two daughters’ favorite band Twenty One Pilots’ new album “Breach,” which was to be released the following week. My girls absolutely love this band and I’ll admit that I’ve also grown to appreciate their sound and skill, even though I am definitely not their target demographic. I’ve spoken with fans who describe the Twenty One Pilots sound as “too broad to be defined” and I understand where they’re coming from, as the group has evolved over the course of their eight album catalog spanning 16 years.
Easton, PA | Cardi B appearance draws thousands to Palmer Park Mall despite invite-only event: Palmer Park Mall probably hasn’t seen these kinds of crowds since Hess’s Department Store went out of business in 1994. But the same could be said for almost any mall on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania. Rap superstar Cardi B was billed for a 2 p.m. appearance at the mall’s Spin Me Round record store. Despite the appearance being heavily publicized as open only to pre-selected fans, few seemed to get the message. At least 2,000 people, by conservative estimates, had queued up outside the record store’s exterior entrance at the mall by 11 a.m. Saturday. The line wrapped around most of the perimeter of the nearly 470,000-square-foot building, which Hess’s developed as a major retail center and anchored when it first opened in 1973. The crowd continued to linger patiently past 2 p.m. Cardi B arrived with police escort after 4 p.m.
New York, NY | Vinyl NYC: 33 1/3 of the Best Record Stores Across All Five Boroughs: Join as acclaimed photographers James and Karla Murray talk about their newest book exploring New York’s vibrant vinyl scene in a tribute to 33 1/3 of the city’s favorite record shops. Spanning all 5 boroughs, these havens have become essential to the cultural fabric of the city, bringing together communities through a shared passion for music. This book takes readers on a journey through New York City’s iconic record shops, celebrating their history, character, and cultural significance. Featuring stunning new photographs by James and Karla Murray, it captures the vibrant exteriors, intimate interiors, and countless musical treasures that make these shops special. Detailed profiles penned by journalist Hattie Lindert reveal the stories behind each location, with insights from the owners and founders about their passion for music and the communities they serve.
On such Phil Spector-worthy epics as “Thunder Road,” “Backstreets,” and especially “Jungleland” Springsteen risked all trying to say all, and the results are indeed awesome. To a small town kid like me, Born to Run captured the wild and inchoate delirium of coming of age—of wanting to go out and explode like a skyrocket in the warm summer night. Is the whole contraption at the risk of overheating? Sure. But listening to this album never fails to return me to that innocent kid desperate for experience, and for that alone I will always love it.
By the time John Coltrane hooked up with the Ertegun brothers he’d already chalked up a significant list of achievements, serving as a powerful voice in post-bop’s development via the bands of Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, guesting for a track on Sonny Rollins’ Tenor Madness, teaming with Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, and Zoot Simms for Tenor Conclave, and leading bands for Prestige and for one LP Blue Note.
Liverpool, UK | Liverpool family-run record shop to be honoured with a blue plaque as the oldest in England: A Liverpool record shop is to be honoured with a blue plaque recognising it as the oldest independent record shop in England. The Musical Box in Tuebrook has become a much-loved part of the city’s music history, open for an amazing 78 years and run by four generations of the same family. It’s not only a well-known landmark in Liverpool, connections with the early days of The Beatles have helped the store’s reputation to spread and it regularly attracts customers from around the world. Now its legacy will be there for everyone to see, with a blue plaque to be unveiled on Saturday September 27 by Antiques Roadshow expert Wayne Colquhoun, who’s played his own part in The Musical Box’s story. Impressed by the huge amount of original archive material he saw on a visit to the shop in West Derby Road, it was Wayne who suggested that the family create a museum on the first floor to 
Nashville, TN | 8 Nashville Record Stores Every Music Lover Should Know: There’s something special about flipping through rows of vinyl records — from admiring eccentric cover art to the thrill of finding a hidden gem. And, in Music City, record stores are more than places to shop. They’re community hubs where local culture, nostalgia, and discovery come together. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just a casual browser, these Nashville record stores offer the perfect soundtrack for your next weekend outing. …The store often shares new arrivals across its social media accounts, giving followers a glimpse of the treasures they may find during their next visit. In addition to 45s and traditional LPs, the store also carries a variety of CDs and cassette tapes. Open Thursday through Sunday, Daydream Records sweetens the deal on Sundays, as all items under $5 are 
On Bad Reputation–original title Joan Jett--the runaway Runaway dares to wear her heart on her sleeve by pledging allegiance to the songs that made her who she is; this is Joan Jett’s Self Portrait, and with the exception of her too-stiff-by-half take on the Isley Brothers’ “Shout,” she does her personal canon proud. Not only does she prove she’s the true successor to Gary Glitter (and by association her glam role model Suzi Quatro), she demonstrates conclusively that she’s her own gurl by contributing a couple of songs that (with the exception of the punk-tinged title track) blend seamlessly in with their esteemed company.
New York, NY | Two Bronx shops featured in new book ‘Vinyl NYC,’ highlighting independent record stores: Two legendary Bronx shops are featured in the new book “Vinyl NYC,” photographed by James T. and Karla L. Murray with text by music journalist Hattie Lindert, which takes readers inside the best indie record stores across all five boroughs. The book was released Sept. 9 and features Casa Amadeo in Longwood, the city’s oldest continuously-running Latin record store, and Moodies, serving the Bronx’s Caribbean community since 1981. Moodies was formerly located at East 225th Street and White Plains Road but is currently moving to an unannounced location. “Vinyl NYC” 
Shoreham, UK | ‘Everything must go’—Owner of independent store in West Sussex announces ‘difficult decision to permanently close.’ A vinyl store in Shoreham is holding a closing-down sale. James Anderson’s second Slipped Discs store opened in Shoreham High Street in April 2024. It has lasted just 17 months, with a social media post announcing the ‘Shoreham Swan Song Sale’. “After a wonderful year and a half of sharing our passion for new vinyl with you, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our Shoreham branch,” a Facebook post read. “We want to thank you every one of you who has supported us and helped create a community the joy of music on vinyl. “To prepare for 
