Rome, IT | Pope slips out of Vatican to visit record shop, gets CD: Pope Francis grew up listening to the opera on the radio, is a fan of Argentine tango and thinks Mozart “lifts you to God.” But it still came as a something of a shock to see the 85-year-old pontiff coming out of a downtown Rome record shop late Tuesday with a CD in hand. He had made an unannounced visit that was caught on camera by a Vatican reporter who happened to be nearby. Javier Martinez-Brocal, director of the Rome Reports news agency, said he was in the neighborhood of Rome’s Pantheon when he noticed a white Fiat 500 with Vatican license plates and some police cars parked in front of the Stereosound shop. Francis had slipped inside and stayed for about 12 minutes, chatting with the owners, Martinez-Brocal reported. They then recounted what had transpired: It turns out the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a customer during his visits to Rome, and had promised them he’d come visit when he met with them at the Vatican.
Wales, UK | The independent record shops in Wales enjoying the biggest vinyl sales in 30 years: Vinyl sales have seen a surge in sales with record shops all across the country booming with success. Vinyl record sales in 2021 leading into the new year have been the highest they’ve been in the past 30 years, with record shops across Wales all enjoying the demand. Despite issues with backlogs and delays, independent vinyl stores across the country have established themselves as ‘musical hubs’, with a resurgence of music enthusiasts opting into a hard copy version of their favourite tracks. According to new figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), over five million LP vinyl records have been purchased in the past 12 months accounting for nearly a quarter of album purchases, its highest level since 1990. But like many other industries it has seen its fair share of challenges in a year plagued by shortages, as one independent record shop explained: “It’s gotten to the point where we’re a victim of our own success, there’s a lot of shortfalls just because pressing companies can’t match the overwhelming demand in the industry.”
Pittsburgh, PA | The Largest Record Store In Pittsburgh Has More Than Half A Million Albums: That old saying “everything old is new again” offers a pretty good reason to hang on to those items – from clothes to decor – that have gone out of style. After all, give it time, and everything pretty much comes back in style again. Like vinyl records. Once playing second fiddle to cassettes, CDS, and streaming, old-school records are making a comeback, and you’ll find no better or bigger selection than at the largest record store in Pittsburgh. Jerry’s Records on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill earns props as more than the largest record store in Pittsburgh. It, in fact, is known as the “world’s largest all-vinyl record store,” with an impressive selection of more than a half of a million records. You’ll want to carve out enough time to meander up and down the aisles that are jam-packed with vinyl records.
Ghost, Volbeat commemorate co-headlining tour with limited edition vinyl single: Seven inch will only be available at tour stops. Ghost and Volbeat are commemorating their monumental joint headlining tour to release a limited edition double A-side 7-inch vinyl featuring each of the band’s contributions to The Metallica Blacklist via Blackened Recordings. Ghost’s cover of “Enter Sandman” on Side G and Volbeat’s “Don’t Tread On Me” on Side V will be pressed on crystal clear vinyl and limited to only 3,000 units with 115 copies available at each tour stop on a first come, first served basis. There will be a limit of one per customer. All proceeds from the split 7-inch will be split evenly between The All Within My Hands Foundation and the charities of the artists’ choice: Camp Aranu’tiq (Ghost) and Børne Cancer Fonden (Volbeat).
Detroit, MI | Michigan is home to one of the best record stores in America: In this week’s local column, we’re talking about something every music lover enjoys: a trip to the local record shop. In Michigan, we have a wide range of great stores. One of those has actually been voted one of the best record stores in America. There’s something special and unique about spending time at a local record shop. It’s almost like a “Cheers”-type environment, where “Everyone knows your name.” Shoppers and staffers bond of their passion for all things music. It’s a retro experience that shopping online just can’t fulfill. First of all, it’s worth noting that Michigan has a plethora of solid record shops. If you’re in mid-Michigan, Flat, Black and Circular is a longstanding favorite. The shop has been on the campus of Michigan State University for decades and stands out, both because of its cozy feel and friendly, knowledgeable staff. Another mid-Michigan spot is The Record Lounge, which often hosts live music, to boot. Now, Spin Magazine recently released its list of the 10 Greatest Record Stores in America. On that list is 
Birmingham, AL | Vinyl record sales up 50.4% in 2021. Here’s what Birmingham shops have to say: Don’t throw away that old CD player or turntable! According to a yearly report from music data compiler MRC Data, 2021 was a fantastic year for CD sales. For the first time since 2004, CD sales actually increased. Last year wasn’t just a good year for compact discs—apparently, vinyl album sales increased a massive 50.4% over 2020. Why are people starting to buy more CDs and vinyl albums? We spoke with representatives from two record stores in Birmingham to learn more. In an era where nearly the entire wealth of recorded music is available at the tip of your fingers, it seems odd that antiquated forms of recording—such as vinyl albums, compact discs, cassette tapes and more—are picking up popularity. Although physical forms of music saw a steady decline in popularity in the early 2000s due to digital download and streaming services, there has been 
El Paso, TX | All That Music expanding, to offer larger selection: All That Music & Video – El Paso’s longest running and largest locally-owned music and media retailer – is expanding. The store at the Fountains at Farah will temporarily close starting Monday, Jan. 10 as it prepares to expand into the storefront next door – more than doubling its size. Construction should take about three months, with the store expected to reopen on Record Store Day on April 16. During construction, the store will temporarily move into a larger space a few doors down from its current shop. That site will open on Thursday, Jan. 13. “Gone will be the ‘cozy-tight’ description of the present store, creating more elbow room and 
Loveland, CO | Downtown Sound opens under new ownership: Loveland’s one-stop shop for all things vinyl will be opening its doors once again, this time with new owners at the helm. Downtown Sound, located at 330 E. Fourth St., has been open for 10 years and was most recently owned by Rogan Magyar, who took ownership of the store in March of 2019 when he merged his music-lesson and rental business, Keptone Music Workshop, with the record store in downtown Loveland. But troubles caused the store to close temporarily late last year. In November, the store posted on its Facebook page that it was looking for interested buyers to take over the business — a Facebook marketplace posting was even made to try to find a new owner. Enter Greeley residents John and Jennie Jankow. The couple saw the post looking for new owners and decided to 
