Austin, TX | Austin’s Waterloo Records to relocate, take on new ownership: For decades, Waterloo Records & Video has been a cornerstone of Austin’s music scene. Now, the business is entering a new chapter—with a new location and owners. Caren Kelleher, founder and president of Gold Rush Vinyl, confirmed Thursday she and business partner Trey Watson (CEO of Armadillo Records) will be taking over Waterloo Records. The vinyl shop has operated in Austin for more than 40 years, including 35 years at its current location along West Sixth Street and North Lamar Boulevard. Following a 2019 property purchase by Endeavor Real Estate Group, the business faced closure or relocation. Now, Waterloo Records will relocate to 1105 N. Lamar Blvd. in the springtime, according to a Thursday release. The upcoming location will feature more space for in-store events and music performances and expanded parking for customers.
Dundee, UK | Why are young people driving Dundee’s vinyl records revival? From Thirteen Records on Union Street to the TikTok generation, we explore why vinyl is striking a ‘retro-cool’ chord with Dundee’s youth—and driving a global resurgence in physical music. It’s the festive season, and the warm glow of nostalgia spills onto Dundee’s Union Street from the door of Thirteen Records. Inside, the earthy and evocative scent of vinyl records fills the air as the jangly guitars of A Catholic Education by Teenage Fanclub – a 1990s Scottish alt-rock classic – blast retro vibes from the speakers. …For 18-year-old Cally Gouldthorpe, a hairdressing student at Dundee and Angus College in Arbroath, vinyl isn’t just about music – it’s about connection. “I like having physical media,” says Cally, a former Monifieth High School pupil. “I can go on Spotify, but I enjoy having the physical album.”
Jonesboro, AR | Vinyl is back at Jonesboogie Records: With vinyl making a major comeback, Jonesboro native Jared Harvey, 52, decided it was time to follow his dream, when he opened his record store, Jonesboogie Records, in early December. “I always wanted to open my own record store and it sounded a lot more fun than being an electrician,” Harvey laughed, noting that he was an electrician by trade. With over 300 new records and new arrivals every week, Harvey said he sells both new and used records, however, the majority of his used records came from his personal collection. “I had a pretty decent collection that I thought would make a good make a good start,” Harvey said. “It’s that point in my life where I needed to find something else to do and everything just kind of came together.” With the popularity of vinyl increasing, it was the perfect time to try his hand at his dream.
Urbana, IL | Urbana record store celebrates tenth anniversary: According to the World Economic Forum in 2020, 34% of small businesses across the United States closed because of the effects of the pandemic. However, a small business in downtown Urbana met the challenge head on and is close to celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2025. See You CD & Vinyl is located at 208 W. Main St. The shop, one of the several staple record stores in the Champaign-Urbana area, is owned by Jesse Grubbs, who opened the store when he was 22. Grubbs is a prime example of mixing passion into work. “I’d been buying and selling records all through high school, selling stuff on eBay to have money to run around on the weekends and stuff like that,” Grubbs said in an interview. “So buying and selling vinyl was something I always did.”
Millvale, PA | Inside The Attic record store, where the music finds the customer in Millvale: ‘Our niche is that we have everything,’ owner Fred Bohn says of the store’s cult following and worldwide customer base. Baseball cards, beer cans and records. Lots of records. That’s what customers could find in Millvale’s oldest vinyl store in the early 1980s — in other words, “stuff people would keep in their attic,” as Fred Bohn, owner of The Attic Record Store, puts it. Nearly 50 years later, the baseball cards and beer cans are gone and records fill every inch of the shop’s four storefronts — as well as two basements, a nondescript gray warehouse across the street and a duplex. “Lookey here, it’s the Attic Records’ $5 Country Cavalcade,” reads a sign above a red milk crate filled with fiddle and folk records in the back of the store. To the right, customers wind their way through five rows of rock. CDs are in the left wing of the store, soundtracks are by the register and doo-wop and jazz 45s are in the front. In other words, everything is everywhere.
Dubuque, IA | New record store opens in downtown Dubuque: An area nostalgist hopes to strike a chord with music fans with the opening of a new downtown record store. Ruix Records recently opened its doors at 1385 Jackson St. The downtown shop offers a variety of vinyl records from myriad musical genres and eras, as well as a selection of music-related retail items. “One of the fun things about selling records in person as opposed to online or something is that you actually get to have that human moment and talk about the music,” said owner Bob Bucko. “It makes you happy knowing someone is walking out with something they’re going to enjoy.” Bucko has worked in record stores “on and off” for more than 20 years, and he said Ruix Records was a natural continuation of his lifelong interest in music.
Utica, NY | This vinyl music gem in upstate New York could be largest in USA: John Keller is truly at home when he’s surrounded by his thousands and thousands of records and music collectables that overflow his 4-level store on Bleecker Street in downtown Utica, NY. If I’m really being honest, it’s more like a music museum than a record store and it’s certainly a treasure trove for music enthusiasts. Off Center Records which opened in Utica in 1992 is so large, it’s believed to hold the title of America’s largest record store. The iconic shop has been serving the community and drawing visitors from across the country for decades. “We have been written about in Goldmine magazine and has been a regular stop for music fans from all over the world, including Japan, Germany, & England and from every state,” Keller said on his website. “A great many celebrities have passed through their doors, as well, including Little Steven, Charlie Musslewhite, Donald Fagen & Michael Feinstein among them.”
Hesperia, CA | Wolfman Rick’s Vinyl Records & Guitar Shop is the newest music store in the High Desert: Wolfman Rick’s Vinyl Records & Guitar Shop is the newest music shop in the High Desert. Rick Lopez and partner Elisa Casillas moved their beloved shop from its Lake Arrowhead location, established in 2002, to Hesperia last January. What’s unique about Wolfman Rick’s is not the location along Bear Valley Road or the assortment of acoustic and electric guitars, but the opportunity to jam open-mic style six days a week. A full drum kit, hooked-up amps, and ready-to-go microphones command a quarter of the music shop’s square footage. Customers are encouraged to hook up an iPad for karaoke or take a guitar off the wall to practice with a full band during business hours. Instead of using fluorescent hospital lights that speed up the customer shopping experience like big retail stores, Wolfman Rick’s small space uses inviting tactics to get customers to hang around.
Kansas City, MO | Owner of Kansas City nonprofit record label looks forward to 2025: As 2024 comes to a close, Manor Records owner Shaun Crowley is setting ambitious goals for his nonprofit record label in 2025. “Next year, we plan to release up to 10 records,” Crowley said. “We’ve allocated funding for each artist to put out one vinyl record before June 1, so it’s going to feel like we’re putting out a lot of records in the next few months.” Crowley is ending the year with two vinyl releases already under his belt: Fritz Hutchison’s album Movie Night, which dropped the weekend before Christmas, and Supermoto’s self-titled album, released on Nov. 18. A musician himself, Crowley founded Manor Records with the goal of fostering a healthier relationship between record labels and artists—particularly for bands new to the music industry. “When you’re in a college band, you just make music, throw it on Spotify, and call it good,” said Ryan Lokugamage, Supermoto’s keyboardist. “This is the first professional release I’ve been a part of.”
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