NY | Where to find ten thousand records, CDs, DVDs, in upstate New York: Poughkeepsie: Darkside Records A vinyl; lovers dream. Thousands of records, CDs, and even cassettes. Remember cassettes? Give yourself plenty of time when visiting here. They even have old turntables. Lots of related items too, like rock T-shirts, posters, DVD movies, music magazines and more. A multi-winner as “Best Record Store in the Hudson Valley. Located at 611 Dutchess Turnpike, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603. Buffalo: Revolver Records What is your vinyl pleasure? Classical, hard rock, New Wave, jazz, soul, spoken word, gospel, classic rock, and more. More than 30,000 albums from the 1950s-1970s. They also feature vinyl from Buffalo area bands. Two locations: 831 Elmwood Avenue, and 1451 Hertel Ave., both in Buffalo…
Madison, WI | B-Side Records moved 5,000 albums and a neon sign — carefully — to its new State Street location: B-Side Records’ new location will be familiar to customers. It begins with the nearly 5,000 vinyl albums and compact discs that late last month made the one block move to 514 State St. The wooden display bins were put on casters and rolled down the street, the vintage posters of Husker Du, The English Beat and John Coltrane decorate the walls and the more than 40-year-old B&W speakers continue to add ambience to the shop, that on this day included the sounds of Eerie Wanda, the indie pop solo project by the Dutch–Croatian singer-songwriter Marina Tadic. The most delicate move involved the blue neon sign that has been in the store’s front window since it opened in 1982 at 436 State St. It survived the trek to a space that is more than twice the size of the old shop, has better lighting, ample storage, wider aisles, more record bins and even a kitchenette in the back. “It’s a major upgrade in every way,” said Steve Manley, who has worked at the business since 1983 and purchased the shop in 2007. “Everything’s a little bit different now but it’s pretty much the same.”
Wichita, KS | The Record Ship drops anchor: The Record Ship, located at 230 N. Cleveland, is the latest record store to open in Wichita. Located at 230 N. Cleveland, the store quietly opened in August after extensive preparation. Featuring a selection of new and old vinyl as well as CDs and books, the store is open six days a week with generous hours to allow music lovers a chance to swoop in on one treasure or another. Owner Les Easterby says he’s long wanted to open such a shop and that his decades as a musician (with bands such as The Wichita Flag, The World Palestine and And Academy) have helped him hone his taste in curation. (Easterby is also a real estate agent.) He recently stopped by KMUW to discuss the store’s history. “…There are a lot of smaller stores in bigger cities that are able to flourish. People like to go into a place a couple of times a week, spend 30 minutes and find something they want. There’s a nice flow of inventory that comes in and out. I think it always stays fresh with having a smaller store.”
Norman, OK | Best of Norman 2022: Guestroom Records Guestroom Records started out as two friends selling vinyl records from the back of their truck at concerts in Norman and has since evolved into two record stores and a record label. This record store offers an array of genres and artists, like Taylor Swift, Pixies and A Tribe Called Quest. Visitors can sell their records, buy new and used ones, or order an album. The store has a laid-back, comfortable feel, with natural light, music posters and rows of vinyl records to sift through. It also sells cassette tapes and CDs and features a section where visitors can find hidden gems for under $5. Guestroom Records also hosts Record Store Day every year on the third Saturday of April. On this day, record stores around the world sell exclusive vinyl, like limited edition reissues.The company also has its own record label, and visitors can purchase exclusive Guestroom vinyl at its Record Store Day event. For all music lovers, this place is the jam.
Harrogate, UK | Cafe-bar and record store plans submitted for Cold Bath Road shop: A new cafe-bar and vinyl records shop could open on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road if planning permission is granted. Plans have been put forward to convert the ground floor of 129 Cold Bath Road, which has up to now been used by a travel agency. The proposals state that the travel agency would continue to trade from the two floors above, while the ground floor – stretching to 52m sq – would be used as a cafe, bar and shop selling records and clothing. The business would create three full-time jobs and five part-time roles. Its proposed trading hours are 9am to midnight, seven days a week. The application has been made by John Caladine, who founded Audio Archtct Experience Ltd in February, along with David Swallow.
Brunswick, MN | Finestkind Vinyl Haven on enhancing the Brunswick music experience with records: For over twenty years, Finestkind Vinyl Haven has offered the Brunswick community a more immersive way to listen to music. Located off Maine Street, the store sells ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, classic rock, straight-ahead jazz, funk soul, world music and psych vinyl. It also repairs and sells music equipment. The store was established in 2000, when owner and founder of Finestkind Electronics, Dave Hunt, bought the neighboring business, McBean’s Music. Hunt briefly continued operating both stores, repairing electronics and selling equipment and vinyls. “As time went on I figured something had to give in this equation, which ended up being the off-the-street repairs,” Hunt said. “Eventually [the businesses] morphed into Vinyl Haven Records,” Hunt said. Hunt started off as an ambitious beginner musician; his knowledge of records—what’s valuable, popular and available— has accumulated throughout his time at Finestkind Vinyl Haven.
Long Beach Island, NJ | Vinyl Renaissance Observed at Red Rocker Record Fair: Last weekend was full of festivity, between the Harvest Festival, the LBI Fly kite festival and the 18-Mile Run. In the thoroughfare between Stafford and the Causeway to Long Beach Island, ManaFirkin Brewing Co. hosted the Red Rocker Record Fair. The event was conceived by Chris Fritz in honor of the long-gone Red Rocker Record Shop, which was once situated on Bay Avenue in Manahawkin and owned by the Red Rocker himself, Bruce “Rocker” Ciangetti. With the resurgence of vinyl collecting, the fair has garnered something of a cult following in recent years. Unlike most record fairs, this one is sponsored by the brewery and is free to both vend and attend. Among those on the premises Saturday were Rick’s Records, Yearbook Records and The Catch-All. Patrons brought lunch to enjoy in the crisp, autumn sunshine with a myriad of ManaFirkin brews on tap. Live music completed the event, with mellow back-to-back sets by classic rocker Matt Thalasinos, new-to-the-scene R&B and pop artist Jamil Robinson, heavy country rock trio Foolshine and the Fritz & Rocker Duo.
Kingston, ON | Music lovers rejoice! The Kingston Symphony Vinyl Records Sale returns: It’s no secret that Kingston has a wealth of enthusiasm around all things musical, with musicians and fans alike in nearly every corner of the genre pool. For all of them, one annual event brings together so many aspects of that passionate community that many consider it one of the highlights of their year: the Kingston Symphony Volunteers Vinyl Records Sale. A veritable warehouse of a record store, the Vinyl Records Sale offers literally thousands of albums – and while many are true to nomenclature (vinyl LPs), the event also offers CDs, DVDs, and a huge selection of audio equipment. Truly offering something to suit anyone’s taste, and made possible only by the generosity of the Kingston community’s donations, the Kingston Symphony Vinyl Records Sale gives those in the Limestone City a new way to “take those old records off the shelf” year after year.
