Pittsburgh, PA | Ross record store meets demand for vinyl while continuing family tradition: Reports of vinyl’s death were greatly exaggerated. The mid-1980s advent of the compact disc prompted many a misguided music collector to dispense with scratch-susceptible records and replace them with the new medium. Eventually, the convenience of streaming services basically sent CDs the way of the dodo, while the products they supposedly supplanted are doing better than ever. “Last year, 2023, was the largest-selling year for vinyl records in the history of the business,” Shaler resident Mark Mawhinney reported. The 1981 North Hills High School graduate has witnessed the phenomenon go full circle, so to speak, from his time as a 10-year-old helping at his dad’s record store to running one of his own, Music to My Ear on Babcock Boulevard in Ross. Upstairs in the same building is a second business of his: Northern Audio, a carrier of top-end equipment for top-notch home entertainment. And yet another entrepreneurial venture is Spin-Clean, which manufactures kits to keep records pristine.
Wolverhampton, UK | I started my record collection after getting a paper round aged 12—now I have my own store: If you live in Wolverhampton and and have a passion for music you’ve almost certainly met Claire Howell. The 55-year-old is the owner of the city’s only independent record store whose love for vinyl started when she got her first job as a 12-year-old delivering papers. She then started her collection with her £4.50 weekly wages by copping records from Woolworths. Claire, who moved from Dorset to Pelsall, Walsall more than three decades ago made her hobby a profession when she was 23 by wheelin’ and deelin’ in record fairs – before making the jump and setting up her own store in South Wales before brining it to the Black Country. The veteran wax-dealer has been an ever-present in the city for the last 13 years, with her most recent store being located on Cleveland St, Wolverhampton, but before that was jetting around the world selling at record fairs and shows across Europe and even in the USA.
Seattle, WA | Burst pipe ruins more than 7,000 albums at West Seattle’s Easy Street Records: Workers at Easy Street Records are in clean-up mode this weekend after a pipe burst in their building damaged the beloved store. An apartment above the West Seattle shop had a pipe burst overnight, causing damage to thousands of items of merchandise. The store is powering through, as a Jelly Roll listening party is still on the schedule for Sunday night at 5 p.m. So far, the owner says $200,000 in damages, including at least 7,000 records, two dozen hoodies and tote bags have been lost to water damage. The owner, Matt Vaughn, told West Seattle Blog he has experienced “much worse” water damage to the store over the past 36 years. He added how grateful he was to the community who had helped get the place mostly cleaned up, save for a few fans and tarps on the sales floor. In a post to Instagram Sunday, the Easy Street Records account said, in part: “Please bear with us: Our store might look a bit messy right now, since the other night a pipe burst in the building… Thank you for your support. Loud love, Easy Street”
Chicago, IL | The Record Track, A Community-Minded Music Shop, Opening Soon In South Chicago: The record store-turned-outpost for music education and events will preview its newly renovated space with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday. A music shop and community center is preparing to open on 87th Street, and its owners are pitching the store to their South Side neighbors as an entry point into the world of music. The Record Track, 2804 E. 87th St., will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and sneak preview 1-6 p.m. Saturday. Local Latin funk band ESSO and DJ Ronnie will perform live music as attendees get familiar with the shop’s model of video-based music lessons, community jam sessions, instrument stations, audio recording and workshops. Food, games, local vendors and pony rides will also be available. “I’m super stoked about the ribbon-cutting, mostly to get an understanding of what our community is interested in,” said Connie Anderson, who co-owns the store with Clifton Muhammad.
Greeley, CO | The Vinyl Game in Greeley: A Look at Downtown Sound Records and Tapes: …Rows and rows of vinyl bins, bookshelves of crooked CDs, old jazz pressings behind glass cases, colorful posters plastered on the eggshell walls, DVDs and Blu-rays filling spin racks, vintage turntables and speakers up on the shelves. On the walls are some of the store’s most valuable records—original Rolling Stones pressings, albums by The Band, some jazz records, and a pristine copy of “Fragile” by Yes. Not bad for first impressions. I prowl the store; I’m waiting for the man. The man is John Jankow, owner of this charming shop, which moved here from Loveland at the start of 2024. Thank the rock ’n’ roll gods for it, since the town had been lacking a shop ever since the last one closed, and I might have gone nuts if I had to drive back to Fort Collins whenever I wanted a new record.
Cottonwood, AZ | Puscifer Store Reopening as Queen B Vinyl Cafe Featuring Live Shows, Ramen, and Coffee: The shop is celebrating its grand opening with a week of live events. Puscifer’s brick-and-mortar store is relocating to Cottonwood, Arizona, and reopening with a new name: Queen B Vinyl Cafe. The multifaceted storefront will now feature live music and house a record store, barber shop, ramen house, coffee roaster, and a wine bar serving libations from Maynard James Keenan’s Caduceus Cellars and more. “Relocating and renaming Puscifer The Store to Queen B Vinyl Café is about more than just a change of location—it is about seizing new possibilities,” remarked Maynard’s wife, Jennifer Keenan, co-owner of the Queen B Vinyl Cafe, in a press release. “With our new location, we’re able to bring more live events to the community, while expanding our food offerings with the addition of both a coffee roaster and ramen house.”
Kansas City, MO | Amid decision to close beloved Kansas City record store, 7th Heaven owner reflects on 50 years of business. For the last 50 years, 7th Heaven has been a staple for music enthusiasts in the Kansas City area. Though it wasn’t an easy decision, Jan Fichman, owner of the store, reflected on the decision to close. “The realization that at 72, I have a lot of friends that have had unfortunate medical situations arise, we’ve had people that have died, passed away, Alzheimer’s,” he said. “I think I went to my wife and kids and grandchildren … just to chill out and enjoy them, and just find some unstressed enjoyment in the world.” Fichman said customers have been disappointed, but also understanding. “We’re gonna have a lot of disappointed customers, but I think a lot of the customers that have been coming here for a really, really long time understand because I’ve told them as much,” he said. “They just say, ‘Hey, you deserve it.'” One of those customers is Keith Shepherd, whose been going to 7th Heaven since 1985 when he moved from St. Louis to Kansas City, Missouri.
Los Angeles, CA | Punk rock princesses with metal growls: Suzie True at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Just six days into fall, a brisk wind blows down Cypress Avenue as a white Toyota RAV4 pulls up outside of Permanent Records Roadhouse to begin unloading a drum set for Los Angeles band Suzie True. The three-piece punk group opened for Playboy Manbaby on Sept. 28. First to arrive is drummer Sarah Pineapple, lugging disconnected pieces of her kit backstage through a dispersing crowd. Shortly after, songwriter, vocalist and bassist Lexi McCoy and guitarist and vocalist G Leonardo round the corner onto the street. They are both covered in tattoos, wearing boots and dresses, decorated with chunky metal jewelry and ribbons. Record store by day, venue and bar by night, the floor of Permanent Records Roadhouse is checkered black and white, the walls lined with red leather booths. Tiffany lamps hang from the ceiling, emitting an orange glow that mingles with the red and blue lighting of the stage. The walls are covered in posters, photos of musicians and records.
South Bend, IN | South Bend Record Show—Fall Vinyl Event: The South Bend Record Show, one of the Midwest’s largest vinyl and music expos, returns on Sunday, Oct. 13, to The Gillespie Conference Center, Hilton Garden Inn, 53995 IN 933, just north of St. Mary’s College. Thirty-eight vendors from six states will occupy 100 tables to sell various music items. Customers can explore pre-loved LPs, new vinyl releases, 45s, CDs, cassettes, posters, vintage stereo gear, music T-shirts, record supplies, and more. Whether you are brand new to vinyl or a seasoned veteran, this is a can’t-miss event for music fans. “What I love about this show is the camaraderie among vendors and customers,” said South Bend resident Jeremy D. Bonfiglio, the event organizer. “Stepping into a space with 100,000 music items can be a bit overwhelming, especially for those just starting their collections. Our amazing roster of vendors put people at ease. We are all music fans here and there is no better feeling than seeing a customer walking away with their next favorite record.”
