Grand Haven, MI | Couple buys record store to keep the music spinning in the community: After the previous owner needed to sell the shop, current owners Benji and Angie Stone knew they had to step up to keep the doors open. A quick question was turned into a dream come true. “I went home and I said, Hey, do you want to buy a record store? And she said yes,” said co-owner of “Off the Record” Benji Stone. Benji and his wife Angie, both from Michigan, went out and explored later in life but found their way back home. “It’s a really driving force for both of us to make a positive impact on this community,” said Benji. The shop has been part of Grand Haven for nearly 14 years, with each owner adding their own improvements along the way. “This room was kind of just underutilized. It was $1 record bin, it was cold, it was teal, I just wanted a space where I could hang out. And I was like, What do I have to offer? So I thought I could make delicious coffee and tea and just hang out,” said Angie. They say making a safe, judgment-free space for all was top priority.
Houston, TX | Downtown bar Off the Record can now sell vinyl with its cocktails: Veteran DJ and record shop owner Adrian de la Cerda is now overseeing Off the Record’s vinyl inventory. Last Saturday afternoon, the downtown Houston bar Off the Record finally launched its adjoining record store, and there was a lot of crate-digging going on that day. Many vinyl-heads—including veteran DJ Flash Gordon Parks and vinyl vendor Alicia Cannady of Good Stuff Records—showed up to the space that patrons step into first before entering the record-covered speakeasy, thumbing through the vintage LPs and 12-inch promo singles that have been sitting on the shelves since its opening late last year. In the past, customers have hit the bar with armfuls of records that weren’t for sale yet, asking bartenders how much. Sitting in a wheelchair and greeting everybody at the door on this day was Adrian de la Cerda, the store’s new proprietor. Running a record business isn’t new for him.
Seward, NE | Seward’s only record store closing down after just a year and a half: A record store in Seward is closing its doors this month after being in business for only a year and a half. Casey Sorensen-Kindt, one of the owners, says he and his wife have always loved music and discovered the record business while antiquing. From there they opened “Put the Needle on the Record” in Oklahoma, before moving to Seward to be closer to family. “It was profitable, it was fun,” Sorensen-Kindt said. “The closest next record store is in Lincoln and so it was nice to have it here in a small town. Something different.” He said running a small business in a small town can be difficult, but they received a lot of support from both Seward and Lincoln. The decision to close came because of the amount of time it takes to keep the store up and running. People have told Sorensen-Kindt it’s their favorite store they’ve seen in years, so it was a tough decision to close.
Whitchurch, UK | Record shop owner who lost his job turns his passion into a business and couldn’t be happier: “You are only on this planet once,” says Mark Fulton, the proud owner of The Vinyl Countdown in Whitchurch. “And, so, you should do what you enjoy rather than chasing the dollar all the time.” Mark has been true to his word. He’s turned to hobby into a business and he couldn’t be happier. He had, for many years, a job in the corporate world, working in construction sales. It was a good job, well paid and he met some great people. But he confesses he would get up and go out to work for the money rather than fully enjoying what he was doing. Life is very short, Mark says, and so, there came a point when he wanted change. He left his job and, in many ways, that was the spur he needed. Five months ago, music-obsessed Mark decided he wanted to try and turn his passion of vinyl collecting into a job. The Vinyl Countdown was born and the rest is history.
Shoreham, UK | Shoreham set to welcome new record shop to high street: A new vinyl shop will be opening in the next few months. Slipped Discs, an independent record shop based in Steyning, will be opening a new branch in Shoreham High Street. The store will sell the latest vinyl releases, new issues of classic albums and exclusive releases from major labels. No exact opening date has been confirmed however business owner James Anderson, from Steyning, said the store will be open before the end of April. James, 38, said: “Slipped Discs started life in 2020 in a ‘shop-in-a-shed’ in Cobblestone Walk, Steyning. “Two years later it moved to Steyning High Street. “We are now fitting out a shop in Shoreham (while keeping the Steyning location too). “We will be opening in time for Record Store Day (20.04.24). “Expect to see lots of new vinyl releases, new represses of classic albums and indie-shop exclusive releases from the major labels.
Kingsport, TN | New record store opens in Kingsport: Tucked away in a corner of Kingsport is a newly opened record store, owned and operated by Charlie LaBean. LaBean moved to Kingsport when he was 4 years old and grew up in Hawkins County during his teenage years. He said he recently moved back to Kingsport and decided he wanted to open up a record store of his own in the area after being a lifelong collector. Before opening a store, he sold new and used vinyls at the Tri-Cities Flea Market in Bluff City from late 2022 through December 2023. “I started out as a collector,” said Labean. “I filled probably 1,500 square feet full of records, and I ran out of space, so I started taking them to the flea market, where I was selling them left and right. I just couldn’t believe it.” At the new record store, called Big Chuck’s Wax Stack, LaBean said he has an inventory of about 1,000 albums ranging from thrift-worthy finds to high-end records of all genres. “I’m just trying to be a resource to the record-collecting community,” Labean said. “I’m really trying to be the record store ambassador for Kingsport; that’s a big thing.”
Dublin, IE | Tower Records are hosting 360° vinyl listening experiences of classic albums: Tower Records have teamed up with Sony Music Ireland for 10 weeks of 10 classic albums presented in a 360 degree playback listening experience. Tower 360 Playback launches on February 16th, and will feature 10 classic albums on the Sony label played through a 360 Reality Audio vinyl playback – hosted in Tower Records Dawson Street. The album playback calendar features SZA, Tyler, The Creator, Daft Punk, Wu-Tang Clan, Rage Against The Machine, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Meat Loaf. Entry is free and how it works is stand-alone vinyl playback stations paired with Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones will be on hand for listeners. Alongside, a bespoke listening room equipped with 7.2 surround sound will play each album in full, on repeat, using Sony’s spatial sound technology, 360 Reality Audio. Each album will be featured for 1 week in-full, on repeat.
Charlotte, NC | The Vinyl Countdown: A Haven for Music Lovers in the Digital Age: In the digital music era, Mark Fulton opened The Vinyl Countdown, a Charlotte record store. Leaving his corporate career, Fulton followed his passion for music and created a haven for music lovers seeking the warmth and tactility of vinyl records. In an era where digital music reigns supreme, Mark Fulton, a former corporate employee in construction sales, dares to swim against the current. After years of unfulfillment and ennui in the corporate world, Fulton took a leap of faith, trading his suit for a crate digger’s apron. He opened The Vinyl Countdown, a haven for music lovers seeking the warmth and tactility of vinyl records in Charlotte, North Carolina. February 10, 2024 – The Vinyl Countdown, tucked away in a charming corner of Charlotte, is more than just a record store. It’s a testament to Fulton’s ardor for music and his belief in the transformative power of following one’s dreams.
Scotland, UK | The smoke and mirrors of record store sales figures: There is a plethora of music charts these days, but one that artists and record companies like to pay attention to is the Official Record Store Chart. People understandably but mistakenly think this is what is selling in record shops, when actually it is a chart of what record shops have sold including all their online sales. The chart is further skewed by the fact that a small number of shops specialise in pushing new releases, often based on having something limited that is unavailable elsewhere. Virtually every release these days will have an indies or indies/HMV only version and these versions will be further specialised by adding limited elements, while for some releases an entirely different version will also be available from a particular shop. This scrambling around to try to convince customers that a shop has the version they must buy online is something I’ve never been keen on, especially since we have been in the Waverley Market where we are busy enough just trying to keep up with shop sales.
