Morristown, TN | Stacks of Wax: Soundtrax music store opens in Morristown: “Somebody was trying to tell me that CDs are better than vinyl because they don’t have any surface noise,” longtime BBC radio DJ John Peel once said. “I said, ‘Listen, mate, life has surface noise.’” With MP3s following CDs, and streaming options following soon after, music can still be as free from “surface noise” as we want it to be, but those wanting something a little more tangible can now drive to Soundtrax Records in Morristown and browse their large selection of vinyl records and explore music in a way that now seems quaint. “I think people like the experience and the fact that music is physical; it’s yours, you can connect to it,” Soundtrax Owner David Price said. “It’s a disposable world, and records are something you can keep.
Tokyo, JP | A Vinyl Lover’s Guide to Tokyo’s Record Stores: In a city that seems to run on digital energy, there’s something magical about Tokyo’s thriving vinyl scene. While streaming might rule most of the world, the humble record store remains a cornerstone of Tokyo’s analog culture. Whether you’re hunting rare Japanese pressings, seeking out contemporary releases, or simply looking for a record after visiting one of Tokyo’s listening bars, keep reading for the essential record shops across the city, from multi-floor megastores to intimate specialist havens. Tower Records: While Tower Records has faded from many global cities, its presence in Tokyo remains strong. The flagship Shibuya location stands as a nine-story monument to music culture, with its sixth floor dedicated to an impressive vinyl collection spanning both new releases and vintage finds.
Houston, TX | The art behind the vinyl record: A look inside ‘Good Stuff Records’ in downtown Houston: Alicia Cannady is the owner of ‘Good Stuff Records’; a vinyl record shop inside Downtown Houston’s ‘Off the Record.’ It’s an independent record store that’s bridging the gap in communities through music. Cannady has been operating this shop since 2023. She initially started with popups, online and then became apart of this partnership where she’d operate at the front of the store. She says that what she loves most is engaging with customers through music. According to Cannady, only 3% of independent Black owned record shops in the U.S, but vinyl is still thriving and quite popular here in Houston. Traditionally for the past 3 years, for Black History Month, Cannady does a vinyl challenge on social media to focus on supporting and highlighting black artists.
Washington, DC | Good news about good dudes in ‘Love and Vinyl’ at Byrdland Records: Performed in an actual record shop, Bob Bartlett’s homage to vinyl is also a heartening rom-com. When you enter Byrdland Records near Union Market to take in Bob Bartlett’s immersive, site-specific play Love and Vinyl, be prepared to experience a sweetly funny and tenderly heartfelt rom-com that will amuse you and move you in surprising ways. For starters, the plot turns out to be not at all what the setup would suggest. It’s nighttime; interior; a hip, urban record store stocked with racks and racks of LPs—rock, punk, metal, soul, hip-hop, pop, dance, gospel, blues, reggae, jazz, DC Go-Go—a veritable vinylophile’s heaven. The sole proprietor, a woman, has closed up shop and gone to a back room but not locked the front door. She lives upstairs, alone. Suddenly, a man comes through the door, followed soon by another. From their bro badinage, we get that this rendevous was premeditated. And abruptly, the lights go out.
Paris, FR | Paris record store and label Yoyaku to go ‘100 percent’ vinyl: The organisation has deleted a digital storefront and removed the bulk of its releases from streaming. Parisian record store, label and promoter Yoyaku is going “100 percent” vinyl in 2025. Since announcing the change earlier this month, the organisation has deleted an online store and removed its catalog—which features music from the likes of Christian AB, Laurent Garnier, rRoxymore and Bambounou—from streaming. Although some music remains on the label’s website and Bandcamp, a message on at the former online store homepage confirms these last releases will be removed “in a near future.” The decision arrives on the back of what Yoyaku calls its “strongest year yet” for vinyl sales, reporting a thirty percent increase in 2024. The business isn’t alone—a recent report from the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association found that in the UK, vinyl sales jumped 10.5 percent to hit £196 million last year.
Brookville, FL | Couple opens down record and vintage clothing shop: Tyler Mauriello had walked by the vacant little shop on downtown Broad Street many times. “I always said to myself that it would make a cool record store,” Mauriello recalled. “Then one day, I walked by and there was a sign in the window that it was available.” Now that little shop is Grandaddy Records & Vintage, which had its grand opening Feb. 1. The the shop received an enthusiastic welcome from a crowd anxious to rifle through LPs and the vintage clothing sold there. The records are Mauriello’s baby, while the vintage clothing section is managed by his partner, Sydney Brown. Both have been longtime hobbyist collectors of their respective specialties, which they’ve now turned into a business they believe brings “something new and unique to downtown.” Anyone dropping by for the opening party might have been surprised by the number of young people buying vinyl albums.
Whitchurch, UK | Collector with more than 11,000 records opens store selling a wide range of vinyl: A record collector has opened a shop in Whitchurch after more than 40 years of trading at record fairs. Spencer Walters opened Spencer’s Record Barn in the town on December 6, offering a wide variety of vinyl and CDs including new releases from Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and more as well as old releases from the 70s, 80s and 90s. The 58-year-old, who describes himself as a die-hard music lover, previously ran a record shop in Winchester in the 1980s but was forced to close it due to increasing rent prices. The Whitchurch resident explained that when an opportunity came up in December to open a new shop in the town’s centre, he went for it as he has ‘wanted to get back into it [owning a record shop] for a while.’ “I love doing this, this is not a job for me,” he added.
Clacton, UK | Meet Clacton’s last independent record shop keeping vinyl alive: Clacton’s last independent record shop, Music Mania, is still holding its own in an age where music is getting increasingly digital. Nestled at 18 High Street, the shop has been a haven for music lovers for decades, thanks to the dedication of its owner, Malcolm Stone. “I have been here 23 years in this spot, and seven years in the indoor market before that,” said Malcolm, 56, who is a well-loved member of the community. And despite the shifting tides of retail, he remains committed to keeping the spirit of vinyl alive. However, it’s not all smooth sailing. “I will be honest, it’s not as busy as it used to be,” Malcolm said. “There is a lack of footfall, a lack of people. January and February are anyways tough months for businesses.” Yet, amid the challenges, Malcolm remains optimistic. His shop has a dedicated customer base, and one particular event always brings a surge of excitement—Record Store Day.
Bergen, NO | Dobbeltgjenger deliver their quirky magic at Apollon Record Store: Norwegian alt rockers Dobbeltgjenger are one of the most unique-sounding and brilliant things to have graced the ears and stages of this beautiful country of ours these past many years. Their fifth album titled Master of Failure came out via Apollon Records recently (something akin to the perfect Valentine’s gift, eh?) and so the musically adventurous quartet came up with the idea of doing an in-store gig at the hallowed Apollon Platebar in Bergen’s pulsating city center. Personally, I love those type of gigs in that you get that nicely intimate feel between the band and audience, but whereas some groups or artists merely play for fifteen minutes and then f*ck off, Dobbeltgjenger treated us to a rocking and highly dynamic eight-song set that was as uplifting and fun as it was moving and memorable.
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