Newport, UK | Triple A destination for vinyl fans: Two music lovers have opened a new record shop in Newport. Andy Barding, who opened the original AAA Records in Scarrots Lane nearly five years ago, and Jonathan Bacon opened the new AAA Records Store at 111–112 St James’ Street on Saturday. The shop will primarily stock vinyl LPs and singles, but will also be selling all hard copy formats of music including CDs, cassette tapes and 78s, as well as music supplies for performers and enthusiasts. There’s even a partnership with Medina Bookshop, with an area of the shop dedicated to books on music and musicians. The pair have plans to expand over the coming weeks, including exhibitions highlighting Island music heritage and history, following on from the recent ‘Needles in the Groove’ exhibition in Ryde, curated by Andy. There will also be in-store events and performances.
Indianapolis, IN | The Record Store: Seasoned Owner Tells Us How Much (and How Little) Record Stores Have Changed: Meet James Ector co-owner of Karma Records in Indianapolis. “I want to show you something cool,” says James Ector, co-owner of Karma Records in Indianapolis. Wearing a dark hoodie over a Cheap Trick T-shirt, he grabs a Ziploc baggie from an old filing cabinet—covered with generations of stickers—and slides out a black-and-white photo. “A customer brought this in to us. That’s Van Halen.” Ector points to the man in the middle, who looks like Billy Joel but is actually a local DJ popular in ‘70s and ‘80s, and he’s flanked by four guys who looked like they’ve been up all night. They’re all holding T-shirts and visors emblazoned with the Karma logo. On the far end is Indiana native David Lee Roth, looking both painfully hungover and ready for the next party. “This would have been their first tour, when they were opening for Black Sabbath,” he says.” They stopped by Karma.
FL | Top 5 vinyl record stores in South Florida: Vinyl records are making a massive comeback and South Florida is a vinyl scene. Miami offers a vibrant and diverse vinyl culture that will leave music lovers wanting more. You will be able to find vinyl from classic rock to hip-hop and everything in between. If you’re a music lover and looking for some awesome record stores in Miami, you’re in luck. Technique Records: Whether you want to buy, sell, or trade, Technique Records is the place for you. Known for its extensive collection of rare-used vinyl, Technique Records is a haven for vinyl collectors and enthusiasts. Providing different genres like Alternative, Garage, House and Latin. Michael Ramirez and his team have welcomed music enthusiasts since 2018. Ramirez stated his demographics have changed over the years with more women becoming interested in vinyl collections and a youthful crowd gathering. Ramirez feels confident that with his team, they can pay attention to trends and upcoming artists…
Fischer, TX | Yard Sale Records joins Hill Country music scene with brick-and-mortar: The shop offers new and used vinyl, books, magazines, posters, and vintage clothing. Vinyl record lovers have a new spot in the Hill Country with the opening of a new brick-and-mortar record store. Music lovers now have a go-to for all things new and old in the music scene. Yard Sale Records opened its “little piece of vinyl heaven” on Friday, March 1, at 880 Elliot Knox Blvd., Ste. 600, New Braunfels, located off Elliot Knox Boulevard near S. Walnut Avenue. The shop offers an assortment of new and used vinyl, books, magazines, posters, and select vintage clothing. Records at the shop are curated to support locals’ interests. Some genres sold at the shop include honky-tonk, Texas garage rock, and indie vinyl. Owner Howard Lovell expanded his business after three years of selling vinyls at pop-up markets in Central Texas across the Hill Country and in Austin. Lovell told MySA he chose to set up his shop in the Germantown because it was not only his home, but also for its community support.
Fort Madison, IA | Weird Harold’s founder Danny Bessine dies: Music lovers in the Burlington area have suffered a loss. Weird Harold’s record store founder Danny Bessine has died, according to store owner Andrea Fritz. She made the announcement via the Weird Harold’s Facebook page Tuesday. “It’s with heavy heart I have to let you all know that Mr. Weird Harold himself, Mr. Danny Bessine, very unexpectedly passed away today. Please keep his family in your thoughts.” Bessine owned and operated Weird Harold’s Records and The Medium and was a “fixture” there for over 50 years. He was the 1988 Main Street Volunteer of the Year and the 2013 Burlington Chamber of Commerce small business of the year award recipient. In November 2022, the record store, located at 411 Jefferson St., Burlington, celebrated it 50th anniversary and Bessine told The Hawk Eye how he managed to evolve with the times to serve Burlingtonians’ ever-changing rock ’n’ roll needs.
Niagara Falls, NY | Record Store Owner Figures He’s Five or Six More Taylor Swift Album Releases Away From Retiring Comfortably: Dale Buttry, owner of cherished local record store Spinsy’s Records and Tapes, has come to the conclusion that he should be able to retire after about five or six more Taylor Swift releases, according to his loose calculations. “I’m sure you’ve seen that insane statistic about Taylor Swift albums accounting for like, 99% of all record sales in 2023 or whatever, and that means good things for crusty old record shop owners like myself,” Buttry stated, adding her album “Midnights” made up 75% of sales at his store alone in 2022. “With the announcement of ‘Tortured Poets Department,’ I’m already seeing dollar signs as I figure the limited edition ‘Travis Kelce Brain Trauma CT Scan’ vinyl variant will sell out in two minutes. I guess I’ll consider myself a Swiftie too as long as my profits from her albums keep filling up my retirement account.”
Richmond, VA | Fans gather at Richmond record store to listen to Kacey Musgraves’ new album in exclusive listening event: Fans got to listen to Kacey Musgraves’ new album “Deeper Well” two days early at select indie record stores across the country, including a store in Richmond. On Wednesday, March 13, about 40 people gathered inside the Plan9 record store, located at 3017 West Cary Street, for about an hour to listen to Kacey Musgraves’ new record “Deeper Well” in an exclusive listening session. Richmond’s Plan9 record store was one of two stores in Virginia playing Musgraves’ “Deeper Well” record early for fans. Richmond resident Andrew Krysinski attended the event and said he has been a long time fan of Musgraves’ music. “I think it’s honestly really cool to be amongst other people that are interested in her music and in a space where we can all share that first listening experience…I’ve never done something like this before, so it’s just really cool to have everyone get together and be able to, like, ring in a new chapter of [Musgraves’] career together,” Krysinski said.
Grand Rapids, MI | Used bookstore plans to put radical reading ‘out in the open.’ A longtime used bookseller is debuting a “lovingly curated” selection of books and records to a new retail location in Grand Rapids’ Midtown neighborhood. Black Dog Used Books and Records plans a mid-April opening at 959 E. Fulton St., next to Van’s Pastry Shoppe, where owner William Moore will buy and sell a range of used books with an emphasis on fiction, radical historiographies, philosophy and the arts. A long-time bookseller, Moore plans to offer a unique selection of books, catering to what he described as “radical” political viewpoints like anarchism and communism and the local artist community. Black Dog is slated to open on April 20, which is also National Record Store Day. Moore has signed a two-year lease for the 4,500-square-foot space, formerly home to Petrichor Market, a small retailer offering vintage clothing, books and bulk goods.
