Valdosta, GA | Hole in the Wall Records sustains Valdosta’s vinyl revolution: For years, Red Door Records was a beloved spot in Valdosta’s music community for vinyl collectors, music lovers, and locals to connect. When Red Door Records announced its closure, Bryan Gay knew he had to do something to keep the store’s legacy going. …Determined to keep the music playing, Gay transformed a room inside Ashley Street Station, his longtime bar and music venue, into a small record shop. The space was modest—just a “hole in the wall,” as he put it—but it offered vinyl lovers a place to browse and buy records without leaving town. For three years, Hole in the Wall Records operated from within the bar, catering to collectors and casual listeners alike. However, as the vinyl resurgence continued, so did the need for a bigger, more accessible space.
Courtenay, BC | Record store gives back with community music fund: “With music, your curiosity is never over because there’s always something else to check out. So it’s a way of traveling the world in a way, through different cultures, through their music,” said Kip Luce. Kip and Karen, spouses and co-owners of Bop City Records Bop City Records in Courtenay, are launching a brand new community music fund to support the local music scene. Bop City Records sells new and used CDs, records and cassettes, and sometimes when patrons bring in collections to sell, they opt not to take the cash or store credit offered in exchange. Co-owner Kip Luce explained how as a for-profit business, it felt important to find a way to give that back to the community. “I always feel a bit weird about taking tips or freebies and I explain, ‘well, we’re a business so we want to pay you out.’ And then we realized, well, maybe we can just turn that money that people don’t want into something good,” he said.
Winnipeg, CA | Appetite for ‘authentic sound’ pumps up demand for vinyl records, Winnipeg shop owners say: For the past 20 years, Mark Cardy has been buying vinyl records seeking the “real, authentic sound” he can’t find on CDs or streaming services. “[With] a lot of this digital stuff, you lose a lot of the soul that’s involved with all the music,” he said. “I just appreciate how authentic a record can really make you feel.” As a “flower child” son of hippie parents, Cardy grew up watching his relatives collect records. “Once you start collecting one, it’s hard not to collect more,” he said. “It makes you feel like something that your parents did and your grandparents did, and it’s kind of neat to see how they felt when they did it.” Cardy is also part of a shift that in recent years has reshaped the content at some Winnipeg music stores.
Toronto, CA | Futhark Records: Toronto’s Destination for Metal Vinyl: We spoke with Futhark Records owner, Claus Nader, about opening Toronto’s only metal-dedicated record shop and label. In East York, Toronto, Futhark Records is the city’s only dedicated Metal record shop. Claus Nader, the store’s owner and the founder of a budding record label, has built a space dedicated to the overlooked and underappreciated sounds of the global underground metal scene. Nader has always wanted a record shop. His fascination with record stores began in his late teens, where he spent time immersed in music culture but never had the chance to work in one. Years later, after extensive research and exploration of Toronto’s record store landscape, he realized something was missing. While a handful of stores carried Metal sections, none dedicated themselves exclusively to the genre. Given Toronto’s status as North America’s fifth-largest city, Nader saw an opportunity and took the leap.
Jackson, MS | Man hospitalized after hitting Fondren record shop with an ATV: A record shop in Fondren was hit by an ATV late Wednesday night. Around 11:25 p.m. Capitol Police officers responded to The End of All Music on North State Street. According to the record shop’s social media, ‘half of the building facade is smashed and destroyed.’ According to Bailey Martin with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the driver was transported to a nearby hospital for injuries sustained in the accident. The End of All Music stated that they are cleaning up debris and plan on being open Thursday.
Dallas, TX | Dallas record store owner and DJ suffers catastrophic injury in fall: The Dallas music community is rallying around a local figure who’s been hurt in a serious accident: Chris Penn, a DJ and co-founder of music store Good Records, fell while at work and sustained serious damage, causing paralysis from the neck down. According to a post from musician Tim DeLaughter, founder of Polyphonic Spree and co-founder of Good Records, Penn was taking down advertising decals on the store’s front window on Monday March 17 when the decal unexpectedly gave way and he fell backwards landing directly on his back. DeLaughter described the fall as “catastrophic,” stating that “his spinal cord was bruised and paralysis was immediate from the neck down.” “It’s going to be a long road ahead with many challenges along the way, and we’re just getting started,” DeLaughter said.
Chicago, IL | Students on Songwriting and Recording Project Learn How Vinyl Records Are Made: As part of the Soundscapes: A Week of Songwriting and Recording in-town Project Week, a group of 14 students and two teachers visited Smashed Plastic, a vinyl record-making place on West Diversey Avenue. It shares its location with other art-focused businesses. The founder of Smashed Plastic, Andy Weber, explained to us how the records are made. He showed how he and his team use three machines to create vinyls for local and non-local artists. Weber showed us the plate/mold—made from another factory—that went into all three machines to create the vinyl. “Smashed Plastic showed the hard work and dedication people have for music,” freshman Laila Maajid said. “It was intriguing to see the detail[s] on the [different] machinery.”
Parsippany, NJ | The Parsippany Record Riot! Sat March 29th. 40 dealer tables: The Parsippany Record RIot! It’s a BIG vinyl record POP-UP sale, Saturday March 29th at the PAL.Over 10,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Great music and amazing family fun. LPs & CDs of all genres. The Parsippany Record Riot is vinyl record heaven! Think of a GIANT music flea market! Saturday March 29th at the Parsippany PAL. Over 10,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Great music and amazing family fun. LPs, CDs and 45s. Dealers from far and wide converge for a giant music sale! All types of music from punk to funk to country to classic rock, hip hop, soul/jazz and more. Dust off that turntable and come on down. DOOR PRIZES TOO! Regular admission starts at 10 AM ($5) with early admission at 9 AM ($15). Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!
Fischer, TX | The Record Room vinyl market: Dig crates of records from some of the best vinyl vendors in Texas. The Record Room vinyl market at Devil’s Backbone Tavern is back on Saturday March 29 from 12-5pm. 15 Vinyl and Vintage vendors and DJs in beautiful Fischer, Texas. Brought to you by New Braunfels favorite little record shop Yard Sale Records and Devil’s Backbone Tavern, the most bad ass bar in the Hill Country!
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