Cashmere, WA | ‘There’s no bad genres:’ Cashmere Records to open at Side Street on April 12. Cashmere Records will officially open its doors at 111 Railroad Ave. at 11 a.m. on April 12 for all of the music enthusiasts of the area. “It was something that the Thomases were wanting to have at Side Street and had been talking about trying to get someone to come in,” store owner John Mainord said, referring to Side Street owners Andy and Lana Thomas. “It was suggested that I would be a good person to do it for quite a long time. Eventually, I just kind of came around to the idea, but it started with Side Street already having the idea for getting a record store in this building on the project. I’m at home with my records anyways, you know?” Mainord says the store will offer a wide array of vinyl records, cassette tapes and CDs. He also plans to sell record players so that customers can leave the store with everything they could need.
UK | Two Scottish record shops crowned among ‘greatest in the world:’ Music fans will likely know the spots that made the prestigious list. Two Scottish music shops have been named among the “greatest in the world.” The Financial Times recently published a list of “the world’s greatest record stores”. The global list was put together by writers and editors from the newspaper, who shared their top picks for vinyl, CD, and cassette shops. Among the dozens of music stores across the globe featured on the list are two popular Scots venues. Thorne Records in Edinburgh and Assai Records in Dundee are both included in the prestigious list. Thorne Records is located in the trendy Bruntsfield neighbourhood of the Scottish capital. The family-run business, which opened its doors in 2022, is owned by Mark Thorne and specialises in new vinyl from all eras and genres.
New York, NY | Rough Trade’s free music festival iNDIEPLAZA is coming back for Record Store Day: The concert will include live performances and DJ sets. Rough Trade is arguably the best loved record store in all of New York, in large part because they don’t just sell music. Over the past few years, the iconic business has invited dozens of artists and hosted community parties for music lovers, but their crown jewel is their Indie music festival, iNDIEPLAZA, which is coming back for its fourth installment on Saturday, April 12. The free festival includes a pretty stunning lineup this year and will be headlined by Swedish rock group The Hives, with other live performances by the hardrock punk band Scowl, experimental hip-hop group Clipping, raggae artist Pachyman and many others.
San Francisco, CA | The stoner story behind today’s most recognizable record store logo: My son and I are both lifelong vinyl collectors. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’ve always noticed that if you spot someone carrying around one of Amoeba Music’s bright yellow shopping bags, they usually have a smile and spring in their step. Makes sense as they have just visited one of the world’s great record stores and on their way to hear some new tunes! According to Marc Weinstein, who co-founded the shop in 1990, the three locations of Amoeba—San Francisco, Berkeley, and Los Angeles—go through 1,500 to 2,000 bags each day. (Yes, that is a lot of plastic but the bags are apparently made from “recycled” materials and don’t violate the state’s ban on plastic bags.) Today’s SFGate tells the story of these ubiquitous bags and the Amoeba logo that’s emblazoned on them…
NJ | 5 Great Record Stores in New Jersey: Whether you’re searching for an elusive underground record or just want to peruse the classics, these top-tier record stores have you covered. Vinyl is back with music lovers of all ages, and it’s not just a blast from the past. Across New Jersey, dozens of shops carry treasured LPs, both new and old. “It’s not a retro thing at all. They’re here to stay,” says music journalist Adam Budofsky, founder of Sweet Vinyl Café, a record shop and café in Denville. Customers can spend hours getting their hands dusty leafing through stacks of records. Whether chatting with fellow fans about some indie gem or exploring new genres, record stores present a perfect opportunity to kill an afternoon.
Salina, KS | Gryphon’s Wing Records: First Day Full House. If the first day is any indication of things to come, Gryphon’s Wing Records is soon to become the little record store that could. The little store at 119 E Iron was overflowing with customers shortly after the doors opened for the first time Saturday at 9 AM. Jonathan Hess and Olivia Hamilton are the the driving force behind Gryphon’s Wing Records. Jonathan told KSAL News he arrived at 7 AM to start getting ready for the day, and already there was a vehicle parked in front of the store with a customer waiting, a full two-hours before the doors opened. The duo first talked of opening the store a couple of years ago. With a strong online market for vinyl, both believe there is also opportunity for vinyl sales in a brick and mortar store, with the music sales market in Salina right now untapped.
Brighton, UK | The Horrors perform up close and personal in Brighton record store: …To celebrate the release of the new album The Horrors are playing a series of instore dates across the UK this month, which kicked off on Thursday at a packed-out Banquet Records at Pryzm in Kingston, followed by a set at Rough Trade East in London for album release day. Today is the turn for local fans with the band rockin’ on up to Resident Records in the heart of North Laine in Kensington Gardens. These shows come ahead of a string of Spanish and Portuguese dates. We arrive at Resident and dutifully join the queue which stretches along Kensington Gardens and there is a mood of pure anticipation in the air as we can hear the band soundchecking. The doors finally open 30 minutes after they were meant to and the full capacity fans briskly make their way inside the store…
Franklinville, NJ | Wall to Wall Sound & Video: A nostalgic journey back to the 80s in NJ: When Eric Wilkinson was a teen he loved music, vinyl and VHS movies. In the 80s he worked at a video rental store, Hometown Video and later became a DJ. The DJ gig is where he met his wife Meredith. Flash forward 40 years, he’s bringing all of those things together to re-open an 80s classic record, tape and movie store, Wall to Wall Sound & Video. Wall to Wall Sound & Video in Franklinville, NJ isn’t just selling vinyl records and VHS tapes, it’s selling nostalgia. Just being in the store takes you right back to the 80s. And speaking of the 80s, many people that worked in a Wall to Wall in the 80s and 90s have come back to the store and find it very much how they remember.
Toulouse, FR | Vinyl, swimming pools and DJ sets… A record convention in Toulouse this spring: In April 2025, the Toulouse Record Convention will be holding its 23rd edition at Bikini! Here’s what’s in store. Fun activities blossom with the arrival of spring in the Pink City! As Monday April 21, 2025 is a public holiday ( Easter Monday), we’re off to Le Bikini. This musical mecca will be hosting the 23rd Toulouse Record Convention. On the program: tens of thousands of 45T and 33T vinyls, CDs, DVDs and more. All you need to know about the day. Music lovers and collectors alike will find plenty to enjoy at the 23rd Toulouse Record Convention. This musical event takes place on Monday April 21, 2025 from 10am to 6pm at Le Bikini. Admission is €3 (free for under-16s, students and the unemployed). It’s a small price to pay to stroll through the busy aisles of the Toulouse Record Convention!
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