Claremont, CA | Another cultural blow: Rhino to close its doors: Claremont continues to shed its cultural touchstones at an alarming rate with the announcement today that Rhino Records, a much-loved Village mainstay since 1974, is closing its doors and relocating. Rising rents in the Village are the reason for the city’s loss of the esteemed independent record store. Its beloved in-house video rental store, Video Paradiso, is also moving. Both will be in a to-be-named Montclair location likely by July 1, according to Rhino product manager Aaron Kenyon. The new Rhino Records store will be on Moreno Ave., east of Montclair Place Mall. Rhino will announce the address as the closing day for the Claremont store draws near. Coming on the heels of Candlelight Pavilion’s March 20 final performance after 37 years in Claremont, and just in front of the imminent shuttering of the Laemmle 5 movie theater, the Rhino move feels especially wrenching.
Bristol, UK | Best Record Shops in Bristol: Supporting your local record shop helps small, vital businesses thrive while also allowing you to support your local music scene. Here are the best record shops in Bristol. For years now, Bristol has been the go-to destination for a proper sweaty underground dance. Bristol’s music scene is thriving and incredibly varied, attracting music fans from across the UK and beyond. With such immense talent, of course you want to support your local artists. And shopping at your local record shop is the perfect way to do so. Not only does it help you support your local scene, but you’ll also be supporting small, independent businesses. These businesses keep music alive and well, helping local artists get their music heard and make a living with their art. Record shop owners are possibly the greatest unsung heroes of our local scenes. So if you’re eager to get out and support these heroes, here are the best record shops in Bristol.
Worcester, UK | Spin the Black to open record store in Worcester: A vacant city centre unit is set to be converted into a music venue that will give residents the chance to buy records in the city. Spin The Black (STB) is marketing itself as “Worcester’s only vinyl store and coffee house”, and has said it now has a venue secured. In a post on its Facebook page STB said: “We finally have a home, 19 to 21 Pump Street. “With three floors, we’ll be opening the ground floor initially with seating for 20-30. “An initial stock of around 600 records, so there’ll be plenty to nose through, and we are looking at turning upstairs into a small cinema for events, let us know if that’s something Worcester would like and we’ll make it happen.” STB has revealed that work is progressing to get the unit, previously the EE mobile phone shop, ready for a summer opening.
Hawkesbury, AU | Richmond Records & Music is home of Dash Guitars, vinyl and more: Their iconic Hawkesbury business, Richmond Records & Music, was established in 1985 but when the Stannards took it over in 2019, they raised the bar. You can see the love the Riverstone family puts into the business. There are five rooms to explore, containing pre-loved vinyl, new vinyl, CDs, instruments and turntables, and the store is also a local go-to for band merchandise. The Stannards’ son, Zac, is there on the day the Gazette visits, helping his dad build a workshop where Mr Stannard can hand-make his Dash Guitars line of guitars. There are two ranges – the Dash Bash and the Dash Harry, designed to suit everyone from the ‘bedroom basher’ to the professional musician. Mrs Stannard said there was nothing like them on the market: “Mark began designing them years ago but COVID created the perfect time to get them out there, when it was hard to get stock of other guitars in from overseas.”
Milwaukee, WI | Managers at Exclusive company hope to save 30-year-old Milwaukee record shop: After three decades The Exclusive Company in Milwaukee is set to close its doors. Two of the managers have decided they don’t want to see Milwaukee’s east side lose its record shop, so they’ve decided to take it over. “One of the best things of the job is getting to hear everything that’s coming out,” said Brian Kirk, one of the managers buying Exclusive Company. Kirk, along with Tanner Musgrove are buying The Exclusive Company, and they plan to call the new record shop Lilliput Records. The two managers have a love for music and collecting the physical medium that comes with it. “Just being able to look at the art work and see it, and then add it to your collection,” said Musgrove. “Once you start it’s really hard to stop.” Combined the two haven’t managed exclusive company for half of its life. It’s been a staple for the Milwaukee music community for more than 30 years.
Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee’s latest record store hopes to capitalize on vinyl revival: What was old is new again. Vinyl records are making a comeback, as are small, independent record stores. The latest such emporium in Tallahassee opened for business the last weekend in March. The tiny establishment is located in a former jewelry and watch repair shop across from the Lake Ella CVS. The proprietor was busily greeting a steady stream of curious visitors during the Sunday grand opening. “My name is Matthew Sampson. This is ‘Real Cool Time Records,’ he smiled by way of introduction. Sampson knows a lot about music. He’s been a DJ at Florida State’s student radio station V-89. And he’s long been a huge fan of old fashioned vinyl record albums. To the point collecting and selling them has become a bit of an obsession. “Estate sales, garage sales, I did the flea market for about a year-and-a-half and then started having appointments at my house. I turned the spare room at my house into a record store. And then I saved up enough money to rent out this establishment.”
FOX 40 WICZ TV – News, Sports, Weather, Contests & More
Bristol, VA | New record store opening in downtown Bristol: A new record store is coming to Bristol. Cheap Thrills records will open on State Street in downtown Bristol in mid-April. Owner Wyatt Lilly said the store will offer a little bit of everything for music lovers, including t-shirts, stickers, posters, collectibles, and more. They also have music and video games. The store is moving from Beckley, West Virginia and relocating to Bristol. They also have another location in Princeton, West Virginia. “There’s so much going on in Bristol, especially musically,” said owner, Wyatt Lilly. “There’s so many venues for people to play, the Birthplace of Country Music obviously. You’ve got breweries down here, lots of great places to eat, and now there’s going to be a great record store.”
Special 50th Anniversary Edition Of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ Released On Vinyl: The celebration of the seminal album features printed sleeves, a rare image from the cover sessions, and a brief essay. A new vinyl edition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s seminal album What’s Going On has been released today (April 1). The special release features direct-to-analog mastering from the original primary album tape reels by the acclaimed engineer Kevin Gray. This is one of the first times that this procedure has been done since 1971, and it offers the listener a unique listening experience. The What’s Going On: 50th Anniversary 2LP Edition also boasts plenty of bonus material, including a whole bonus LP, which opens up the album’s writing and production palette. For the first time, four rare cuts from Gaye’s catalog make their debut on vinyl, alongside a previously unreleased “stripped” version of the title track.
11 Vinyl Record Storage Solutions That Will Keep Your Favorite Music Collection Safe and Streamlined: Choose from this stylish mix of turntables, shelves, and consoles when sourcing a piece to organize your LPs. Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Vinyl records aren’t just for playing music. These collectors’ items are relics of history that showcase your interests, honor various aspects of culture, and feature striking art on their covers. For these reasons and more, displaying your favorite pressings in your home can turn a bare room into a warm, welcoming, and visually interesting space—which means you need the right storage solutions to help you keep all those LPs organized.
