New York, NY | The Music Lover’s Guide to NYC: The best record stores, venues and musical landmarks you’ll find in the five boroughs. New York City — ever heard of it? There is no genre of popular music that hasn’t been touched by the Big Apple, so designing a “Music Lover’s Guide” to the place might feel like a fool’s errand. But here in New York, we’re not afraid of a challenge. Below, you’ll find a collection of record stores, landmarks, venues and miscellanea for the rap fan, the tortured punk, the classic rock aficionado, the techno raver, the future reggaetonero and more. And you’ll only be scratching the surface of what New York City’s rich sonic culture has to offer. Some people spend a lifetime in this town trying to take in all of its music magic — but you’ve got to start somewhere. And frankly, this list is a lot more involved than some of the AI-generated takes you might’ve come across. So, without further ado, this is NYC: for music fans.
Bowling Green, OH | Last waltz for Finders Records in BG: The record store business is fun and the dedicated employees at Finders Records are reluctant to move on, but owner Greg Halamay is rolling things back another step in an effort to sell the downtown business. The store isn’t closing, but on May 22 the schedule is getting reduced to opening only on Saturdays, from noon-6 p.m. “That’s the wonderful thing about my staff, they aren’t working for paycheck. They are working because they enjoy the business,” Halamay said. “They were working for the thrill of working here at Finders. Everybody was having fun. As was my entire 52 years career. Obviously we all work for a paycheck, but they work for the fun of being in the music business, around music.” With brick and mortar sales back open now for two years, since the pandemic shutdown, Finders Records is humming along nicely again, but it’s time for selling the business and Halamay’s retirement.
Cleveland, OH | Getting to know Shepard Records, an evolving Cudell neighborhood destination: The cheerful sign for Shepard Records is painted in crisp, red-and-green retro script across the window of a former storefront church. Bookended by Good Earth Farm to the right and the cute Imprint Arts Collective to the left, the historic and well-preserved building at 9712 Madison Ave. in the Cudell neighborhood caught my eye when I was perusing the area with a buddy last fall. “Wow, check it out! It looks like an independent record store! …We pulled the car over and peered in with curiosity at the store window, cupping our hands from the glare. It was bright out, and inside you could barely make out some very tempting-looking bins of vinyl records begging to be spun, a stage in the back that must have had a pulpit at one time, and several of the band posters that my old college radio station had sported in their digs in the 90s. Taking note of the hours, we made plans to return.
San Antonio, TX | Needle Noise Record Store opens brick-and-mortar shop in San Antonio’s Deco District: The shop, previously located at Traders Village, will hold its grand opening this Saturday. Listen up, record collectors — there’s a new vinyl shop on the scene in San Antonio. Needle Noise Record Store will make its debut in the heart of the Deco District this weekend. After selling records on the weekends at Traders Village for the past two-and-half years, Raul and Patricia Perez have decided to open a brick-and-mortar shop at 1627 Fredericksburg Road. …Raul Perez, who also owns and operates Next Day Custom Tees on South Presa Street, said his experience in the local music scene and love of vinyl inspired him to pursue the venture. “Being in local bands and growing up going to shows at the DMZ, Showcase and White Rabbit, collecting records was something that stayed with me well after those days and I now do with my kids…”
Colchester, UK | Popular record fair selling vinyl, CDs and more returns to Colchester—here’s when: Colchester’s Record Fair is preparing to return to the city. This year’s event will again be held at Firstsite, with plenty in store for those who attend. There will be 28 tables on display offering a wide variety of items to be sold. For instance, some of these include vinyl records, CDs, music books, original music and cassettes. The fair will take place on May 20. The description on Firstsite’s website said: “Come browse through stall holders’ collections of vinyl and CDs from a vast range of genres. “Grab yourself a bargain—or perhaps something a little rarer.”
Denton, TX | Denton’s KUZU Says, Yes, They Want a Revolution Record Convention: Record Store Day may have already come and gone on this year’s calendar, but Denton’s KUZU 92.9 FM is planning a record-swapping convention that will bring back memories of the $1 CD bin at Wal-Mart. The member-supported KUZU announced its first Revolution Record Convention on Saturday, July 22, at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center in downtown Denton as part of the station’s sixth anniversary celebration with the renowned Recycled Books and Records store on the square. “We’re kind of a group of artists and educators and we’re always challenging ourselves to find new ways to create interesting programming for Denton but we’re not just hosting a record convention,” says KUZU station manager and board chair Peter Salisbury. “We’re building a community where people of all backgrounds and tastes can come together united by the love of music.”
Marquette, MI | Records and more galore at “The Joy of Vinyl,” May 18–21: Talking about all kinds of media with NMU’s Jon Teichman. A celebration of music and media takes place this weekend in Marquette at the next record show. Jon Teichman and Geoff Walker team up with the NMU Vinyl Record Club and Ore Dock Brewing Company to put on another celebration of music, media, and community. Geoff & Jon’s Record Show takes place in Marquette on May 18th through the 21st in the Ore Dock Community Space. Thousands of vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, and more will be available to buy and trade. Kurt Hauswirth spoke with Jon Teichman about the show. Geoff & Jon’s Record Show takes place May 18–21 in Ore Dock Brewing Company’s Community Room. All ages are welcome and cash is preferred. Live music and events will also be featured.
Benton Harbor, MI | Southwest Michigan Record Show sees huge turnout as vinyl sales make comeback: Organizers are looking ahead to their next Record Show after a major turnout Sunday in Benton Harbor. Music vendors throughout Michigan, Illinois and Indiana filled 65 tables with thousands of music items. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, revenues from vinyl records grew 17% last year, and vinyl albums outsold CDs for the first time since 1987. Southwest Michigan Record Show Organizer Jeremy Bonfiglio said, “Vinyl has really made a huge comeback over the past five, six years. And we’re getting a lot of young people now into the medium. So really, we have people here from 12-years-old to in their 80s.” Organized by the same group behind the South Bend Record Show, the event welcomed all music lovers. Their next event is scheduled for mid-September.
Cincinnati, OH | Famed underground cartoonist Robert Crumb visits Cincinnati record store: A cartooning legend recently stopped by a Cincinnati record store. Robert Crumb, known for his cartoon characters like Fritz the Cat and influence on the underground comix movement, visited Shake It Records in Northside Wednesday, according to the shop’s social media. “Just hanging out, listening to records with ROBERT CRUMB. Today was one for the books,” the business wrote on Instagram. “A true living legend, R. Crumb made not only a rare appearance back in the U.S. but spent several hours here at SIR with his family and close friends digging thru our vault of 78 rpm records. We were proud that he found nearly 100 ‘keepers’ to purchase.” “In our 20 plus years here in Northside we’ve been fortunate enough to meet several people of note, had our fair share of ‘oh wow moments’ with folks of distinction, but this was truly special,” the caption added.
