Nuneaton, UK | Former Nuneaton beauty salon taken over by very different business: A former Nuneaton beauty salon has been given very different future – as a record shop. For almost a decade Beauty and Co was based on Church Road. The salon closed but a new business has opened up in the building, which is located opposite the Lamb and Flag pub. Reaper Records, according to its Link Tree page, is ‘bringing vinyl back from the dead‘. The independent store officially opened at the weekend and prides itself on buying and selling vinyl records and music memorabilia. The store is the new ‘HQ’ for the business, which also sells and buys on Instagram, eBay and Link Tree. Nuneaton is no stranger to playing home to independent record stores. For years, generations shopped in What Records in the town centre.
Columbia, SC | This legendary Columbia record shop has debuted renovations and upgrades. Take a look. The legend has returned home. Papa Jazz Record Shoppe, a staple in Columbia’s Five Points neighborhood for more than four decades, has officially reopened its longtime storefront at 2014 Greene St. The return to that address comes after roughly five months of renovations to the space. Papa Jazz had been operating out of a temporary space at 747 Saluda Ave. since July while the remodeling was going on. The return to 2014 Greene St. was marked Tuesday by a ceremony at the store that was attended by shop owner Tim Smith and his staff, Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, City Councilman Will Brennan and a host of other city luminaries.
Washington, DC | Spin Time Records Has Opened a Physical Store: The Capitol Hill record store specializes in music from DC-area artists. Jon Lottman, who launched the virtual record store Spin Time Records in 2021, has opened a brick-and-mortar location to sell his well-curated selection of vinyl—a stock that heavily favors local musicians. Spin Time started as a pandemic-inspired career shift—Lottman used to work as a videographer and documentary filmmaker who focused on environmental issues. The idea was a way to combine the love he has for his hometown and his interest in record collecting. The Capitol Hill native says he believes that if record stores specialize in something, they bring a better experience to the customer. “People will ask, ‘Is this any good?’ If it’s in here, that means it’s at least pretty good,” he says. While the virtual business blossomed, Lottman spent years looking for a store location and jumping through bureaucratic hoops.
Dalston, UK | Vinyl Bitch: Dalston-based collective tackling turntablism inequality. …For the past year, Vinyl Bitch has been hosting monthly open decks at the queer venue Dalston Superstore on Kingsland High Street, but also workshops, record shop crawls and parties. Since they started, vinyl sales in the UK have hit the highest levels since 1990, and with over 15 record shops, their home borough Hackney is something of a hotspot for what’s now commonly referred to as the “vinyl revival”. Against this backdrop, Vinyl Bitch’s efforts to democratise vinyl DJ scene is riding the zeitgeist. “I think the timing of the resurgence of vinyl, and also the MeToo movement and kind of these continued discussions on making spaces more inclusive, and you know, FLINTA-focused spaces, I think just like… it’s time!” says founder Madison True, also known by her DJ alias MADDØG.
Columbia, SC | Columbia celebrates the grand re-opening of Papa Jazz Record Shoppe: Papa Jazz Record Shoppe in Columbia is celebrating its grand re-opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2014 Greene Street. Five Points Association and owner of Papa Jazz Record Shoppe, Tim Smith, has owned the record store since 1982. The record store remains the last of several that once lined the city’s Five Points district. …Papa Jazz offers a wide selection of records across all music genres, providing 
Edinburgh, UK | 25-year record: Inside the Edinburgh hi-fi business embracing the vinyl revival and streaming: Twenty-five years is a very long time in the rapidly-changing world of audio. Back in 1999, compact discs and cassettes dominated the music consumption market, the vinyl record appeared to be in terminal decline, a minority of people were downloading tunes and the file-sharing start-up Napster had only just begun disrupting the status quo. Fast forward to the dying days of 2024 and digital streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal now account for well over four-fifths of our music consumption in the UK, the CD has almost gone the way of the dodo, despite talk of a mini revival, and the (original) Napster is but a faded memory. And, to the delight of those who still value the physical, the 12-inch long-player is 
Glasgow, UK | We visit Blitzkrieg record shop which has moved to a new premise across from the Barrowlands: From live music to rare records to special prints Blitzkrieg is an artistic hub in Glasgow’s East End. All of Glasgow’s independent record shops have adopted their own unique positioning in the structure of the city’s social fabric, each driven by a passion for analogue music, specialised genres and an ambition to immerse in community. Individually they are an expression of a person’s creative interests, reflected in design and stock, and because of the healthy offering there is a hub suitable to almost every taste. It is commonly believed that Glasgow punches above its weight when it comes to musical offering and the demand for these stores is proof of that. Along the Gallowgate, directly across from the Barrowland Ballroom is Blitzkrieg—recently relocated from a smaller premise on London Road. At its core 
Fullerton, CA | OC’s punk legacy lives on at Fullerton record store: Being a punkhead himself, William Evans, owner of Black Hole Records and guitarist of SoCal punk band Naughty Women, was looking for better ways to make a living while still being in the music industry. He had worked many different jobs throughout his life, at one point working in a newspaper mailroom, but he was always in bands and the world of music always found its way into his life. Evans figured working at a record store would help him fulfill his wishes. However, with many store owners he worked with being incompetent by his standards, he decided to use the connections he made during that time to open his own record store. Born out of the Orange County punk scene, Black Hole Records has been serving Fullerton’s community of individuals looking to escape mainstream media since 1986. The store originally got its name from the notorious Black Hole, a flophouse and hangout for punk and LGBTQIA+ youth that was also considered 
Fort Worth, TX | Made in Tarrant: How this Fort Worth record store became a staple in Foundry District: Jenkins Boyd is the owner of Doc’s Records & Vintage at 2628 Weisenberger St. in Fort Worth’s Foundry District. Founded in 2006, the family-owned business is home to new and used vinyl records, CDs and cassette tapes. Doc’s also sells vintage goods, including clothing, posters, magazines, comics and music memorabilia. The store was founded in Hurst and moved to several spaces before opening the doors to its current location in 2018. “…I sell more records now than I did five or 10 years ago. The kinds of records that I sell have shifted dramatically. Before I moved here, we had maybe 500 new titles—we didn’t have a ton. We sold way more used stock back in the old spot. Now, we sell a lot more new records that we get from a distributor. Clientele shifted a little bit younger as well. I know that buying records has become more 
Lancashire, UK | Home of iconic Accrington record shop people travel the world to visit is put up for sale: The home of one of Lancashire’s most eye-catching businesses has gone up for sale. Number 39 Blackburn Road has been home to Custard Cube for the past decade, and is crammed, floor to ceiling with records, CDs, books and music memorabilia. The record shop, which calls itself Accrington’s Museum of Pop Culture, is regularly visited by music enthusiasts from far and wide – some travelling from as far as Japan and Russia. While the business isn’t for sale—only the premises—
Rotorua, NZ | Rotorua’s new JB Hi-Fi set to open, generating more jobs for city: The “last major retailer of physical music” is opening a store in Rotorua, creating 30 local jobs. JB Hi-Fi is opening its doors in Rotorua Central today in time for Christmas shoppers, a statement from the retailer said. Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell says the store opening is “great news”, particularly as it had brought more jobs to the city, while the Chamber of Commerce says it “speaks volumes” about business confidence in Rotorua. A local “retro” store says if it helps get more locals back into vinyl records, it will have a “positive effect” on his business. JB Hi-Fi marketing manager Jon Kirman confirmed the 30 jobs had been filled by locals. Kirman said the economy was still “tough”, with a lot of unemployment and redundancies. “We’re just super-proud to be going through this expansion project and 
CA | KFC Canada’s Kentucky Fried Carols Vinyl Will Have You Spinning This Holiday Season: There’s a unique kind of silence that falls over the table during holiday dinners – a moment of stillness when everyone is too busy savouring their food to say much. It’s that peaceful pause when the meal takes centre stage, and conversation fades into the background. But this year, KFC Canada is spinning things around and seizing the silence… by offering something no one saw coming into the holiday mix. Introducing ‘Kentucky Fried Carols’, a first-ever playable vinyl record made from the legendary bucket lid, allowing you to fill the room with Christmas classics this holiday season. The same lid that keeps your crispy chicken fresh, can now be 
Pittsburgh, PA | Inside George’s Song Shop, America’s oldest record store: John George says he has more than a million vinyl records in stock at his record store in downtown Johnstown. But his business, George’s Song Shop, may be best known for a different kind of record. The shop is believed to hold the record as the oldest record store in America. George’s Song Shop was founded in 1932 by John George’s father, Eugene George, and his uncle, Bernie George. John’s Uncle Bernie sold his share of the business to John’s father in 1941. John George, now 82, became the owner of the business at age 19, after his father’s death. While the store has relocated five times, the business has survived The Great Depression, two floods, a fire and the former popularity of compact disks. “
Rancho Mirage, CA | Vintage Vinyl Records Await at Victoria’s Attic Antiques in Rancho Mirage: From Beatles originals to Streisand classics, this hidden gem in Rancho Mirage is a vinyl lover’s paradise. I spent my teenage days in the 1970s scouring Tower Records, Musicland, The Wherehouse, and an Orange County store named Licorice Pizza for records. In the ‘80s, vinyl was replaced by the compact disc, and finally, iTunes relegated the record store to a thing of the past. Well, no more — vinyl is back — and so is my fascination for that 12-inch black disc with all its clicks and scratches. Looking to rebuild my collection, I stumbled on Victoria’s Attic Antique Mall, an antique store in Rancho Mirage with everything you could ever want to find. But for me, it’s the roughly 12-by-12-foot area in the middle of the store filled with bins of records organized from A to Z with special sections for jazz, classical, and show tunes. There’s even 
Graphic designer Tommy Bishop has outdone himself in creating this first edition for what we hope will become a series of small books that make all aspects important—subject, author, images, and design. Go Tommy! Also, with this photobook comes a wee fragrance called simply, Peculiar. It is a refined scent, reminiscent of old London, with a hint of lavender, suitable for all persuasions. Concocted from organic Canadian floral waters and contained in a lovely souvenir bottle. The fragrance is a limited free holiday bonus with the book supplies last.
