Category Archives: A morning mix of news for the vinyl inclined

UK | Record Store Day confirms details of 2025 edition: Record Store Day is returning for its 18th edition in 2025. The international vinyl event will take place on April 12, 2025. Last year’s edition delivered a significant boost to sales. More than 270 independent record shops across the UK, alongside thousands more around the globe, will participate in the celebration of vinyl releases and independent record store culture. Record Store Day’s upcoming 18th edition coincides with 18 years of growth in vinyl sales, reported in the latest BPI market figures. The vinyl celebration is organised by ERA with its record store members. RSD has partnered with DEYA Brewing Company, based in Cheltenham, who will be brewing a special RSD beer that will be available in participating record stores, bottle shops and pubs in April 2025.

Montreal, CA | Return to Analog’s Pierre Markotanyos: …Pierre Markotanyos, the owner of the reissue label Return to Analog and Montreal record store Aux 33 Tours (which refers to the speed at which an LP spins), has noticed a distinct change in the makeup of who’s buying vinyl these days. “In the late 2000s,” Markotanyos reflects, “it was mostly 55-to-70-year-old guys who were coming in, buying records to play on their high-end stereos that they bought at the audio show in Montreal.” [Sound familiar, Stereophile readers?] “They were the purists and the true believers.” “And then 2010, 2011, the hipsters started really getting hardcore into it. And then, about four or five years ago, we started noticing 15-, 17-, 18-year-olds and a lot of girls. I’d stand in the middle of the store on Saturday and go, “Hey, 10 years ago there were just guys in here and now it’s like 30% women. Today, it’s more like 60–40 on a weekend. You look around and there’s almost as many girls as there are guys.”

Canton, TX | East Texas vinyl enthusiasts give insight into nationwide revival: Young listeners are embracing the nostalgic feel for music through vinyl records, including those in East Texas. For some, it might just be a vinyl on a record player, but for 21-year-old Allie Rives, as well as other Gen Z fanatics, it’s an immersive experience that brings a deeper connection and appreciation to music. “You get to touch them, see them, and listen to them, and I prefer that over digital streaming,” said Rives. According to Luminate Music Consumption Data, vinyl album sales have increased from $13.1 million in 2016 to $49.6 million in 2023. That’s a growth of nearly 300 percent over the last eight years. A high percentage of that consumption are young listeners. “Most of my friends have vinyl and listen that way,” said Rives. “Occasionally we’ll have listening parties using vinyl, and new albums come up that we want to listen to.”

New York, NY | The Music Is Too Loud. That’s the Point. Vinyl-focused listening bars inspired by ones in Japan are opening across New York, attracting audiophiles and city dwellers looking for a respite from the cacophony outside their doors. On one Friday evening, the conversation in the back room of All Blues in TriBeCa, where about two dozen people sat in leather chairs, was overtaken by the music streaming from three large, mid-20th-century speakers. Behind a D.J. booth, Yuji Fukushima, 62, the owner of the bar, spun a set that included 1980s funk and late-career Dizzy Gillespie, which played from a pair of German-made turntables. Around the room were rare McIntosh amplifiers, a tape recorder from a Swiss audio company and the three speakers—JBL products that altogether cost tens of thousands of dollars. The bar’s patrons were enjoying what Mr. Fukushima called a “music massage,” inspired by some of his favorite hangouts in Japan, where he grew up.

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Is vinyl on the decline? Why ‘unrealistic’ pricing is slowing down sales. Is vinyl on the decline? Lately, I have seen a lot of videos on YouTube with people talking about this. Sure there are some valid observations, but there are a lot of wrong assumptions. First of all, the return of vinyl is not a fad. Fads last from a few weeks to a few months such as the Macarena, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Game Boy to name but a few. Trends last longer and are measured over seasons, years, or even decades such as the selfie movement and social media—once more to name but a very few. Many people casually throw about these terms without even understanding what it means. It is like saying an album is a record. Wrong, it is not. Vinyl has grown in popularity and sales from 2007 to this day. That alone does not equate its return as a fad.

Toronto, CA | I went digging in Toronto’s vinyl shops. I found more than music: This hobby encouraged weekend trips to browse through the city’s indie record shops and listen in on customer picks and staff recommendations, soaking in the excitement around the latest releases. As soon as I stepped into Sonic Boom on a recent lunch break, I was drawn to a stack of autographed copies of Texan singer Leon Bridges’ latest self-titled album. He was in town for a show at Massey Hall a few days earlier, so he came and signed a few albums, the clerk told me. I’d never heard of him — my streaming apps had me trapped in a cycle of recommending songs and artists similar to what I already listen to, the kind that peaked in the 2000s thanks to car and khakis ads. I was so out of the music loop I didn’t realize this was the Grammy winner’s fourth album. Forty bucks later, I was hooked.

Leeds, UK | Record Plant, Farsley: Leeds’ newest record store on thriving at Sunnybank Mills and the vinyl revival: In just over a year since opening its doors in Farsley, Record Plant has cemented itself as a thriving hub for music lovers. Initially launched in a modest unit at Sunnybank Mills in October 2023, the store quickly outgrew its space behind The Old Woollen, prompting a move to a larger venue within the same development by autumn 2024. John-Paul told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “It was busy pretty much straight away and has continued to be. So we quickly realised we needed to expand or have bigger premises to stock more items. We moved this summer and opened here at the end of September, in under a year. It’s been quite a big jump up.” With years of experience in the record store industry, opening his own shop felt like a natural progression for John-Paul. However, he initially had reservations about competing in Leeds’ music scene. He said: “There are so many great record shops in Leeds, so I wondered how we’d fit in. But Leeds is such a big city—there’s room for everyone.”

Portland, OR | Eric Isaacson of Mississippi Records Is Retiring From Booking Shows: He wants you to take up the mantle. Mississippi Records has been a beacon for outsider music in Portland since Eric Isaacson opened the doors at the shop’s original location on North Mississippi in 2003. Ever since, the shop and label have played key roles in cultivating the city’s DIY music communities. Though Mississippi Records is known around the world for deep dive vinyl compilations and the attention to detail of each record release—it’s played another, if lesser known, role…He’s organized festivals in Cherry Sprout Park across the street from the shop’s current location and hosted laughing workshops led by ambient legend Laraaji. He’s slotted in the Black cosmic music of Lonnie Holley with Roman Norfleet & Be Present Art Group. In short, Mississippi Records has brought music to this city at a clip that’s hard to match. But times they are a-changin’ at Mississippi Records.

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Austin, TX | Austin’s Waterloo Records to relocate, take on new ownership: For decades, Waterloo Records & Video has been a cornerstone of Austin’s music scene. Now, the business is entering a new chapter—with a new location and owners. Caren Kelleher, founder and president of Gold Rush Vinyl, confirmed Thursday she and business partner Trey Watson (CEO of Armadillo Records) will be taking over Waterloo Records. The vinyl shop has operated in Austin for more than 40 years, including 35 years at its current location along West Sixth Street and North Lamar Boulevard. Following a 2019 property purchase by Endeavor Real Estate Group, the business faced closure or relocation. Now, Waterloo Records will relocate to 1105 N. Lamar Blvd. in the springtime, according to a Thursday release. The upcoming location will feature more space for in-store events and music performances and expanded parking for customers.

Dundee, UK | Why are young people driving Dundee’s vinyl records revival? From Thirteen Records on Union Street to the TikTok generation, we explore why vinyl is striking a ‘retro-cool’ chord with Dundee’s youth—and driving a global resurgence in physical music. It’s the festive season, and the warm glow of nostalgia spills onto Dundee’s Union Street from the door of Thirteen Records. Inside, the earthy and evocative scent of vinyl records fills the air as the jangly guitars of A Catholic Education by Teenage Fanclub – a 1990s Scottish alt-rock classic – blast retro vibes from the speakers. …For 18-year-old Cally Gouldthorpe, a hairdressing student at Dundee and Angus College in Arbroath, vinyl isn’t just about music – it’s about connection. “I like having physical media,” says Cally, a former Monifieth High School pupil. “I can go on Spotify, but I enjoy having the physical album.”

Jonesboro, AR | Vinyl is back at Jonesboogie Records: With vinyl making a major comeback, Jonesboro native Jared Harvey, 52, decided it was time to follow his dream, when he opened his record store, Jonesboogie Records, in early December. “I always wanted to open my own record store and it sounded a lot more fun than being an electrician,” Harvey laughed, noting that he was an electrician by trade. With over 300 new records and new arrivals every week, Harvey said he sells both new and used records, however, the majority of his used records came from his personal collection. “I had a pretty decent collection that I thought would make a good make a good start,” Harvey said. “It’s that point in my life where I needed to find something else to do and everything just kind of came together.” With the popularity of vinyl increasing, it was the perfect time to try his hand at his dream.

Urbana, IL | Urbana record store celebrates tenth anniversary: According to the World Economic Forum in 2020, 34% of small businesses across the United States closed because of the effects of the pandemic. However, a small business in downtown Urbana met the challenge head on and is close to celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2025. See You CD & Vinyl is located at 208 W. Main St. The shop, one of the several staple record stores in the Champaign-Urbana area, is owned by Jesse Grubbs, who opened the store when he was 22. Grubbs is a prime example of mixing passion into work. “I’d been buying and selling records all through high school, selling stuff on eBay to have money to run around on the weekends and stuff like that,” Grubbs said in an interview. “So buying and selling vinyl was something I always did.”

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St. Clairsville, OH | Ohio Sam Goody store, among final 2 stores in US, closing soon. Here’s when. Big Lots and Walgreens announced sweeping store closures this year, and now Sam Goody is going out of business for good. The music retailer is closing down its final two locations, one of which is in Ohio. The record store chain will shut down its Ohio store located at the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville, Ohio, about two hours east of Columbus. Its Oregon location will also close, putting an end to the chain’s 73-year history. While there is no official closing date, the Ohio store closure is set to happen sometime in February 2025. Ohio’s Sam Goody location will begin marking down prices on items leading up to the store’s closing.

Adelaide, AU | Crackle & Pop Records: 10 years in the making. Celebrating ten years of pop-ups this weekend at The Wheaty, we chat with Crackle & Pop Records owner Adam about the business and what the future holds. Unlike other record stores around Adelaide, Crackle & Pop Records has no shop front. Nor do they have an official website selling their wares. For a decade this innovative pop-up has been setting up shop at a wide range of venues across the state slinging the best vinyl records from all your favourite artists. The brainchild of music lover Mark Cnotek, Crackle & Pop Records ran under Mark’s leadership for nine years before he handed the reins over to the Buckley family: Adam, Anita and their son Jack. The trio have taken C&P Records to a new level and are pumped to celebrate the thriving pop-up record store’s tenth birthday with a special event in the front bar of The Wheaty this Saturday, December 21.

Laguna Beach, CA | Longtime Laguna Beach Record Store Up For Sale: A well-loved Laguna Beach record store—is going up for sale, The Orange County Register reported. Roughly six weeks ago, the doors of Laguna Beach record store Sound Spectrum were closed by its owner — this week, news was announced that the longtime music stop is preparing to be sold, The Orange County Register reported. Edith Otto, who operated the record store alongside her late husband Jimmy, told the newspaper that it’s difficult to let the business — located in Laguna Beach’s popular Historical Interesting Places District — go up for sale. “I’ve relived decades of my life over again,” Edith Otto told The OC Register. “That’s why I don’t feel bad. We had such a wonderful life. Jimmy and I were so blessed. I’ve had all these joyful memories.” “It will be hard to really let it go,” she continued. “I’ll just have to do that. That’s how life is.”

Montreal, CA | In Montreal, one man is fighting to stop DVDs from going the way of the dodo: The Luddites were a 19th-century group of British textile workers who destroyed the mechanized looms and knitting frames they saw as a threat to their livelihoods. They were followers of Ned Ludd, an elusive apprentice weaver who had supposedly smashed a stocking frame. Although there’s no evidence that Ludd actually existed, the name stuck around, and the word Luddite has since entered the lexicon to describe anyone who resists new technology. In recent years, peculiar signs have started popping up around Montreal, attached to street lights and signposts. They’re unprepossessing, but intriguing, with just a few words scrawled in permanent marker. “Visit eBay,” they say in French, “Le Pro des DVD.” Unlike Ludd, Montreal’s DVD pro is decidedly real. Jean-François Hall, a self-described “dinosaur” who doesn’t subscribe to streaming platforms, says he has sold more than 50,000 DVDs in the past three years.

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Final Two Sam Goody Stores to Close: Ending a seven-decade run. After a seven-decade run as one of the nation’s premiere record store chains, Sam Goody has announced the closure of its final two brick-and-mortar locations. The stores are located at the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville, Ohio and the Rogue Valley Mall in Medford, Oregon. According to WTRF, the Ohio location will close first, with its final date set for sometime in February 2025 — until then, prices will be reduced. No timeline has been given for the closure of the Oregon location. Founded shortly after the introduction of long-playing records, Sam Goody became a household name for discount vinyl sales in the ’50s, and a mainstay of malls across America and the United Kingdom in the ‘80s and ‘90s. In recent years, though, the brand’s popularity has waned, due to factors like digital music sales, streaming, mismanagement, and more.

Minneapolis, MN | What were the top sellers of 2024 at Minneapolis’ favorite record store? Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and other young pop stars sold well this year at the Electric Fetus alongside former customer Prince. Prince is still a hot seller at Minneapolis’ best-known record store, but in 2024 so were a lot of today’s hottest young pop acts. “Good Luck, Babe!” hitmaker Chappell Roan had the top-selling album of the year at the Electric Fetus, according to a newly issued year-end list from the 56-year-old record shop. …Other big sellers in 2024 at the expansive Minneapolis store were local pop-rock darlings Hippo Campus, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, St. Vincent, Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Noah Kahan and up-and-comer Taylor Swift. Most of those names eschew the stereotype that kids these days only stream their music instead of buying it. “It’s encouraging to see so many younger music fans craving physical media in addition to streaming,” the Electric Fetus’ Jim Novak said.

Twin Falls, ID | Boise record shop opens pop-up in Twin Falls before the holidays: The pop-up store will be back in Twin Falls on December 21 from 12-5 p.m. at 125 Main Avenue West. For anyone in the Magic Valley looking to surprise their loved ones with the pure sound of a vinyl record this holiday season, you’re in luck. A Boise record shop has decided to set up a limited time only pop-up store in downtown Twin Falls. For the past six Saturdays, the Boise-based Modern Sounds Vinyl and Music has been setting up a small pop-up shop in downtown Twin Falls. If you’re still looking for the perfect gift for the music lover on your list, you still have one more Saturday to check it out. The Modern Sounds Vinyl and Music, Magic Valley pop-up store, will be back in Twin Falls on December 21st.

Salt Lake City, UT | Randy Stinson, the face of record stores in Utah, dies at age 83: Stinson spent his life sharing music with others, before and after he opened his cherished store in 1978. Randy Stinson, founder of the iconic Salt Lake City vinyl record shop named after him and remembered by his family as a “walking Rolodex of music,” died on Dec. 14, 2024, of natural causes at the age of 83. Randy opened Randy’s Record Shop in October 1978 and ran it for four decades before retiring in 2018, when his son Sam took over. The Travel Channel once named the shop as one of “eight must-visit American Record Stores” alongside other greats, like Amoeba Music in Los Angeles. …Connecting people with music, through the store or his own collection, was Randy’s favorite part of all of it. “Whatever culture that Randy brought to the city and the local community, it was just a place for music lovers…”

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The biggest-selling rock album of 2024 may surprise you: The best-selling rock album of 2024 is 47 years old. In a year dominated by pop, country and hip-hop, Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 masterpiece Rumours was the highest-charting rock album on Billboard’s 2024 year-end chart, landing at No. 34, just one spot ahead of Elton John’s 2017 greatest hits collection Diamonds. Just 29 of the Top 200 albums on Billboard’s year-end 2024 chart were from rock artists. Depressingly, none of them were released this year. All but five of the 29 were greatest hits collections. Besides Rumours, the only non-compilation rock albums to make the chart were Nirvana’s Nevermind, AC/DC’s Back in Black, Linkin Park’s [Hybrid Theory] and Sublime’s self-titled 1996 album.

Kingston, UK | Kingston record store hailed as the ‘most influential’ in the UK: Kingston’s Banquet Records has been dubbed “the most influential record store in the UK right now at helping an artist or a band secure a number one,” by The New Statesman’s Hannah Barnes, in a podcast. Speaking about the concerts Banquet Records hosts at Pryzm, Barnes said: “They really do bring the big guns to Kingston. “In the last few years, we’ve seen some great people […] The Who, Elbow, Stormzy, Keen, Snow Patrol. “Billie Eilish was there in 2019. This year alone Rod Stewart, who, as if he didn’t need to be anyway, but is now confirmed as a legend by his 2025 Glastonbury booking. “So, they’re [Banquet Records] clearly doing something right.” Speaking about Banquet Records more generally, Barnes said: “Well they love music and any kind of music, but what they did very early on, even before it was Banquet Records when it was Beggars Banquet, is they tried to combine the person that buys records with the person that goes to gigs, and more recently they’ve done this with astounding success.”

Adelaide, AU | Celebrate 10 years of Crackle and Pop Records at The Wheaty: The pop-up record store is celebrating double digits with a special event at The Wheaty on Saturday, December 21. Adelaide’s favourite pop-up record store, Crackle & Pop Records, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this weekend with a special event at The Wheaty. Get down to everybody’s favourite craft brew pub in Thebarton from 2:00pm this Saturday and have some beers, buy some records and chat with the current owners Adam and Anita and their son Jack. The man who founded Crackle & Pop Records, Mark, will also be in attendance, so buy him a beer and let him regal you with tales about the early days of the business that first began as a stall at the Gilles St Market on December 21, 2014. Held in the front bar from 2:00pm until 6:00pm, music lovers can get their vinyl fill before catching The Adelaide Sax Pack perform later in the evening, with Bunnychownow serving up delish curries out front.

Palos Park, IL | Grooving into retirement: Teacher spins new life with record shop: Independent record shop Long Live Vinyl brings music lovers together with retro vibes and timeless grooves. In the 1960s, the record player wasn’t just a device—it was a lifestyle accessory as essential as shag carpeting and avocado-colored appliances. Nestled in the corner of countless living rooms, these spinning musical oracles brought rock, soul, and psychedelic grooves to the ears of America, all while sitting atop a sea of shag so thick it could probably host its own ecosystem. Families would gather around, pretending to listen to The Beatles or Motown hits, but let’s be honest, half the time they were just mesmerized by how the record player seemed to defy logic by spinning backward, while the music played forward.

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The Beatles had the bestselling Record Store Day Black Friday single: Fans of The Beatles were out in full force for Record Store Day Black Friday. Billboard reports that the Fab Four’s “I Want To Hold Your Hand”/”I Saw Her Standing There” 7-inch vinyl was the top-selling single on Record Store Day Black Friday, while the 3-inch vinyl release of “All My Loving” came in at #5. Stevie Nicks also had one of the bestselling singles, with the white-colored 7-inch vinyl of her latest single, “The Lighthouse,” landing at #3 behind Pearl Jam‘s “Waiting for Stevie (Live)”/”Wreckage (Live)” vinyl. U2 was also a big draw at independent record stores, with the How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb black and red colored vinyl the sixth-bestselling album on Record Store Day. Van Halen’s Live in Dallas 1981 on red colored double vinyl was #8, the Ramones’ Greatest Hits on red colored vinyl was #9 and the Grateful Dead’s four-vinyl LP set, Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT 5/5/77, was #10.

El Cerrito, CA | Iconic Down Home Music expects to raise enough money to buy East Bay space: Fundraising continues as music store and 2 film and music nonprofits make downpayment on buildings. It appears the music will continue to play at an iconic record store on San Pablo Avenue. Down Home Music and two nonprofits feared they would lose the space they’ve occupied since the 1970s. Now the music store, Les Blank Films and The Arhoolie Foundation have secured a contract agreement with the property owners that will allow them to buy the buildings if they can raise some additional money. Harrod Blank, the owner of the film company his father founded in the 1970s, said the agreement gives the tenants until April 15 to raise $2.4 million. Blank said they have already made a 10% down payment. The group has started a Go Fund Me page with a goal of $65,000. So far, $53,000 has been raised from more than 300 donors.

Northwood, FL | Soulmates grooves in Northwood with retro vinyl and spin sessions: The vinyl culture, art, and entertainment have taken root here. Nicholas Estrada feels enthusiastic about being part of this movement and wants to contribute as much as possible to this new scene with his store, Soulmates. A new record store in Northwood is making some noise with a hip selection of vinyl records, turntables, and an interactive DJ for events. Soulmates owner Nicholas Estrada landed in West Palm Beach from Tampa, where he had been living for a while before he took off and started traveling around the world. “I’m a water person,” Estrada says. “I have a charter boat biz on the side. I lived abroad, in the Caribbean and Hawaii, but it was time to come home. I’ve always been a music lover and a fan of physical media. I wanted to start my own business, so here I am after I started collecting, doing markets, and getting the name out there. There was only one other record store in the West Palm area. I saw the need for another one.”

Nashville, TN | East Nashville record store celebrates 25th anniversary: Grimey’s New and Preloved music has been a Nashville staple for 25 years. In East Nashville, the beloved record store Grimey’s is celebrating 25 years in business. From new releases to old classics, the rows of records, vinyl and CDs bring regulars and visitors to the store every day. Grimey’s first started up in Berry Hill in December 1999, before moving to 8th Avenue South and finally to a former church on Trinity Lane. “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years, it just flew by, it’s crazy,” said co-owner and self-proclaimed vinylist Doyle Davis. “I think of Grimey’s as a gateway to the Old Nashville,” he went on. “If you just moved to Nashville and you love it, and you kind of feel lost finding your way in….if you want to be a local, shop at Grimey’s.” You can find all kinds of music, a bookstore, plus in-store performances and other events at Grimey’s.

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Noah Kahan, Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo top Record Store Day Black Friday sales: If you spent Black Friday flipping through vinyls at your local indie record store, chances are you went home with albums by Noah Kahan and Billie Eilish. Noah had the top-selling Record Store Day Black Friday 2024 release, according to Billboard. His Town Hall (Stick Season Collaborations) on tiger eye brown vinyl collected all eight duets from his album Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever). They included collabs with Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Post Malone and Kacey Musgraves. Billie had the #2 release: A version of Hit Me hard and Soft with just the vocals isolated. Olivia Rodrigo‘s Guts (Spilled)—the deluxe version of her album Guts—was the #3 seller, pressed on red and purple vinyl.

Denver, CO | The Best Record Stores in Denver: From used jazz to new pop, the vast array of vinyl in Denver-area record stores makes for a collector’s heaven. Not so long ago, pundits predicted that vinyl records were going the way of the dinosaur. But that asteroid never hit. Instead, vinyl’s miraculous comeback in the age of streaming is every music collector’s unlikely dream come true. That is, if they don’t mind depositing their paychecks directly into the bank account of their local record store every month, particularly when Record Store Day hits twice each year: in April and on Black Friday in November. In pursuit of personal bankruptcy and a stellar record collection, here are a dozen of Denver’s best record stores—an embarrassment of turntable riches.

Columbia, SC | As it celebrates 45 years in Columbia, Papa Jazz Record Shoppe moves back home after renovations: When Papa Jazz Record Shoppe first opened in 1979, eight tracks and 78 rpm records made up the bulk of sales for the Five Points institution. Cassette tapes were years away from being the predominant music-listening medium. CDs were on the cusp of invention and more than a decade from relevancy. “There was no need for a credit card machine,” said Tim Smith, who bought the shop in the early ’80s and has owned it ever since. Forty-five years later, the medium may have changed but Papa Jazz has remained a stalwart hub for music lovers and casual listeners in Columbia. And because what was old is new again, vinyl records make up 70 percent of the shop’s sales, Smith said.

Coronado, CA | Imperial Beach Records & Radio Opens—A Trip Down Memory Lane For Some, New Experience For Others: It only took one look at the Thriller album by Micheal Jackson to remember my younger self, who traveled by train with a group of other kids to our high school. One of those kids had a connection with music. His family owned a record store. To save me a trip to buy it in person, my friend brought me the album on the train after the record came out, and I gave him cash for it. It’s something I haven’t thought about since it happened, but the memory is still strong. Some of us who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s remember buying vinyl records and playing them on the turntable. That bit of nostalgia has picked up more and more recently, with many buying turntables and records and remembering a time when life moved more slowly.

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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.

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5 Small Businesses Bringing Back Vinyl Records: Streaming may reign supreme, but these five small businesses see the value in tangible music. Vinyl records have seen a renaissance in the 21st century, and this trend is not slowing down. Demand for this analog medium has climbed over 17 consecutive years, and in 2022, LPs officially eclipsed CDs as the most popular physical recorded music format. Some speculate that nostalgia has driven the return to the turntable, while others credit Record Store Day for the vinyl revival. Whatever the reason, these five small businesses were inspired by this comeback and are among the few record-pressing outfits in the nation.

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 a vibrant marketplace for buying, selling, and trading vinyl records and CDs. Papa Jazz is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Asheville, NC | Static Age Records encounters an uncertain financial future following Hurricane Helene: Staff at Asheville record store and music venue, Static Age Records, face the effects of insufficient fall tourism as they continue to host live music. “Through the wake of the aftermath you couldn’t think of anything else to do besides help. It wasn’t until three weeks later we realized we were now struggling,” said Sophie Hull, Static Age Records’ director of operations. In the weeks following Hurricane Helene, Hull and Jesse McSwain, owner of Static Age Records, said they did roughly 20 percent of the business they normally do due to a lack of tourism in downtown Asheville. “Everybody makes all of their yearly money in a few months with slow time in between,” McSwain said of local businesses in Asheville. “Some businesses rely totally on tourism, I’m sure. At least we have a lot of local connection.”

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 enjoying a surprise renaissance.

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Music Lovers Are Ditching Streaming For Vinyl: According to The Economist, vinyl is having a huge resurgence, growing faster than streaming with a rate of 15.4%, compared to streaming’s 10.4%. Even more impressively, vinyl has outsold CDs for the fourth consecutive year. What’s driving this vinyl resurgence? The answer is devoted music lovers, who are snapping up records from their favorite artists, with Taylor Swift leading the charge. In April, Taylor smashed records with her album The Tortured Poets Department, selling a staggering 700,000 vinyl copies in just three days. And her dominance doesn’t end there with her albums accounting for an astonishing 7% of all vinyl sales in 2023, with over 3.4 million records sold that year alone. The vinyl boom is proof that, even in a digital age, fans still value the tangible connection and nostalgia that only physical records can provide.

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 it embodies the city’s DIY spirit and approach to music, a trove of rare finds and host of live sessions.

Athens, OH | ROAR brings the noise to Athens: Despite the rise of the MP3 and platforms such as iTunes and Spotify, recent years have seen a resurgence of the record store. While big record store chains disappeared around the time of the Great Recession of 2008, boutique record stores began to emerge from the ashes. Unlike compact discs or cassette tapes, vinyl records have a unique appeal because of a combination of nostalgia, collectibility and sound quality. In 2022, nearly $1.2 billion worth of vinyl records were sold in the United States. Republic of Athens Records, also known by the abbreviation ROAR, opened in November 2021. Initially located at 79 E. State St. near Stimson Avenue, ROAR moved to a new location at 30 E. State St. in 2022. At present, ROAR’s neighbors include The Side Bar, the Bleeding Heart Boutique and Passion Works Studio. According to Mackenzie “Mac” Price, ROAR’s social media marketing director, the move has been beneficial…

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 one of the birthplaces of OC punk.

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Carlisle, UK | Five independent Carlisle shops worth checking out for Christmas shopping: Vinyl Cafe. Perhaps the most unique cafe in town, Vinyl Cafe is both a fantastic record shop and a small cafe in the back. Their stock is constantly changing and they’ll usually have the newest and most popular releases for record collectors and casual spinners alike, as well as a decent selection of second-hand discs. They’re also an ardent participant of Record Store Day which, if you didn’t know, is one of the saving graces for independent music shops that both encourages people to visit their local store and also involves unique and very limited releases distributed to various shops. Make the music head in your family happy, and support a local shop, by shopping here for Christmas this year.

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 hip with the younger crowd, which I’m all for.”

LA | Consider gifting music this year as the Year of Louisiana Music wraps up: With Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the rearview mirror, are you still searching for that perfect present for a special someone? Give the gift of Louisiana music. …When someone gifts music genres born in the state — like zydeco, Cajun, swamp pop and jazz — they’re putting money in the pockets of a neighbor, friend and maybe even a family member. While the music can be streamed, the artists only receive fractions of a penny per stream. Some bands still produce CDs, which are perfect stocking stuffers that make Christmas much more merry. Lagniappe Records in Lafayette, Floyd’s Record Shop in Ville Platte and Louisiana Music Factory in New Orleans are just a few stores that stock CDs, even vinyl. Google “record stores near me” and you’ll be surprised at the results. If CDs don’t work, go to live shows. Pay the cover.

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—the future of the shop once sold is unclear, with the agent keen to point out it is an ‘excellent investment opportunity.’ Owner Jim Bowes declined to comment when approached by the Post. Portfolio Properties say the property “needs some upgrading, but offers deceptively spacious space in a convenient location close to Accrington town centre with access to the M65”. They are seeking offers in excess of £85,000.

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How the Vinyl Record Revival Is Spinning Into the Future: Vinyl got its groove back over a decade ago. Now, record manufacturers are looking at new materials and production processes to keep the party going. Back in the mid-1980s, as surely as video had killed the radio star a few years earlier, it seemed inevitable that CDs would relegate vinyl records to the landfill of history. I was not an early adopter, to put it mildly. My record collection, to which I was emotionally attached, numbered in the thousands. …Then, right around 2010, something miraculous happened: Vinyl began to bounce back. It’s been on an upward trajectory ever since, as the chart below illustrates. In fact, 2023 was the 17th consecutive year of growth for vinyl album sales, according to data compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). What’s more, sales of records last year surpassed CDs for the first time since 1987.

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 adding people to our business…”

Dallas, TX | Leon Bridges brings a kick-back vibe to album signing at Dallas record shop: Leon Bridges emerges from the back of Oak Cliff’s Spinster Records and pulls up a seat at the signing table. It’s Sunday at 2 p.m., and Fort Worth’s coolest cat looks the part, with his oversized vintage sunglasses, brown leather jacket and black gloves. “Chill” is the word that comes to mind as he sits in front of a Christmas tree decorated with 45s, the soulful sounds of his latest album, Leon, playing on repeat inside the small store. …Over the next 90 minutes, about 200 people will get their Leon Bridges album — or poster, or T-shirt — signed. His friends Christopher Hamilton and Brandon Westbrooks stand on each side of him, helping with the logistics of wrappers and bags, though they step out of frame as he poses for one picture after another. In that casual way of stars, he doesn’t smile but occasionally throws up the peace sign.

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 spun on a record player after all plates are served.

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Edinburgh, UK | Iconic Edinburgh record store ‘Elvis Shakespeare’ for sale after nearly 20 years: One of Edinburgh’s best-loved independent shops has gone up for sale – after nearly 20 years of trading in the city. Elvis Shakespeare, on Leith Walk, shared the surprise news on social media on Tuesday (December 3). The legendary store, which sells rare vinyl, CDs and books, is available for £270,000. In a post on Facebook, owner David Griffin wrote: “Business now for sale for £270,000. Freehold Business plus website. Profitable, 20000 items. Any enquiries please contact David via email or pop into the shop.” Elvis Shakespeare has been open since May 2005. The shop regularly features on lists of the Capital’s best-loved businesses.

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. “If we don’t have it, nobody does,” John George said as a 1950s song by The Cadillacs played from behind the front counter.

CT | FYE to close at least three of its Connecticut stores, staff say. Music, movies, and pop-culture collectibles retailer FYE is getting ready to reduce the number of stores it has in Connecticut, according to staff who spoke this week with Hearst Connecticut Media. Mall-based stores in Waterbury, Danbury and Meriden will be closing after the start of the new year, employees in those stores told Hearst Connecticut Media. The employees, who spoke on the condition that their names not be used out of fear that the company would discipline them, said they haven’t yet been told the exact closing date. Officials at the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury, Danbury Fair Mall and Meriden Mall have not responded to requests for comment on when the FYE store closings will take place in those locations.

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 a special bin for Streisand and Manilow.

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New York, NY | Vinyl records have taken over—and growing more popular than streaming: Retro-obsessed Gen Zers have revived a relic of the last century: vinyl records. The antiquated albums have boomed in popularity in recent years as the young generation flocks to buy vinyls from fan-favorite artists such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Billie Artist hawk records of their latest hits. Former Spotify economist Will Page predicts that record labels will gross $1 billion by the end of the year in vinyl sales alone. Globally, the old-school vessel for music is expected to overtake CDs, he wrote in a recent report. In fact, the economist reported that vinyl outpaced streaming, with records growing 15.4% and streaming only 10.4%. “Like the boy who cried wolf, we’ve been told again and again that the resurgence in vinyl is a blip, not a trend,” Page wrote in a column for Billboard earlier this year. “Yet for 18 straight years, it has continued to surpass expectations.”

Amersham, UK | Amersham’s Record Shop owner on supporting local businesses: The owner of an independent record store in Amersham has reiterated the importance of using local businesses as we get closer to Christmas. Graeme Campbell, 67, has been the proprietor of The Record Shop in the town since its formation in 2005, and during his near two-decade stint in running the shop, he has moved on three occasions, battled a recession and a global pandemic. With many independents closing up and down the land, the Hill Avenue store remains standing and whilst he admitted that ‘every day is a challenge’, it is one that he ‘loves’, as he has no plans of retiring. Mr Campbell, who has been in the record-selling business for nearly 50 years, told the Free Press: “When I started in 2005, I think, from memory, we were in a recession, and I thought we were at the bottom of that recession. Normally when that happens, you move up quite rapidly to a boom-or-bust sort of thing, but we have coasted along the bottom of this ‘recession’ and it did at a point look precarious, but I never wanted to throw the towel in.”

London, UK | Yorkshire record shop Recycle Vinyl opens East London branch: The Dalston shop recently hosted a launch party with Jerome Hill. A new record shop has opened in East London. Located on Birkbeck Mews in Dalston, Recycle Vinyl is the second branch of the Yorkshire shop of the same name. The space, which opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, stocks thousands of new-and-second-hand records, and also has a bar licence. A launch party with Jerome Hill took place last month. “In some respects, if you can make a record shop work in the sleepy, deprived small town of Elland in West Yorkshire then you can make it work anywhere,” the team shared. “We’re not trying to be cool or follow any of the latest trends, we just want to create an environment where people can dig and not be judged or pushed into buying things. We’re more like the B&M of the dance world, you always end up buying more than you than you went in for.”

Huntsville, AL | What’s Spinning?: With House of Sound. Joseph Scott is the owner of House of Sound, a vintage home audio, neon, vinyl records, CD’s, cassettes, vintage t-shirts and more store. Born and raised in North Alabama, Scott has traveled all around the country with his parents. “I’ve loved music as long as I can remember, from listening to my parents’ 50’s and 60’s albums (Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Beatles) to my dad’s love of country music (Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Marty Robbins). …Four years ago, Joseph got back into home audio and 2-channel listening again and decided to start building up a collection of CDs and even albums again. He drove over to his parents’ house and dug out his old Eagles, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Madonna, and ZZ-Top albums. He quickly started buying up receivers, speakers, and all the gear he had back in the day to start listening to his tunes as if it was for the 1st time.

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