UK | As Rough Trade reveals albums of 2024, MD says record shops are crucial part of ‘delicate ecosystem.’ Rough Trade has revealed its Albums Of The Year list for 2024 as the retailer reports strong sales growth. The list landed last week and was topped by the posthumous album by Sophie, as well as featuring releases by English Teacher, The Last Dinner Party, Laura Marling and Charli XCX. In case you missed it, the full Top 20 albums are below. Sales of physical music in the UK are up roughly 10% year-on-year with Rough Trade ahead of the market, according to the retailer. Music Week has reported on the prospect of the first overall units increase annually in physical music in two decades. …Their stores have also seen an increase in footfall of 15% from last year. For September, Rough Trade reported sales growth of 37% year-on-year. “Physical sales are in a strong position with vinyl continuing to drive growth and CD having found its place in the market after years of decline,” said Rough Trade MD Lawrence Montgomery.
Huntsville, AL | Audiophiles: You need to check out these 3 exceptional local record stores: Are you a fellow vinyl connoisseur and music aficionado? Then you should check out some of Huntsville’s best local record stores! As Christmas approaches, browsing record stores is also a great way to find presents for your favorite collectors or, for college students like myself, unwind while studying for finals. These 3 record stores each have unique inventories and aesthetics that make them all worth checking out for any Huntsville vinyl-lover. Black Rose Records: Black Rose Records begins our list by not only possessing what is, in my opinion, perhaps the best new arrivals section in Huntsville, but also showcasing some more niche offerings for the most specific tastes. Additionally, the store itself has the hole-in-the-wall aesthetic that makes the act of shopping for vinyl itself the romanticized experience it’s meant to be…
Elizabethtown, PA | Business Review: Etown Record Lounge. Music is an important part of many people’s everyday lives, and in recent years it has become increasingly popular to collect physical copies of albums in the form of vinyl records and CDs. If you’re a fan of retro music, Etown Record Lounge might be a one-stop shop for all of your listening needs. Located at 9 S. Market Street in downtown Elizabethtown, next to Frugal Finds. The store is within a reasonable walking distance or very quick drive. …Etown Record Lounge’s selection really shines regarding its collection of vinyls, as suggested by its name. There are albums ranging from classic rock to modern musicals, including a few collectors’ editions on display towards the front of the store.
Dundee, UK | Do you remember these Dundee record shops? Some still prefer the ritual of buying music and browsing a record shop. Which ones do you miss most? Record shops were an essential part of growing up in Dundee. Names like Bruce’s, Cathie McCabe’s, Chalmers and Joy, Forbes, Larg’s and Rockpile may be gone but won’t be forgotten. Places where we got our chart singles and albums before streaming came along. Groucho’s was Dundee’s most famous record shop. HMV, Our Price and Virgin Records were high street competitors. John Menzies sold cassette tapes and vinyl singles and albums in the Murraygate. Maybe you bought your music at Dens Road Market or the Keiller Centre? Not all of them have survived the test of time. How many of these do you remember?
Los Angeles, CA | 10 Must-Visit Record Stores In Los Angeles For Music Lovers: From iconic 
New York, NY | The Lo-Down Culture Cast—Gary Guarinello of Catalyst Records: Host Traven Rice spoke with Gary Guarinello, founder of Catalyst Records in Essex Market, for this episode of The Lo-Down Culture Cast. Gary is a drummer and a music lover who is also a former butcher. He was working at The Market Line Food Hall at Ends Meat when he pitched the idea for a record store, which he opened in 2022. When the food hall shut down in the lower level of Essex Market, he moved Catalyst Records upstairs, across from Top Hops Beer Shop, and began hosting live music events, podcasts, and other local art openings and book signings. You can listen to 
Dallas, TX | Dallas record store chain Josey Records spins new location in Garland: Dallas music maker Josey Records has extended its reach east: The record store chain, whose empire includes one of the largest single independent record stores in the U.S., has opened a location in Garland, at 1005 Northwest Hwy., at the intersection of Centerville Road, where it’s selling 
Cincinnati, OH | Alien Records becomes Cincinnati’s latest music destination: The new Over-the-Rhine record shop intends to be a music enthusiast’s pastime paradise. Timothy Henninger’s predilection with records began as a child when he bought Michael Jackson’s Thriller LP from a Thriftway in Western Hills. By high school, art and record stores were his sanctuaries. With enthusiasm, he recollects how the record players at his Catholic school had a quarter taped to the tone arm for weight, and how when he taught art, he used the same model in his classroom and at the gym. (Believe it or not, the self-proclaimed gym rat toted a portable record player and LPs to workouts instead of a Spotify playlist.) Earlier this month, Henninger bid farewell to coworkers at Hard Rock Casino 
FL | Record Store Day Black Friday: Where to go in SWFL. Record Store Day Black Friday is approaching quickly, and if you’re not looking for a new TV or a video game console, go to your local record store, as they will have exclusive deals to expand your record collection. The last Record Store Day was held on April 20 and as tradition follows, the next is on Black Friday. Southwest Florida record stores will be partaking. Stellar Records in Fort Myers has ordered exclusive titles and prepared countless quality used records, CDs and cassettes for sale. In addition to the Black Friday Record Store Day titles, they are offering 20% off used records, a limited-edition Stellar Records patch, gift card specials and a mystery prize pack raffle worth over $150. Stellar’s last Record Store Day had 
Buffalo, NY | Mack Luchey’s Spirit Still Lives on at Doris Records: The Buffalo fixture is more than a record store, it’s a family legacy. In contrast to the lake effect clouds darkening the Buffalo skies in the middle of the day, I recognized the radiant turquoise and yellow paint of my destination immediately. The record store stood out next to the rest of the empty, Rust Belt street called Mach Luchey Way, named after the old owner of the record store actually. Outside it was dark, windy, and by the time I left the store, snowing. But inside Doris Records, it is warm and cheerful. Behind layers of clothes, underwear, CDs, records, and other odd items and products for sale, Sean Carter oversees the store from behind the counter. 52-year-old Carter—whose nickname is Big Pete—is in charge of the store. But he’s not the owner, he insists. Carter claims that his late father, Mack Luchey, is still the owner to him and that 
San Antonio, TX | ‘Tejano and Proud’ at Janie’s Record Shop: Little Henry Lee occupies the back-corner makeshift stage of Janie’s Record Shop. Humming fills the sound waves as Lee tests his equipment. Intrigued by Lee’s sound tests, patrons halt their surveying of the store’s vinyl and grab a seat to listen to his yearnful love ballads. He belts tunes of his own and others while offering tidbits of Hispanic music history. Bystanders become absorbed by the euphonious vocals and keyboard playing. The mail carrier walks in to drop off a package and stays to dance for a bit before he is handed a Coke and continues on with his day. “Record what you feel, and you win,” Lee remarked. “Know what you’re trying to say and who you’re saying it to.” The statement applies to his music and Janie’s business. Although the shop’s primary focus is to sell physical media, the creation of a collective remains at the heart of the store’s mission. With this goal in mind, the business has been 
Columbus, MS | Community Profile: Rockin’ Records owner opens shop due to son’s interest in vinyl: In some respects, Larry Pierson would be an unlikely record store owner. Born in 1970, Pierson’s interest in popular music in general, and heavy metal in particular, didn’t emerge until he was about 12 years old, which roughly coincided with the transition of recorded music from vinyl records and eight-track tapes to cassettes. Before that change, record stores in Columbus were plentiful – Newsoms (later Camelot) in Leigh Mall, Elysian Fields, Fraction, Caldwell Furniture Record Rack and Bryan’s Records and Pets. The record store wasn’t merely a place to buy the latest album, it was 
Bristol, UK | Bristol record store Idle Hands to reopen two years after being shuttered: The shop is set to reopen this Wednesday with a launch party at The Red Church. Beloved Bristol record store Idle Hands is set to reopen this week more than two years after it was shuttered due to financial strain. The shop and record label announced its reopening earlier today on Instagram, explaining that Idle Hands will relocate to a new space in central Bristol after spending 11 years on City Road. “We are back,” said owner Chris Farrell. …Idle Hands will reopen on Wednesday, November 20, followed by a launch party at The Red Church on Friday, November 29, featuring Marion Hawkes from Sound Advice in Belfast and Chris Farrell himself B2B with Milly On Air. “Although it was never my intention to be closed for two years, after some false starts and dead ends, Idle Hands is 
Burlington, CT | Monkees tribute band founder opens the Nevermind Shop in CT, with vinyl from Abba to ZZ Top: Big-voiced and shaggy-haired, Mick Lawless seems to never stop moving, smiling and laughing—and most of all—talking about his music career and how it brought him to open The Nevermind Shop, which has relocated to Burlington. Specializing in vinyl records from the post-British Invasion-era, Nevermind originally opened in Hudson, Mass., in 2000. Lawless moved it to Upton, Mass., in 2008. In October, he moved it again, to Burlington Commons on the Spielman Highway, where Lawless intends to stay. “I moved out here because I had some different opportunities,” he said in the back office and workshop of his new 1,500-square-foot location. “Amazing what love can do. I found a girl, a nice girl. We’ve been together a couple years now, 
Carlsbad, CA | Discover Classic Vinyl at Love Bus Records: Record shops are an important part of every community. Music-lovers can find their favorite songs, bond over music with others and discover new artists. Love Bus Records is a place where music connoisseurs can do all of that. “I was in corporate America,” said Mike McDonald, owner of Love Bus Records, “and I got to a certain point that it wasn’t fulfilling, and I thought, ‘life is short, do something that you care about.’” McDonald opened Love Bus Records in 2020 as a small shop specializing in vinyl, which has only grown larger since then. Before he started selling records, McDonald built a small community library in front of his house. “I had thousands of books that I was not going to read again. So I built this little library out here,” McDonald said. According to McDonald, when the city saw it, 
Salt Lake City, UT | The Best Record Shops in SLC for Music Enthusiasts: Each shop holds their own stories and memories for you to enjoy. So, as Penny Lane said in “Almost Famous,” “If you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.” Looking for a record to add to your collection? Or a unique album that no one’s heard of? Well, Salt Lake City has quite a few record shops for all the music enthusiasts out there. Here are a few of the best record shops around town. Diabolical Records: When they opened their doors 11 years ago, they didn’t do any advertising. Instead, they held concerts for small bands inside the shop to get people to come together and enjoy something they’d never heard before. Although they had to stop the concerts because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that has remained the heart of the store. “Our passion and the reason we have the store is so that we can bring in small artists and to 
Lansing, MI | Flat, Black and Circular changes ownership: Longtime manager takes the reins of beloved record shop. It’s been a banner year for Flat, Black and Circular. Not only has the downtown East Lansing record shop continued its streak of winning Best Record/CD Store in City Pulse’s Top of the Town contest, but it also saw an ownership change. After decades of working at FBC, longtime manager Jon Howard bought out owner and co-founder Dave Bernath. Bernath opened the store in 1977 alongside Dick Rosemont, who moved to New Mexico in 2010. Howard’s purchase became official on Oct. 1, 48 years after the store opened in the Campus Town Mall. At 58, Howard has been married for 28 years and has a 22-year-old daughter. Now he can add business owner to his list of responsibilities. The punk and underground music aficionado chatted with City Pulse about 
Bethlehem, PA | CD Center keeps physical media spinning: A young woman enters the Compact Disc Center on a slow, sunny afternoon. She ignores the wooden boxes filled with a mix of plastic-wrapped records and more tattered old ones. Instead, she turns to the hundreds of CDs displayed along one wall and in racks on the floor. As she goes about her search, the speakers above play a blues song by local musician “Chicago” Carl Snyder from what Mary Radakovits, one of the store’s owners, describes as a “great CD.” Despite the amount of music packed into the store, it isn’t cluttered. The CDs are alphabetized and organized by genre. If the customer was looking for it, she could easily find a pop, rap or folk album. Even polka. But the young woman’s hunt is for something specific, something she can’t seem to find. She approaches Radakovits at the register and inquires about a Moss Icon CD. “
Bowling Green, KY | Mellow Matt’s Music & More: How local businesses prepare for homecoming crowds. “Mellow” Matt Pfefferkorn, owner of the record shop on 1200 Smallhouse Road, said it will be “fully staffed” homecoming weekend. “You would think stuff like Western football games or homecoming would detour people from getting out and about,” Pfefferkorn said. That’s hardly the truth, according to Pfefferkorn. “Those have actually been some of our bigger days because there’s more people in town, people that used to live here and go to Western,” Pfefferkorn said. Mellow Matt’s specializes in vinyl records despite offering 
Brisbane, AU | Beloved West End Record Store Jet Black Cat Music Is Closing Its Bricks-and-Mortar Shop After 13 Years: The Vulture Street shop will shut on Saturday, December 28, 2024 — but its online store will remain open. In a year that’s already seen The Zoo say goodbye (ahead of its space reopening as the new Crowbar), another go-to for Brisbane’s music fans is also bidding farewell. A West End favourite for over a decade, record store Jet Black Cat Music is shutting up shop before 2024 is out. More than just a place to buy tunes, the Vulture Street venue has also hosted gigs and parties — and held its own music festival over at The Tivoli. Your last day to head by: Saturday, December 28, 2024, which gives you somewhere to 
Riverside, CA | Happy Birthday, Penrose Record Room! Your favorite local record shop just hit a big milestone. One whole year is no small feat when it comes to running a small business. For shops that specialize in niche hobbies of the past, like music-collecting, existing successfully in the ever-changing economy and whimsies of the public deserves more than a pat on the back. To celebrate that, the Penrose Record Room in Downtown Riverside hosted two full days of anniversary festivities right in the heart of the subterranean shop, turning the relatively smaller store into a huge space of music, smiles, friends and community. Over the two-day weekend celebration, Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, the Penrose Record Room featured 
UK | ERA honoured for longstanding success of Record Store Day UK: Digital entertainment and retail association ERA has been honoured for its work organising Record Store Day. CEO Kim Bayley was presented with the top award for Best Longstanding Event at the Association Excellence Awards, recognising the work of UK trade associations. She also collected a bronze award for ERA’s Entertainment Champion Awards in the category Best New Event. ERA has masterminded the organisation and logistics of Record Store Day UK for the past 15 years. RSD has become one of the biggest revenue-generating days for indie record shops (worth around £10 million), and it helped to bring about the vinyl revival and increase in independent record stores in the UK. The judges said: “This is a great entry for a great event which stands out because it is unique in that it is not based in one place—it is based in hundreds of places around the UK 
Denver, CO | Wax Trax is slowly expanding throughout the metro, one pop-up record shop at a time: The legendary Capitol Hill store’s latest experiment will test whether Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace could make for a good long-term home. Nearly half a century and one pandemic later, Wax Trax Records is continuing its slow expansion from its longtime Capitol Hill brick storefront (638 E. 13th Ave.) across the metro. Its next stop: Stanley Marketplace in Aurora — maybe for a few months, and maybe for good. Owner Pete Stidman is hearing that nationwide record stores are struggling. But that’s not the case for Wax Trax. The business just keeps growing and experimenting with new ways to keep a legacy physical medium alive in an age where music is all but free online. Stidman took over the shop from his father, founder Dave Stidman, to rescue it from COVID-19 woes. Dave retired during the pandemic. In reality, he’s still at the shop most days. “If I didn’t take over in the pandemic, 
Sacramento, CA | Filled with Locally Owned Shops and Stops, R Street Corridor Offers Special Deals & Experiences on Black Friday & Small Business Saturday. Filled with locally owned businesses, boutiques bars, eateries, restaurants, artists, creatives, and more, the thriving R Street Corridor offers a wonderful opportunity to “Shop R Street” and support local on Black Friday (November 29), Small Business Saturday (November 30), and all season long. To kick off the holiday shopping season early, festive snowflake street lighting will light up R Street during evening hours throughout the holiday season starting in mid-November. Shoppers, strollers, and diners will enjoy a festive and fun ambiance along the popular and walkable R Street corridor (7th through 18th streets). The lighting was made possible with assistance from CADA (Capitol Area Development Authority). In addition to eye-catching snowflake lighting, R Street Corridor merchants are providing 
Yorkshire, UK | Where to buy records in Yorkshire? Here are the best places to shop independent and enjoy music: With a debate in the US about whether there has been a decline in vinyl record sales, we take a look closer to home where the Office for National Statistics reports a “resurgence in popularity” in vinyl records despite the domination of streaming platforms. While some stores have closed in recent times, we take a look at some of the vinyl record stores which are still booming in Yorkshire. Wah Wah Records, Wakefield: Alan Nutton, the owner of Wah Wah Records said he saw a resurgence of vinyl sales following lockdown. Alan, who relocated from Brook St to a bigger store on Cross St in Wakefield city centre in 2022, said: “Record sales have been the same in the last few years after a spike but they’ve not dropped. 
UK | The record stores that shaped Black music in Britain: A new documentary and podcast series reveals how independent record stores championing Black music became cultural hubs from the 1950s onward. A Midlands-based creative arts collective has launched an ambitious project highlighting the profound cultural impact of independent record stores that championed Black music across the UK from the 1950s to today. Leicester’s 2Funky Arts has released The Record Store & Black Music, A UK History – a documentary and podcast series that unearths personal stories and hidden histories that reflect the role of these record stores as cultural havens and powerful sites of community resilience. Through a mix of oral histories, film, audio, and photographic archives, the series offers a deep dive into how 
Evanston, IL | A college student’s guide to Evanston’s second-hand shops: Gen Z is rapidly contributing to the U.S. recommerce market by shopping for trendy and affordable items at second-hand stores. Evanston has much to offer for students and residents looking for thrifted goods. The rise of thrifting and recommerce is nothing new. The first thrift store opened under The Salvation Army in 1897 and the recommerce industry has only grown since, including in Evanston. For all the vintage junkies seeking everything from used books and records, to quirky trinkets and consignment steals, The Daily visited some of the best second-hand spots in Evanston. Animal Records: The vibrancy of Animal Records can be spotted even from outside the shop. Selling both new and used vinyl records, its pink and yellow walls are almost completely covered in records by various artists, 
Bordentown Township, NJ | Bordentown Township Vinyl Record Pressing Plant Lauded by City Green Team for Sustainability Efforts: The Bordentown City Green Team recently toured a unique local business to highlight the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Green Team members toured Independent Record Pressing (IRP), a vinyl record pressing plant located on Bordentown-Hedding Road in Bordentown Township, on October 21 to highlight the company’s Climate Neutral certification, a globally recognized standard for carbon accountability. IRP even has an Environmental Sustainability Committee, made up of General Manager Sal Roccanova, Accountant Kim Gosselin, Human Resources Manager Lynsey O’Brien and Operations Manager Chris Long. IRP was founded in 2015 with a vision to support and press records 
Omagh, IE | Sound and Vision—Bringing Small-Town Stories to the Big Screen: Faye Blaylock looks at how Irish musician Mark McCausland’s record store went from inspiring a newspaper column to being immortalised in feature film, The Spin. Mark McCausland is one half of ‘alt-folk geniuses’ * The Lost Brothers. Releasing music under the moniker McKowski, he is dubbed the ‘Sonic Wanderer of Omagh’ and has always crafted his own unique narrative. However this time his art form of choice is cinematic. Back in 2016, Mark opened a record store, Boneyard Records in his hometown of Omagh. It was there, between tours, that he spent his time buried among the vinyl treasures, writing music and observing the details of small-town life. Drawn to Storytelling: He says, “It can sometimes be a mind-numbing existence in a small town. I probably opened the record shop to make it more bearable. I felt like I had to create a whole new world in my imagination to help pass the time—an Omagh record shop 
Croydon, UK | Croydon’s lost record store that was Europe’s biggest and a favourite with London celebs: The shop had 3 storeys and included a gig venue and arcade games. Croydon locals may remember a time when the town boasted an impressive 13 music shops. These days, with most people getting their music online or from retail giants like HMV, Croydon’s record shops have all but disappeared. But taking a look – or listen – down memory lane, and you might remember BEANOS, a legendary Croydon record store. David Lashmar, the man behind the icon that was BEANOS, shares that even 17 years after closing down and selling his collection, he’s still contacted daily by people eager to share their memories. “Our first shop in Croydon was called Bell Hill Cassettes,” David remembers. “Cassettes were really massive in the early 1970s. It was a real revolution and seen as an indestructible medium believe it or not, while records jumped and crackled. I thought the cassette would be here forever—
San Antonio, TX | You’re one of the family at Del Bravo: San Antonio, a city known for its rich history and landmarks, is also home to an iconic location on the West side of town. Opened in 1966, Del Bravo Record Shop is a family-owned store with a beautiful exterior and festive decor alongside endless racks of CDs, vinyl records and cassette tapes. The history of this business starts with Salome Gutierrez, the father of Iva Gutierrez who runs the front of the shop nearly full-time, and his passion for creating and selling music. He founded the independent record shop and composed his own songs at the same time, working with Grammy winners and recording artists. His work has been passed down to the next generation and is still thriving for all to visit. While Tejano music might be what Del Bravo originated with, they sell a variety of genres—including the latest pop and rap. With such a wide range of music filling the store, it is impossible to not find 
NJ | DJ Alex Kaynes Record Store Raid II: Roamin’ around New Jersey: So this Record Store Raid did not happen all in one day as both my previous treks through North Carolina and California did. My New Jersey romp happened over a few weeks as it is closer to home, which affords me more time. For those who missed the first Record Store Raid: I am a professional DJ and record collector for nearly 50 years, so it’s safe to say I have 
