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

Sussex, UK | West Sussex record store opens second branch in ‘up and coming’ town: The ‘happy coincidence’ of vinyl having a resurgence in recent years led a Steyning record shop owner to open a second branch in Shoreham. James Anderson’s second Slipped Discs store opened in Shoreham High Street in April, and since then has been attracting a steady stream of customers. James said: “It’s going well, we have a lot of interest locally. I was looking to expand and the right opportunity came up in a very prominent part of the high street. It’s an up and coming area, and the prospect of more property being build means there’s an increased customer base. “The demographic is quite different between the two shops. In Steyning, it’s a slightly older community and the tastes are quite different. In Shoreham, we’re experiencing more sales of hip hop, dance and heavy metal. It’s certainly a younger crowd, so teenagers and above.”

Madison, WI | Robert Plant surprises Madison record store with a visit: ‘It was all very fun and exciting and completely unexpected.’ A Madison record store owner had an unexpected visitor earlier this week when Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant walked into B-Side Records on Monday afternoon. Plant “kind of gave me a glance as he walked by. And I recognized him but didn’t say anything,” owner Steve Manley recalled. “So, he just went to the back of the store and started browsing, and I left him alone.” After about 20 minutes, Plant approached Manley again. He wanted to know what was playing over the store’s speakers. It was the 2023 LP “The Window” from Chicago indie group Ratboys. Manley posted what happened next on Facebook: Plant bought the Ratboys record on vinyl and posed for a picture. “Excuse us while we calm down,” Manley wrote underneath.

Dayton, OH | Blind Rage Records has three powerhouse shows on deck: Blind Rage Records, dubbed “Dayton’s Third Best Record Store,” is hosting three in-store events in the coming weeks. First up, a show to celebrate the release of hardcore punk’s Body Farm’s (OH/PA) and Dry Socket’s (Portland, OR) 17-song split LP, ‘BODY // SOCKET,’ on Friday. Get a taste of the split’s past-paced high energy with “Endless Psychosis” and “Abomination,” the lead singles from the album, released in May, from Blind Rage Records and King of the Monsters Records. Also, check out footage from “Baja Blast 2,” Body Farm’s DIY show in a Cleveland Taco Bell parking lot, from this past April. A pre-show yoga session will be offered by naMOSHte for donation in-store (and on-sidewalk, if there’s an overflow). Some good ol’ Midwest moshing will likely occur — it’s best to prepare for these things, so BYOM (bring your own mat).

Sequim, WA | Sequim Record Show spins a hit in second year: Music enthusiasts packed the Guy Cole Event Center once again on Saturday for the Sequim Record Show. About 50 vendors offered new and old vinyl records alongside some CDs and cassette tapes on June 8. Event founder/organizer Gary Butler said the show had a better vendor turnout than its first year and sales seemed to be better too. Butler “definitely” plans to do it again next year, he said.

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Sacramento, CA | This Record Store Promises Good Fortune: A profile of Sacramento’s own Delta Breeze Records. Nestled under the tree canopy of downtown Sacramento, Delta Breeze Records is the janky little used record store for the heads who collect classic rock, soul, modern funk and disco, and jazz. While all record stores have a recognizable musk, Delta Breeze’s fragrance in the ground-floor of a 100-year-old Victorian duplex is complemented with the aroma of fortune cookies baking next door. The owners even keep a bowl of cookies by the counter to take. And if “janky” seems like a jab at the store, it’s important to know the term is a badge of honor in Sacramento. Originally established in West Sacramento in September 2014, the owners Ben Johnson and Rick Daprato moved the operation in 2017.

Dallas, TX | You can watch an immersive stage play at Good Records this month: Playwright Bob Bartlett wrote Love and Vinyl as a small-scale romance set in a record store. Its main characters, best friends Bogie and Zane visit their local shop and and “leave with so much more than a stack of vinyl.” Most plays are made for the stage, but why create a set of a local record store when there’s countless shops around the country already built? Our neighborhood favorite Good Records has more character than any theater set could. For the rest of June, you can watch the story of Bogie and Zane unfold around the Alice Cooper and Polyphonic Spree iconography that so memorably coat the walls at Good Records. The residency is presented by Kitchen Dog Theatre and directed by co-artistic director Christopher Carlos. Performances take place at 8:00 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday until June 23.

Bengaluru, IN | Music experience space coming up on M G Road: Avial, the popular Kerala-based folk-rock band, will be the first to perform at the store at the inauguration on Saturday. A popular music store on M G Road is opening a larger space right next to its original location, which it has occupied for over 40 years. Ram’s Musique, in the Public Utility Building, takes you back in time, with shelves stacked with thousands of vinyl records in sepia-toned sleeves. The new store, named Rams Musique Experience, aims to generate interest in vinyl records and highlight their relevance in current music culture. It is set to open its doors on June 15. Ramachandran, fondly known by his peers and customers as ‘Music Ram’, is launching the establishment with his son Sangeeth Ram. “We wanted to create a space for vinyl record lovers and hobbyists, to come and experience the music and equipment before making a purchase,” says Sangeeth.

Atlanta, GA | Vinyl and Wine Go Hand In Hand at Commune: Atlanta’s newest listening bar spins records with a wine list to match in Avondale Estates. The vibe at Commune, an intimate new wine bar and listening lounge at Olive & Pine in Avondale Estates, mixes the secrecy of a speakeasy with the informality of a friend’s record-lined basement. Patterned quilts line the walls, accompanied by vintage artwork and local designs. The sound system is perfectly tuned and a lack of windows lets you lose yourself in the music as you sink into one of the cognac-colored booths. Listening bars are part of a growing trend of similar destinations popping up nationwide, including here in Atlanta. Victory Coffee in Inman Park transformed into Stereo earlier this year, and later this summer Atlanta DJ Ree de la Vega is expected to open Pisces, a music-driven restaurant at the Sound Table space.

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New Castle, PA | New shop hoping to recreate old-school experience: John Gutierrez remembers growing up attending novelty and penny stores in his youth, where children could get penny candy and hang out. Now, years later, he wants to recreate that experience in New Castle. He and his fiancée, Carrie Statti,held a grand opening for their new shop, Times Like These, on Thursday. It is located at 26 N. Mill St. in Washington Centre. “I wanted to give back to the community,” Gutierrez said. Gutierrez said the store will sell a variety of new and used/wholesale items, such as pop-culture T-shirts and other clothing, tin signs, posters, flags, comic wall art, books, fishing items, board games, kites, toy airplanes and vinyl records. The store will sell chips and soda, as well as candy under $1. “Anything that reminds you of your childhood we’ll have,” Gutierrez said.

East Longmeadow, MA | High hopes for another hit: 2nd location for Raspberries Records opens in East Longmeadow: Bob Roccanti sorted through tens of thousands of vintage vinyl records before selecting the first ones he’d sell at his new Raspberries Records II store in East Longmeadow. He picked Johnny Cash, Nirvana, The Beatles, Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin to lead off. They were among hundreds of other revered bands and singers featured during his recent grand opening. Roccanti handpicks his stock—well over 30,000 titles now in his store—at estate sales. He buys others from used record stores that go out of business. His customers also come in to sell him their collections. These days he’s looking for records by Pink Floyd and David Bowie. Both are especially hot. “They’re iconic, and they have large followings. ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ (by Pink Floyd) is 50 years old and is still one of the top-selling albums in the country, even among newer artists,” he said.

Norwich, UK | Record store gives young bands chance to play live: Budding bands have been given a boost with the chance to play on stage at a city’s local record store. Access Creative College (ACC) has teamed up with HMV in Norwich to give students the opportunity to showcase their music at free public events in the shop. College bands played there last Saturday and a further three are set for the stage on Saturday. Dan Foden, the head of campus at ACC Norwich, said it was a “privilege” for students to be able to play at HMV and that the college could not wait for them “to wow audiences at the Live and Local showcase.” Grassroots music venues can offer a vital launchpad for fledgling acts. However the last annual report by the charity The Music Venues Trust (MVT) said that financial stresses led 125 UK venues to abandon live music in 2023, with more than half of these shutting entirely.

London, UK | FLINTA-focused turntablism and vinyl event, Spin Spin Sugar, set for Dalston Superstore: The event, run by Vinyl Bitch, will feature a FLINTA-led turntable workshop and record swap followed by a club night. A new FLINTA-focused turntablism and vinyl event is set to take place at Dalston Superstore later this week. The event – run by London-based community platform Vinyl Bitch – is dedicated to empowering and celebrating FLINTA (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Nonbinary, Trans, Agender) individuals in the art of turntablism and vinyl culture. Tickets are available here. Vinyl Bitch was founded last year by Atlanta-born vinyl DJ and producer MADDØG, aka Madison True, as a “non-judgemental and encouraging space” for turntablists of all skill levels to explore vinyl DJing. No previous experience is required and tutorials are given 30 minutes before needles drop.

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Louth, IE | Popular Louth record store announces that it’s closing down: Dundalk’s last record store which had gained cult status among music lovers is closing after nine years. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Classified Records,” proprietor Neil Waters announced in a social media post. The shop, which stocked both new vinyl releases and classic, vintage and rare releases as well as CDs and even cassettes, had a loyal fanbase of customers, many of whom travelled from out of town to see what carefully curated gems they find. The store was more than just a business for Neil who has an encyclopedic knowledge of music and the decision to pull down the shutters on the shop at The Demesne for a final time on Friday June 14 isn’t one that he has taken lightly. “We opened in back in August 2015 and can proudly say we tried to make the world a better place. Seems like a long time ago but eco-systems were different back then. The town had a buzz. There was a thrill in the air. We were the new thing,” he wrote.

Edinburgh, UK | Taylor Swift in Edinburgh: Music icon Taylor Swift gave small Edinburgh record store a big helping hand: We look back to when Taylor Swift did an Edinburgh shop a big favour. Much has been written about the huge boost Taylor Swift’s Edinburgh gigs are giving the local economy – but it’s not the first time the US superstar has given a helping hand. In September 2020, when the shop was toiling during lockdown, Assai Records on Grindlay Street received a surprise when they got a ‘very finite’ amount of the singer’s album Folklore. Believed to be a show of support for independent record stores, a select few shops across the UK also received a delivery of the signed disks. After announcing the shop had stock of the limited signed CD, copies of the album had sold out in less than two hours, which was a huge shot in the arm for the business during tough times for trading.

São Paulo, BR | Play on the record player: where to buy vinyl records in São Paulo: Whole generations have passed since vinyl records became obsolete. Since then, the music industry has invested in K7 tapes, CDs, MP3 players and, finally, streaming services. Even so, many will agree that there is still no more charming way of consuming music than the record player and LP combo. In fact, a lot of people have vinyl players at home, whether old or new, and they go around looking for new “crackers.” New Barão Gallery This gallery in the heart of the Republic is home to several stores specializing in the famous “bolachões”. A must for anyone who loves vinyl…

Cleveland, OH | Bad Medicine, a ‘Listening Bar’ Opening This Summer in West Park, to Merge Vinyl, Cocktails and Food: “We want this to be uniquely Cleveland.” Listening bars, like dive bars and cocktail bars, are all over the map in terms of vibe. Some are serious-minded jazz libraries while others are trippy dens sticky with electronica. What they have in common, however, is an obsessive commitment to audio quality while providing a welcoming space for guests to connect with the music and each other. When Bad Medicine (13334 Lorain Ave.) opens this summer in the West Park neighborhood, it will bring a distinctly Cleveland perspective to the Japanese invention. “Some of them are going to be jazz bars, some are just playing Johnny Cash or Elvis, we want this to be uniquely Cleveland,” explains co-owner Bryan Tetorakis. “Cleveland is the birthplace of rock and roll, so we’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we weren’t trying to play some great classic rock – but we do want to throw in some surprises too.”

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Beckley, WV | Vinyl Tracks on Prince Street in Beckley is now closed: An uptown business owner is saying good-bye to Beckley. Clint Blunt opened Vinyl Tracks, a classic record store on Prince Street, in March 2023. The store offered a Saturday farmer’s market and a space for events inside the store, which specialized in vinyl records, cassettes, eight-track tapes and eighties memorabilia, along with original art. Blunt, who helped fundraise for United Way of Southern West Virginia as a dancer in UWSWV Season 10 “Dancing with the Stars” fundraiser, had opened the store shortly after moving to Beckley. “Foot traffic wasn’t what I needed it to be, to stay open,” Blunt said on Thursday, June 6, 2024. “On Saturdays, I found I was one of the only businesses uptown open. There was just no way to sustain it, with that little foot traffic coming through.” He said he is selling his inventory as a lot.

Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles record store stellaremnant is raising funds for relocation: The store has 24 days to find a new home. Los Angeles record shop stellaremnant is raising funds for its relocation. The appointment-only store confirmed the news via Instagram last Thursday, May 30th. “Since 2022 stellaremnant has been offering private record shopping experiences due to forced unlawful eviction and now the time has come to move the shop again,” the post read. “We have 30 days to do so. We’ve never asked for donations to move, but the financial reality of the matter is that we really need your help this time to keep the dream alive.” Specialising in electronic music, stellaremnant was launched online in 2015 by owners Ed Vertov and Katya Tretya, before opening a physical location Downtown in 2018. In 2022, the shop was threatened with eviction for the first time, but was able to remain open by adapting to a private, appointment-only model.

Lansing, MI | LCC Vinyl Record Club spins the hits: There is a good chance that if you have attended an event around campus in the last few years, you have interacted with the Vinyl Record Club at LCC. Established in 2021, the club has spun records at RSO fundraisers, resources fairs, and even at the StarScapes showcases in the past. “Promoting LCC as a place where everyone can find a place to belong is the central tentpole of our club,” said Sarah Eubanks, former president and current co-adviser of the Vinyl Record Club. “What better way is there to do that than to literally plug in and amplify a variety of music, picked out by our students?” According to Club Secretary Simon Medina, the Vinyl Record Club is “just as much about building community as it is about the music itself.”

Cannock, UK | Music enthusiasts expected to turn out in Cannock for record fair: A music fan is bringing a record fair to Cannock for the first time and has chosen one of the town’s best known live venues to stage it. Smiths fan Michael Stanier has set up a company called Golden Lights Record Fairs – it is named after one of the band’s singles. The Stoke-On-Trent based music enthusiast, who admits his tastes are based around Indie and Brit Pop, hopes to continue the resurgence of vinyl and classic records when the event is staged at The Station, Stafford Road on Sunday June 16. The venue is known for staging live music and around 12 exhibitors are booked to appear from all genres and eras of music. Michael said: “The first one I held was in Kidsgrove and that was big success – people came from far and wide and the stall holders were very pleased with the response.

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UK | Record Store Day 2024 delivers fundraising boost for War Child UK: As the official charity partner of Record Store Day 2024, War Child UK has revealed the fundraising boost to support the charity. With the support of indie record stores and record labels for this year’s initiative, War Child UK has raised £42,000. It brings the total money raised to £120,000 across the five years of partnership. Across the RSD campaign in 2024, a series of special releases were created from the acts including The Cure, The 1975, Celeste, Patti Smith, Blur and more, with £1 from every unit sold being donated to War Child. In addition, Rega Research donated Planar 3 turntables, which were signed by artists and raffled from War Child’s crowdfunding site. This year, turntables were signed by Kate Bush, Blur and Young Fathers, with Robert Plant, Foals and Kae Tempest among those who have taken part in previous years, raising tens of thousands of pounds.

Vashon Island, WA | Former frontman of The Fray opens Vashon Island’s only record store: A few years ago, Isaac Slade, former singer of The Fray, was facing what many rock stars seem to inevitably confront during their careers: the tempest of relentless touring, coupled with personal and professional pressures finally becoming too much. After resigning as the band’s frontman in 2022, Slade and his family left his home state of Colorado and landed on Vashon Island, a place where many celebrities have moved to live a quieter life. They joined the likes of actors Joel McHale, Alex Borestein and John Ratzenberger as well as musicians such as Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin, Ian Moore and Rob Hotchkiss, a founding member of Train. …Although Slade wasn’t necessarily after anonymity like some of his peers, the “How to Save a Life” singer longed to find a community and set down some roots. That led him to open Side Stack Records, the island’s only record shop, in January.

Sacramento, CA | As vinyl sales soar, business is booming for one Sacramento record café: When it comes to music, what’s old is new. Soaring vinyl sales just set a record, and business is booming for one Sacramento record shop. Pressed Coffee & Records is the place people go for a mocha and a side of music. “They come in for a coffee and they’re like, ‘Hey, oh, whoa, records are here,’ ” said owner Dean Bardouka. It’s the business model that has kept the shop open for more than two years now. For Bardouka, the timing couldn’t be better. “Music is what brings us together,” he told CBS Sacramento. “It’s universal.” Specifically, vinyl. Believe it or not, old records just set a record. According to a report from the Recording Industry Association of America, for the first time in three decades, records outsold cds in the number of units. In fact, this marked vinyl’s 16th year of consecutive growth.

Spring Hill, TN | Inaugural Mid-Tennessee Record Fair to Take Place in Spring Hill: Hundreds of music collectors and enthusiasts are expected to gather in Spring Hill on Saturday, July 13 for the inaugural Mid-Tennessee Record Fair. Hosted by Rock-A-Rolla Records of Spring Hill, the fair takes place at the 14,000 square foot UAW Local 1853 Union Hall on 125 Stephen P. Yokich Pkwy, conveniently located right off Tennessee Route 396 in Spring Hill. “We’re excited to finally bring a real record show to Music City,” says Matt Baade, the owner Rock-A-Rolla Records. “There will be several well-known, established dealers from all parts of the South, as well as Kentucky and Ohio, who’ll be selling some rare and hard-to-find items. If you’re a music collector, this is the place to be.” With 70 tables, visitors can expect to see tons of vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, cassettes, 45s, music memorabilia, vintage clothing and t-shirts, stickers, pins, and more. In addition to door prizes and giveaways, there will be food trucks out front for hungry record collectors.

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Solvang, CA | New vinyl and vintage store opens in Solvang: A destination for vinyl enthusiasts and vintage collectors recently came on the scene. A new haven for music lovers has sprung up in Solvang, blending nostalgia with a touch of modernity in the heart of Jensen’s Copenhagen Square. Off the Record Vinyl & Vintage celebrated its grand opening on May 18. The event featured live music from the San Luis Obispo-based band Doobious Company, described on the store’s Instagram as sounding as “if Sublime and Amy Winehouse had a kid that was babysat by Incubus.” Attendees enjoyed specialty drinks crafted by a local mixologist, snacks from local and regional busines…Owned by Michael Casey, Off the Record Vinyl & Vintage aims to “save some of the past for the future” by offering a variety of vintage goods, vinyl records, and vintage and contemporary audio equipment. The store has a unique collection of old radio cassette tape decks, record players, and a large collection of records. …The store also serves as an educational experience for younger generations.

Cape Girardeau, MO | How two music lovers opened their Missouri community’s first record store and lounge: Spectrum Record Lounge is becoming a community cornerstone, as one popular Southeast Missouri border city’s first and only record store — combining the owners’ love of music and meeting for a drink in one retro spot. “It’s a nice symbiotic relationship between the record store and the bar,” said Travis Tyson, co-founder of Spectrum Record Lounge. “I think they definitely help each other out. It’s just a cool vibe in here, and people like hanging out.” In recent years, Travis Tyson and Parker Bond, owners of Spectrum Record Lounge, have introduced live music, karaoke and seasonal cocktails, turning the location into more than just a place to find rare vinyl but also a fun third space to spend time in. “It’s a brand new business,” Bond said. “We’re letting our customer base steer things to suit them better. It’s this machine that’s constantly changing, but it’s also constantly getting better and better.”

Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh vinyl shop now sells $1.5M of albums a year: A Pittsburgh record store which was on the brink of closure in 2000 is now booming once again thanks to a resurgence in vinyl. The Attic Record Store, which first opened in 1980, has survived recessions, streaming and even acts of God to survive as one of a handful of independent record stores in the area. The beloved store now turns over around $1.5 million a year in album sales, as young and old flock to its shelves on a daily basis. Most surprisingly of all, while many record stores have embraced online ordering, owner Fred Bohn Jr. has bucked the trend with a more analogue approach. ‘We don’t sell anything online,’ he told the Wall Street Journal. ‘If you sell all your best stuff on the internet, it’s not as fun for people to come to the store.’

Seaport, MA | Listening Lounges Are Hot: Check Out A Chic New Vinyl Bar In Seaport: Everything that’s old is cool again. Case in point, listening lounges are back. These are swanky spots serving creative cocktails and funky fun food while a DJ plays vinyl records. Here we go Boston, a chic new vinyl bar in Seaport has opened! Headroom Hi-Fi Cocktail Lounge can be found at Trillium Brewing’s Fort Point location. The website describes this chi chi spot at “a vibrant space where the familiar and the unfamiliar meet to create an experience you’ll crave in an environment you’ll want to return to again and again.” …Headroom features a DJ booth with (you guessed it) 2 turntables, a Mcintosh tube amp and “carefully curated set lists from our deep library of vinyl” as described on their website. Yes, this vibey place is music forward, but there is also a fab menu of shareable food. Scallop Crudo, oysters and deviled eggs are a few of the munchies on the menu.

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Kingston, AU | Vinyl is cool again! Kingston store grows to meet demand: If you were a music lover between the 1960’s and 1990’s, you may remember the excitement of peeling that thin plastic layer from the outside of your favourite artist’s vinyl record in a pre-internet era. Tom Stockman certainly does. Tom has always loved music and records. So, when he came to the realisation ‘pretty quickly’ that his eighteen-year-old vision of becoming a famous rock guitarist probably ‘wasn’t going to happen,’ he turned his attention to collecting records instead. …The heyday of vinyl records was without doubt during the 1960’s and 1970’s and few could have imagined it’s entire collapse in the early 1990’s, with the advent and seduction of compact discs. However, Tom continued listening to and collecting records of all genres until, decades later in 2015, and with ‘vinyls’ becoming ‘cool’ again, he decided to gather his treasures and open his first preloved record store in Bungendore.

Vancouver, CA | North Vancouver art exhibit captures historic people and moments through vinyl records: The Historical Records exhibit of 20th century sounds is on until July 14. For about 15 years, Dani Gal collected a specific genre of vinyl records that appeal to both the eyes and ears. The Berlin-based and Jerusalem-born artist and filmmaker’s first Canadian solo exhibit of commercially produced long-play records documenting global historic moments is on display until July 14 at The Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver. Gal bought more than 700 vinyl records as part of his ongoing Historical Records project. The exhibit features part one of the project, which is made up of 246 records Gal bought between 2005 to 2018. Gal became interested in the culture of “sampling”—including an element of someone else’s recording in a composition—over 20 years ago. “I was starting to get curious as to the whereabouts of those samplings and what else you could find there and recorded material that is not music but speech,” Gal says.

Nashville, TN | Record demand leading to new jobs in Music City. Nashville Record Pressing is hiring: Unlike CDs and cassettes, the demand for vinyl records is growing. Because of vinyl’s revival, record manufacturers like Nashville Record Pressing are hiring. Right now, the manufacturing director says there are more than two dozen jobs to fill at the vinyl pressing plant on Brick Church Park Drive in Nashville. There are openings in quality assurance, assembly, machine maintenance and even recycling. “We’d love to have people who are music friendly,” said Kourtlyn Immel, the chief of staff. “Maybe we’ve got some musicians coming to town [and] they’re looking for a gig before they get their next gig. People who are into vinyl and people who are not into vinyl, but into a really cool workplace.” They manufacturer is expanding, which should allow them to produce more than 2 million records every month.

UK | Wax Heads, the record-shop video game that channels High Fidelity: Far from a business sim, players act as tastemaker for a litany of lovable oddballs that swing by, using clues to deduce the perfect album recommendation. Every time I go through a breakup, I’m compelled to rewatch the noughties classic High Fidelity, in which OG softboi John Cusack mournfully chronicles a “top 10 list” of his all-time worst breakups, soundtracked by the albums that accompanied them. Rather than his parade of enthralling exes, including a wonderfully vapid Catherine Zeta-Jones, it’s Cusack’s record shop, Championship Vinyl, that’s the film’s star. A sanctuary for a hurting Cusack, this battered boutique becomes a refuge for Chicago’s other lost souls, giving its perennially hungover proprietor and a gaggle of local music nerds a place to lick their wounds. It’s this kind of DIY community spirit that spills out of the screen as I dive into Wax Heads, a narrative game about managing a struggling record shop.

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Sacramento, CA | Kicksville Vinyl & Vintage opens relocated store on R Street in Sacramento: A Sacramento record shop will open its relocated site on Saturday (6/1). Kicksville Vinyl & Vintage says it offers “Sacramento’s finest curation of vinyl records, midcentury furniture and vintage miscellany.” The store has moved to 712 R St. in Sacramento, a space that’s next to Beers Books. It was previously located at 931 T St. The business will hold a Saturday grand opening at the new location, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. The party will include DJ music and light refreshments. Learn more on the store’s Facebook page.

Greenfield, MA | ‘A good, fun party’: Greenfield Records to host ‘Big 15th Anniversary Party’ with 8 local bands, June 8 at Hawks & Reed: Greenfield Records, formerly known as John Doe Jr., will throw a nine-hour live music festival at Hawks & Reed from 1 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 8 to celebrate its 15 years of business in the city. Greenfield Records co-owner Maria Danielson said the “Big 15th Anniversary Party” will host eight musical acts with local ties — Noise Nomads, Stella Kola, The Eye, OLD PAM, Willie Lane, Creative Writing, Big Destiny and Moth’s Frog — in a party equipped with a DJ, food from Cocina Lupita and records for sale. While the record store used to regularly hold live music concerts at its 275 Main St. shop or the sidewalk out front, Danielson said Saturday’s event will serve as the store’s largest event to date. “Part of what we really want to celebrate is the regulars that have been coming here all these years and also the city itself…”

Chicago, IL | Apricot Vintage Opens First Store Saturday In Irving Park: Co-owner Rachel Ullrich, who ran her online shop for 20 years, is teaming up with friends Al Scorch and Will “JP” Perry to sell vintage threads, vinyl and other rarities. …“We’ve really created a super comfortable and welcoming place to hang out. Other vintage stores and record shops, sometimes they’re not really a place to hang out. You come in, flip through some clothes, do some treasure hunting and then get out,” Scorch said. …The trio envision Apricot Vintage as a neighborhood spot for neighbors to come by and chat, read some paperback books or listen to records at the shop’s listening station, Scorch said. “I grew up in Chicago and would take the CTA everywhere. Vintage clothing stores are one of the most important all-ages spaces for kids in high school and middle school. There’s not a lot of stuff to do if you’re not 21 or 18 even,” Scorch said.

Regina, CA | ‘They’re vital’: Vinyl collectors rejoice after reopening of Regina’s X-Ray Records: Record enthusiasts are excited for the return of a beloved vinyl shop in Regina. Kent Roberts is thrilled to again be thumbing through albums at X-Ray Records. “It was a big loss to the community for – I don’t know, was it two or three months – while it was closed and you really noticed because you don’t get this anywhere else,” Roberts told CTV News. Regina’s only store dedicated to new vinyl closed in June following the death of its beloved owner Dave Kuzenko. X-Ray Records had been in business since 1987. Store employee Noah Biegler partnered with his father, Lawrence to take over the business. “We did the close out sales with his daughters so then it was kind of like ‘oh, probably should take it over because everybody wanted for it to keep running,” co-owner Noah Biegler recalled.

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Boonton, NJ | ‘Music Is Our Lifeblood:’ Married Couple Bring Record Store, Intimate Venue To North Jersey: Music lovers in Morris County will have a place to call home, thanks to a husband and wife. On a recent trip to Boonton Coffee, Shane and Michele Murphy noticed a vacant storefront at 520A Main St. The West Milford couple knew immediately how to use it. Shane, a U.S. Army veteran, and Michele will soon be opening Hidden Tracks Records, a music store and intimate music venue. …The store, named after Shane’s podcast, HiddenTracks, will feature new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassette tapes, stereo and record equipment, music gifts, accessories and apparel. The store aims to support the indie music community by serving as a venue for bands, the first concert to be held on Thursday, June 6 at 8 p.m. featuring Dylan Clark of the Milwaukees and Jonah Matranga from onelinedrawing. “We know how powerful music can be in bringing people together and thought this community would be a perfect fit for our new venture,” Michele said.

Montavilla, OR | City Noise Records Opens, Replicant Bar to Follow: On May 22nd, City Noise Records relocated from a small storefront on NE Broadway Street to 7033 NE Glisan Street. Within a few weeks, a new beer and wine bar called Replicant will open next door to the punk and metal music shop, allowing customers of both establishments to commingle through a central passageway. These complementary businesses renovated the century-old storefront to create a complete experience for people to become immersed in music while enjoying their favorite drinks. Lydia Crumbley and Gianpiero Milani co-own Replicant Beer & Wine PDX, creating the new bar as an extension of Milani’s other business, City Noise Records. The 810-square-foot bar’s name originates from the 1982 sci-fi movie Blade Runner.

Columbus, OH | The Record Store: Owners Recall Rare Pressings We Never Knew Existed: A profile of Spoonful Records in Columbus, Ohio. Owning a record store can be a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it. It’s the message that Brett Ruland and Amy Kesting—husband-and-wife owners of the Columbus, Ohio music shop Spoonful Records—embody in their auto mechanic-inspired work attire. But nestled in the city’s downtown, adjacent to plant-based diner 4th & State, Spoonful Records is exactly in its element, providing locals with must-have vinyl finds. At their third location overall, the 144 E State St. digs feel just like home to the couple and record-digging regulars. On a Wednesday afternoon in early-April, Ruland and Kesting have a bit of a break from a traffic of customers that scour vinyl from the “Used Rap” to Soundtracks sections. Kesting’s paintings surround the shop, replicas of iconic album covers for Maggot Brain and the eponymous KISS LP, a hobby that she picked up in her spare time after retiring from pinball tournaments.

Minneapolis, MN | U.K. rocker Frank Turner returns to Minneapolis after working a shift at Electric Fetus: The British punk anthem singer will add the Uptown Theater to “a long, happily varied list” of Twin Cities gigs and stunts. …The anthemic punk strummer pulled off another in a series of daredevil-ish gig marathons in early May, like the time he performed in all 50 of the United States in 50 days. This time, he did 15 different U.K. cities in 24 hours, setting a Guinness World Record. “Nightmarish and fun,” quipped Turner, who performs in Minneapolis again Saturday at the Uptown Theater—one show only. “The 24 hours part was fun. The 36 hours afterward was tough. I got home and just sort of sat there dazed with no idea what was going on.” The 42-year-old rocker—whose latest single is titled “Girl From the Record Shop”—also went to work supporting independent record shops last month by flying all the way to Middle America to man a shift at Minneapolis’ own Electric Fetus. He really came to work, too, according to staff there.

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Oslo, NO | Neseblod Records Reopens After Fire: “We have emptied the basement and will renovate it as soon as possible, so only the top floor will be available for now.” Neseblod Records—formerly the Helvete record store (the one with the “Black Metal” basement that everyone takes a picture at)—recently suffered a fire in their basement. While Neseblod Records continues to recover, shop owners have taken to Instagram to note that they’re back open and they’re working on renovating the basement. “The shop is finally open!!” wrote Neseblod Records on Instagram. “We have emptied the basement and will renovate it as soon as possible, so only the top floor will be available for now. Thanks to all of you who have helped out, both physically and by donations. You have been a massive help and we can’t express how much we appreciate each and every one of you.”

Riverina, AU | Nick mixes Vino & Vinyl to create a setlist for success in the Riverina: Wagga entrepreneur Nick Stanbury has the unique privilege of doing something he loves for a living through his business Vino & Vinyl. “I guess it’s the coming together of two big passions of mine—being great music and wine,” he explained. “I’ve found that they work really well hand in hand because you’re combining two great things that make you feel good.” Nick’s unique business offers two distinct services leveraging his expertise and experience in the wine trade and his passion for music and classic records. “My parents used to play a lot of music around the house and I was pretty heavily influenced by their tastes,” he reflected. “My dad in particular brought me up on a lot of Motown and soul, disco and funk as well as all the classic ‘yacht rock’ like your Steely Dans, Doobie Brothers and then the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac.”

UK | The art of pressing and the future of vinyl: An open discussion on vinyl and creativity at The Vinyl Factory pressing plant. In late April, writer, DJ, producer and co-founder of record label Butterz, Elijah, teamed up with Vinyl Alliance to lead a group of multi-disciplinary artists around The Vinyl Factory pressing plant to grant them a greater insight into the vinyl manufacturing process and uncover how a deeper understanding of vinyl could enhance their creative practice. The group, made up of TIGRIS, David Chen, Tash LC, Adam 1Up, Charisse C, Damsel Elysium, Kirrolus, Yaw Evans and Eugene Angelo, embarked upon an open discussion after seeing the vinyl-making process which further demystified the industry and explored how each individual, from their varied perspectives, could engage creatively with the format. Below is an outline of the discussion, featuring contributions from Elijah, The Vinyl Factory’s Adam Teskey and Audio Technica’s Edward Forth.

Kuala Lumpur, ML | Analogue Crafts: Veteran DJ Bryan Burger Is Turning the Tables: DJing has been Tan Kok Seong’s passion since the late nineties, but for him, this art isn’t just about mixers and CDJs. In fact, he advocates the use of vinyl, and he believes that every DJ needs to have this analogue skillset under their belt. Tan, who goes by the stage name Bryan Burger, says: “This is an ode to professional DJ culture in general. Without this knowledge, there is no proper understanding of the art.” And Bryan Burger knows a thing or two about vinyls, because that was his entry point into the world of DJing. And he’s never let go of the medium since. As someone who teaches DJing, Burger knows that both the digital and analogue mediums are here to stay, and they both complement each other, but for him, there’s a soul that comes with vinyl. “Yes, it’s heavier to lug around a few carts of discs around,” Bryan Burger says. “Especially if you’re travelling. And yes, it could be a costly pursuit when each single can cost MYR 50. But the sound is warmer…”

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UK | Dream high street for Brits includes vintage shops and record stores: Forget the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker – the perfect high street for modern Brits includes vintage shops, record stores and coffee houses. Researchers asked Brits to picture their dream high street, with a deli (38 percent), florist (45 percent) and ice cream parlour (41 percent) all coming high on the list of dream establishments. Modern Brits also love the idea of vintage shops (37 percent), farm produce shops (37 percent) and record stores (37 percent), while a clean living one in three (35 percent) dream of having a health food shop close to them. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top wish was a decent pharmacy (58 percent), while 45 percent of those surveyed said a decent local pub was a must have. According to new research by Smart Energy GB, 62 percent believe a good high street has a mixture of modern and traditional shops.

Manchester, UK | “I’m like a pig in s*** here”: The iconic south Manchester shop that inspired Noel and Liam Gallagher: “Mr. Sifter sold me songs when I was just 16.” “I’m like a pig in s*** here,” declares Pete Howard, perched behind the same counter he has manned for almost half a century. Shelf after shelf of vinyl records, CDs and cassette tapes surround him on all sides. …It may not look like it but Pete and his shop are part of musical history. The 76-year-old is perhaps best known by his nickname—Mr Sifter—named after his beloved second hand record shop in Fog Lane, Burnage. Both Pete and his shop were immortalised when he was namechecked in Oasis’s 1994 single Shakermaker. Sifters was once a favourite of a young Noel and Liam Gallagher, who would visit the shop to buy records before becoming famous. The brothers, who grew up in Burnage, loved the shop so much that they decided to write Mr Sifter into one of their earliest songs from their iconic album, Definitely Maybe.

Austin, TX | South Austin record store owner calls for compensation after condo construction impacts business access: Enzo Johnson said the city needs to start a fund to help local businesses as growth and construction impedes business. A local business owner is calling for compensation after he said new condo construction is blocking traffic into his shop. Enzo Johnson loves music and has owned the Living in Stereo record store since 2020. He called KVUE because he said his business is in danger. In September, he moved to a new location on Weidemar Lane in South Austin because construction and other city growing pains on South Congress Avenue were hurting business – not knowing the same issue would find him again. …”We’ve had to take out personal loans and business loans just to pay our rent, essentially,” said Johnson. “So we’ve lost tens of thousands of dollars over the last few months just because people cannot physically get to us.”

Silver Spring, MD | The Final Spin: Record Exchange Silver Spring Shutters on June 9: The Record Exchange at 8642 Colesville Rd. in downtown Silver Spring will permanently close on June 9. In an announcement posted on the shop’s Instagram account Monday afternoon, co-owner Brian France stated, “This was a difficult and heartbreaking decision, but we are unable to keep the doors open due to both financial and personal reasons.” Customers can continue to use all store credit and punch cards for the next two weeks, and orders placed online will still be delivered as originally planned. Customers who want to be included in the shop’s thank you video can email messages and short videos up to 35 seconds… Record Exchange Silver Spring opened in 1999, and its ownership was taken over by longtime employees Brian France and Sheila Hunt in 2019. According to The MoCo Show, the record shop’s Frederick location will continue to operate.

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Nampa, ID | Discovering Disc-Cover Records in Downtown Nampa: Disc-Cover Records in Downtown Nampa is a growing business owned by Nampa resident Al Babbitt. His passion for music and records, for over 50 years, has led to six successful years of business in downtown Nampa. “My dad started looking at these records in this thrift store while I was looking at the model trains, and he had this whole hand full of swing records that he had found. This was in the ’70s so they were 25 cents, so he bought them all and that started it,” remembers owner of Disc-Cover Records Al Babbitt. 50 years later, Al has his very own record store situated in Downtown Nampa. “We have a great support team that works with Downtown Nampa businesses to promote not only us but everybody around us.” A former radio DJ in Arizona and California, Al loves the physical media.

Burbank, CA | The Record Store: A Place for Pearl Jam Fans (and Then Some): Thirty fans fill Run Out Groove Records’ tightly packed 350-square feet for an exclusive listening party of Pearl Jam’s new album when, 30 seconds into the first song, the livestream cuts out. The mood dips, until co-owner Jeff Ferguson announces, “This is why records are better.” Everyone laughs, and it reminds me why record stores are better, too. Co-owners Ferguson and Ellen Rehak set out to create a record shop that would be, as Rehak puts it, “the living room of the neighborhood” for local music fans. They’re succeeding, seeing as people began lining up for a recent Record Store Day at 4:15 pm Friday before the store’s 8:00 am Saturday opening. Every detail of feels warm and bespoke, from handcrafted bins to music-themed art to an ambiance straight out of your coolest college radio station. Even the records they carry feel curated since, according to Ferguson, “We fill it up with everything we love.”

Overland Park, KS | ‘Sad to see it go’: This decades-old Johnson County record store is closing for good: Vinyl Renaissance and Audio’s exterior is a little inconspicuous, tucked in the elbow of a shopping strip at 9038 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park. But through its doors, past smiling cardboard Elvis: hundreds of CDS, records, turntables and speakers. Since the store announced on Wednesday it would be closing, dozens of customers have been trickling in, flipping through records of their favorite artists — Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Blink 182, newer stars like Taylor Swift. Most of its items are heavily marked down in an attempt to get rid of its stacks (and stacks) of records and CDs — vinyls are going for as low as $1, some CDs are selling for 50 cents apiece. “Everything must go,” as the sign says. Their last day is Dec. 31, owner Eva Phillips says, then quickly adds: “I have this great hope that it will be so empty it will close before then.”

Kamloops, BC | CFBX record fair continues decade climb of vinyl records: The Thompson Rivers University (TRU) campus radio station CFBX is holding its annual record fair this weekend at Sahali Mall. The fair serves as the main fundraiser for the volunteer-run station. Vinyl records have seen a major jump in popularity in the past decade, including an additional surge during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. While they have come down a touch from that high, Keith Morgan, who sells records out of Haus of Misfit in Kamloops, feels there are no signs of the fad dying. “I’ve been collecting for 19 years and back then, you would be able to find these things sort of everywhere. People would be giving them away. Over the last 10 years, it has sort of become more of a commodity and more of a collectability—and people just enjoying physical media…”

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Nottingham, UK | Record store to make return to Nottingham: Music and entertainment store, Fopp, is to make a return to Nottingham. The new outlet has taken the former Joules unit on Bridlesmith Gate in a deal brokered by Box Property Consultants. Frankie Labbate, director of Box Property Consultants, said: “This is a special deal for Bridlesmith Gate, which proves our initial strategy of repurposing large parts of the street with street art and creative leasing would breathe life and vibrancy back into the street. “This has ultimately has led to a lot of lettings and now we are attracting national retailers again to this exciting environment. “We have secured FOPP on proper lease terms in what was a competitive bidding situation and I encourage other landlords to make contact if they have vacant properties nearby as we have other exciting tenants waiting in the wings.” Fopp last had a Nottingham store in the now derelict Broadmarsh Shopping Centre in Nottingham. It was forced to close its doors in June 2020 as mall owner collapsed.

New York, NY | Record Store Crawl 2024: Busload of Vinyl Fans and Quarters of Change Usher in Return of Warner Music Tradition: Billboard’s Retail Track columnist joins NYC crawlers as they visit Academy Records, Rough Trade Records and other spots around town. Warner Music Group’s revived Record Store Crawl returned to New York City last weekend after a five-year absence, complete with a bus full of music and vinyl fans—including Billboard’s Retail Track—that kicked things off at Tower Records’ Tower Labs space in Brooklyn with a rocking performance from 300 Entertainment recording artists Quarters of Change. The crawl’s bus, transporting about 40 music fans, went on to visit Academy Records in Brooklyn, Audio-Technica showroom in lower Manhattan, Generation Records in the West Village; and finally, Rough Trade Records up in Rockefeller Center, all on Saturday (May 18).

CA | Vinyl cafés and listening bars are popping up across Canada—here’s where to find these hi-fi hangouts: A draw for audiophiles, these spots are setting the scene for intimate gatherings and dance parties. There was a time when the future of vinyl looked bleak. As convenience took precedence over the listening experience, music players seemed to only get smaller and audio files more compressed. But the physical format has been making a comeback. …Vinyl has been booming in Canada too, with sales more than doubling between 2019 and 2021. And while these figures don’t hold a candle to the billions generated by streaming behemoths, they do say something about the ways we’re engaging with music — and help explain why “listening bars” have been popping up in cities around the world. “We only play vinyl … we don’t even have the ability to play a digital file,” record bar co-owner Jodie Dewald told CBC Life. At Dewald’s downtown Toronto establishment, The Little Jerry, patrons can listen to recorded music in all its velvety, textured glory thanks to a custom high-fidelity sound system.

Coatbridge, UK | Coatbridge author takes a look back on the vinyl business that provided the music backdrop to our lives: Labelled with Love is a ‘unique encyclopaedic and insightful overview of the culture of record companies.’ A Lanarkshire author who wrote about his time touring with Nirvana has released a new “insightful” book charting the history of record labels. Andy Bollen’s latest offering, Labelled with Love, is a journey through a vinyl record collection and moments in time spanning several decades—from the jazz age to punk, the Beatles to Britpop, and Ella Fitzgerald to The Ramones. The Coatbridge man’s debut book was about his time touring with Kurt Cobain’s band, and he’s gone on to pen several since then – mainly on the subject of his other love – football. The 57-year-old author’s previously-published work could never be described as clichéd though, as it always attacks the reader from left-field. Labelled with Love is no different in that respect, and looks beyond the labels to the impact they had on the lives of the listener.

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Port of Spain, TT | Saying goodbye to Diana and Rhyner’s Record Shop: For some, Friday evenings were spent standing in line at Rhyner’s Record Shop, Prince Street, Port of Spain, waiting for the latest release. For others, there are memories of the record shop’s street parties featuring popular calypsonians from Machel to Baron. A piece of Trinidad and Tobago’s musical history died with Diana Rhyner, 77, on May 4. She became the face of the popular record shop when her father, Hilton, died in 1981. …In the 20th century, record shops occupied prominent places in their communities, the US National Museum of African American History and Culture’s website said. It added, “They attracted followings of audiophiles who trekked to shops to find new additions to their music collections. Young music listeners frequented shops, even if they didn’t have money. They flocked to shops to experience the glamour and professionalism they saw modelled by shop owners, their staff, and the leading entertainers who visited frequently.”

Montreal, CA | Plateau Record Store Suffers Damage After Recycling Bin Fire: Sound Central, a record store in Montreal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, broke the news earlier this week that a fire caused considerable damage to their business. The fire started at some point Monday into Tuesday in a recycling bin in the alleyway behind the building. It also affected Revolution 514, a skateshop that shares the commercial space with Sound Central, and residential neighbours above the store who lost 2 of their 3 cats. In an online post, the store says they are still assessing the extent of the smoke and water damage and will eventually hold a sale to get back on their feet. Sound Central first opened in 2001 above L’X concert hall (Ste. Catherine at Hôtel-de-Ville) and would go on to move to St. Denis in 2004 before moving to its current location in 2007 at 4486 Coloniale Avenue.

Lisburn, IE | Lisburn man Ray Dennison proves that vinyl really does still matter: The rise of digital music and streaming services saw the rapid decline in the sales of records but now the tide is turning once again as a new generation is discovering the joy of vinyl. Tapping into the resurgence in demand for records, and even CDs, Lisburn man Ray Dennison has opened a new store in Railway Street – Vinyl Matters – proving that everything really does come around again in its own time. A passionate music fan, Ray retired a few years ago and decided that he would turn his record collecting hobby into a new business, and the decision is certainly proving popular with local customers. “I am really into music and have been since I was a kid,” Ray explained. “I have a big record collection of my own and over the last year I have started to buy tons of vinyl from different people. “I had the idea before to open a shop but thought there was no point in doing it. Then over the last months I started to think about getting a wee space.”

Dallas, TX | The 13 Best Record Stores in Greater Dallas: There are many great record stores in DFW, but these might be our favorites. There’s no question that vinyl’s back and it looks like it’s here to stay. But lately, Dallas has seen how difficult hit can be for local shops to share that kind of longevity. From major losses, like the storefront closure of Denton’s Mad World Records in 2020, to miraculous resurrections, like the 2022 revival of Dead Wax Records, vinyl heads have experienced some serious whiplash over the years. Despite these shifts, Dallas remains one of the best places for music media collectors. We recently listed the best offbeat places to buy vinyl records in Dallas, and we have a fair share of gems, such as the woman-owned Red Zeppelin in McKinney, but there are many more places in DFW. Here are 13 of our favorite record stores in the Dallas area.

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