The knowledgeable staff at Stinkweeds, an independent record store located at 12 W. Camelback Road, will celebrate Record Store Day with the community on Saturday, April 18. Special release titles will be available during the event (photo courtesy of Stinkweeds).
The semi-annual celebration of vinyl records, and the independent stores that sell them, returns to stores across Phoenix and around the world on Saturday, April 18. Record Store Day (RSD) was established in 2008 to “celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store.” Held on one Saturday every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together fans, artists and thousands of record stores around the world.
A big draw each year: the special release titles made available at these brick-and-mortar stores during the event. The Record Store Day 2026 Official List has been released, and participating Phoenix stores have placed their orders. Shoppers will need to check in with their local shop to see which titles are available, but you can get a taste of this year’s offerings online at https://recordstoreday.com/specialreleases.
After the big day, record stores may choose to sell from their websites or from their marketplace accounts so they can reach customers further out. That starts on Sunday, April 19.
“We definitely recommend looking at store websites and accounts rather than buying from flippers,” RSD says on their website. “Maybe start at www.rsdmrkt.com, which is kind of like a 24-hour record fair, and all the booths are cool record stores!”
Participating stores in and around the North Central area include Stinkweeds at 12 W. Camelback Road (602-248-9461, www.stinkweeds.com); The ‘In’ Groove at 3300 N. 24th St. (602-957-2453, www.theingroove.com); Tracks in Wax Records at 4741 N. Central Ave. (602-890-7870, www.tracksinwaxrecords.com).
Sadly, Candy & Records, which is located at 9402 N. Central Ave. and participated last year, announced on February 26 their imminent closure. A social media post read in part, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the upcoming closure of Candy & Records. With the constant rising cost of rent and inventory, we just cannot sustain it any longer. March 2026 will be our final month of having a brick-and-mortar location, then we will have a limited, online presence.” Patrons can keep up with their next move at www.facebook.comcandyandrecords.
