What Twist & Shout does

Twist & Shout is an independently owned record store headquartered in Denver, Colorado, operating a single 11,000 square foot flagship at 2508 E Colfax Ave in the Congress Park neighborhood, proximate to The Fillmore, Bluebird, Ogden, Lion's Lair, and Goosetown music venues. Founded in 1988 by high school English teachers Paul Epstein and Jill Parrish on South Pearl Street, the business transitioned ownership in 2022 to longtime general manager Patrick Brown, who joined in 1992 and is the only staffer remaining from the original location. The company has operated from five locations over its history and now carries new and used vinyl records as its leading format, alongside CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, music-related books, and lifestyle merchandise, with rare and out-of-print vinyl and imports cited as a key differentiator.

The business operates a multi-channel retail model spanning an owned e-commerce storefront at shop.twistandshout.com, official Discogs and eBay marketplace storefronts, curbside pickup, and mail order, with pricing on a per-unit basis ranging from $10-20 for CDs to $600+ for rare collectibles. The product mix is supported by a standard Broadtime CMS and a Constant Contact email newsletter, with WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility on the shop subdomain. Distribution is concentrated in the Denver metro area for physical retail but reaches global collectors through the marketplace and e-commerce channels.

Revenue is generated through one-time retail transactions across formats, supplemented by ancillary services including a professional appraisal offering for records, CDs, memorabilia, and music-related collections, weekly concert ticket giveaway contests tied to local venues, in-store events such as live performances, album listening parties, artist signings, and Record Store Day celebrations, and in-store and online gift cards. The store is a member of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS), a national alliance of independent record stores founded in 1995, and maintains marketing presence across Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, and a long-running blog (Spork).

Name

Twist & Shout

Legal name

Twist and Shout Records

Website

https://twistandshout.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Twist & Shout is an independently owned Denver record store founded in 1988, selling new and used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, books, and merchandise through a physical flagship, owned e-commerce site, Discogs, and eBay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Music Retail

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420)

SIC

Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)

akta.pro primary industry

Turntables & Vinyl Audio Equipment Retail (CRACAEAH)

Keywords

• Independent record store
• Vinyl record retail
• Music media sales
• Music merchandise retail
• In-store music events

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales - Vinyl Records: New and used vinyl records, including rare, out-of-print, and import items. Core business with vinyl leading the way after coming full circle from origins as a vinyl store.
2. Retail Sales - CDs: New CD sales across multiple genres including rock, pop, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, blues, country, and world music.
3. Retail Sales - DVDs and Blu-rays: Home video releases including films, documentaries, and special editions such as Criterion Collection titles.
4. Retail Sales - Books: Music-related books including artist biographies, rock history, and music photography collections.
5. Retail Sales - Merchandise: Lifestyle products, music accessories, gift items, and music-related tchotchkes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Twist & Shout is an independently owned record store that buys and sells new and used vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, music books, and related merchandise from an 11,000 sq ft flagship store in Denver. The store complements its retail offering with in-store live performances, listening parties, signings, Record Store Day events, professional record appraisals, gift cards, and an online store at shop.twistandshout.com.

Product overview

Twist & Shout is a brick-and-mortar independent record store with a complementary online e-commerce platform. The core offering centers on physical music media: new and used vinyl records (now the leading format), CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and music-related books. The store differentiates through its curated selection of rare and collectible vinyl, extensive in-store events program including live performances and listening parties, professional appraisals, and community engagement through its role as a Record Store Day participating store. Online operations include the shop.twistandshout.com e-commerce platform and presence on Discogs and eBay marketplaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vinyl Records (New and Used) New and used vinyl records spanning rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop, jazz, blues, country, folk, punk, electronic, and world music genres, including rare and collectible items. Sold to music fans and collectors via the Denver storefront and shop.twistandshout.com.
• CDs Compact discs including new releases and catalog titles across multiple music genres. Sold to general consumers and music fans.
• DVDs and Blu-rays Home video releases including films, documentaries, and special editions from labels such as Criterion Collection and Shout! Factory. Sold to film enthusiasts and collectors.
• Music Books Music-related books including artist biographies, rock history, music photography collections, and genre studies. Sold to readers and music enthusiasts.
• Music Merchandise and Accessories Lifestyle products, music accessories, gift items, and music-related tchotchkes. Sold to music fans and gift shoppers.
• Online Store E-commerce platform enabling online purchasing of vinyl, CDs, DVDs/Blu-rays, books, and merchandise, with options for in-store pickup, curbside pickup, and mail order delivery.
• In-Store Events and Live Performances Live performances, album listening parties, artist signings, and meet & greets featuring both legendary and emerging artists, used to drive foot traffic and music community engagement.
• Record Appraisals Professional appraisal services for records, CDs, memorabilia, and music-related collections for personal, legal, or insurance purposes. Sold to collectors, estates, and legal professionals.
• Gift Cards Both in-store and online-only gift cards available for purchase and redemption at Twist & Shout.
• Concert Ticket Giveaways Weekly concert ticket giveaway contests for local Denver venue shows; participants enter by emailing with the artist name in the subject line.

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1995CIMS is a national organization of independent record stores founded in 1995 to unite like-minded independent store owners and give them a more powerful voice in the music industry. Twist & Shout is a member store, sharing the mission to be the heart of their communities, super-serve customers, support and develop artists, and share love of music.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Amoeba Music: Amoeba Music is one of the most recognized independent record store chains in the U.S., operating large-format stores in Los Angeles, Berkeley, and San Francisco. Directly comparable to Twist & Shout in physical footprint scale, deep catalog focus, and event-driven retail model.
• Rough Trade: Rough Trade operates iconic independent record stores in NYC and London, focused on vinyl, CDs, and in-store live performances. Closely matches Twist & Shout in independent ethos, vinyl-led assortment, and artist-event driven retail experience.
• Waterloo Records: Waterloo Records is a long-running Austin, TX independent record store specializing in new and used vinyl, CDs, and DVDs with strong community reputation and live events. Directly comparable as a similarly scaled single-city independent with deep catalog and event programming.
• Easy Street Records: Easy Street Records is a Queen Anne (Seattle) independent record store known for new/used vinyl, CDs, and in-store performances by nationally touring artists. Directly comparable in format mix, single-store model, and curated live-event focus.
• Bull Moose Music: Bull Moose Music is a multi-state chain of independent record stores operating across New England, focused on vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and games. Comparable in indie-retail positioning, broad physical media assortment, and CIMS-style cooperative scale.
• Music Millennium: Music Millennium is a long-running Portland, OR independent record store specializing in vinyl and CDs with deep community ties. Comparable as a similarly tenured single-market independent record retailer with strong brand recognition.
• Criminal Records: Criminal Records is an Atlanta-based independent record store with vinyl, CDs, comics, and live events. Comparable independent-store curation model and breadth of physical media plus event-driven retail.
• Electric Fetus: Electric Fetus is a Minneapolis, MN independent record store founded in 1968, specializing in vinyl, CDs, and DVDs with a similarly deep institutional reputation in its regional market. Directly comparable as a long-tenured single-city independent with broad-format physical media mix.
• Amoeba Hollywood Record Store Day events: Amoeba (overlap with primary peer) operates the most prominent Record Store Day flagship programming in the U.S., serving as a benchmark for Twist & Shout's own RSD execution and crowd management.

Broad incumbents

• Rhino Records: Rhino Records is a major reissue label and online retailer of physical music media with strong collector orientation. Comparable in used/specialty vinyl merchandise focus, though operating at a much larger scale and primarily through e-commerce rather than a flagship store.

Market position

Strengths6 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/twistdenver
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TwistAndShout
• Facebookfacebook.com/TwistandShoutDenver
• Instagraminstagram.com/twistandshoutdenver

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Twist & Shout