Minnesota has maintained an unusually high number of independent record stores in comparison to the national average. Despite the econonomic downturn and the challenges being faced by the recording industry at large, we've even managed to add a few shops in the past few years -- Eclipse Records is now open and selling vinyl in downtown St. Paul, and Hymie's Vintage Records continues to expand and prosper in its new location. But one of the Cities' newer additions, Yeti Records, has announced that they will close up their shop after a short run on Nicollet Ave. in South Minneapolis to explore the possibilities of a mobile record-store truck.

"We have some sad news. Wait. I mean we have some RADICAL news," husband and wife owners Jake and Lisa Luck posted to their site. "We are having a baby and are turning our little record store into a record store on wheeeels! Literally turning a small RV / food truck into a gnarly mobile shop that we can take out to street fairs and that sort of thing."

The Lucks are planning to vacate their space in the coming months (as soon as May but potentially as late as this August), and are looking for a new tenant to take over their lease. Given the space's prime location -- it sits squarely between the new Pat's Tap and vintage store B-Squad on the intersection of Nicollet and 35th St. -- it could be a smart investment for the right kind of business, maybe even another record store. More information about the space and the future of the store is posted here.