New Hope, MN | New Hope record store specializes in vintage stereo equipment: Music is an elemental part of Shawn Smith’s life. “Music has always been a part of me, like it’s in my blood,” he said. “You just can’t shake it.” Nicknamed “Smitty,” he’s the owner of Twin City Smitty’s Vintage Audio in New Hope. “Tinkering with music and electronics is probably in my genes,” he said. “Music has driven a lot of decisions in my life, especially to open this business.” His shop is nestled in a small industrial building near Medicine Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue. It’s one of the few that still deals in the high-fidelity world of solid-state stereo receivers. There’s a room in the shop dedicated to repair, where a technician revamps the old stereo units that may remind you of your grandparent’s house. Once the stereos are repaired, they sell them in-person and on eBay. They also repair turntables and speaker cabinets. With the resurgence of vinyl records, a younger crowd is discovering the appeal of physical media.