What Are The Record Stores Like Where You Are?

[Deleted member 23850]

Also, what are the best record stores you've ever been to?

In Phoenix, we basically have mostly smaller record stores, and one giant record store chain called Zia's. The smaller record stores are a mixed bag, as they have good albums but never frequently have what I want. You feel that their lack of size really means that they can't really cater to everyone, so instead they satisfy nobody. It's frustrating, so I stick to Zia's, which is big enough to be able to stock albums that satisfy a variety of artists.

This is kind of how I feel about record stores in general whenever I visit them in other places. I really only go to places like Amoeba Records whenever I'm in Los Angeles, and don't bother with the smaller stores.

 

[Paperboywriter]

arnt there just a novelty/ tourist thing nowadays? I'm not aware of a single one in my area.

 

[GiantEnemyGoomba]

 

[Sunster]

we have a place called Daddy Kool Records

 

[Puck Beaverton]

Nonexistent

 

[Master Of Illusion]

Vintage Vinyl is the biggest one around here, but there's a ton of others scattered around.

 

[xxracerxx]

https://www.oregonlive.com/music/2016/04/10_best_record_stores_portland.html

 

[Deleted member 26526]

Don't have one. It shut down about 2 years ago and nothings replaced it since

 

[Deleted member 23850]

arnt there just a novelty/ tourist thing nowadays? I'm not aware of a single one in my area.

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They most certainly can be this, which is why it can be pretty hard to find a good one, especially if you don't know the area beforehand. Yelp has made it a lot easier to distinguish between a good record store and a bad record store these days, though.

I remember being duped by one record store in the pre-internet days. I was totally excited to go to it...and they ended up having a few racks of cassettes. Turns out it was primarily a (shitty) bookstore that happened to advertise it had music. Maybe the guy or girl who ran it was 85 or something.

 

[Deleted member 23850]

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LOL this is great.

 

[signal]

Tokyo had too many to name. Haven't been to any in Stuttgart yet. I'm sure Berlin has some interesting ones.

 

[Glenn]

Soho (London) has about 5-6 great record stores 1-2 minutes walking distance from each other.

I def need to visit them more often instead of using discogs/amazon

 

[Adam_Roman]

I haven't gone to one locally in Buffalo since Record Theatre closed.

 

[Sage]

Still pretty much booming in Tokyo with live music events, talk shows, store-exclusive bonuses for CDs / concert DVDs etc. Most of the bigger stores (Tower Records, HMV, etc) have between 2-5 floors.

 

[Deleted member 54320]

There's three in London that I know of, all with a good selection of old and new.

I'm kind of sad there's no record/vinyl shop that specialises in foreign music though, there's a lot of vinyls from Japanese artists that I want. Sadly, a shop like that just wouldn't exist.

 

[Mr. Mug]

I'm kind of sad there's no record/vinyl shop that specialises in foreign music though, there's a lot of vinyls from Japanese artists that I want. Sadly, a shop like that just wouldn't exist.

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Last time I was in japan I went record shopping quite a bit and even there you're mostly going to find really old stuff and some recent things. I did manage to find some good stuff like love psychedelico's greatest hits though but most of my records are from Yahoo Auctions still.

 

[Macadinho94]

Dublin's pretty good, you have two Tower Records for common pickups and small indie stores like Free Bird Records when looking for rare LP's

 

[Kevers]

Other than the used record stores we only have 1. The Sound Garden, it's technically a branch of the Baltimore store but very rarely does the promotional material they send out make any mention of that fact. We used to have Media Play, FYE, a few other smaller shops but when the mall went under so did those places.

https://www.sgrecordshop.com/our-story-1

It began back in 1993 in Baltimore, Maryland and since then we've been the recipients of over 50 Best-Of record store awards. In 2014 we were voted the 2nd best record store in the United States by Rolling Stone Magazine.

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[Aftermath]

Got to travel to one of the nearest Cities, Zero in my town.

One has HMV & an Independent Record Store.

The other Direction has HMV and The Oldest Record Store in the World (Cardiff) as well as second hand ones

 

[Deleted member 23850]

Tokyo had too many to name. Haven't been to any in Stuttgart yet. I'm sure Berlin has some interesting ones.

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Do any stores in Tokyo have a substantial collection of video game soundtracks? If I ever go to Tokyo, I'm making it a point to see if I can find any Sonic The Hedgehog soundtracks. They are a pain in the ass to import, but they almost always trounce the US versions of the soundtracks. That and they simply sound better on CDs.

 

[dark_prinny]

Absolutely nonexistent.

 

[signal]

Do any stores in Tokyo have a substantial collection of video game soundtracks? If I ever go to Tokyo, I'm making it a point to see if I can find any Sonic The Hedgehog soundtracks. They are a pain in the ass to import, but they almost always trounce the US versions of the soundtracks. That and they simply sound better on CDs.

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Easier to find them in used shops (hardoff or mandarake or whatever) and game stores than record stores I think.

 

[Deleted member 23850]

Easier to find them in used shops (hardoff or mandarake or whatever) and game stores than record stores I think.

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That makes sense. I'm not sure how game stores are different in Japan compared to how they are in the U.S. We don't really have that level of merchandising, or at least I can imagine so given how much the Japanese care about that stuff.

 

[RDreamer]

Zia's is pretty rad. Went there when we visited my wife's family in Phoenix.

Here in Wisconsin there's a chain called Exclusive Company that operates all around in Milwaukee and up in Appleton/Oshkosh, so they're prevalent enough I can get to them wherever but the selection feels pretty great overall. Has the atmosphere of a small local place. The one in Milwaukee has an entire metal section that's pretty cool.

 

[signal]

That makes sense. I'm not sure how game stores are different in Japan compared to how they are in the U.S. We don't really have that level of merchandising, or at least I can imagine so given how much the Japanese care about that stuff.

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Would be harder to find at more normal game stores but at all of the more retro themed or touristy ones (super potato, friends, beep, surugaya, etc.) you'll find them.

I'm sure many Disc Union stores will have some too.

 

[SpotAnime]

I have a place by a local college that's pretty awesome. They don't have much by way of new releases, but they buy collections so the have a ton of classic albums unbelievably cheap ($2-5). I love it.

 

[Travo]

Papa Jazz Records in Columbia was/is pretty great. I haven't been there in ages though.
There was also a store called Manifest that had a huge selection but I believe they are gone now.

 

[Freakzilla]

There are probably some in Brooklyn and manhattan, but there is no real reason for me to know.

 

[Deleted member 23850]

Would be harder to find at more normal game stores but at all of the more retro themed or touristy ones (super potato, friends, beep, surugaya, etc.) you'll find them.

I'm sure many Disc Union stores will have some too.

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Eh, I guess I'll order them at this point. Then again, I wish I had the money to go to Tokyo anyway...not bloody likely these days, LOL.

 

[Deleted member 1086]

The Record Exchange in downtown Boise is great, never been there and not found something good. Haven't been there in a while though.

There's another one in Caldwell I go to that I forget the name of, but it's in the middle of an antique mall. It's pretty good too. There's some other shops here and there that sell records in addition to just about anything you'd find in a typical garage sale or flea market. I call em "rummage stores" or "junk stores", because they are mostly junk but I still love going to them and seeing all the interesting junk. It's like that American Pickers show, most of what is seen on the show is junk but it's still neat regardless.

 

[ParanormalFupa]

They are either half coffee shop or half head shop.

 

[teruterubozu]

We have Bull Moose, a chain of record stores here in Maine. It used to be a regular old school record store, but it has turned into the one-stop hipster store that's kind of like a cross between Borders, Hot Topic and Newbury Comics - Music, Books, Anime and Funko Pop figures. Which is basically what I picture most remaining "record stores" to be like today.

 

[Deleted member 23850]

Zia's is pretty rad. Went there when we visited my wife's family in Phoenix.

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Yeah, it kicks ass. What did you like best about it? Least?

 

[vatstep]

In the Boston area, several have closed in the last decade but we still have a few left; Nuggets, In Your Ear, Cheapo Records, Planet Records, Deep Thoughts, Tres Gatos, etc.

My favorite is Armageddon Records, which has two locations, one just outside of Boston and one in Providence; it's run by the guitarist of the great band Dropdead and mainly sells metal/hardcore/punk records. They also have a decent selection of band shirts, patches, etc. and their inventory is entirely online, which is cool if I'm looking for something specific. They also run a label that's released records for Elder, Morne, Tragedy, Prurient, as well as Dropdead.

There's also Newbury Comics, which started as a comic book and music store in the '80s, and has a few dozen locations in New England. In recent years they've had to refocus and do a lot of their business selling clothing, dumb knickknacks, etc. but they do still have a decent vinyl selection (at least in the stores in the city, many of the others are in malls and they're not great). They've had a lot of success lately in selling limited vinyl editions — represses of albums long out of print and also upcoming releases (Chelsea Wolfe and Torche to name a couple). I don't go there as much these days, but man, if I had saved all my receipts since I first started buying tapes and CDs there in the '90s... I can't even imagine how much money I've spent.

 

[deftones r cool]

Dearborn Music is the GOAT

I don't bother with physical music any more though. It's a fool's errand

I spent hundreds on my turntable setup only to realize i was just tryna get my vinyl to sound like a .flac file which i can get online for free because i know how to use a computer and i have no soul for anyone to seek

Invest in speakers and headphones and just stream everything

 

[FaceHugger]

They all vanished in my area around eight years ago.

There is a store nearby that sells movies and associated memorabilia, including some vinyl, but I forgot its name. Looking at Google Maps now it may have already closed. I don't see it.

 

[DirtyLarry]

Vintage Vinyl is the biggest one around here, but there's a ton of others scattered around.

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Came to post this but you beat me to it.
Forever I was under the impression they had closed down so I was driving way too far to Princeton Record Exchange. I finally mentioned to a friend how it sucked Vintage was no longer around and they schooled me on the fact I was dead wrong. I think they remodeled or something around 2000 and I just thought they had closed for good. Was so pissed to find out I was wrong for like 15 years. So I recently started going back there.
There is a smaller shop that opened a year or two ago called Revilla Grooves in Milltown that is really really good for Hip Hop, Old R&B, Funk and plain old Rock n Roll. But Vintage is still my closest option and they have a much better Punk / Hardcore / Metal selection.
We do have it pretty good in NJ though. Especially with NYC and PA providing options as well. PA especially I have recently learned has a lot of good options.

 

[thebeeks]

Forever Young in Grand Prairie is huuuuuuge! Biggest selection in DFW, rivaled by only Josey Records. Just don't visit on Record Store Day, it's a damn madhouse. Other than that, totally fine. Also the entrance is shaped like a gigantic jukebox, so that's fun.

Josey Records in Dallas (I think?) is pretty nice from what I remember, but I've only been there once when they first opened and they were still unpacking boxes. They occasionally have bands playing inside. Seems cool.

Mad World Records in Denton is probably my favorite, mostly because it's the closest one to me. It's much tinier than Forever Young or Josey but I'm kind of into that. Unfortunately since they're so small they can't have a huge selection, and mostly stick to newer releases.

Born Late in Fort Worth is a record store solely for metal/rock. If it was closer to me, it'd be my favorite record store in the area. My one complaint is that I wish they had more of an import selection, but that's just me being grumpy they didn't have any of the Japanese bands I like.

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

Our record store is a mixed bag of fucking cool and frustrating. They don't just sell albums/records but also toys, comic books, bongs, and vape stuff, and other head shop items. I dig the toys and comic books and basically use it as my comic book store.

The problem with their music selection is it's not always super complete, so I tend to need to order albums in. Problem there is i can't order over the phone; I have to show up and BUY the album and then come back at a later date when it arrives. I'ts such a pain in the ass that I've largely stopped unless I'm there for comic books already, which lately I have not been.

 

[Kapryov]

Is Waterloo (Austin TX) still around? Is it still cool?

When I lived in Sydney it was all about Red Eye Records and Utopia. The main Red Eye store (there were several) used to have 2 floors and an immense selection of music of all genres, while Utopia focuses mostly on Metal (and horror films) but still carried most genres of rock. These both still exist but are much much smaller :(
I'm happy they're still around at all though. There was also a Fish records, where I bought my Radiohead MiniDisc albums back around 2000-ish. I'm pretty sure it's long gone now.

 

[Deleted member 23850]

Is Waterloo (Austin TX) still around? Is it still cool?

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Yeah, Waterloo is still around.

 

[Sobriquet]

Amoeba and Waterloo are the best record stores ever. But I fucking love my local one. RIP Wax Trax.

I really miss walking down Melrose going from record shop to record shop though. RIP the '90s.

 

[Drain You]

I'm 28 now and the record stores around here have either closed or raised there prices a stupid amount. I live in Connecticut. When I was in high school/middle school they were still slightly overpriced but not bad. I'll only buy vinyl at tag sales these days, usually a dollar or less per.

 

[Kapryov]

Yeah, Waterloo is still around.

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This makes me happy, thanks.
I visited way back in 2003 and they had a great selection back then. It was one of the highlights of my trip.

 

[diakyu]

About 50 miles from where I live. Buying your music is a dying thing and it pisses me off to no end. Streaming is convenient but it isn't "mine". Same with movies and TV show, soon games too apparently. Man screw this.

 

[sven]

I can't remember the last time I saw a record store.

 

[PassiveObserver]

In the Bay Area we have Rasputin's and Amoeba as the big boxes, along with a ton of niche stores littered throughout the region. We have it pretty good out here. Amoeba's the church of music.

 

[ninnanuam]

Around me there are three or four boutique vinyl shops and a few bigger media/book stores that carry reasonable selections.

Then we have a large independent music store which will likely continue until the owner dies. That place is great.

There is also the jbhifi chain and they seem to have gotten into vinyl along with everything else they sell.

 

[Garble Slew]

In Atlanta. All the record stores here have a good selection but they are all silly expensive. Going to Criminal Records used to be a weekly thing but now I just order online and save money even with shipping.

 

[RDreamer]

Yeah, it kicks ass. What did you like best about it? Least?

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Pretty great selection. I was able to find a bunch of albums and bands not typically stocked. Some good imports, too.

I forget what I actually ended up buying when I was there, though. It was the week Bowie died when I was there so I grabbed Black Star, and I know a few preowned ISIS albums.