Record Store Meccas

As more record stores close over the years, some institutions still exist to draw in the faithful buyers looking for physical products. What are your must see music shops when you visit another city?

 

Amoeba Music - San Francisco

Rough Trade East - London

Phonica Records - London

Waterloo Records - Austin

Cactus Music - Houston

Forever Young Records in Grand Prairie, Texas, and of course the legendary Bill's Records in Dallas.

 

Really great shops, they have everything you can think of. Especially Bill's.

Hardwax - Berlin

Honest Jon's - London

Probably OT, but:

 

Although these cities may not be record meccas, can anyone suggest good stores in Nashville, TN or Atlanta, GA?

in france, the only decent record store I can think of is souffle continu (Paris)

Phonica is a terrible hipster place. Sounds of the Universe is still pretty hipster but infinitely better.

mos def this one when it was still open, rip

 

 

The one in Notting Hill is still open apparently but I never go to Notting Hill

I miss music & video exchange so much.

Sister Ray has declined in electronic music selection as well but Music & Video Exchange was great back in the 90s. Vinyl Fever in Tampa FL used to be our go to store along with Alternative Records.

  On 2/8/2016 at 11:18 AM, hello spiral said:

mos def this one when it was still open, rip

 

 

The one in Notting Hill is still open apparently but I never go to Notting Hill

 

They got one in Greenwich, it's pretty decent.

all of the disk union stores in Tokyo would make any IDM fan cry with happiness—both times I visited Tokyo I bought so many damn records. I've never visited any other country but I'm pretty sure disk union would put most other record stores to shame.. especially when it comes to prices!

 

 

  On 2/8/2016 at 11:11 AM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

nothing too huge in sydney

 

gould's books is a great one for second hand vinyl that you might want for sampling.

 

the record stores we do have around like egg records and red eye are great but just don't have the space to be a 'mecca' of any sort. the rent is so freakin high that they have to up the price quite a bit (at least egg do)

last time I visited sydney I found a few gems.. including a very pristine copy of Cro-Magnox for $30. I can't quite remember which record store it was but I think it was in Darlinghurst (perhaps even called "The Record Store"? looks familiar on google maps); I remember buying DMX Krew tickets there around '04 when I lived in sydney :D

  On 2/8/2016 at 8:51 AM, Rubin Farr said:

Waterloo Records - Austin

 

End of An Ear. I would go there if you had to pick one of the two. More varied stuff, a lot more underground/experimental weirdness to browse, and it's a quieter and more Austin-y part of town. Very DIY/local friendly. Nice people too even if they seem a little stiff, except the owner he's always around and ready to help you find something. Lot of great restaurants around and it's more in a neighborhood that feels like Austin before it's boom.

 

Waterloo is older and little bigger but also more tourist-y and catering to people with a lot of money who still like to buy new Bonnie Raitt on CD IRL and yuppies buying vinyl to frame in their condo. End of Ear feels more like a place you'd run into a watmmer. They also sell old vintage stereos too which are cool to look at.

 

  On 2/8/2016 at 9:36 AM, clarktrent said:

Forever Young Records in Grand Prairie, Texas, and of course the legendary Bill's Records in Dallas.

 

Really great shops, they have everything you can think of. Especially Bill's.

  On 2/8/2016 at 10:21 AM, D4M0 said:

in france, the only decent record store I can think of is souffle continu (Paris)

 

If you're visiting Toulouse one day you can try Le Laboratoire which is great, as well as Paul Emile Vinyls (their electronic music section is growing really fast, they're selling more and more german techno, Chicago/Detroit stuff etc - not very IDM but very complete).

 

Also glad to hear that Tokyo is a good place to hunt records : I'll be visiting this summer with my family, will hopefully bring some Japanese editions home :) !

this thread just makes me sad The Music Exchange in Nottingham is closing down next (this?) month. great place, ran as a charity, great selection of records for such a small shop. spent a lot of time in there over the past few years. we have a Rough Trade now which is pretty good in terms of selection but it's a kinda souless "hip" place.

  On 2/8/2016 at 2:35 PM, joshuatx said:

 

  On 2/8/2016 at 8:51 AM, Rubin Farr said:

Waterloo Records - Austin

End of An Ear. I would go there if you had to pick one of the two. More varied stuff, a lot more underground/experimental weirdness to browse, and it's a quieter and more Austin-y part of town. Very DIY/local friendly. Nice people too even if they seem a little stiff, except the owner he's always around and ready to help you find something. Lot of great restaurants around and it's more in a neighborhood that feels like Austin before it's boom.

 

Waterloo is older and little bigger but also more tourist-y and catering to people with a lot of money who still like to buy new Bonnie Raitt on CD IRL and yuppies buying vinyl to frame in their condo. End of Ear feels more like a place you'd run into a watmmer. They also sell old vintage stereos too which are cool to look at.

  On 2/8/2016 at 9:36 AM, clarktrent said:

Forever Young Records in Grand Prairie, Texas, and of course the legendary Bill's Records in Dallas.

 

Really great shops, they have everything you can think of. Especially Bill's.

I like both Austin stores, but Ear is way more thrift storish and does have the superior used collection of titles, but Waterloo's electronic vinyl section is better IMO.

It’s not as great as some of the other stores mentioned, but here in the north-east USA I am close to a few “Bull Moose Music” locations. Usually a pretty good selection (especially on used CDs, which I like), and they are open every night until midnight, which is awesome. I have a regular practice these days of sneaking out on the late night after the little one is in bed.

 

A lot of the other places I used to like in the Boston area are gone now :(

There was a few very decent record shops (and not hipster haunts) in Brighton a few years back. Haven't been there for a while though.

Edited February 8, 2016 by beerwolf

  On 2/8/2016 at 9:54 AM, hawaii said:

Hardwax - Berlin

Honest Jon's - London

Hardwax is great, a record store done right. The Record Loft is worth checking out if you're in the area too.

a few a little more off the beaten path, but honestly i've been to 70% of the stores listed here and these are JUST as good for all-round heavy hitter music fans

 

Landlocked Music: Bloomington, IN (recently picked up every supersilent release in mint condition, 6 dollars each... i mean that just can't be beat.)

Red Scroll Records - Wallingford, CT (seriously I've picked up mint analords, basic channel, used/new vinyl... incredible electronic selection for any city and it's a decrepit town in connecticut

 

but yes... hardwax.. is a dream. i spent all the moneys there when i lived in berlin long ago.

 

visited just about every record store in portland or once and they were ALL SO LAME!!! i was majorly disappointed. my best finds were some OK pan sonic releases at the super corporate one across from powells lol??!??

  On 2/8/2016 at 9:29 PM, dr lopez said:

 

Red Scroll Records - Wallingford, CT (seriously I've picked up mint analords, basic channel, used/new vinyl... incredible electronic selection for any city and it's a decrepit town in connecticut

 

good to kno

Beanos in Croydon was the largest second hand record store in Europe but sadly closed about ten years ago.

Vinyl Pimp in Hackney wick is defo the best for electronic music in london now imo.

They've also got a storefront on discogs which has their entire inventory listed, it's here

 

http://www.discogs.com/seller/Djdtl/profile

 

Lots of IDM holy grails including AB5 for like £1600 lol

 

Reckless records on Berwick St is still OK for the odd jazz and funk/soul bargains every now and then. Cheaper than sister ray or sounds of the universe anyway. Phonica's good for new stuff.

 

Any1 here checked out Lucky 7 in Stoke Newington? Been meaning to go for literally years now but never got round to it

  On 2/8/2016 at 3:22 PM, Rubin Farr said:

 

  On 2/8/2016 at 2:35 PM, joshuatx said:

 

  On 2/8/2016 at 8:51 AM, Rubin Farr said:

Waterloo Records - Austin

End of An Ear. I would go there if you had to pick one of the two. More varied stuff, a lot more underground/experimental weirdness to browse, and it's a quieter and more Austin-y part of town. Very DIY/local friendly. Nice people too even if they seem a little stiff, except the owner he's always around and ready to help you find something. Lot of great restaurants around and it's more in a neighborhood that feels like Austin before it's boom.

 

Waterloo is older and little bigger but also more tourist-y and catering to people with a lot of money who still like to buy new Bonnie Raitt on CD IRL and yuppies buying vinyl to frame in their condo. End of Ear feels more like a place you'd run into a watmmer. They also sell old vintage stereos too which are cool to look at.

  On 2/8/2016 at 9:36 AM, clarktrent said:

Forever Young Records in Grand Prairie, Texas, and of course the legendary Bill's Records in Dallas.

 

Really great shops, they have everything you can think of. Especially Bill's.

I like both Austin stores, but Ear is way more thrift storish and does have the superior used collection of titles, but Waterloo's electronic vinyl section is better IMO.

 

 

Oh good, I'm glad to hear about their vinyl section. I hadn't browsed that section in awhile. I remember when I first moved here it was the go to place for 12" electronic releases, guess it still it. There's a couple other places that sell electronic vinyl like Exploded Records but it's a small place.

  On 2/8/2016 at 9:29 PM, dr lopez said:

Red Scroll Records - Wallingford, CT (seriously I've picked up mint analords, basic channel, used/new vinyl... incredible electronic selection for any city and it's a decrepit town in connecticut

 

QFT, Haven't been to the actual store yet, but have ordered a lot of choice records at great prices from them via Discogs. Would probably spend way too much if I visited.

 

My contribution to this list is Baltimore's Sound Garden. A lot of new and used vinyl/cds/tapes, with whole separate sections for electronic/avant garde/psychedelic/what-have-you.

 

Tower Records, Mint Records, and Disc J.J. stores in Osaka are also great. Scored a ton of great condition YMO stuff for really cheap at Mint and Disc J.J.

Edited February 9, 2016 by malaria

There's a few good ones around here in the Twin Cities, for new stuff Electric Fetus is the place to go I've found. For used gems and such Cheapo records is like a huge warehouse full of cd's and vinyl, they used to be in Uptown but have moved since, I haven't been to the new location but it's roughly the same thing.

Also for the more heavier side of things, there's a shop called Extreme Noise that has all sorts of metal/punk/noise rarities.