Music Stores
A list of the coolest music shops around.
Most Recent Stores
Musicwerks
Capitol Hill - Seattle, WA United StatesMusicwerks is a textbook case of why independent music shops thrive among national chains-they own their niche of goth and industrial music like general interest stores never could. In addition to your favorite goth records, the store carries...
Jive Time
Fremont - Seattle, WA United StatesWe wouldn't necessarily know a rare import record from a poke in the eye, but we know enough to recognize Jive Time as the fine record shop that it is. Maybe it's the abundance of record geeks, thumbing through the collections with...
Jive Time
Capitol Hill - Seattle, WA United StatesWe wouldn't necessarily know a rare import record from a poke in the eye, but we know enough to recognize Jive Time as the fine record shop that it is. Maybe it's the abundance of record geeks, thumbing through the collections with purpose. Or the overflowing 99-cent bin, that keeps us...
Sonic Boom
Ballard - Seattle, WA United StatesSonic Boom is the kind of independent record store you would hope to see in Seattle. The cozy (relative to mega-stores) spaces house a little bit of everything. You'll find some pop, but that's among a nice contingent of indie rock and...
Sonic Boom
Capitol Hill - Seattle, WA United StatesSonic Boom is the kind of independent record store you would hope to see in Seattle. The cozy (relative to mega-stores) spaces house a little bit of everything. You'll find some pop, but that's among a nice contingent of indie rock and electronic. Seattle indie label Subpop is well...
Sonic Boom
Fremont - Seattle, WA United StatesSonic Boom is the kind of independent record store you would hope to see in Seattle. The cozy (relative to mega-stores) spaces house a little bit of everything. You'll find some pop, but that's among a nice contingent of indie rock and...
Bop Street Records
Ballard - Seattle, WA United StatesBop Street Records sort of sneaks up on you--walking the tree-lined streets of a neighborhood known for furniture and clothing stores, you see a relatively non-descript warehouse. Peer inside the cavernous space and behold thousands and thousands...
Zion's Gate Records
Capitol Hill - Seattle, WA United StatesIf Dub-wise, Electroclash or IDM mean anything to you, then Zion's Gate will mean the world to you. The bumpin' record shop focuses on reggae, dance hall, and other club-ready tracks. The mix of new releases and cool rare vinyl (even...
Bud's Jazz Records
Pioneer Square - Seattle, WA United StatesImagine if you had a friend named Bud and he had a massive record collection. This is what Bud's house would look like. The fact that they're a retail store seems beside the point at Bud's Jazz Records--think labor of love. The...
Wall of Sound
Capitol Hill - Seattle, WA United StatesWall of Sound is that rare store that is both generalist and specialist all at the same time. It's hard to categorize a store that seems to sell whatever they feel like. There are plenty of obscure records, experimental jazz, electronic,...
Singles Going Steady
Belltown - Seattle, WA United StatesSeattle may be known for its grundge uprising, but at Singles Going Steady it's like punk is the only game in town. In a messy, totally punk setting you'll find everything from rare vinyl pressing of classic punk records to the latest...
Waterloo Records
West End - Austin, TX United StatesGeneric music mega-stores: meet your Waterloo--Waterloo Records that is. The Austin institution has the music-obsessed staff, the personality, and obscure selection of a boutique record shop, with the volume and size of a corporate store. The...
Aquarius Records
The Mission - San Francisco, CA United StatesTired of music stores where the staff's knowledge does not run much deeper than Justin + Britney 4EVER? Try Aquarius Records. The feisty music store, specializing in indie rock, metal, punk and electronica, is like a music education in and...
Abodeon
Porter Square - Cambridge, MA United StatesEmphasizing the marvelous in the mundane, Abodeon presents a collection of well-designed home furniture and accessories spanning continents and decades. Most items come with a short description stating what you're looking at and why...
Mod Lang
El Cerrito - El Cerrito, CA United StatesThere are few true barometers of "coolness" out there. We firmly believe one of them sits behind the window of Mod Lang. Just look at their weekly chart of albums and see how many of them you recognize. 0-25%? You've got some work...
Amoeba Music
Haight - San Francisco, CA United StatesFor anyone who doubts for a second the ability of independent music stores to survive against the corporate megastore witness Amoeba. The huge, vibrant record store stocks thousands of new and used CDs and vinyl (including tons of imports), DVDs,...
Amoeba Music
Hollywood - Los Angeles, CA United StatesFor anyone who doubts for a second the ability of independent music stores to survive against the corporate megastore witness Amoeba. The huge, vibrant record store stocks thousands of new and used CDs and vinyl (including tons of imports), DVDs, posters and more, and they do it all without...
Amoeba Music
Telegraph - Berkeley, CA United StatesFor anyone who doubts for a second the ability of independent music stores to survive against the corporate megastore witness Amoeba. The huge, vibrant record store stocks thousands of new and used CDs and vinyl (including tons of imports), DVDs,...
Rasputin Music
Vallejo - Vallejo, CA United StatesIn lieu of the sanitized, homogenized look of corporate record stores, Rasputin Music prefers something a little more interesting. Posters, stickers and flyers cover the walls. Black shelves house new and used CDs of all genres, along with an ever-growing collection of DVDs. A vinyl section...
Rasputin Music
San Lorenzo - San Lorenzo, CA United StatesIn lieu of the sanitized, homogenized look of corporate record stores, Rasputin Music prefers something a little more interesting. Posters, stickers and flyers cover the walls. Black shelves house new and used CDs of all genres, along with an ever-growing collection of DVDs. A vinyl section...