Record Stores in 2021

 

Lately due to legal issues I’d rather not discuss herein, I’ve had a surplus of free time.  Taking care of things which need to be done is a priority, of course, but even so I still have time left over.  I’ve been going around the DC area looking at various record stores.  Sadly, the results are not pretty.

First off, with the exception of CD Cellar, in Falls Church, these record stores are only selling vinyl.  CD Cellar does sell CDs, but these are excellent quality used CDs – though I was able to purchase the latest version of Dark Side of the Moon, which is brand new, and has a 5.1 Surround layer on the CD which can be read by BluRay players like mine. 

Now there seem to be three types of vinyl.  I’ll call them Original Vinyl, Premium Reissues, and New Releases.  Original vinyl is the used material originally released from 1948 to about 1988, when vinyl was replaced by compact discs (CD) as the primary format for music.  These albums are 140 grain and fairly flimsy, but may sound acceptable if in good shape on a decent, non-audiophile turntable.  Premium Reissues are 180 grain versions of albums originally released on vinyl.  New Releases include brand new material released on vinyl, which seems to be the norm these days, and also reissues of material originally released on CD from 1988 to the present.  These are my terms, not industry terms.

With very few exceptions, almost all newly released music is released on digital format and CD, possibly also vinyl.  There are some limited cases where new music is released on vinyl and not CD, with or without a download code for MP3s.  In that case you can download the MP3s, upload them to iTunes, create a playlist, and then burn the MP3s to a CD-R, giving you a CD version, though CD-Rs are not as good quality as a CD. 

We need to realize that material originally released on CD was NOT intended for analog reproduction, which includes current releases.  My preference is for CDs.  Thus when it comes to buying vinyl, I am almost exclusively buying premium reissues.  A few I’ve been looking for were Wishbone Ash, Argus – self-titled, Pilgrimage and IV are all on 180 grain; Hawkwind, Doremi Fasol Latido; and Ozzy Osbourne, Speak of the Devil.  I believe Argus was reissued in such miniscule quantity that all copies were immediately purchased. 

These modern day record stores seem to very small, maybe just a room.  Hub City Vinyl in Hagerstown, Maryland, is actually fairly big, just a big, large room with lots of windows.  Many, like Hub City, also sell turntables and t-shirts.  Their selections generally seem to be 60% original vinyl, 20% premium reissues, and 20% new releases.   That being the case, I’m fairly disappointed by each of these, and CD Cellar is the only one I visit regularly.  It helps that it’s next door to Action Music, a guitar/amp store with a remarkable selection of used guitars and amps.  If I ever wanted to buy a Mesa Boogie combo, I know where to find it.

I realize that it’s almost impossible for a brick & mortar store to compete with Amazon and other online retailers, plus streaming services such as Spotify draw off people who don’t care about sound quality and don’t care about having some physical media.  However, I enjoy walking into a store and leaving with something in my possession – well, after buying it.  Sadly, FNAC – the huge electronics store in Paris, France – doesn’t exist in the US.  When I visited Paris in October 2017 I saw it was selling vinyl.  I didn’t see if it was selling CDs.

Let’s review the past, shall we?

Kemp Mill Records & Sam Goody.  These were the chain stores I remember.  Records, CDs, cassettes, they sold all of these.  And then went out of business.  Sam Goody seemed to be located in malls, and Kemp Mill Records were in strip malls.  They were fairly small.

Borders, Barnes & Noble, & Best Buy.  Both of these used to sell music, and both sell vinyl (new releases) now.  Barnes & Noble still sells CDs, though a limited selection. 

Target & Walmart.  If you want to buy a CD in a store today, these are your only options, and by nature their selection is limited to the narrowest, best selling items.  CD Cellar has a huge selection, but it’s all used, sadly. 

Honorable Mention.  Amoeba Music and Vintage Vinyl.  In L.A. there is a huge store, Amoeba Music, on Sunset Blvd, taking up an entire block.  I visited there in summer 2010.  If you ever go to L.A., by all means visit this place.  In Ford, New Jersey, up Route 1-9 up from Rutgers, was Vintage Vinyl.  VV even had bands played live there, but I never caught a show.  I did buy the California Jam bootleg of Black Sabbath, on vinyl, at this place.  Sadly, it’s now closed and out of business.