There's nothing wrong with getting your daily music fix from
Spotify, but if you're the kind of person who prefers dropping the
needle on a vintage '45 and gets a special thrill when peeling the plastic wrapping off a digipak, finding a
physical copy of that one perfect album can be frustrating. But Boston-based
vinyl and tape junkies need not turn to Ebay or Craigslist in despair. The
following shops have something for music lovers of all kinds, from veteran
crate diggers to hipster cassette hoarders to folks who just want to pick up
their favorite band's latest CD. Treat yourself to hard copy jams at our
nominees for Best Record Store.
__Scott Sugarman
ARMAGEDDON RECORDS | CAMBRIDGE
Sure, you could content yourself with leaving this Harvard Square shop
with an armful of ZZ Top and Deep Purple LPs, but the real temptation here is
the devilishly awesome stockpile of metal, punk, and hardcore releases. This is
the place to score that limited edition Immortal/Amputation split you've been
lusting after. Those with more delicate ears may also find themselves
pleasantly surprised-the indie selection's not too shabby either.
IN YOUR EAR RECORDS | BOSTON
Descend into In Your Ear's basement stores at your own
risk-you might find yourself hours later still flipping through boxes of records,
mumbling, "Just one more." The low prices and friendly staff won't make it any
easier to pull yourself away from these treasure troves of LPs, CDs, and tapes.
There's a reason these guys have been around for over 30 years.
NEWBURY COMICS | BOSTON, CAMBRIDGE
You're probably not going to unearth any super-rare
collectibles at any of this chain's locations, but Newbury Comics is a must-shop
for those keeping up with new releases. In addition to a consistently diverse
stock of well-known indie, rock, pop, alternative, and metal CDs, swing by for
exclusive in-store signings and acoustic sets (they always have something cool
going down on Record Store Day.)
NUGGETS | BOSTON
Like In Your Ear, Nuggets is a long-lived bastion of the
physical format. This Kenmore shop rewards
those willing to put in some time with a bounty of ‘70s and ‘80s rock and pop.
Having trouble digging up that elusive 7" you've been after for the past few
years? Their staff will track down and save it for you.
STORE 54 | ALLSTON
This cozy basement shop mainly deals in vintage clothing and
quirky knickknacks but it also boasts a killer record collection. Step on down to
browse quality threads and
time-tested tunes to help pump some swagger into your old-school look.
WEIRDO RECORDS | CAMBRIDGE
Want to get a little more out there? ‘70s rock, jazz
standards, and lo-fi indie too boring? Weirdo Records pledges to confound and
enliven your jaded ears with "the obscure, the underrated, and the just plain
fucked up." We promise an exploration of this Central Square store's wares will warp your
aural horizons. In a totally awesome way.
Get browsing, get listening, and then get voting! And don't forget that if you don't see your favorite record shop repped here, you can write it in!
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