It might surprise you to learn that among the charred ruins of downtown Portland, just a block from the ANTIFA headquarters and the free fentanyl vending machine is a damn great record store. 2nd Avenue Records is one of many Portland musical institutions that survived the pandemic and the many disasters Fox News believes have befallen downtown Portland. First opened in 1982 this humble shop hasn’t changed much in the last 40 years and still maintains its status as one of the best places to buy physical music in Portland and is one of the few remaining businesses championing independent music in the city.
Despite the many changes since the glory days of record stores, there is still a commitment to the mission this store was founded on: introduce people to new music and promote independent artists. Forget the frills, decorative house plants, and minimalist aesthetic of newer shops. This place is just about the music. Squares of cardboard differentiate between genres in the store’s cramped bins. Records are neatly stacked into every square inch of space and an impressive collection of band t-shirts hangs from the ceiling wherever you go. There are many, many record stores in Portland, but 2nd Avenue Records still manages to carve out its only little piece of the market and have an identity all its own.
What to Expect from 2nd Avenue Records.
Before you even enter the shop, you’d probably be able to guess that this store is going to have a really good selection of punk and metal records. As you approach the store, you’re greeted with a nearly impenetrable wall of t-shirts, stickers, and posters. If it wasn’t for the sign protruding from the corner, no one would blame you if you mistook the space for a skate shop or tattoo studio. The inside is a similar story. Not a single inch of this store goes unutilized. That’s not to say this store feels cramped like some record stores do, where the bins are too full to browse and you’re constantly tripping over unmarked boxes of used records. Rather, 2nd Avenue Records simply doesn’t want to leave everything out. Why take down a poster to put up a new one when you can simply overlap them a little bit?
Selection at 2nd Avenue Records
Despite a gritty DIY appearance, 2nd Avenue Records isn’t a strictly punk record store by any means. I would hesitate to say they even specialize in punk and metal records since their selection is so varied. With that being said, there are only a couple of other record shops in Portland with a comparable selection of punk and metal music: Black Water Records and City Noise Records. Both of these shops punk/metal almost exclusively. Besides the solid punk and hardcore selection, there is a healthy genre mix across the store. Rock and pop make up a large portion of the bins , but a substantial jazz section as well as dedicated areas for country, soundtracks, world music, rap, and more are avaliable.
I did find the rock, pop, and punk sections to be the most “up-to-date” as this is where I found the highest concentration of new records in the store. The country and jazz sections skewed more towards older, used records and also had a greater price range.
Records above certain price points and records of certain artists (ex: Beatles records over $25) are only available behind the counter. This can be a little bit annoying to some people, as you do have to ask an employee to pull a box out for you to browse through. But in my experience, the employees are very nice and helpful and eager to grab anything you might want to take a peek at.
The selection at 2nd Avenue Records leans towards used records, probably around 60-80% of the total stock. Most of these records are high quality so don’t expect to be browsing through racks of easy-to-find records in the $3-10 range. There are a good number of new records available, but this isn’t quite the place to check out if you are looking for an album that came out yesterday. However, they do have a rack of recent releases near the front of the store.
Portland Musical Artists at Second Avenue Records
Although the shop’s punk and hardcore selection is impressive, if there is one thing this store does well, it’s local music. 2nd Avenue Records has done a ton for the independent music scene in Portland. The store has always gone out of its way to champion and promote local artists by selling their records and cassettes in the store ever since the shop opened. That tradition continues to this day and it is currently, as far as I know, the best selection of local artists of any shop in the city.
Prices at 2nd Avenue Records
As one would expect from a store with such a working-class attitude, the prices are excellent. Used record prices are just as good as any shop in the city and even the new records are priced slightly lower than I’ve seen. I saw new records in the $18-22 dollar range which is quite a rare sight these days.
My Take on 2nd Avenue Records
2nd Avenue Records is a top 5 record store in Portland. I have had some great luck every time I’ve gone into this store.On each visit I find something I’ve spent ages looking for and it’s always in great shape and at a great price. I picked up several of my all-time favorite albums here over several different visits. There is a seriously ridiculous amount of competition in Portland when it comes to record stores, so the fact that a shop as small as this one can stand up against stores that are twice its size is a testimony to the love and care that goes into running and stocking this piece of Portland musical history. If you are in Portland, it’s well worth the effort to make your way downtown to visit.
Records Purchased
Welcome Interstate Managers – Fountains of Wayne
Turn on the Bright Lights – Interpol
Schlagenheim – Black Midi
In Rainbows – Radiohead
Address
400 SW 2nd Ave, Portland, OR 97204