In a city as jam-packed with record stores as Portland, Oregon, it can be difficult for record stores to stand out. While the majority of record shops in the city are filled with a few cramped aisles of record sleeves and walls chock full of tattered overlapping posters, Everyday Music offers a more polished ambiance. White walls and fluorescent lighting give the shop a different shopping experience compared to some of its more well-known competitors across the city. That’s not to say that the browsing experience here feels like flipping through records at a Walmart either. The neatly organized and crisp interior of the store is a nice change of pace compared to the warm, vintage feel of most of the shops in the PNW.
Despite the city’s many changes over the last few decades (which is an understatement) and despite all the turmoil that downtown Portland has gone through in the last 5 years (also an understatement), Everyday Music continues to be a staple for physical music right smack in the middle of the city. Until just a few years ago, there were several locations of Everyday Music spread throughout the Pacific Northwest. Many people will look back fondly on the Seattle and Northeast Portland locations that were forced to close their doors a few years ago. Unfortunately, several factors have forced the company to downsize to its last remaining location on Burnside St. in downtown Portland. Even with all of this downsizing, the store’s selection of new vinyl is still one of the largest in the city.
What to Expect from Everyday Music
Everyday Music is independently owned to this day, but this shop feels much more akin to the megastores of the 1980s. Forget cramped and dimly lit aisles and the smell of incense wafting into your face, this is a BIG store. Row upon row of new and used vinyl is spread out across possibly the largest physical space of any vinyl shop in town. Vinyl is what most people are going to be popping in here for but Everyday Music also has the largest selection of CDs available in the city, for those interested in vinyl’s shiny cousin.
The shop has a vibe that leans slightly more commercial compared to the fierce independence of many record shops in town, but the employees here are as helpful and knowledgeable as any record store. Strike up a conversation with one of them and they are sure to be full of interesting takes and recommendations as any record store employee should be. During my latest visit, I was recommended an album that was described as “kinda like Greek opium den music” which is a fantastic sentence and a suggestion that you just won’t get outside of a record store.
Selection and Pricing at Everyday Music
This shop doesn’t have the massive selection of used records that many shops have, which can be disappointing to those who are always looking for hidden treasure. Still, with so many record stores in town that deal almost exclusively with used records, this is a welcome change of pace. Not to mention, Everyday Music has probably the best bargain bins in town. Right by the entrance is a very large selection of used records priced below $5 which is always a fun way to kill some time and pad your collection with records that your parents will want to play when they visit. Prices on new records are exactly what you would expect, with records still in their plastic cocoons starting at around $25. The used selection here is fairly limited but I have never found pricing to be unfair.
My Take on Everyday Music
Everyday Music is one of many fantastic Portland record stores and even though the last few years have been rough for the company, the Burnside location still offers a great selection of records and great record store experience. If you are in the market for a specific artist, especially contemporary artists, there are few better record stores in Portland to check out.
Records Purchased
Bouzoukee – The Music of Greece
Black Country New Road – For The First Time
Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Past is Still Alive
Alvvays – Blue Rev
Address
1313 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209