When I first conceived the idea for this blog, or whatever this website has become, I wanted to highlight the amazing independent record stores and record labels, the amazing people that run them and the community that supports them. You can’t really talk about the world of indie music without talking about KEXP and all the incredible music the station has brought to the masses. Understandably, visiting Light in the Attic Record Shop inside the Seattle KEXP studios has long been a bucket list item for silly ol’ me.
What to Expect from Light in the Attic Record Shop
There are few record stores that are in as cool a location as Light in the Attic. This small little shop is located in the main lobby area of the KEXP studios in Downtown Seattle. In the same lobby you can get tickets for KEXP live shows if you are lucky enough to visit on the day of a performance, and a coffee from the cafe inside.
The record shop itself is on the smaller side, but keep in mind this is only the brick and mortar location of one of the largest indie record labels in the country. Light in the Attic focuses on high-quality repressings and up-and-coming artists. I could go on for pages about how amazing this label and KEXP are and all they have done for indie music and how so much of the music you listen to is either directly or indirectly influenced by these two amazing organizations, but I’m here to talk about record shopping.
Bottom line, if you are planning a trip to Seattle, I would highly encourage you to see a KEXP live show if possible. The shows are free, unique, intimate and a ton of fun. Did I mention you can shop for records in the lobby while you wait?
Selection at Light in the Attic Record Shop
I find myself, for better or worse, comparing every record store I visit to every other record store I have ever visited. In the case of this shop, I think it most reminds me of Portland’s Mississippi Records. If you’ve read about my visit to that amazing shop, you will see why. Both stores are brick-and-mortar locations of record labels that have a heavy emphasis on repressings, both are independently owned, and both shops have a small but extremely high-quality collection of records.
Used and New records are both available in abundance here, but don’t expect to be bargain shopping. Not that the records were particularly expensive, but the limited space means the shop owners aren’t keen on stuffing the bins they do have full of banged-up Neil Diamond records. Instead, there is a great variety of high-quality records in the $15-$70 range.
The genre split here is pretty even so if you are often turned off by a store that’s mainly rock and pop, Light in the Attic Record Shop will be a breath of fresh air. Soul, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Metal, Rock, Punk and more were available in abundance.
One of the most notable sections that is unique to this store is a bin full of records from artists who have performed live on KEXP. The day I visited, I saw the live studio performance of L.A. Witch, who were promoting their new album DOGGOD, of which several copies were available to purchase. There was also a section full of records that appear on the Cobain 50, which is the name of a podcast hosted by KEXP that discusses Kurt Cobain’s 50 favorite albums.
My Take on Light in the Attic Record Shop
If you are at all interested in record collecting or indie music, then visiting Light in the Attic Record Shop (and KEXP studios) is an absolute must. I found a ton of great stuff at this shop that I was eager to take home. Ultimately, I kept it light and came away with one of my favorite live albums of all time: Rear View Mirror by Townes Van Zandt, an album that perfectly demonstrates the very best parts of folk and country music from one of the best to ever do it.
Seattle is a city full of rich musical history and places that any and all music fans should visit. KEXP studios deserves to be up at the top of that list alongside Easy Street Records, The Paramount Theatre, and the Museum of Pop Culture.
Records Purchased
Rear View Mirror – Townes Van Zandt
Address: 472 1st Ave N, Seattle WA 98109