Record Shop Reviews

There are few record stores in the world as committed to promoting independent music and exposing people to new artists as Portland’s Mississippi Records. Part record store, part record label, this incredible shop in North Portland is one of the best in the city. With a small but mighty selection, Mississippi Records is one of…

The city of record stores never fails to impress me. That really is the best way to describe Portland, Oregon. I’ve talked about my visits to more than 10 record stores in Portland, which isn’t even half of the stores in the city limits. If you include the suburbs, there’s easily another half dozen more….

Another day another fantastic Portland record store, today we are looking at Tomorrow Records in Southeast Portland. This record store can be overlooked by the dozen other record stores that are within a 10-minute drive but this shop can hold its own against just about every other store in the city slinging vinyl to the…

Portland continues to be the absolute best city in the country for record stores, and the fantastic Landfill Rescue Unit further cements that reputation. This store gives “dumpster diving” an entirely new meaning with its kooky landfill aesthetic allowing visitors to browse through literal dumpsters full of records. The Belmont neighborhood shop has one of…

Record shops can have a reputation for being a little bit snooty, so if you’re looking for a more layback experience, it doesn’t get more casual than Boise’s Jam Session Records. Just a few minutes away from the Record Exchange’s gargantuan selection, Jam Session offers a far more calming experience. Pop in after lunch to…

Now Boise is not known as a particularly musical city, in fact, if you ask someone what they know about Boise the answer will almost certainly include the word ‘potato,’ BUT that doesn’t stop The Record Exchange from kicking ass. Seriously, this is a great record store with a ton of cool and unique stuff…

There may be one record store in Seattle whose heritage and size can outshine many of the other stores in the city, but Sonic Boom Records is still well worth your time. Located across Salmon Bay in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, Sonic Boom is a neighborhood shop on steroids. Sporting an impressive selection of new and…

Only a few record stores across the country have earned elite status. The entire west coast of the United States has maybe three such stores; record shops that not only offer a large and great selection of music but are cultural icons in their own right. Shops as amazing and important as Seattle’s Easy Street…

On my first trip to the Oregon Coast, it was the kind of cold and dreary day I had come to expect and love since moving to Oregon. The rain sort ambled from the sky in a passive-aggressive manner and the ever-present sea breeze of Newport blew the gentle drops righto not my glasses rendering…

Perhaps the best thing about shopping at record stores in small towns like Grants Pass, Oregon, is the small number of hands that pass through the new arrivals bin compared to other shops. Albums that would last mere minutes at Music Millennium or Twist and Shout can sit for days or weeks in the bins…