Independent Music Stores: good places to find metal

[Ruthven]

This thread was inspired by the one where people were singing the praises of Vintage Vinyl. I thought it would be cool (not to mention a good resource) to start a thread about good places to find metal offline.

Not surprisingly, I have found the independent music stores to be the best when it comes to metal. There are a couple in Knoxville, TN under the banner of the Knoxville Disc Exchange. I like them because they give pretty good trade credit for used CDs. My trips there usuaully wind paying for themselves!

 

[General Zod]

This thread was inspired by the one where people were singing the praises of Vintage Vinyl. I thought it would be cool (not to mention a good resource) to start a thread about good places to find metal offline.

No need for a second source, VV has a web site:

http://www.vvinyl.com/



Zod

 

[EvilGrit]

Columbus, Ohio has Magnolia Thunderpussy and Pittsburgh, PA has Eides Entertainment.

 

[Petethedrummer]

Lebanon PA- Extremeties Entertainment
(Formerly Keystone Music Exchange)

 

[powermetal2000]

Rasputin Music in San Francisco (also 6 other locations in the Bay Area). Hell, I went there the other day looking for a few albums and came out with a stack of 20 cd's. Yikes.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Local places are totally the best for finding obscure stuff.

The Sound Garden in Syracuse.

 

[Jibrille]

There's a few places around Albany, NY but the best has to be Music Shack. You can find most things from them and they also usually sell tickets for local shows from a few clubs at face value (meaning they don't get a dime from those sales). It's where I picked up my Opeth tickets Not the greatest prices on the CDs usually but it's always worth a browse through.

 

[J-Dubya 777]

Impulse Music in Roselle, IL.

Don't forget to taunt The Q!

 

[VeganSupremacy]

I totally agree with General Zod, Vintage Vinyl is by far the best independent music store for metal. I've personally spent over $17,000 there (and that was when I had them check 3 years ago, haha). The place is amazing, definitely check it out if you can.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

1. Vintage Vinyl



















































2. something else

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

The Pit Magazine used to run a store in Colorado Springs that was pretty solid, can't remember the name of it and don't know if it's still there, but it was a cool local spot.

 

[jhallum]

Some Newbury Comics in the Boston area are good. The one on Newbury St in Boston used to be good, and now really sucks for selection.

The one in Harvard Square used to be really good, but I haven't been there in years, so I don't know if that's changed.

We went to the one in Shrewsbury, MA, and we walked in wanting 2 CDs, and walked out with 11, so that's a good sign. We did the same thing with the store in Nashua, NH, last spring as well, so that's a checkmark for that store.

There used to be a store called Rocket Records in Nashua that had a great metal selection, but they were replaced by the aforementioned Newbury Comics.

I can also affirm the great selections of Rasputin Records (both the branches near Union Square in SF, and the branch in Berkeley). There was also a great used store near Berkeley that had an awesome selection. I found a used copy of Mystere De Notre Dame there two springs ago, and I was surprised to see it there (I threw it back, since I already had one, but I should have gotten in and traded it). I also think Impulse Records in Chitown rocks hard too, great selection there.

What can I say? The first thing I do when I visit a new town is see if there are any cool record stores to visit!

Anyone who comes to Ann Arbor has to check out Encore Records for used stuff. Not a great selection, but a very eclectic one with a small-medium metal selection.

 

[Riceloft]

There used to be 4 Quonset Hut stores in the Cleveland and Akron area that were great for prog and power metal. Sadly, they closed down last year.

 

[Wounded Land]

We did the same thing with the store in Nashua, NH, last spring as well, so that's a checkmark for that store.

The Newbury Comics in Nashua, NH has claimed an UNGODLY sum of money from me over the past year. Good DVD selection too.

jhallum, where are you from?

NP: Redemption "The Fullness of Time" (purchased at Newbury Comics!)

 

[booB]

There used to be 4 Quonset Hut stores in the Cleveland and Akron area that were great for prog and power metal. Sadly, they closed down last year.

There's still Ultrasound Music (which moved from Mentor to Eastlake this summer). I regularly find some pretty cool stuff in their used bin as well.

 

[Beholder]

Diamondback Records in Houston. Also FYE has some good stuff....

 

[Joe-×]

Columbus, Ohio has Magnolia Thunderpussy

I shop there from time to time. My kids are always scared in there. They've got an amazing selection of emo as well.

Joe

 

[actordude]

For those of you in L.A., check out Aoemba Records in Hollywood - that place is SICK. You literally need a few different trips to get through the place - they have a solid metal area.

If you live in Orange County (I live in Long Beach which is right in between them) check out Bionic Records in Huntington Beach......they have a great metal section and they have great prices to boot.......

 

[longshot9]

Sounds like Vintage Vinyl is the place to go! I'll be sure to look it up if I'm ever in the area. Places i've been that I like -

In the SF bay area:

Rasputins - SF, Berkley, Hayward, Campbell, & Pleasant Hill
Amoeba's in Berkley

In the LA area:

Amoeba's in Hollywood is freakin fantastic! They actually have a power metal section.

San Diego area:

Blue Meannie records in El Cajon (owned (I think, might just be the manager) by Norm, the drummer from Psychotic Waltz)
Lou's Records in Del Mar (I haven't been here in 10 years so I don't know how it is now)

 

[longshot9]

For those of you in L.A., check out Aoemba Records in Hollywood - that place is SICK. You literally need a few different trips to get through the place - they have a solid metal area.

If you live in Orange County (I live in Long Beach which is right in between them) check out Bionic Records in Huntington Beach......they have a great metal section and they have great prices to boot.......

Cool! Next time i'm down there i'm making a trip to Huntington Beach.