Vinyl is making a comeback. It’s a cliché statement, sure, but it’s true–for some reason, more people are buying records. Which is great! I love having people to discuss the merits of New Order 12 inches with! Now, let’s say that you too want to get in on this cash sucking drug addiction cool, fun hobby. So where do you buy the things?
You can always go online. It’s probably cheaper, the selection is wide and varied, and there are about a million different sites to look through. But that’s no fun. To get the true record collecting experience, you’ve got to go out to some record stores, bend over uncomfortably, and leaf through hundreds of easy listening LP’s on your quest to find that obscure mid-2000s screamo record you’ve always wanted.
Luckily, if you’re reading this, you probably live in Boston. And Boston has a ton of record stores. At this point, I’ve been to pretty much all of them, and now I’ve written a guide for you peruse before you go out to check out some vinyl. I’ve tried to set this up in a relatively uniform way–I’ve included the address of each store, and I’ve listed a few of my recent purchases (all used records) to give you a sense of what you may find. I’ve also written down my general impression of each store, along with some bad jokes. So here we go:
Nuggets
486 Commonwealth Avenue
Recent Purchases: Joy Division – Still, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb – Front Seat Solidarity
I decided to start with Nuggets because it’s probably the closest store to you, especially if you live in East Campus. Nuggets was the first Boston store I checked out, and, selection wise, it’s pretty damn good. I’ve found all sorts of stuff here: punk LP’s, the aforementioned Joy Division album, and some fun singles. Nuggets probably has the single best collection of classic rock in the city–if you’re looking for The Beatles et al, you can probably find it here. The store is well laid-out and fairly spacious, and there’s also a pretty extensive collection of used DVDs, VCRs and other such formats (Laserdisk!) if you’re into that sort of thing. The owner is also a pretty nice guy who looks a little bit like a record-store-owning version of J. Mascis.
I do have one big problem with the store, however. It’s expensive. Way too expensive. There’s pretty much no reason a used copy of Exile on Main St. should be $65. Like, ever. Those aforementioned Beatles records tend to all be nearly $25 and up, which is kind of unfortunate when considered in context. Which brings me to a lesson that all used record buyers should consider, especially if you’re looking into things like classic rock. Classic rock LP’s are almost never rare. Bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who and others were selling hundreds of thousands of records in their heydays. Vinyl from these guys is not scarce (except in rare cases), and I generally don’t like to spend more than 20 bucks on a used classic rock LP. You certainly can, and with Nuggets having the phenomenal selection they do, I can’t blame you. Just know that there are probably better deals elsewhere. Like, for free, from the wonderful record store Your Parents’ Basement.
In Your Ear!
957 Commonwealth Avenue
Recent Purchases: New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
In Your Ear! actually has three locations in Boston, Cambridge and Providence. I’ve only been to the Boston store, which is conveniently located literally next to West Campus. The store definitely has that record store feel. There are records on just about every wall, and you can’t get through the aisles without bumping into someone. They also have used audio equipment (and by used I mean used). The selection is pretty great, and the prices are almost uniformly fair. They don’t have the classic rock section that Nuggets does, but when you’ve got dedicated punk, indie, soul and jazz sections, all of which vary from good to great, it doesn’t really matter. In Your Ear! does a little of everything, and they do it well.
Armageddon Record Shop
12 Eliot Street, Cambridge
Recent Purchases: Joshua Fit For Battle/Neil Perry – Split, Psyched to Die – Sterile Walls, Deafheaven – Roads to Judah
Armageddon is my favorite store in Boston. They specialize in punk, metal, and other various extreme music genres. I’m a big fan of those genres, so obviously I’m a bit biased, but their selection is unbelievable. It’s basically the only place to find new releases from Southern Lord, Earache, and other metal labels. So it’s probably not the place to go if you’re not in the market for that sort of music. But if you are, there is absolutely no better place to go in area. The prices tend to be great, and literally thousands of new and used records go through the store every month. They also keep a great blog where they list every record they get in, and you can search their main website to see if what you’re looking for is in stock.
Cheapo Records
538 Massachusetts Avenue
Recent Purchases: GZA – Cold World 12inch
Cheapo Records has been around since 1954 and, true to that age, they are an excellent place to find older records. Folk, jazz, rockabilly–if you’re looking for something from the ’50s and ’60s, I can’t think of a better place to go. They also have a pretty good selection of used rap and hip-hop LPs (as the above Cold World single would indicate), which I haven’t seen at many other stores. The store itself is large, brightly lit, and well organized. It’s absolutely worth checking out if you’re ever in Central Square.
Looney Tunes
16 Harvard Avenue
Recent Purchases: Hüsker Dü – Candy Apple Grey
Up until last May, Looney Tunes had been located on Boylston Street, right on the campus of the Berklee College of Music. They’ve since moved to a smaller location in Allston, which I haven’t had the chance to check out yet. However, I’d imagine they still have the amazing classical and jazz section that they had on Boylston. I’m not an aficionado of either genre, but I can pretty easily say that they have the best collection in the city. They’ve also got a solid normal rock section, along with the pretty standard punk/indie/alternative trifecta.
Weirdo Records
844 Massachusetts Avenue
Weirdo Records is a tiny store–think no bigger than your dorm room or apartment–that specializes in, well, weird music. Every price tag is labeled “Get your freak on.” Any experimental genre you can think of–noise, psychedelic rock and pop, proto-punk, weird home recorded folk–you can probably find here. They have a section labeled “Just because we can! Asian Sixties.” I haven’t listed any recent purchases because I’ve legitimately recognized only two records at Weird (two great reissues of the awesome ’60s proto-punk group Death), so I haven’t actually bought anything.
Newbury Comics
332 Newbury Street, about a million other places
Recent Purchases: Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart (repress)
I was a bit hesitant to put Newbury Comics on here–it’s more novelty store than record store–but the truth is, if you’re in Boston, you’re probably gonna wind up at a Newbury Comics at some point. It’s inevitable. So you might as well know what to expect. First things first: don’t go here for used records. Their used records section is dire, and you’re better off going literally anywhere else. On the other hand, Newbury’s used section is pretty solid, and it’s a great place to go if you’re looking for a new copy of recent indie rock releases or represses (think bands like LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire). They also have a pretty solid selection of new electronic music, and sometimes they’ve got weird stuff, like the odd Joy Division single I found there.
And that about does it. Record collecting is a fun, immensely rewarding hobby–one where the actual process of finding the record can be more fun than listening to it. So get out there and dig!
