Record stores in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Connecticut!!

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by panicproject, Dec 28, 2017.

  1. skyjelly

    skyjelly Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lisbon, Maine
    Basically, if you like crate digging, Moody Lords, Strange Maine, and the Freeport Emporium are your best bets for finding play copies at decent prices. None of those three places deal primarily with vinyl. If you want a curated and clean copy, and don't mind paying the going rate, then Enterprise, Electric Buddhas, and Deep Grooves are what you want to hit.
     
  2. Audionerd

    Audionerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England, US
    Yep, I stopped by Integrity N Music (it's in Wethersfield) last week. Still a great jazz selection, split between CD and vinyl, as well as some blues, rock, etc. He's also got in-store jazz shows some Saturdays. Picked up a few things I'd not seen before. Prices are very reasonable: new stuff was priced less or same as online music shops, and used was really a deal.
     
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  3. uzn007

    uzn007 Pack Rat

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    About the same time In Your Ear Cambridge last got any new reggae CDs.
     
    zphage likes this.
  4. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    BUCH SPIELER RECORDS

    The record store of my youth in Montpelier, VT. Haven't been there since 1984 but I'm sure it's as great as it ever was.
     
    Thesmellofvinyl likes this.
  5. Danby Delight

    Danby Delight Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    Heads up: the flagship location of Newbury Comics, on Newbury Street in Boston, is moving a few doors down into a bigger, three-story place with comics and collectables on the top floor, apparel on the second, and vinyl on the ground floor. And yes, that means no more CDs at that location.
     
  6. uzn007

    uzn007 Pack Rat

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    Interesting. That sounds like it will actually be closer to the original location.
     
  7. Thesmellofvinyl

    Thesmellofvinyl Senior Member

    Location:
    Cohoes, NY USA
    Mine, too, along with Harry's Discount (now long gone). I was in Buch Spieler a couple weeks ago; if you're near Montpelier, go. Then go to Barre to shop Exile on Main Street. Brattleboro has Turn It Up! and In the Moment.
     
    dkmonroe likes this.
  8. CCrider92

    CCrider92 Senior Member

    Location:
    Cape Cod, MA
    Sunset Records in Somerset, Massachusetts, is a great little shop just off I 195 between Fall River, MA, and Providence, RI. Bob, the owner, is very knowledgeable and caring about what he sells. Great prices too, He's been there for a very long time.
     
    Getarz, ARK, petercl and 2 others like this.
  9. fjn04

    fjn04 Forum Resident

    Location:
    clifton Park, NY
    I also hit Integrity N' Music in Weathersfield. I hate to say it, but it's pretty rough there. The condition of some of the vinyl was truly pitiful. I can't see anyone going out of their way to hit this place...Just
    being honest. Of course, you never know with a little luck, on a random day. I grabbed 2 CD's, and the guy at the counter said "That's all you found". I realized after leaving that I was very polite in my answer.
     
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  10. CCrider92

    CCrider92 Senior Member

    Location:
    Cape Cod, MA
    Went on a shopping trip this week - 5 stores - in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. I've notice this trend for a least the past few years, but now - to me - blatantly apparent.
    There's very little of the good stuff to pick from. I had 15 things on my list and came home with one. In many categories - The Byrds for example - there was nothing to choose from (I was not looking for any Byrds but just saying this category of classic rock type artist has very much vanished from the bins.) I'm very glad I'm much at the end of what I've been looking for. Have not been to Cambridge/Boston for near 2 years now and struck out the last time there. I very much enjoy going into the stores but need to rethink all that travel time for often nothing - 2 hours minimum each way to do Boston or Providence.
     
    uzn007 likes this.
  11. krisjay

    krisjay Psychedelic Wave Rider

    Location:
    Maine
    If going to Maine, you must go to The Record Connection in Waterville. Try to go when Bob is there. It is a true "record store". Going for decades and Bob has been the only owner. It is the type of place that doesn't exist very many places. Oh, and ask him about the "good" stuff he has tucked away. A treasure.
     
  12. Danby Delight

    Danby Delight Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    And yet I'm carrying "the good stuff" out of Boston and Cambridge record store by the armload, and have been for years.

    Why, it's almost like different people have different ideas of what "the good stuff" is!

    (I mean, The Byrds? I bought those records when I was in high school. I don't need to buy them now!)
     
    uzn007 likes this.
  13. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    What are you looking for and which stores are you shopping at? Without specifics we can't comment or advise.
     
  14. I think this may reflect the pressure on stores to meet demand. If a store is just passively waiting for vinyl to come in, it will be very hit and miss. Cds are experiencing the opposite of this situation, plenty are coming in and they are being valued cheap. Vinyl was this way up through 2005-07, times/demand has changed. This is where it helps to be local to a shop so you can just pop in, catching the trickle as it comes in. At the moment I don't think it is realistic to expect to walk in to find fully stocked used VG+ vinyl sections of prime artists/bands.

    I was just in the Boston/Providence area and found the stores decent, nothing exceptional, some regional strengths, but similar stocking numbers and prices to my hometown area.
     
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  15. DougT

    DougT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ct
    That used to be my go to store back when it was on street level and bought a ton of stuff when Ed would have the monthly sale. Every time I've been back in the last 10 years, I'd get the same thing from him.."that's all you were able to find?" Very annoying when I'm spending $50+!
    Dennis at Records and Things down the street became my go to until Dennis closed the store:cry:.
     
  16. RhodyDave125

    RhodyDave125 Streetwalkin' Cheetah

    I've been disappointed with the record stores in RI, with the exception being Armageddon. My tastes are all over the place, from classical to stoner metal, so I should be able to find *something* in pretty much any store to make me want to take it home. Armageddon is the only place I have been that I get a hit every time.

    Stay away from Looney Tunes II in Wakefield - waste of time from my experience, which is a shame since it's the closest to me.

    Down in New London CT, there's a place called The Telegraph which I like. Good selection, reasonable prices, quality inventory well cared for.

    Analog Underground in Providence, decent, maybe inflated prices but not bad.

    Round Again Records, Providence, ok I guess but left me cold.

    Olympic Records, Providence, pretty good but hit or miss and a lot of stuff in fair or worse condition.
     
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  17. Danby Delight

    Danby Delight Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    So it turns out that the employee who said they were removing CDs from this location was mistaken, or perhaps they decided not to make that change. I went into the new store for the first time this afternoon, and while the CD section is as small as it was in the former location (about 1/5 the floor space of LPs), it's still there at least for now.
     
    ARK likes this.
  18. Any love for the Music Research Library?
     
  19. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    Yeah he's a little surly.
    I wish he would alphabetize his vinyl. There's so much there that isn't sorted.
     
    uzn007 likes this.
  20. uzn007

    uzn007 Pack Rat

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    WTAF. I've read the same thing in a Yelp review of that place.
     
  21. Danby Delight

    Danby Delight Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    Eh. Prices are on the high side and I feel like the owners think it's a little more eclectic and experimental than it actually is. But there's worse stores. I hate the steep and narrow stairs up to it, though.
     
  22. How is the selection? Quality?
     
  23. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    Lots of agreement here.
    What you are looking for really dictates where you should go. I usually become disappointed with places like Planet Records and Nuggets (been a while since I was in there) that I usually tell myself, "I should have just gone into Stereo Jacks and left the city." I've often spent a day in Stereo Jacks and left there thirsty and starving because I found so much to learn and buy.

    Stereo Jacks is wonderful if you're looking for some old Blue Note/Verve Jazz and the often sighted funk and R&B. However, I've gone in there in binge and purge modes when the store either has "too much good stuff" and "not even a 45" that I would buy.
    Please know also what is valuable. It's not to say the $1 bins in Stereo Jacks aren't awesome, but places like Planet will jack up a crappy reissue to $20 and once you know this, it's a turn off. Make it worth the trip.
     
    Marc Perman likes this.
  24. Danby Delight

    Danby Delight Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    The stuff in the bargain bins is mostly pretty beat but you'll find an occasional gem. Lots of new vinyl represses in the rest of the store. As for selection, it depends on what you're looking for. It's not a particularly rock-centric store, if that's what you want. But the soundtrack and electronic sections are decent.

    Basically, I would have thought this store was amazing when I was like 15 and just branching out. Now it feels a little So You've Decided To Become Cool.
     
    zphage likes this.
  25. Charlie DJ

    Charlie DJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Tx USA
    If you're in Mystic CT a stop at the Mystic Disc will be well worth your time. Great little record store
     
    zphage and Hep Alien like this.

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