Record stores in Hartford/Springfield area

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by Andrew, Oct 2, 2006.

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  1. Andrew

    Andrew Chairman of the Bored Thread Starter

    Any recommendations for CD/vinyl retail outlets in the Hartford, CT/Springfield, MA metro area?
     
    MikaelaArsenault likes this.
  2. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    I live in West Hartford...

    Music Outlet in Enfield, CT. Great selection of new and used imports. Right off of Exit 46 off 91. I used to work there!

    If you have time go up to Amherst Center (about a 30 min drive north of Springfield). They have 2 great record stores there - Newbury Comics and Mystery Train (tons of vinyl and used CD's).

    In Wethersfield (5 min from Hartford) there is Intergrity N Music- tons of used vinyl and some used CD's. Huge jazz selection as well as rock.

    If you have more time go to Replay Records in West Haven. Tons of cool vinyl there. About a 30-40 min drive from Hartford.

    There's also Phoenix Records in Waterbury. Lots of vinyl (not as good as Replay or University Music though) and tons of import CD's and OOP print stuff (the CD selection is great).

    Everything else in the area is not worth the ride or time.
     
  3. mike65!

    mike65! Senior Member

    Location:
    Connecticut
    The owner, Doug, really knows his stuff (go ahead - ask him about the Beatles or the Kinks :D)! I second this recommendation wholeheartedly!:cool: :edthumbs:

    Now I have to check out these other locations listed. Thanks for the heads-up.:righton:
     
  4. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    Replay Records is one of those stores that's pretty messy and overwhelming when you get in there but it's worth searching every inch of that store including the bargain bins.
     
  5. CybrKhatru

    CybrKhatru Music is life.

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Is Dynamite Records in Northampton MA still around? We found some nice stuff there when we were vacationing a few years back, and my wife used to live there...

    (this would be part of that Amherst area, for those who are wondering!)

    ---Matt
     
  6. Barnabas Collins

    Barnabas Collins Senior Member

    Location:
    NH
    Dynamite used to be a great place. Unfortunately, they took out their Psych/Prog section so for my taste, I haven't had much of a reason to go back. I'm not even sure if they carry all that great British folk they used to either. They still have a good amount of vinyl, although it's not very cheap.
     
  7. Mark

    Mark I Am Gort, Hear Me Roar Staff

    Drop down to New Haven and stop off at Cutler's.
     
  8. Andrew

    Andrew Chairman of the Bored Thread Starter

    Thanks for the info! :righton:
     
  9. Batigol

    Batigol Active Member

    Location:
    New Haven CT. USA
    Man i never heard of replay records, thanks for the information guys im gonna check them out this weekend. Any of you remember the record store that use to be above cuttlers? If i remember correctly i think it was called rhymes, that was one hell of a small independent record store. I miss that place :(
     
  10. ARK

    ARK Forum Miscreant

    Location:
    Charlton, MA, USA
    Dynamite IS still there. I was just there about a month ago. CD prices seem a bit high, but you can get some good deals on some used stuff. I'm not a vinyl guy, but they seemed to have a real nice selection at reasonable prices. The store is probably a half hour north of Springfield at most, which would probably put it at an hour north of Hartford.
     
  11. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    Yes. I went to Northampton last year and was disappointed by all the record stores. They used to be pretty good.
     
  12. mike65!

    mike65! Senior Member

    Location:
    Connecticut
    IMO, Cutler's has been a waste of time ever since Yale University rebuilt that whole block. Prices up, selection down.:thumbsdn:

    Rhymes was an awesome place! I used to spend hours in there on the weekends, and yah, the place was TINY!! Fantastic selection, though.

    Oh well, time marches on, and old-fashioned music stores are going the way of the dinosaur. I just don't get the same satisfaction from browsing for hours on the internet.
     
  13. Batigol

    Batigol Active Member

    Location:
    New Haven CT. USA
    "Oh well, time marches on, and old-fashioned music stores are going the way of the dinosaur."

    Sad but true. I hear ya about spending hours in rhymes. That place was a shoe box but jammed full of music and great staff. I remember that when ever i was in the area saying to myself ill pop in there for a few minutes and browse and inevitablly spendig hours in there and walking out with a ton of great music.

    Some of my best finds and most cherished music came out of that little wonderfull store.
     
  14. paulg61

    paulg61 Senior Member

    Location:
    CT
     
  15. Eric

    Eric Member

    Location:
    crownsville md
    Gulp, Rhymes closed in the early 90s! I used to visit there often, both when I lived in CT. and when I used to visit. The staff was usually pretty cool, my brother worked there for awhile.
    I used to go to Replay all the time in the mid 90s, I scored some decent lps and had fun going through the bins.
     
  16. bresna

    bresna Senior Member

    Location:
    York, Maine
    Anyone remember Capital Records in Hartford? I bought almost all of my first CDs there, including my Beatles "Abbey Road" black triangle.

    Integrity is a good store for vinyl but the used CD prices are pretty steep. I have been buying a lot of Jazz vinyl there lately.

    Up in Northampton, Dynamite Records hit financial troubles a few years back and has not been the same since. It depresses me to see that place. When they lost their great Jazz buyer, Dave Hart, the Jazz section hit the skids.

    Northampton's not a total loss though - right around the corner from Dynamite is Turn It Up. CD only, but lots of imports, usually marked down. Looks small but it takes a good 40 minutes to go through the place.

    Besides, about 100 yards from Dynamite Records is the Northampton Brewery. Makes up for the lack of a good record store. :)

    Amherst is hit or miss. It's quite a drive from my Mom's house in Holyoke for a day of "misses". :D

    Kevin

    PS. In my current avatar, that's the Northampton Oxbow (a tight turn in the Connecticut River) in the background. The picture taken on the top of the Mt. Tom Reservation hiking trail.
     
  17. jiminiss

    jiminiss Senior Member

    Location:
    western mass
    nothins been the same since shirls record whirl in holyoke closed 3 billion years ago. course back then you could go also see the yardbirds at mt park, followed a few years later by the many velvet underground shows in s. deerfield.

    but newberry comix in amherst can be great for cd's and has a small new vinyl section. when the repressing of pet sounds came out they had the lp set. also had new beth orten and cat power when I wanted them. they do not know what jazz is though.
     
  18. bresna

    bresna Senior Member

    Location:
    York, Maine
    My god! Shirl's Record Whirl!! I used to work around the corner at Schermerhorn's Fish Market and I used to get paid on Saturday and spend my whole paycheck at Shirley's place. :D

    I think my whole record collection was from her place.

    I think my mother told me that Shirley is still around. She still remembers my visits and asks my Mom how I'm doing.

    I miss places like that.

    Speaking of great places that have closed, what was the name of that great place on Main St. in Northampton? Main Street Records maybe? I bought so many wild import CDs there.

    Kevin
     
  19. brainwashed

    brainwashed Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    Sure, Main Street Records was one cool place in the late 70's, early 80's. I went to UMASS and drove to Northampton quite a bit. I remember buying a ton of import vinyl there...things like UK Squeeze, the re-issue of The Who's My Generation album, Die Beatles, Revolver (Japanese Red Vinyl mono), The Monkees, Instant Replay on RCA...lots of "newer stuff" too; Ramones, Talking Heads, Clash, Heartbreakers... imports, promos, all sorts of good stuff. I use to work at Back Room Records in Amherst...is that where Mystery Train is now, in that little Pleasant Street shop plaza? I should take a trip out there sometime soon and check things out. Ron
     
  20. paulg61

    paulg61 Senior Member

    Location:
    CT
    Capitol Records on Capitol Ave. in the Capitol City - Hell yes - A Great place :edthumbs: RIP.

    - Maury and Co hooked me up with my much coveted purple vinyl edition of Purple Rain back in '84 - they had a promotion if you saved your ticket stub (From local movie premiere) and take it in with you they "gave" you the Purple Rain Soundtrack on Purple Vinyl - They sure don't make em like that anymore!

    Also the first place I saw a CD in '83 - I remember in the back room (besides the black triangle Abbey Road) they had tons of Bowie RCA's! Ofcourse I didn't buy any, cause I didn't yet have a player, thought the CD might be a fad and most importantly being still in college was on a very tight budget.
     
  21. jiminiss

    jiminiss Senior Member

    Location:
    western mass
    hey Kevin,

    I grew up in holyoke, but I'm 10 years older than you, and probably was back then too. schermerhorn's was owned by a family that lived around the corner from me. in fact the older brother of the two kids in that family stole my 8th grade girl friend, but I am recovering...can't think of the family name just now-told you i'm older! so did you go to mt park a lot and ski at mt tom?

    Main street records opened in thornes market and then moved to it's streetfront location. owned by ken reed, a gentle giant of a human being (not all that big in stature really, but one of the sweetest people to ever walk the planet, and bigger than me!). Ken was a local boy and I've heard he stayed local but moved to Easthampton, and still does business online from home. used to go to plays, movies and shows with Ken all the time. another reord store is there now on main street in hamp. it is worth checking the place out, but it ain't no main street records.
     
  22. rbichamp

    rbichamp Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    In the late 1990s I stumbled across a web site for a place called Main St. Records. I found a lot of things I was looking for and placed my first order. Needless to say I was very happy with my experience and have done several orders since.

    This is quite amazing for me to read these comments about the original B&M version of Main St. Records. In my circumstance, I only know of them in their current online state. Thanks for the insight into their past.

    All this talk is getting me excited to do another order with them!
     
  23. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    Rhymes was across the hall from Kelso Earth Shoe! Not above Culter's, though. Next door to the movie theater that's not there any more, and next to the Yale Coop, also not there anymore. When you're at Replay records, make sure you let the cat walk where he wants. He got a 'tude.
     
  24. badfingerjoe

    badfingerjoe Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    This might be a longshot,but here goes. I spent the summer of '74 in the city of Hartford,found this great record store and looking through the posts I don't see any store names that ring a bell. All I can remember is they had tons of imports (bought my UK Beatle Lp's there) and they had a "bargain basement" I can picture the sign over the stairs leading to the basement.
    It was'nt to far to walk for me,from the area of the YMCA,which was new at the time in 1974. I also remember going to a club at night called Mad Murphys..they had all types of live music and entertainment each night.
    Like I said...it's a long shot and there's not much info to go on but I thought I'd give it a shot.

    JF
     
  25. mike65!

    mike65! Senior Member

    Location:
    Connecticut
    I always pictured it above Cutlers myself, that's why I didn't notice the mistake. No matter how many times I went there, I always had to make an effort to locate that tiny door leading upstairs!

    As far as Replay goes, the cat has gone on to kitty heaven. :(
     
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