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

Hi all,

Am planning my next road trip in the USA for next year and as always I need to go armed with a list of the best record stores.
I am looking for stores selling new and used rock and metal vinyl in:

Maine,
New Hampshire,
Vermont,
Massachusetts,
Rhode Island,
Connecticut.

Hit me with your favourite stores!

 

I recommend Armageddon Records in Cambridge, MA and Providence, RI for metal vinyl: Armageddon Record Shop .

 

thanks man!!! added to the list.

 

Bull Moose has stores in Maine and New Hampshire.
www.bullmoose.com

 

CT
Red Scroll Records- Wallingford
Replay Records- Hamden
Records The Good Kind- Vernon
Music Outlet - Enfield

 

Gerosa Records in Brookfield, CT

 

Newbury Comics is a regional chain but some branches are more music focused than others. Their flagship store on newbury street in Boston and a Norwood shop between Boston and Providence ar both worth your time.

 

In Your Ear in Warren RI is loaded with great stuff right now.
Round Again, Olympic, and Analogue Underground in Providence are also good.

 

Disc n Dat- Bethel CT

 

thanks everyone. I have a nice list now to get me started!

 

Round Again is great in Providence, but locals often get the good stuff (as with anywhere).

IYE in Warren does indeed have a surprisingly good selection atm (maybe because so many stores have gone out of business?)

Integrity N Music outside of Hartford is still around, from what I hear. Been a while since I've been there, but it's legendary.

Enterprise Records in Portland, not what it once was, but still pretty good.

 

Good to know the Boston stores are still worth checking out. Up here in NH, the Newbury Comics stores aren't really even music stores anymore. Most of them have drastically shrunk their CD section in favor of even more swag (posters, nick nacks, bumper stickers, etc) than they used to carry. Up here, Bull Moose Music is a far better option if you're looking for music-especially the Portsmouth location.

 

The two stores I mentioned have their share of that merchandise as well and reduced their CD and movie sections somewhat, but not to the extent of the others. Norwood is outstanding for vinyl in particular. I agree with you on the BM Portsmouth store, but that branch is small in comparison to their Scarborough or South Portland shops.

 

Burlington VT has a couple nice stores. Burlington Records, Pure Pop and Speaking Volumes were all pretty cool when I was there. I bought records at every one of them. Really good breakfast at the Parkway Diner, too.

 

Newbury in Harvard Square is still a decent spot for eclectic fare on vinyl and cd. Norwood is great for vinyl, but sometimes the pricing is crazy for the quality. I've walked out with a mint Nimbus pressing for $70 and a NM S&G mono PSRT for $8, and then I've seen standard pressings of vintage "hip" titles that appeared to have been dragged over a bed of nails for $40. But for new vinyl, when they have a sale, it's always my first stop.

In Your Ear on Comm Ave near the Paradise is always an interesting visit. Hit and miss, but the hits are usually great finds. The Harvard Square shop is almost as crazy wall to wall vinyl and some cds. Digging paradise. Managers and employees at each are pretty approachable in my experience.

Nuggets in Kenmore was always a go-to when I lived in the City. Haven't been in many years tho. . .

Cheapo and Stereo Jacks are also worth a visit, as they're not too far apart on Mass Ave in Cambridge, Central and Porter Squares respectively.

Planet in Harvard Square irritates me because they sell cd-r copies of original boot CDs, and I've seen some local shows I recorded and shared for free online show up in their bins on cd-r. Grr. But they do manage to have some really good budget items. Found nice some nice vintage sealed titles for just a few bucks. Pricing on high demand stuff is pretty high though, i.e., expect three digit pricing for a UK London Calling or a green WB Paranoid. . .

 

Timely article about Portland record stores.

A visit to six record stores in Portland - mainetoday

 

I was actually impressed with Newbury Comic's used vinyl in Northampton, MA. The prices weren't terrible.

 

Seconding Pure Pop in Burlington, which true to their Nick Lowe-inspired name has a fine line in 70s punk and New Wave.

Armageddon is definitely your best bet for metal and hardcore, and they have a solid sideline in avant-garde, rock and indie as well. Also, I often find great jazz and r&b records in their deep discount bins, because if it's not in their wheelhouse, they really just want it out of the store.

I don't think anyone has mentioned Olympic Records in Providence, which is particularly great for vintage 45s.

I'm impressed by the fact that Nuggets is still a going concern, since I swear that they last received a new record in 1988.

After years of stasis, Cheapo Records in Cambridge's Central Square has a new buyer and is refocusing into more of a new and used vinyl store.

I also like Somerville Grooves in Union Square, and the late great Looney Tunes has been reborn in Allston.

 

When I was up in Maine for business, I enjoyed my time going into the Bull Moose in Old Port Portland. A must if you are into CDs. Prices are quiet fair. I didn't check the LPs.

 

Gonna have to make a stop at Looney Tunes one of these days. Thx for the heads-up Danby

 

Great info! My daughter will be an incoming freshman at UVM in the fall, so I will be going up there with some regularity.
I was aware of Burlington Records (an excellent store), but not the other two.

 

Quick bump to mention that the used new arrivals bin at Village Vinyl in Brookline had a giant load of vintage MFSL and a handful of Columbia quad releases today. 70s classic rock stuff.

 

Right now Southern and mid-coast Maine is experiencing major used vinyl renaissance. Apart from Bullmoose, which carries used and markdown vinyl, there are at least 4 used stores within a 3 block walk in Portland. They are:
Electric Buddhas on Oak street, right around the corner from Moody Lords as well as Strange Maine on Congress Street
just down the street from Enterprise records on Park street.
20 minutes north of Portland is the Freeport Antiques Emporium on route 1. They've got a nice selection of used records nestled away in the back of the store.
15 minutes north from there is Deep Grooves on Elm street in Brunswick, which is perhaps the finest used store around.

 

All four of the Portland shops have a different vibe about them and are reasonably priced. Enterprise is the most curated to my eyes, especially in the jazz area.

 

Fair warning: in my experience, Moody Lords is the kind of place that puts a hacked to death green-label repress of The Early Beatles out at $35 and expects it to sell. Plan accordingly.

Enterprise and Deep Grooves are both pretty solid, though.