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

...I recently did a spin through Boston. I lived there for fifteen years, but hadn't been back in eight or so. It was interesting seeing how some longtime favorites were fairing:

Newbury Comics: Once the king of CDs -- so many great imports, reissues, etc. -- has pretty much abandoned the format. They've embraced the vinyl revival head-on...maybe too much, as they have an extensive selection of cut-outs/markdowns. That's where I did most of my shopping, and I found a few cool things -- including one long OOP Soul Jazz title that surprised me. Also, their vinyl exclusives were interesting. Prices were a hair on the high side, but there are always coupons available to balance it out.

Blue Bag: A new shop that I had bought from at the WFMU fair. Really enjoyed it. More of a diggers place, where you discover new stuff. Prices were very reasonable. Walked away with a bunch of cool stuff.

Cheapo: @Danby Delight mentioned this was under new management...the old owner (Allen) happened to be there when I walked in, but perhaps he was just doing a bit of advising. Like Newbury, it felt largely the same as it used to be except much fewer CDs. I always got good deals on CDs there, so that was a little bit of a bummer, but still, the LP racks had some nice discoveries that were fairly priced. They had a bunch of new vinyl, which they didn't used to do...none of it was particularly interesting or reasonably priced, so I stayed away.

Planet Records (Harvard Square): To me, Planet was always the lil' engine that could of Boston shops. Not particularly charismatic or eccentric, they just plug along and do what they do. It's really paying off, too, as they had a great selection of both CDs and LPs, just like they always did. Found some fantastic jazz here, including a Horo title I had been looking for for a while. LPs were just slightly pricey, but not by much, and the Horo record was priced at exactly what I'd say market value was. I was really happy to see them continuing to carry on...

Armageddon Shop: I'm not a big punk/metal guy, so this was always a bit of an outlier for me. It seemed exactly the same as it was eight years ago. On the rare instances that they get some cool jazz, reggae, or (non-punk/metal) indie music, they always price it to move, so it's worth checking in on. Didn't find anything this time, but I was glad to see them hanging in there.

Stereo Jacks: For me, the biggest disappointment of the trip. This was my local, my weekly hang, and I found so much incredible jazz and bluegrass here over the years...sadly, the racks (of CDs and LPs) were surprisingly thin. Maybe a third of what I used to see there. Much of their used LP inventory was replaced by grey-market new vinyl pressings of classic jazz. Barely any CDs (their CD bins used to be fantastic). I was heartened to see the same employees still working there...and ten minutes after I walked in, Peter Wolf popped in, but honestly if you're in Boston more than ten minutes and DON'T see Peter Wolf, I'd be surprised.

I didn't make it to Nuggets, In Your Ear, Deep Thoughts, or Village Vinyl -- I'd be interested to hear what folks say about those places...

 

You know Pat reopened Looney Tunes in Allston about four years ago, right? 16 Harvard Ave, between Cambridge and Farrington, in the basement of the building between the firehouse and Model Hardware.

Still a great jazz store. I’ve picked up a ton of rarities and European presses there.

 

Blue Bag: I try to time out my Blue Bag trips to just once a month or so, because I don’t think I’ve ever spent less than a hundred bucks there at a time. The owner, Chris Gutmacher (Bullet Lavolta, Cul de Sac), is in the process of selling because he wants to retire. I’m slightly worried about that because I fear the new guy won’t bring in as much stuff in my wheelhouse as Chris does.

Cheapo: My understanding is that Allen is still the owner but the younger guys are running it day to day now. That new vinyl includes a lot of vintage Brazilian and Italian soundtracks, so I often load up there. They’ve really freshened up the used bins too.

Stereo Jack’s, I’m afraid, is hanging by a thread. The owner is trying to sell that entire block to a developer, and of course Jack himself is approximately a million years old. I really only shop the new arrivals bin and chat with my friends Angela (ex-Weirdo owner, rising stand-up comic) and Wayne (ex-Twisted Village) if they’re manning the register. And it’s always fun to ******** with Jack. But yeah, it’s mostly a social stop for me now.

Nuggets is what it is, In Your Ear is every bit as much of a time capsule as it’s always been although they’re starting to carry a bit of new stock. The couple who own Deep Thoughts, Nick and Alaina, are absolute sweethearts and they carry some interesting stuff but the vibe is a little too Deadhead for an indie kid like me. The owner of Village Vinyl is a great guy but it’s a VERY classic rock store.

 

The last time I was there, it looked like most of the stock hadn't changed in the prior ten years.

 

Newbury is more of a tee shirt/novelty store these days. If you go into one of their mall locations, they hide the music in back. From the outside looking in, it looks like a clothing store.

Jack's bummed me out the last time I was in there too. Very little stock. I asked Jack about it and he said that no one is selling - everyone is buying. I replied, "Really?" and he asked, "Well, do you have anything to sell today?" I could only reply, "Touché".

 

(Which is why the mall stores secretly have the coolest stuff in the remainder bins, because the people who buy vinyl in malls aren't looking for BMX Bandits, Washed Out, and Zombies 7"s.)

 

That's kind of what I was afraid of with Nuggets...word on the street is that the owner has some independent source of wealth and the store is something of a hobby for him. The last few years I lived in Boston the inventory was pretty stale. Every now and then I'd get lucky, but the good scores got to be fewer and farther between.

Yeah, that makes sense. I went to Harvard Square, Newbury Street, and Government Center -- all of which have pretty extensive vinyl sections. But I imagine the suburban/mall stores are not nearly as robust...and, as @Danby Delight said, may have better remainders!

Despite the sad state of the store, it's really nice to hear the classic Stereo Jack wit is alive and well! The banter in that store was always a blast...didn't know that Angela and Wayne were working there these days -- I'm bummed I missed them!

 

Just returned from my yearly trek down to Mystery Train in Gloucester and came out with a stack of records. Sleeve condition on a lot of the stuff can be iffy, but the vinyl is all (mostly) clean. Good prices and great for digging.

 

I haven't been there in many years. The vinyl selection was only so-so the last time I went in but I imagine with the current market, it's probably better today. I do remember having to flip through tons & tons of dreck in the Jazz bins trying to find anything good. Their CD selection was pretty good back then.

 

It’s still tons of dreck, but patience is sometimes rewarded.

 

Newbury’s store in Norwood is a good spot for crate digging, with a decent CD selection as well. The mall locations don’t sell any used product.

 

Maybe 20 years ago. But in the past 10 or so, finding RRR open is a rarity. For at least a year I was convinced they had to be permanently closed. I gave up bothering to drive by about 2 years ago. Even if I am literally around the corner at Garnick’s.

 

Back in the 70’s Cheapo was mostly new records. Their speciality was reissues/comps of old music and 45’s…so many 45’s. My dad and I used to shop there for rockabilly.

The original owner (I haven’t been in there for years so not sure he still owns it) of Stereo Jacks used to work at Cheapo in the 70’s.

 

I knew it reopened but wasn’t sure if it was Pat or someone else. The fact that it’s him gives me hope there might be some decent stuff in there, although jazz isn’t one of my interests.

 

By the time I moved to Boston in the late '90s, Cheapo had a lot of new CDs (partially because Allen had a weird deal with Bear Family where he traded a cabin his family owned for Bear Family CDs) but the LPs were almost all used...of course at that point in time there weren't a lot of new LPs on the market. They were a great place to get new CD pressings (both legitimate and grey-market) of vintage country, R&B, and soul reissues. My understanding was that Cheapo was founded by a bunch of guys who pioneered the oldies radio format and were obsessed with '50s R&B and rockabilly...

 

Miss that one too. Used to go in for Dunkin and then in there for 3 hours.

Louis told me once, "Can't stock Blue Note titles, even the reissues. They fly out of here. In the 80's, they wouldn't move for $7."

 

Sure.

#5 In Your Ear, Also iye.com. If you have a portable record player (I still have a Soundburger) I would suggest you bring it. You will go through records that may or may not be in the best of shape. The prices are good, but the stock can be odd and you end up with the same feeling as Nuggets, but the prices are more forgiving. I haven't trolled in this place in years, so YMMV.

#4 Stereo Jacks Records. If you like Jazz, Blues and mainly R&B or Soul, you absolutely must take a day to look at this store. It doesn't look like much, but between what this man has as stock and your knowledge in Jazz, he will have the reissues, the wide dollar bins where you'll find GOOD stuff and even the rare Blue Note originals, he keeps up high for a decent price; He has a wall of "hits", the big sellers and rare stuff. He KNOWS how to price stuff. I've seen the odd celebrity visit there. Jack Worker I've seen around and about the Cape occasionally and I've shaken his hand because of the amazing stuff I found in his store. The people there will talk and hang dirt on politics and Boston in general, so the dialog is about as colorful as the store itself. The prices in here I would consider to be the best in Massachusetts and this store is only #4 because of the fact the place is VERY strong on Jazz and black music in general. It may not be what you're looking for exactly, but for me and considering my taste, this place is my #1. My Disneyland. My break from reality. I spend $100 in there and I walk out a millionaire. The last time I was there, I heard a really odd import from Art Blakey that was on their turntable, and I bought it sight unseen. Seriously, if you like Jazz, you should spend the day and look; especially if the stock is deep (at times it was low). Classical titles are also worth looking into. Their 45 bin from last I saw had a ton of promos and 45's and they even carry 78's at times. They also carry books and wood boxes for records.

#3 is Nuggets, see way up there...

#2 Deja "Vu Records, Natick MA. http://www.dejavurecords.net The joint used to be in downtown Taunton MA and Elani owned it, likely still does. She was really sweet. If you brought her a diet coke back in the day (she was "stuck" in the store), she would give you some free records that were once cutouts like Roger Daltry solo records, or "wheel and deal" and take a $1 off this or that if you bought more of a $7 tier. I think she was Swahili and was one of the nicest ladies I ever had to deal with concerning records. She always rode the line of being friendly, helpful and sometimes sold the extra record and made you feel like you got more for your money (usually, I did!) Aside of that, same as above. Be careful of what you pull, make sure you closely look at the condition. They mostly know what to price high and low, but keep things real and you'll walk out with a bunch of stuff you'll feel good about. I remember buying a used Capitol CD of Meddle as a teen and thought I own the lottery because I paid for it in used records. Silly me. I really should return to there again.

#1 Spinnaker Records in Hyannis MA. Spinnaker Records, Cape Cod, MA I lived next to this place for well over a decade and must have sunk at least a new car's worth into it. In the 80's and 90's, it was my go-to after a taco and not wanting to bike to the beaches when the tourists made it blah. Cameron owns the place and has kept it running for a very long time. They've braved the DVD craze, then Blue rays, and now they're back to cassettes, LPs and T Shirts being their thing. Because I was there 2-3 times a week, I found some amazing stuff cheaply and sometimes things just needed a little re-seam along the cover or a good VPI cleaning to make perfect. Most of my used records came from Spinnaker. Randy I believe co-owns it with Cam and I've done business with Randy a lot. Occasionally, he'll give the ol' dog a bone if you're in there at the right time and say, "Hey, check this out". Young people flock here because the prices are decent and at times, they stock 2-3 collections at a time in tubs, and the fun really begins. I go here for RSD. Sometimes Cam will buy high-end stuff (BOTT MFSL 1Step I found, after it was oop-- lucky break) and box sets and they won't move until the price goes up. They have some odd rock memorabilia stuff, like Yellow Submarine figurines, buttons and stockers. Your son or daughter will LOVE the T Shirt jam they have. They recently have bought speakers and some odd hi-fi stuff. I would say 1/3 or higher come from walk-in sales of used records or dips from estate sales that weren't public. I miss the 1998-2009 period. Their prices for used records were always worth going there again and again.....

As with most any place you see, the prices against the product will mean a lot. Know what things cost.

Homerable Mentions;

Taunton Flea Market Crazy crazy place with nice people who might have good stuff. Mongers come and go, but it IS a flea market.
Olympic Records in RI - Sometimes insane stock.
The Time Capsule aka THE TIME CAPSULE | Comic Books, Records, Toys, & Collectibles They have two locations? One has a DSOTM Capitol monster cassette as a display! Hard to miss. Stock is semi blahh borning, but sometimes worth it. Comics too.
Sunset Records. Before I saw Spinnaker a lot, I lived in New Bedford for a time. Bob is still there and one of the better Beatle fans I've talked to. Every time I walk in, it's like I never was forgotten and he'll start a conversation right up. The 45 singles are worth it. He used to have a place by Sound II which was a nose-bleed hifi store in the back, ballast area of the North Dartmouth Mall, no longer exists. He's now in Swansea and has limited hours. Sometimes worth a visit.

Most all of the above places are dumps. But that is part and parcel. Records are a dirty business. I've visited most of these places lately, and the stock is low everywhere I've tried. Hopefully, things will die down after the summer and people will sell their records again!

 

I don't know if they have the same suppliers they had last century, but if they do their unfinished pine record boxes/cases are the best I've ever seen. We used to have bookstores and used them for fixtures for art books, etc. We even contacted their suppliers and had them build us bedside stands and a big (3 x 3' shelves) record cabinet. I live far away now, but still have at least a dozen (probably more) "Stereo Jack's cases" here and there around the place.

 

Yes, same. If you look at Jack's website, you can see the pine boxes and the store in general.

 

I believe Jack sources his record boxes from Bostonwood Furniture in Watertown Square, which used to be Maverick Furniture in Packards Corner Allston. Practically every record, book, and CD in this house is stored in a bin from Maverick, usually carried by hand by me and my wife from the store, which was only about four or five blocks away. Our living room rig sits on a rolling cart we had them build to our design, in fact.

 

Man, I used to live right next door to Maverick at Packard's Corner. Was always great to pop in, grab a crate or CD shelf, and pop out. Also there was a big thrift store next door (Hadassah?) that I used to find killer soul/funk LPs in for peanuts...

 

@Sckott thank you so much for that detailed review of some of your favorite record stores. All are new to me in terms of my actually having been there. I have heard most of the names before though. Your top 5 were descriptive enough I feel like I know the store without having actually been there myself. I see some road trips when the weather gets a little better in a month or so. Thanks again!!!

 

That would make sense given what the story was like then. I was only 9 or 10 back then so I just followed my dad around and he did all the talking. I wish I had payed more attention to their R&B, they probably had a killer 45 selection for it.

 

It's interesting how people's tastes differ. You clearly like to dig; on the other hand I consider all of the above places to avoid. But in my old age I'd much rather a walk into a store and walk out 60 min later having spent $50 on a NM record than spend a full day digging to walk out with 4 records for $15 that I invariably want to get rid of after I play them because they aren't in good enough shape.

But I'm a real stickler for condition. Records that show obvious signs of being well played (lots of spindles, worn jackets around the opening) are immediate passes for me, as is a record that looks like it might have any chance of having damage that might be audible.

 

This is helpful, and comes with a reminder as to why hand sanitizer was a necessity before Covid.