Although the store itself is a relatively recent addition to Allston, its family tree has deep roots: When Back Bay’s Looney Tunes closed after 33 years on Boylston Street, Store 54 absorbed its 250,000-piece record collection, which shares space with a selection of vintage clothes and collectibles. Tucked away down an Allston Village alleyway, Store 54 may not be easy to find, but it’s not easy to forget, either. Highly recommended for connoisseurs of jazz and blues.ġ686 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 61,.
Now just imagine what the inside of the place is like. While traipsing through Porter Square, if you’ve ever stopped dead in your tracks to admire a mind-boggling window display of thematically related vintage album sleeves-whether it’s ’60s beach bunnies or “Baby’s First LP”-you’ve just had your head turned by Stereo Jack’s. What the store lacks in size, it makes up for with its well-organized selection and chill atmosphere, inviting you to while away an afternoon browsing through dividers filled with classics and oddities alike.Ģ6 Union Sq., Somerville, 61,. Of the many indie diversions in Union Square, Somerville Grooves is one of its most delightful-and horizon-expanding. Skippy White’s, 1971 Columbus Ave., Boston, 61,. Among the secrets to Planet Records’ longevity are a carefully curated and organized selection, good lighting-the better to read those tiny liner notes-and an impeccably knowledgeable staff.ġ44 Mt Auburn St., Cambridge, 61, .Īt 78, Skippy White is credited with being Boston’s oldest record store owner, and his 54-year-old Egleston Square shop holds the distinction of helping to introduce Boston to hip-hop- his store was the first to sell the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight.” While organization’s not his strongest suit, it’s all the more reason to spend an afternoon pawing through White’s stacks of wax for jazz, R&B, and blues finds. This beloved Harvard Square record hut is clearly built to last: “Planet has survived fire, flood, the self-inflicted implosion of the music industry, and two moves,” they remind us. As long as Nuggets sticks around, you’ll never hear us wishing “ Ptooey on Kenmore Square!”Ĥ86 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 61,. If you bought a bootleg VHS tape of a Mondo flick back in freshman year, chances are it was here. And then we remember Nuggets, who’ve been keeping the bizarro home fires burning since 1978, with its heaps upon heaps of vintage media. Ĭonsidering that Kenmore Square no longer has a Rat, a Deli Haus, or a Pizza Pad, it’s easy to lament the idea that gentrification up and crushed all the weird out of this part of town long ago. But while their vinyl selection may not be exhaustive enough to please all music snobs, this venerable chain works hard to offer a little something for everyone.ģ32 Newbury St., Boston, 61 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 1 North Marketplace #366, Boston, 61 36 JFK St., Cambridge, 61. In recent years, they’ve downplayed the music in favor of other dorm-ready fare. The unofficial motto of Newbury Comics is “ It’s Always Morph or Die”-after all, there’s a reason this New England pop-culture stalwart has managed to stay in business since 1978.
As they proclaim on their website, “Over the years, we have found homes for hundreds of thousands of orphaned records, CDs, cassettes and even 8-tracks!” If you’re a dedicated digger, IYE is your Shangri-la.ĩ57 Comm. Since 1982, generations of Harvard and BU kids have been trawling In Your Ear’s vast collections-and they’ve even set up a Providence outpost. Plus, you’ll also find comix, zines, and VHS tapes.ġ38b South St., Jamaica Plain, 61,. Krautrock? Techno? Reggae? It’s all there.
Ī relatively new kid on an already-funky block, Deep Thoughts is piled high with crates of wide-ranging strangeness.
Enter to find yourself in an underground world of bluegrass gospel, disco, and every other genre imaginable.ĥ38 Mass. Steadfastly resisting the commercial churn of Central Square, Cheapo Records has been holding down the vinyl fort since the ’50s, and its devotees are legion. Cassette fans will find a motherlode here, too.ġ2 Eliot St. If you’ve ever had a burning desire to own the soundtrack to Cannibal Holocaust on vinyl, let Armageddon hook you up. With a sister store in Providence, this Harvard Square shop-though professing a dedication to being “as diverse as possible”-has a reputation for specializing in hardcore/punk, metal, and industrial. Here are a few favorite places to score vinyl in Boston, all year long. Of course, you don’t have to wait for the third Saturday in April to embark on a crate-digging expedition at local record stores.
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