Record Store Day

Today is Record Store Day. A day that I proudly support given my affinity for collecting vinyl records (old and new). I was even able to convince my friend to drive up from Hampton, VA, to participate. We hit up Crooked Beats, Smash, and Red Onion Records.

Smash is a half clothing/half record store, which is a fun and interesting combination if you think about it. The only drawback for me was that I wasn't exactly the target audience. The clothes were very punk rock, with a bit of vintage thrown in. The records mainly followed suit. Crooked Beats is a nice little place, albeit very indie. It's on the basement level and a bit dark and dusty. I'm not sure if it was the low(er) ceilings, color scheme, or (lack of bright) lighting, but it felt pretty subterranean. But really, that just added to the charm and fun of hunting for vinyl records. What's the fun of searching for something "indie" if the decor doesn't match the mood? And they did have a surprisingly good selection of new vinyl.

Of the three, I liked Red Onion Records the most. It's apparently also loved by Hot Chip. All three record stores are in Adams Morgan, and Red Onion is also on the basement level next to a dry cleaners. Somehow, it's able to be both cleaner and brighter than Crooked Beats. Red Onion has expanded their wares to include used books and CDs, so their vinyl collection is not as extensive as Crooked Beat's. But I think they had a better selection of the classic (re: used) stuff. The best part is that they send out a weekly email with the new records that they've gotten that week and will even hold them for you if you ask.

I love the convenience of record stores in the District, but my heart belongs to Joe's Record Paradise in the suburbs of Rockville. There's nothing like it if you're looking for used vinyl. Their classic rock and jazz collections are by far better than anything I've seen in the city. I assume that's just one of the perks of having a suburban locality. There are tons of people in houses around Rockville who have random vinyl records sitting in their garages/attics and need to get rid of them. Their new record collection is a little sparse (though I have bought Elliott Smith and MMJ there), but their classic rock, soul, and jazz selections more than make up for this.