Look No Further Than "On the Corner"

One of the Bay Area's new record shops that is a must-see for vinyl enthusiasts is located just inside the downtown area of Campbell. On the Corner is a small, but excellent, record shop that has been open for just over four months. Jeff, part owner and vinyl connoisseur, runs the store with a partner, and has transitioned from a DJ and record lover to proprietor of a nice collection of records that span most genres. The record store has a little bit of everything, including disco, soul, hip-hop, jazz, reggae, funk, lounge and beyond. The CD section is small, but driven for those who seek good indie, electronic, or post-punk reissues. Also included in the record selection are some gold-nugget collector's vinyl, which are displayed on the wall. Some of the current rarities include James Brown's Super Bad and New Order's Blue Monday. The store also features a few concert/music DVDs as well. On the Corner also has a great selection of 50 cent records that one must have a good hour or so to mine through, which is not much of a time investment for someone used to digging through record collections in hopes of finding something he/she did or didn't need. The prices are very reasonable and beat many record shops in the area. If you are looking for something in particular, this is a shop that will help you find your desired records. This is a great shop with a very nice vibe. I have put this store on my record search itinerary. On the Corner is located at 530 E. Campbell (in Campbell, CA). You can reach the store at 408-871-0305 or at http://myspace.com/onthecornermusic. On the Corner takes cash, credit, and trade-in.

Recycled Records: A Record-Hunting Adventure in the Haight

Recycled Records is one of Haight Street's music store gems. If you are looking for a good selection of records at reasonable prices, Recycled Records is the place for you. Although the selections in reggae and hip-hop are a bit small, this is not the record store for those particular genres (you can find some good CDs and records despite the size of the selection). You can find most pop and rock groups from the 80s and back, as well as a very good selection of jazz records. Recycled Records does have a number of CDs, which are efficiently (and safely) displayed by their inserts in the back left of the store. Again, there are good and reasonably priced CDs, but the record selection is the driving force behind this store. I usually have to plan for thirty minutes to an hour of browsing time due to the vast selection. An adventure into the record selection is often best done without a particular purchase in mind, but a hidden treasure or two that float in under the radar. Under the main record selection are rows and rows of vinyl that are already represented above. However, this is a great place to find a cheaper version of something in the main collection; there are also records not represented above, which makes the time requirement for record-hunting expand. Recycled Records quickly turned into another good reason to visit the Haight. Recycled records is located at 1377 Haight St. The store can be reached at 415-626-4075.

Manifesto

As I vainly attempted to find "The Traffic Jam" single on vinyl, I became acutely aware of that lack of reliable information on music stores in the Bay Area. So many of the sources and reviews of music stores were out of date and reviewing now-defunct stores. Consequently, this blog is dedicated to providing up-to-date and reliable information and reviews for those who wish to explore the Bay Area's wonderful collection the large, small, and in-between music stores.