Independent Record Stores in Philadelphia
While you will never have trouble locating large record chains like Tower, Best Buy, and FYE in Philadelphia, the great independent record stores can often be overshadowed. While there are a few gems scattered in the suburbs and right across the river (Repo in Bryn Mawr, Princeton Record Exchange in Princeton) you can easily hit up a few great stores in a single day if you venture into the center city area. Spaceboy Music, Repo Records, and AKA Music are all within walking distance from one another and are all well worth the trip. Even if you aren’t looking to spend much all three stores offer great used selections. Plus vinyl junkies can be satisfied at all three. So, if you are tired of not finding the independent releases you are craving, want to regain that sense of exploring that once make record shopping great, or are just looking to try something a little different, than check out the stores listed below.
Spaceboy Music
704 South Street
215-925-3032
www.spaceboymusic.com
Spaceboy is a wide-open and fresh looking record store. Inside you will find not only an abundance of everything indie, but also a large electronic section. Spaceboy always has tons of new releases as well as a large used section. Their vinyl selection is also pretty impressive with an array of both 12″ and 7″ records, and gives you the chance to flip through crates in hopes of finding a gem. The staff is very knowledgeable and there is plenty to browse if you are unsure of what you are looking to buy.
Repo Records
538 South Street
215-627-3775
www.reporecords.com
Repo is a bit more cluttered than Spaceboy, and devotes more room to punk and hardcore, but there is still plenty for fans of any genre to search through. Upstairs there are new and used CDs and vinyl packed in from wall to wall while the downstairs offers a bargain CD section and a lot more vinyl. Repo has definitely got more vinyl than Spaceboy and the basement alone will get record geeks excited with its multiple packed boxes. There are listening booths with new releases if you aren’t sure where to start and you can listen to almost any CD in the store if you ask the staff, so you know just what you are going home with.
AKA Music
27 N. 2nd Street
215-922-3855
AKA music is located inside an almost warehouse like space that consists of one extremely long room. Inside you will find a massive new and used CD collection that out does both Spaceboy and Repo. AKA also breaks their discs down into more sections. There are sections to devoted to everything from rock, dub, country, and jazz, to 60s soul/garage, comedy, classical, and reggae. AKA’s vinyl selection is also pretty impressive, but they only carry 12″ sized releases. In the front of the store AKA also sets themselves apart thanks to a huge selection of boxed sets. Here you will find an array of titles that match their major chains in their selection. Come here ready to explore.
