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Music Stores in DC?
August 27, 2006 1:49 PM   Subscribe

Help with Washington DC music stores?

I am in Richmond, Virginia and will be taking my students in a music class to Washington DC for a music store/ live music field trip (this is an art class). Any suggestions for out of the ordinary record/ music stores with harder to find/experimental stuff?
posted by lalalana to media & arts (5 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Melody Records, just north of Dupont Circle.
posted by kittyprecious at 2:34 PM on August 27, 2006


Crooked Beat Records in Adams Morgan. Even more of a treat, House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park. A small CD selection, but many strange instruments and good staff.
posted by Ironmouth at 2:58 PM on August 27, 2006


Hey there, Lana. Hope Richmond's been good to you.

I grew up in / around DC, and a frequent stomping ground was Smash!, which is a punk / goth / alternative / industrial store in Georgetown, on M Street. I'd get the address for you, but I'm on dialup and it'd take forever. (Sorry.)

There used to be an excellent indie record store in Arlington called GO, but they went out of business some years back. I think they were affiliated with the Simple Machines record label, but I might be mistaken there.

You might consider touring the Dischord Records headquarters. That's in DC, right? Or Arlington? I'm not sure what the point of the field trip is, but they might like to see the blood and guts of a punk label.
posted by Alt F4 at 7:55 PM on August 27, 2006


Alt F4, I'd hate to break it to you, but I think that Smash! up and moved out. I was there for the tail-end of their moving sale.

As for good record stores, I second the House of Musical Traditions, but only because they carry my CD.
posted by The White Hat at 8:49 PM on August 27, 2006


Orpheus Records, formerly a mainstay in Georgetown, has reopened in Arlington near the Clarendon Metro station (it's somewhere on Wilson Blvd, I believe).

I've not been in their new store, but the old one in Georgetown was one of my favorite places in the world. The folks who work there really know their stuff (and sadly, they know what it's worth, too).

Most of the legendary DC record stores are gone: Vinyl Ink, Phantasmagoria, 12 inch dance in Dupont, etc. etc.
posted by toxic at 11:32 PM on August 27, 2006


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