The Vinyl Countdown

Against all odds, vinyl albums have rebounded in recent years from niche interest to a cultural phenomenon. Fueled by factors like nostalgia, high sound quality and unique releases by stars like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, vinyl sales in the U.S. tripled to over 41 million between 2015 and 2022, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. This resurgence can be seen across the Sacramento region, where a new era of discovery and prosperity at record stores recalls the heyday of our iconic hometown music retail chain Tower Records.

Many of these stores will pull out all the stops April 20 for the annual commemoration of Record Store Day. Launched in 2008 with the help of the family behind Sacramento-based Dimple Records, this global event spotlights the continuing appeal of physical record shops in the streaming era. Organizers worldwide work with artists and record labels to offer highly limited quantities of vinyl-only new releases, special vinyl editions of streaming favorites (say, on colored discs or with unique cover art), and other exclusives. No stores receive the same Record Store Day inventory, prompting a sort of scavenger hunt among superfans for the rarest, most in-demand titles.

Year-round, meanwhile, music lovers can embrace the quirky essence of these unique stores in their communities—and experience a charmingly analog way to discover new favorites (or rediscover old ones). Take a spin through 10 of our favorite vinyl purveyors around town.

Armadillo Music

Every college town needs a definitive record store, and this gem—which launched in 1996—is practically synonymous with downtown Davis. And for good reason: Armadillo carries a selection of expertly curated new and used vinyl that emphasizes diverse staff picks, minimal redundancy of titles, and a section of discounted new vinyl priced anywhere from $10 to $30 (up to a 50% markdown in some cases). A beer bar serves bin browsers pints from Davis breweries like Dunloe, Three Mile and Super Owl, and a stage by the corner window splits duties as a listening station for vintage records and a showcase for live music. Adventurous listeners can grab one of the shop’s “Five Record Fun Packs,” bundles of mystery vinyl wrapped in newspaper and offered at the door for $3. Armadillo goes big for Record Store Day, stocking as many copies of the day’s rare editions as they can get their hands on. But be prepared: Queues have been known to form the night before for the first crack at the hottest offerings. 207 F St. Davis. 530-758-8058. armadillomusic.com

The Audio Nerd

Owner Steve Holt has a distinct claim to fame in the firmament of local record shops: In 2015, after a decade of selling music online, Holt bought the complete inventory of vinyl, CDs, cassettes and more from the late, lamented midtown music destination The Beat—all 250,000 pieces. A year later, he opened a brick-and-mortar version of his web store in Rocklin, in part to help him offload that colossal trove of music. But Holt also sells a terrific assortment of pre-owned turntables, stereo receivers and other hi-fi equipment—all refurbished by Holt and his staff. (One such ready-to-use system recently available at Audio Nerd included good-quality speakers and a turntable for $275, an affordable upgrade over cheap new suitcase players that can damage your vinyl.) Generations of Sacramento musicians feature prominently in the selection; a recent visit revealed a vintage copy of KZAP’s first Hometown Album compilation from 1982, for example. Before opening, Audio Nerd commences Record Store Day festivities at 7 a.m. with free coffee and doughnuts for those in line, followed by a trivia contest about the day’s featured artists, with winners receiving prizes like store credit. 3700 Midas Ave. Rocklin. 916-672-6988. theaudionerd.com

The Cave

This mini-chain of pop culture superstores in Sacramento, Roseville and Folsom literally and figuratively shares DNA with local record store royalty: Andrew Radakovitz—who owns The Cave with Erie Loch—is the son of Dilyn and John Radakovitz, proprietors of the erstwhile retailer Dimple Records, and the family helped launch Record Store Day over 15 years ago. And while The Cave’s vast selections of comics, figurines, video games, clothing and collectibles may trigger sensory overload, it’s worth braving for cool discoveries amid the stores’ selections of new and used vinyl. On our last visit to the Sacramento location, for instance, we found no fewer than four rare, independently released vinyl versions of live recordings by Nirvana dating between 1987 and 1992. The Roseville store particularly lives up to the chain’s name, with a cavernous record room lit by vintage neon beer signs and featuring thousands of rock, jazz, metal, soundtracks and other albums. Overnight campers and lines around the block are not uncommon at The Cave for Record Store Day, when the year’s rare inventory is divided among the three shops for eager buyers on a first-come, first-served basis. Multiple locations. thecavestores.com

Cherry Records

Auburn native Al Lauer started this store in 1983, setting up shop in an old Victorian house on Cherry Avenue in his hometown with $500 and his own collection of several thousand records. Four decades later, having long since relocated their music boutique to a nearby downtown Auburn storefront, Lauer and his wife, Kelley Moreno, have grown it to become the longest continuously owned and operated record shop in the Sacramento region. Cherry Records thrives with a customer base that Lauer estimates to be largely aged 30 and under, drawn to vinyl not just by contemporary superstars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé but also, surprisingly, classic artists like The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Fleetwood Mac. (The limited-edition offerings of Record Store Day are particularly magnetic for this cohort. “It can be a madhouse,” Lauer says.) The store’s meticulous organization for even the most obscure artists makes it unique in the region—you’ll find a section for ’70s Canadian psych rockers Mahogany Rush, for example—as do the especially deep country and oldies sections. Don’t overlook the voluminous soundtrack selection in wheeled crates beneath the rock bins. 925 Lincoln Way. Auburn. 530-823-2147

The early bird gets the earworm at Hi-Tones in Rocklin, where music fans start lining up at midnight on Record Store Day to nab special vinyl releases. (Photo by Sean Tierney, Courtesy of Hi-Tone Record Store)

Hi-Tones Record Store

Hi-Tones originated from a single shelf of records that proprietor Tim McKenzie sold as a hobby at an East Sacramento antiques mall in 2016. A few months after that success, a proper storefront followed in Fair Oaks, with its current Rocklin location opening in an unassuming strip mall in 2020. McKenzie and his daughter open for business Fridays through Sundays with their family-owned shop offering vinyl, CDs, music T-shirts and more. Where other stores can overwhelm with their sheer volume of titles in varying conditions, Hi-Tones selectively stocks new releases and hard-to-find reissues alongside vintage records in uniformly excellent shape. Occasional live music pop-ups pump vibrancy, energy and joy into the small space. (The touring Austin rockers Fastball, best known for their 1998 hit “The Way,” stopped by for an acoustic set last year.) Expect DJs and giveaways on Record Store Day, when fans start lining up at Hi-Tones’ door at midnight. 3101 Sunset Blvd. Rocklin. 916-864-3386. hitonesrecordstore.com

Kicksville Vinyl & Vintage

Named after the show that co-owner Tim Matranga hosted for 25 years on the Davis college-radio mainstay KDVS, Kicksville uniquely merges its record store with a vintage furniture and housewares selection curated by graphic designer Laura Matranga (Tim’s wife and business partner). Seven-inch singles are a Kicksville specialty, with its sizable inventory recently including original (and affordable, with prices starting at 99 cents) vinyl releases by Elvis Presley, the Carpenters, R.E.M., and ’60s-era Sacramento garage rockers like Marauders and Mystery Trio. Speaking of Sacramento: Don’t miss the bin near the front door featuring vinyl releases by local bands. For Record Store Day, the Matrangas will move the vintage furniture outside to accommodate the surge of shoppers pursuing this year’s special releases and other cool finds. Keep an eye on Kicksville’s social media posts in the 24 hours leading up to the big event to see what the shop will have on hand. 931 T St. 916-822-4884. kicksvilleshop.com

Mediumrare Records & Collectibles

This downtown shop has a sort of hideaway feel, tucked towards the back of the ground floor of the Warehouse Artist Lofts on R Street, but it’s not necessarily hard to find: Look for the unmissable Louis Armstrong statue grinning at you through the large store windows. MediumRare owner Marty DeAnda got his start in the music industry upon discovering Jackie Greene at a Sacramento open mic in 2001, signing the future roots-rock star to his first recording and management contract on the impresario’s label. DeAnda retired from the management business to open MediumRare in 2015, with an emphasis on jazz, blues, country and classic rock. The latter genre has a particularly big footprint here, with a display dedicated to The Beatles and their members’ solo work, and scores of new, used, and/or rare offerings by Jimi Hendrix. Pop by in April for a monthlong exhibit featuring classic concert posters from The Fillmore and Winterland in San Francisco, and pick up a vintage Tower Records poster calendar (starting at $30) while you’re there. 1104 R St. 916-442-5344. digmusic.com

Phono Select Records

A deep selection carefully organized by artist and category paired with its founder’s decades of record store experience make this South Sacramento destination arguably the most well-rounded and authoritative record store in the region. It also offers the most direct line to the heritage of Tower Records: Owner Dal Basi cut his teeth at Tower locations in Stockton, Sacramento, and even its fabled Broadway branch in New York City before working alongside Russ Solomon at the late founder’s post-Tower Records store R5. Basi stocks an unparalleled array of vinyl by local artists—three full bins, by far the most in town—and a terrific blend of new and vintage indie and punk records. Helpful tags on each record describe its condition and other relevant context about the pressing or the artist, citing limited editions or similar acts. Don’t miss the bargain bin often featuring various eye-popping discoveries for just $3. (One such recent steal: A very clean copy of Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 smash Born in the U.S.A.) And expect a strong Record Store Day showing with a parking lot sale, giveaways, and other goodies. 2475 Fruitridge Rd.  916-400-3164. phonoselect.com

Rocket Records

Few area record stores feel as much an out-growth of their founder as Augie Maravilla’s quirky shop, where his hand-drawn record separators indicate artists, genres and even such offbeat record categories as “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (a collection of records featuring various vehicle sounds). Another Tower Records veteran, who put in time on the video side of the chain’s legendary Sunset Boulevard stores, Maravilla first opened in West Sacramento in 2016 with his own collection of 3,000 vinyl albums. Having moved to midtown in 2019, he cleans every vintage record himself and features his own handmade postcards cut out from old album sleeves. He points to soundtracks and Spanish-language music (particularly hard-to-find vintage Mexican albums) among his specialties. Even more special: As midtown’s only full-service record seller, Maravilla will have a lock on the neighborhood’s rare vinyl goods offered for this year’s Record Store Day. 1002 24th St. 916-662-7253. rocketrecordsmidtown.com

Twelves Wax

Joel Molina admits that the name of the red-bricked record store he co-owns in Oak Park’s Broadway Triangle district might sound repetitive—“Twelves” and “Wax” are both slang terms for 12-inch vinyl records. But it’s a singular name befitting a singular shop: As a veteran local musician better known as DJ Fooders—and the only record retailer in the region catering to DJ culture—Molina stocks vinyl with catchy beats and rhythms ideal for sampling, scratching and remixing. Amateurs can draw from the bins during monthly Twelves Wax events like “Scratch Pad” (like an open mic, but with open turntables for DJs instead), while visitors of all persuasions can listen in while scouring the store’s diverse jazz, soul, pop and R&B offerings. Count on seeing and hearing DJs work their magic on Record Store Day, while also scoring some of the day’s rare vinyl from across the genre spectrum. 3324 Broadway. 916-400-4520. twelveswax.com