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SALT LAKE CITY — In the wake of a recent resurgence in vinyl’s popularity, there is no better time to start building a personal music collection.
While music streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora have made music readily accessible, owning physical records is still a classic option, especially for those advid music lovers.
From Salt Lake City to Cedar City, here are three record stores unique to Utah that have something for everyone — regardless of music taste.
1. Randy’s Records, Salt Lake City
Named one of “eight must-visit American record stores” by the Travel Channel, Randy’s Records is a shop everyone in Utah should be aware of. Originally opened in 1978, Randy’s is in its 40th year, making it one of the oldest record shops in Utah.
“We are one of the oldest old-school-style record stores,” said Jared Soper, a manager and used record buyer at Randy’s. “We have kind of a reputation for being able to find a lot of good used finds.”
Aside from new and used vinyl, Randy’s also sells CDs and audio equipment, including analog turntables.
How big is Randy’s record selection?
“That’s so hard to answer,” Soper said, because “we put out at least a hundred new and used records every day.”
Soper said the shop is also known for its “$2 sale,” a quarterly event where thousands of records are available at an undercut price.
While many music shops in Salt Lake City are more specialized and focus on one style or genre, Soper said Randy’s is a good place to find anything.
“We still probably have the best and broadest selection of records in the state,” he said.
Address: 157 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 11 a.m.- 7 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday
Contact: 801-532-4413; randysrecords@gmail.com
Website:http://www.randysrecords.com/
Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/RandysRecords/
2. Groovacious Records, Cedar City
If you live in southern Utah and aren’t going to Salt Lake City anytime soon, your best bet for finding records is Groovacious in Cedar City.
The record store opened in 2000 when Lisa and Tim Cretsinger uprooted from Oregon and brought their years of experience working in music stores to the small community of less than 30,000.
“We were tired of the rain, it was making us sick,” Lisa Cretsinger said. “We wanted a fresh start.”
Lisa, who had met Tim while they both worked at Music Millennium in Portland, grew up in Salt Lake City and wanted to move closer to her family. After considering starting a shop in Arizona or New Mexico, the couple settled on Cedar City.
“We liked the weather, and that it was small and quaint,” Lisa Cretsinger said. “We felt like we could really make a difference in this community.”
Most everything in Groovacious, like the shelves and walls, were hand-built by Tim, who died in March 2016. He was diagnosed with cancer in December 2013 and had been fighting the disease since.
“It’s been a real transition for me to be in this space without Tim, and to build it the way we wanted it,” Lisa Cretsinger said. “We never got to finish.”
Started by two people with years of experience in the vinyl trade, Groovacious has an authentic vibe and is a rare gem in a region without another record store “for miles in any direction.”
“It feels like you’re walking into my house,” Lisa Cretsinger said. “And, really, you are.”
Address: 195 W. 650 South, #2, Cedar City
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday
Contact: 435-867-9800; groovacious@groovacious.com
Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/groovaciousrecords/
3. Sound and Vision Vinyl, Salt Lake City
Another husband and wife shop, Sound and Vision Vinyl is run by Michael and Pam Maccarrone, both of whom have ample experience in the music industry.
In the 1980s, Pam worked as a makeup artist and met high-profile musicians, including Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Debbie Harry of Blondie, according to Sound and Vision’s Facebook page. Meanwhile, Michael was working in various record stores throughout Long Island and performing in a New York hardcore band.
“I’m a record geek,” Michael Maccarrone said. “I’m truly someone who has been on both sides of the counter.”
Maccarronel described himself as a “deep catalogue” collector. Unlike a lot of other record stores, he said he tries to stock a band’s entire discography rather than only their popular albums or greatest hits collections.
Maccarrone began collecting Beatles merchandise when he was 9 years old, and this fact reveals itself in his shop.
“I don’t think any other stores are going to have as many Beatles items as we have here,” Maccarrone said.
Between new and used vinyl, Maccarrone said he has 2,000- 3,000 records in the shop, with every genre from classical to country.
“It’s a collector’s store,” he said. “It’s a candy store for record collectors.”
Address: 3444 S. Main St., Salt Lake City
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; closed Wednesday
Contact: 385-229-4165; soundandvisionvinyl@yahoo.com
Website:http://www.soundandvisionvinyl.com/
Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/soundandvisionvinyl/
