Two or three months ago, some elitist tool delivered a polemic in the Washington City Paper about the sad state of record stores in our fair city. Granted, this may be the case if you’re a vintage vinyl hound, who can’t live without a weekly dose of first-pressing mono-recorded wax. But, for the rest of us, who care more about the music than the age and particular shape of the plastic disc it’s encoded on, this city does just fine, thank you very much.
So, at this time of year, which traditionally sees a dearth of quality live rock shows, I thought I’d present a guide to record shopping for Georgetown students. Sure, downloading from Audiogalaxy or ordering from Amazon may be cheaper and less energy-intensive than actually going to one of these fine outlets. However, the experience of flipping through the stacks at a real record store holds a certain appeal. A romantic notion, maybe, but getting out from in front of the monitor couldn’t hurt a bit.
First, the neighborhood options?in Georgetown proper, the blocks of Banana Republics and Restoration Hardwares seem to have inhibited the establishment of a decent record store. There are exceptions, however. The Georgetown outlet of Olsson’s (1239 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.), the independent chain of bookstores, packs a surprisingly high-quality CD selection between the stacks of books. Small, yes, but if you want the new releases on CD from the majors or the big indies, you can’t go wrong.
For a step above Olsson’s, head back to campus along M Street until you run into Smash! (3285 M St., N.W.). As the name might suggest, Smash! caters to a punk/hardcore audience, and the record selection largely reflects that. Smash! has an impeccable selection of new punk/hardcore releases on both CD and wax. Also, Smash! boasts the best used LP selection in Georgetown, and the selection isn’t limited to punk?lots of rockabilly and new-wave, and the occasional go-go record can be had. Plus, Smash! is probably the only place for one-stop shopping if you’re interested in fishnet stockings and a motorcycle jacket.
Once you leave Georgetown, however, the options increase in quantity and quality, if not convenience. Super-hip Adams Morgan offers two of the best in town. DCCD (2423 18th St., N.W.) and Flying Saucer Discs (2318 18th St., N.W.), which are both located in the heart of the neighborhood, offer a high-quality selection of new CDs. In addition, both feature a good variety of used CDs. DCCD also offers a decent selection of new indie vinyl, as well as a few hip-hop and dance cuts. Plus, every so often, DCCD offers in-store performances from local and national acts. Flying Saucer also features lots of new vinyl, with a better-than-most selection of dance tracks. Unfortunately, the word on the street (and a sign in the window) has hinted that Flying Saucer may well be closing its doors in coming months, so keep an eye out for a liquidation sale.
However, if you want the best selection of used vinyl in the area, you have to leave the District. The best?Orpheus Records (3173 Wilson Blvd.)?can be found right outside the Clarendon Metro stop in Arlington. Orpheus specializes in used vinyl?each record is cleaned and graded before being sold. Even with such TLC, prices are reasonable, ranging from $6 to $20. Plus, you get to hang with those cooler-than-thou used-record-store types. Just don’t ask them for “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” Seriously, though, the help is friendly and knowledgable and they won’t insult your bad taste (too badly).
While there may not be any one-stop solution to all of your record-buying needs, the Washington area offers a number of options that are sure to satify some aspect of your recorded-music jones.
