The missus and I decided to spend last weekend out in Nashville, Tennessee. Which as it turned out was hotter than the surface of the sun for most of the visit. But that didn’t stop us from getting out to at least half a dozen record stores, so I figured I’d give you my take on what the city has to offer.
First things first. I was actually a bit let down overall. I thought Nashville would be a vinyl buying dream location, but it as fairly mid. That being said, there were some gems I’d like to share with you. I opted not to include anything about the shops I found disappointing – I’m not here to shit all over anyone, but instead try to help point you in the right direction.
Daydream Records
1006 Fatherland St #104a
Just when I was giving up hope I reached the vinyl promised land. Tucked away in a sort of collection of small shops you’ll find Daydream, and what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in an amazing selection. I found things of interest EVERYWHERE here – hip hop, metal, punk, rock, and even dungeon synth, which I never find in the wild. I picked up Beastie Breaks by the Beastie Boys, The Masters’ mid-80s electro EP Playin’ the Role, and Curta’n Wall’s Georgie and the Dragon. I also found my favorite record of the trip here – the self-titled self-released 1987 metal album by Nashville natives Roxx, complete with insert. Super cool.! Plus the guy working there was very nice, and upon learning I was from Seattle asked not about grunge, but whether or not I run into any OG pressings of The Sonics. if you can only make it to one shop on your visit, Daydream would be my recommendation.
Third Man Records
623 7th Ave S.
If you’re a vinyl fan, you’ve heard of Jack White’s label/record plant/publishing imprint Third Man. We visited the London location a few times, but this was our first time at one of the US locations (they also have a location in Detroit). They offer tours for $20 which was well worth it as Avery escorted us through the various offices, warehouses, the Blue Room, and the recording room, showing us lots of cool memorabilia and telling some interesting stories. As an added bonus as we were wrapping up Third Man co-owner and The White Stripes archivist Ben Blackwell joined the group and told us some funny stories about Jack’s purchase of Elvis’ first ever recording (which we were able to see on the tour). The retail space is decent, obviously focused on Third Man swag and releases. It’s also within walking distance of Carter Vintage Guitars, which is worth a visit even if you don’t play, and one of the best burger places in town, Cledis Burgers & Beer.
Vinyl Tap
2038 Greenwood Ave
Vinyl Tap gets extra credit for being both a record store and a bar with a good beer selection. The retail space wasn’t huge, and it was mostly given over to new releases, but there were still a few things of interest in the used bins. There was a box of more expensive records at the counter, and that’s where I found a 1987 version of Charles Manson’s LIE: The Love And Terror Cult that I just couldn’t pass up. It’s worth the trip if for no other reason than if you don’t find any records you want, you can still grab a beer.
Grimey’s New & Preloved Music
1060 E Trinity Lane
Grimey’s might be the best-known shop outside of Third Man, and it’s pretty cool. Much of the retail space is for new releases, and the fare is relatively straight-forward and pretty standard – no shade, just not much of what I’m looking for. The only thing I picked up was a 1990 hip-house comp called Warparty. Grimey’s has an extensive selection of music-related books downstairs that is well worth a look as well.
Dead End Records
1200 Clinton Street #10
Dead End bills itself as “Nashville’s Premier Metal & Punk Vinyl Store”. It’s hidden away inside a older building that has been converted to space for distilleries, book stores, and the like. The selection isn’t huge (OK, it’s pretty small), but they do have a separate section for local stuff, which I appreciate, including cassettes. In addition to a few records I also grabbed a copy of Cat Taylor’s book, Music Row Rejects, a history of the Nashville punk scene from 1980-1997 – exactly the kind of local thing I’m looking for when I’m traveling.