A walk-through of the record stores in Raleigh

Just a few decades ago, there were only a few ways to discover music, listening to the radio and buying records. Nowadays, finding new music is easier than finding a penny on the ground. Ever since the explosion of digital platforms such as iTunes and Spotify, finding and listening to music is much more accessible and convenient. The rise of these digital platforms have made most physical media irrelevant; however, vinyl is looking to make a comeback.

While CD and digital sales decline, vinyl sales are booming. Since 2009, vinyl sales have grown 260%. The driving force of this increase can be attributed to millennials interested in an old tradition. Many people buy records because they enjoy the tangibility, the sound of Vinyl, or the nostalgia behind it. If you are looking into collecting records, here are four record stores in Raleigh that I recommend.
Schoolkids Records
One of the longest-running record store chains in the Triangle, The Schoolkids Records in Raleigh is a great location that sells records both new and old. The inventory of the store varies in many genres ranging from Heavy Metal to Hip-Hop. Each individual genre has an impressive amount of top notch records. One genre that impressed me the most was the Hip-Hop collection. It consisted of classic albums such as Illmatic by Nas, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm by A Tribe Called Quest, and even modern albums like To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. Regardless of which genre is your favorite, SchoolKids is bound to have something that catches your eye.
Sorry State Records
Located in Downtown Raleigh, Sorry State Records is a small store that makes up for it’s size with its thorough record collection. As the name suggests, the store specializes in Punk Rock and Heavy Metal. Despite those two genres being the shops bread and butter, they also have classic rock albums such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles and Space Oddity by David Bowie. To my surprise, the store has an impressive collection of Jazz and Soul records. It has classic jazz records such as A Love Supreme by John Coltrane and classic funk albums such as The Payback by James Brown. If you love heavier music such as punk and metal, Sorry State is the record store for you. Even if that’s not your thing, you might find some surprises.
The Record Krate
Another record store located in Downtown Raleigh, The Record Krate doesn’t feel like a record store at first, but rather a house with rooms stockpiled with records. The store has a substantial amount of old records both familiar and obscure. One section of the store is dedicated to displaying older and pre-owned records, while the other section contains newer and more familiar records. The newer section is stacked with albums from all sorts of different genres ranging from rock to hip-hop. Records that caught my eye were Abbey Road by The Beatles and Elephant by The White Stripes. If you’re looking for a record store with a quirky vibe and a good selection of records new and old, The Record Krate should be the first place to look.
Edward Mckay Used Books & More
While this shop is not a record store, I thought it was worth a mention due to it’s modest but impressive record selection. While you will not find many new records at Edward Mckay’s, you can find used records mostly around at the low price of $5. When I visited the store, I bought five records which only cost $25.00, the price of one brand new record. One of the albums I purchased, Open Our Eyes by Earth, Wind, and Fire, sounded pristine, despite being gently used. If you want to buy records that do not bite a chunk out of your wallet, check out Edward Mckay’s for low prices.