It’s been a while since I’ve done a Record Stores Of The World feature, but with a trip to Austin, Texas for the Austin Record Convention, I thought there was no better time to get back to it. I was only in Texas for four days and three of them were mainly taken up by the record convention, but I managed to visit a few shops around both Austin and Houston. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to all the stores in these cities, but I found some great ones among those I did visit.
Cactus Music, Houston, Texas
Starting of in Houston, as it is where I flew into and had a full day spare. Arriving in the early AM after a long flight from Sydney, I grabbed my hire car, a diner breakfast and it was just timed perfectly for the first shops in Houston to open for the day. Cactus Music is a staple of the city, I had visited it before when last in Houston nearly a decade ago, but this time I got to spend some time in there. It has an extensive range of new records, some solid second-hand selections, and a lot of other novelties. As with a lot of US stores, it is spacious and Cactus Music make it easy to find things, which is not like every store!
Sig's Lagoon Record Shop, Houston, Texas
Just nearby is Sig’s Lagoon Record Shop. When you enter it feels like you’re entering a bit of a time warp, as it’s a throwback to the second-hand record stores of the late 80’s and early 90's, however it’s definitely not stuck in time. The shop has an extensive collection of new vinyl to match its large used vinyl collection. The new/reissue soundtrack section was especially big, matching anything I’ve seen before in any store. As mentioned, the used vinyl section is large, and although the lay out can be a bit confusing at first, once you are orientated you should be able to find the genres you are looking for. If you plan to dig through all the crates, set aside a full day!
Vinal Edge, Houston, Texas
Vinal Edge was my third and final store visit in Houston, and it was another well stocked store with both new and second-hand vinyl. It was well laid out and also stocked a large range of CD’s. The new arrivals section was hidden away down the back but once I saw that’s where the locals seemed to be crowding around, I found my way there. While I didn’t find any grails there personally, there were plenty of classics that had just rolled through the doors.
Austin Record Convention
Next up is the Austin Record Convention, said to be the USA’s largest record fair. I roll in on the early shopper day before the main event, and most of the stalls are set and ready. The convention sprawls over two large convention centres halls and features hundreds of sellers. There are probably more records in one place then I have ever seen before and the event attracts sellers and visitors not just from across the USA, but around the world. The excellent Mr Bongo label out of Brighton in the UK have a stall (you’ll be able to check out some of their latest releases in Music Farmers soon) and are great to chat with, the legendary Goner Records out of Memphis have a stall and it's nice to catch up with and talk Australian music. I was rocking my Flying Nun shirt on one of the days and that was a conversation starter from many people, there is so much love the for that label. Jack White is seen flicking through records and I’m also told DJ Shadow was around as well. It is a great experience to pick up some records you probably won’t find elsewhere but also to chat to vendors, other store and label owners as well as enthusiastic record collectors.
Magic Ilse Record Shop, Austin, Texas
With some time at the end of each day to look around at the actual record stores in Austin, I firstly hit the legendary Waterloo Records, and I find one of my grail records in the just arrived second hand section, the very hard to get first pressing of Warumpi Band’s Big Name, No Blankets. Waterloo Records is one of the best stocked and most well-known stores in all of the USA, a must visit any time you are in the Texan capital.
Breakaway Records, Austin, Texas
My time is a bit limited but elsewhere around Austin I managed to check out End Of An Ear, another incredibly well stocked store for both new and used vinyl and Antone’s which is a haven for used vinyl, before heading off to Mohawk in downtown Austin to see Gang Of Four play a show. Following the next day at the convention I then managed to check out Magic Isle which is a small but well curated store, especially if you like global sounds, but as a lot of the stuff that is in the store are records you may not find elsewhere, you do have to pay for it! The final stop for me in Austin was Breakaway Records, previously this one hasn’t been on my radar but I discovered them via their stall at the convention, and they really have a strong stock selection. A lot of new vinyl but amongst it are some used vinyl treasures!
End Of An Ear, Austin, Texas
That does it for this part of Texas this time around. A visit to the Austin Record Convention is highly recommended for any collector and you can fit in some store visits and live music as there is always something good on in Austin!