Underneathica's Guide to Atlanta Record Stores, part 4
I can't conclude this series without mentioning my favorite haunt, Eat More Records, though it is a bit of a drive from Atlanta. Countless musicians, gypsies, tramps and thieves have made the trek from Atlanta to Athens, and Eat More Records is midway along that route. If you are traveling north from Atlanta on I-85, and you bear right onto Highway 316 (to go east toward Athens), take the first exit (Sugarloaf Parkway) and turn right. You will pass a Publix shopping center, and then another Publix shopping center (both on the right). Eat More Records is adjacent to the second Publix (in a strippe mall called the Village Shoppes).Eat More first opened in Norcross in 1979, and they moved to Lawrenceville about three years ago. They sell new and used CD's and movies, but the glory of the store is its wealth of 12", 10", and 7" vinyl. Craig (the owner) loves Dylan and the blues; Cliff is the expert on power pop and synth-pop; and Jeremy is the go-to guy for all things REM-related. 3370 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite G-3, Lawrenceville (678-442-9530). Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am to 8pm; Fri-Sat 11am to 9pm; Sundays 12noon to 7pm.
While you're in the area, there are a couple more places to find good music. From Eat More Records, head back toward 316 on Sugarloaf Parkway, but turn left onto Lawrenceville Highway 29. Go about 7 miles south, and you will see Book Nook II on your left. This is a spin-off of the Book Nook in Atlanta, and I think there's more vinyl here than at the Atlanta location (plus CD's, books, movies and comics). 4664 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn (770-564-9462). Hours: Mon-Sat 10am to 8pm, Sundays 12noon to 8pm.
From Book Nook, continue southwest on Lawrenceville Highway to the first light, and turn left on Indian Trail Road. Go a little over a mile, and on your left (just past the Burns Road intersection) is another goddam strip mall. There you will find Audio Alternative, a retailer of high-end audio equipment with a modest but intriguing selection of vinyl and SA-CD's. Try not to drool on the vacuum tube amplifiers. 895 Indian Trail Road, Suite 15, Lilburn (770-931-0606). Hours: Tues-Fri 11am to 7pm, Saturdays 10am to 6pm.
Longtime WREK DJ Jon Kincaid recently reminisced about Atlanta record stores that have closed their doors in his "Personality Crisis" blog. He mentioned Rowan's in Marietta as a good place where you can still buy records. There is also a Book Nook in Marietta. I haven't been to either of these stores.
The growth of online CD sales, as well as legal and illegal download sites, has contributed to the decline of the independent music retailer. Atlanta has its own online CD store, Joe Rockhead. I'm not saying Joe Rockhead is causing record stores to close. It's a great site for independent music that features a lot of Athens and Atlanta bands, plus some of the hard to find titles from (Joe Rockhead owner) Steve Pilon's label, Long Play Records. If you're going to shop online, you can still buy from an independent local retailer. Thanks for shopping Atlanta's record stores with me. Now go buy some music!
Labels: ATL record stores
4 Comments:
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Decatur CD. Never forget.
Nice posts on Atlanta record stores. You hit all my favorites - Decatur CD, Wuxtry, Ella Guru, Criminal, Book Nook. And the Rowan's mention blows my mind. Didn't know Jon Kincaid had called it out before, but that little place in Marietta (where I grew up) is somewhere I've always thought of as my little secret. You REALLY have to dig, and you certainly have to come on the right days. But, with a little crate digging, I've found a TON of good vinyl there.
Dear readers, Eat More Records has closed as of 2/2008. And Jon Kincaid's blog seems to be no more.
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