Vinyl destination: Where to buy records in Louisville for music fans of all tastes

Music streaming services have become more popular in the past decade, but vinyl sales keep spinning in the right direction, as well. In the first half of 2023, the number of records sold in the U.S. was nearly 22% higher than the same period in 2022.

That impact can be felt in Louisville. Local record store owner Matt Anthony, the man behind the appropriately named Matt Anthony's Record Shop, said Black Friday sales were "bonkers," with major releases like Olivia Rodrigo's latest album driving sales at his Phoenix Hill business.

Travis Searle, who just celebrated 10 years running Clifton's Guestroom Records, said his business has seen sales grow across the board in recent years.

"We have definitely seen an uptick in sales for both CDs and cassettes tapes over the last couple of years, but vinyl is definitely the bread and butter of Guestroom Records," he said in an email. "We make special orders several times a week for items not in stock in the store but available from a variety of distributors."

Here's a map listing several locations in Louisville. You can visit several of them on a single trip down Bardstown Road and Baxter and Barret avenues.

The holidays are coming soon. If you're shopping for a music fan with a taste for vinyl, Louisville has plenty of options. Get familiar with a quick look at some of the city's most popular record stores, listed alphabetically:

Better Days Records

2600 W. Broadway suite 104, 502-456-2394; 921 Barret Ave., 502-774-9909

Better Days has two locations in Louisville — Better Days West sits in a shopping center along Broadway near the West End Kroger, while Better Days East is open on Barret Avenue, a block away from Wiltshire Pantry.

Owner Ben Jones told The Courier Journal in 2021 that the West End store is stocked with "jazz, R&B, soul, blues, gospel and rap. This store is about 3,000 square feet of nothing but that." The Barret Avenue location has offerings in those genres but also includes more pop and rock options. Both are open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Better Days West is closed Sundays, but Better Days East is open from noon to 6 p.m.

Book & Music Exchange

1616 Bardstown Road, 502-454-3328

If you turned on a television in Louisville at any point in the early 2000s, you probably remember some of Book & Music Exchange's wacky commercials. And the Highlands business is still serving customers today, with a section for vinyl offerings among its stocked shelves.

Records aren't the only items sold at Book & Music Exchange. As you'd probably guess, books are also sold on site, along with video games and other entertainment products like comics, CDs and DVDs — so many DVDs. It's open Monday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Electric Ladyland

2325 Bardstown Road, 502-458-4259

It's got a name Jimi Hendrix fans will recognize, but Electric Ladyland isn't exclusively a record store. The Highlands staple, open since 1978 and tough to miss with its rainbow paint job, describes itself as an "eccentric smoke shop" and "metaphysical supply store" on its website.

Vinyl is a popular product on its shelves, though, with a focus on classics from the 1960s and 1970s. It's open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Great Escape Louisville

2433 Bardstown Road, 502-456-2216

Like many others on this list, The Great Escape caters to different crowds. It's probably more well known for its comic book selection, manager Sonya Linser told The Courier Journal in 2021.

Still, the Bardstown Road business' selection has picks from all genres, she said — "anything from pop, hip hop, country. We really don't turn much away." It's open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.

Guestroom Records

1806 Frankfort Ave., 502-883-0478

Searle's Guestroom Records opened in October 2013. Searle had previously worked at a record store in Oklahoma.

The Frankfort Avenue business is all about the music — it has CDs and tapes, but vinyl records make up much of its inventory, with 15,000 records on hand and "more arriving daily." It's open Monday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

"Our specialty is new releases and deep catalog," Searle said. "We receive new product in the store every day and try our hardest to keep in demand artists stocked deep."

Kevin’s Records

947 E. Breckinridge St. at Fleur de Flea, 502-303-1573

Tucked away inside the Fleur de Flea vintage urban market in Paristown Pointe, Kevin's Records might not have the biggest inventory in Louisville, but the quality is there. You'll find rock and pop classics from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones promoted alongside a strong selection of soul and jazz records.

Fleur de Flea is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. You can find other records at the market as well as you stroll from booth to booth.

Matt Anthony’s Record Shop

536 Baxter Ave., 502-495-8837

Anthony is a mainstay on the Louisville music scene. You may hear him host "The Friday Night Sound-Clash" every weekend on WFPK.

His record store in the Highlands, open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., is a must-visit for vinyl fans, with all genres stocked but an emphasis on jazz, rap, metal, punk and soul. It isn't as spacious as some of the larger record shops in town, but Anthony said he's all about digging for records to curate the best selections.

"I'm not big, but I feel like my quality is as good as anybody."

Surface Noise

600 Baxter Ave., 502-654-7375

A block away from Matt Anthony's Record Shop sits Surface Noise, a unique Louisville gem that sells records along with books and art.

Surface Noise's Facebook page is active, frequently listing items for sale and promoting events such as poetry readings scheduled to take place at the store. The business is closed on Tuesdays but open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Monday.

Underground Sounds

1006 Barret Ave., 502-485-0174

Underground Sounds has flourished for more than 28 years under the ownership of Craig Rich, a passionate music fan who saw the Grateful Dead perform "over 300 times" before opening up shop. His store relocated from Highland Avenue to Germantown in 2019 and still draws crowds looking for quality CDs and records.

Rich, whose store is open daily from noon to 6 p.m., said he's seen an interesting trend: At Underground Sounds, CDs often outsell records, a trend he attributes to generally lower prices and more accessibility. His shop offers both, and while vinyl prices have risen recently, he said he works to keep products affordable to everyone, from adults with refined tastes to kids just discovering the classics.

"I don't want to sell 'Dark Side of the Moon' to a 17-year-old for $35," he said. "I have a problem with that."

Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville record stores: 10 popular vinyl music shops in the city