Updated on April 18, 2024. Long before apps like Spotify and Apple Music, listening to your favorite tunes was confined to humble vinyl records: no new-fangled rewind button, skipping tracks, or pausing songs. While you may enjoy the convenience of having millions of songs at your fingertips, vinyl records possess undeniable nostalgia and far superior sound quality than you’ll find on streaming platforms.
What better time to dive into your new vinyl obsession than on April 20, better known as Record Store Day? This unofficial holiday celebrates independent record stores and the collectors who keep them in business.
Check out these independent record shops in NoVA, and happy listening.
DIG! Records and Vintage
A short walk from the heart of Leesburg, DIG has more than enough stock to spend the whole day digging. The shop has a wide selection of everything from 1950s jazz to modern hip-hop, $1 LP deals, and even a healthy helping of vintage clothing. This Record Store Day, DIG will showcase vintage and hard-to-find original pressings in genres like jazz, psychedelic rock, metal, and soul. 212C Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg
Crooked Beat Records
At Crooked Beat, you’ll find an extensive assortment of every musical genre and an impressive collection of DC musicians and DMV artists. For Record Store Day, Crooked Beat will have titles that are exclusive to the day or are firsts. See the entire list. 2417 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria
Mobius Records
The picture-perfect expression of a New Wave record shop, Mobius is tiny, yet mighty. A vast collection of classics awaits, including classic rock, country, and blues. However, it still leaves room for modern albums and new releases. For Record Store Day, Mobius is going all out with a block party featuring live DJs, food, and beer. Doors open at 9 a.m., but some fanatics line up as early as the day before the event. 10409 Main St., Ste. D, Fairfax
Vienna Music Exchange
New and used LPs, CDs, and DVDs abound at this shop, specializing in metal, punk, and rock. Browse the shop’s Facebook page to see new arrivals and current sales. If you want to grow your cassette or rare curiosities collection, this shop has what you need. 131 Church St. NW, Ste. 4, Vienna
Right On! Records
Vintage vinyl is the name of the game here. New estate sale collections regularly arrive at the store. Comb through a bevy of classic jazz, rock, and international music. For Record Store Day, it will offer a sale on older titles and bring out its stashed vintage vinyl. 731 Elden St., Herndon
CD Cellar
This list wouldn’t be complete without including one of the largest record stores in the Mid-Atlantic, CD Cellar. Opened in 1992 in a Falls Church basement storefront, CD Cellar has since grown beyond the basement, moving to its above-ground location in 2016. You’ll find a vast array of LPs, CDs, Blu-Ray DVDs, and SACDs (super audio compact discs), a lesser-known format hailed for better audio quality. 105 Park Ave., Falls Church
Feature image courtesy DIG! Records & Vintage
For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine’s Shopping newsletter.