One of the great music capitals of America, the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN) gave us Prince, The Replacements, Jam & Lewis, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, The Time, Semisonic, The Jayhawks, Atmosphere and more. Not to mention serving as early stomping grounds for Minnesota-born legend Bob Dylan and, more recently, a pre-fame Lizzo as she cut her chops.
Given that history, it’s no shock that the Twin Cities punches above its weight when it comes to record stores. While a lot of beloved spots have closed over the years, it’s a testament to the city’s thriving music culture that quite a few record stores have stayed open for 30-plus years now, still going strong after weathering the sharp decline in physical media consumption in the era of streaming (a trend that has happily begun to reverse). Even as Minnesota-based chain retailers such as Best Buy and Target have scaled back (or in some cases eliminated) their music offerings, these independent record stores are keeping physical music – CDs, vinyl and cassettes — alive in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Whether you’re visiting and looking for a store to browse, a local collector looking for new crate-digging turf or someone just beginning to put together their physical music collection, these stores all come highly recommended. Some of them double as coffee shops, others include performance spaces – all of them are worth a trip (or 10). (On a personal note, it was at two of them – Eclipse and Cheapo – that I began to scoop up vinyl for a collection that’s now in the thousands.)
What follows is a breakdown of each store’s space, selections, prices and general atmosphere. The descriptions are by no means comprehensive of everything each store carries. For each store (listed in alphabetical order), please check out its website and/or socials before visiting to keep up to date on what days/times the store is open, whether they’re doing Record Store Day that year and what special events they may be hosting. Many of them sell titles online, too, and nearly all of them buy as well as sell.
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Agharta Records
2512 University Ave. W, St. Paul, MN. Website.
Located in a sizable corner space on University Avenue (walking distance from Barely Brothers Records), Agharta Records is an excellent spot for the seasoned or budding crate digger. There’s new and used stock from a variety of genres, but Agharta stands out for its niche offerings in metal, prog-rock, jazz, hip-hop, psychedelic, reggae and local music. If you have time to spare, head to the back room (dubbed “The Dig Room”) and pull out a box of used LPs priced between $1-4 – there’s gold in them thar crates. For the collector willing to pony up a bit more cash for some rarities, there’s a section devoted to rarities, where you can get used first pressings (in excellent shape) by David Bowie, Iron Maiden and others for between $50-100.
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Barely Brothers Records
783 Raymond Ave., St. Paul, MN. Website.
Just across the Mississippi River in St. Paul, right off University Avenue (and walking distance from Agharta Records) is Barely Brothers Records, a treasure of a record store to lose yourself in. The first room is dedicated to the latest new releases, with the lengthy backroom boasting an extensive vinyl collection – everything from reggae to jazz to country to Afrobeat — with fresh titles coming in daily. The staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable, the vibe is chill. You could spend hours sifting through the boxes of 45s on the wall, which include used first-pressing titles from James Brown, Loretta Lynn and a “weirdo” box, housing vintage oddities such as instrumentals evoking rainstorms and germs – no, not the band, but the disease-causing microorganism.
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Caydence Records & Coffee
900 Payne Ave., St. Paul, MN. Website.
“Like a bridge over troubled water, I will pound espresso down” promises a poster outside this St. Paul hybrid coffee shop/record store. The long, spacious digs (there’s even a performance space in the back) contributes to a lively yet chill atmosphere. For a store with a smaller selection, there’s quite a variety of new and used, from rock/pop to jazz to hip-hop to R&B to metal to blues to country; if you’re in the market for oldies or classical, the on-the-floor crates have hundreds of titles for cheap. Used titles in good shape are about four bucks, and you can score new vinyl editions of classic albums for as low as $20. Plus, there are 45s, cassettes, zines, locally made clothing and to-go coffee beans roasted by Caydence.
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Cheapo
2600 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, MN & 71 Snelling Ave. N, St. Paul, MN. Website.
In terms of selection and price, Cheapo might be the best bet in the Twin Cities. With locations in both Minneapolis and St. Paul (as well as Blaine, MN), Cheapo – which first opened in 1972 — has pretty much any new release you could be looking for on vinyl or CD at a reasonable price. But Cheapo really soars when it comes to used vinyl and CDs; gently used CDs can be picked up on the cheap, and you’re liable to find some lesser-known classics on vinyl for five bucks or less (it’s called Cheapo for a reason). The breadth of genres is hard to beat; rock/pop is best represented, but there’s an imposing selection of soul, R&B, blues, jazz, country, disco, classical, metal, punk, comedy, Broadway, experimental, you name it. New stock is sorted separately by day of the week, so frequent perusers can pick up rarities before they enter the general stacks. Cheapo is a perfect place for the expert crate digger and the physical music neophyte looking to build up a respectable collection without breaking the bank. Plus, it’s got history: In 1979, at a now torn-down Cheapo location, future Hüsker Dü bandmates Grant Hart and Bob Mould met for the first time.
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Disco Death Records
721 W 26th St., Minneapolis, MN. Website.
Located just off Lyndale Avenue, Disco Death Records is the rare coffee shop/vinyl store that doesn’t shortchange one or the other. There’s a big selection of new vinyl (metal LPs sit comfortably alongside Taylor Swift) plus a well-curated section of staff picks. Hip-hop, electronica, jazz, country, soul, funk – Disco Death covers a lot of ground, and even has a sizable selection of Japanese city pop titles. With excellent coffee, plenty of room and a sly sense of humor (sugar for your coffee is labeled “The Sugarcubes” in a nod to Björk), this is a great hang for artists. (Plus, it’s walking distance from Lucky Cat Records.)
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Eclipse Records
419 Wabasha St. N, St. Paul, MN. Website.
Eclipse Records originally opened at 4:20 p.m. on Sept. 9, 1999 near Macalester College in St. Paul and housed performances from local acts (including Heiruspecs) in its early days. In 2015, it relocated to downtown St. Paul (a stone’s throw from the Palace Theatre and Original Candyland, a legendary local confectionary), where it continues to house one of the best curated collections of new and used vinyl in the Twin Cities. The first thing you notice upon entering (aside from the freestanding vintage Pavement promo display painted by Steve Keene) is a glass case full of rare 45s, vintage titles from Jimmie Rodgers, King Curtis, Nat Adderley, Frank Sinatra and more. Long-playing vinyl occupies most of the long, rectangular space; Eclipse has a massive selection of rock (plenty of Dylan), soul, funk (Prince is well represented), hip-hop, country, local acts, bluegrass and pop, plus respectable offerings when it comes to reggae and other international genres. The staff (including Joe Furth, who has steered Eclipse through bright and dark days) are happy to shoot the sh-t if you strike up a conversation, and they have a nicely curated section of their own faves.
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Electric Fetus
2000 4th Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN. Website.
The most legendary independent record store in Minnesota (and possibly the best monikered record store in the country), Electric Fetus began gestating in 1968, relocating to its current location off 35W four years later. The store maintains the irreverent, counterculture vibes of its early years while also keeping up with the times. There’s a big selection of Prince and Minnesota music merch, incense and other gift items, but make no mistake – this is first and foremost a record store, and one of the country’s best. Electric Fetus has a massive selection of new and used vinyl and CDs (plus some DVDs), and the spacious locale means there’s room for rows and rows of rock, pop, jazz, metal, hip-hop, soul, electronic, folk, country – there’s even a dedicated space for K-pop collectibles, experimental oddities and signed LPs. With solid prices and a knowledgeable, passionate staff that’s always spinning something wonderful, Electric Fetus is great for those on the hunt for specific titles, just browsing or simply killing time.
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Extreme Noise Records
407 W Lake St., Minneapolis, MN. Website.
Located on Minneapolis’ bustling Lake Street, Extreme Noise Records specializes in punk and punk-adjacent vinyl and CDs. Open since 1994, it’s not a traditional business – it’s actually a record collective, a co-op run by passionate volunteers that goes out of its way to spotlight local artists. (There are yellow “local artist” flags on offerings from Minnesota talent, everything from fresh-out-the-gates punk bands to genre icons like Bob Mould.) As you’d expect for a genre-specific store, the punk catalog goes deep and the prices are reasonable, though obviously you’ll pay more if you’re snagging one of the store’s many rare titles. For punk fans who don’t do physical media, there’s a massive selection of killer t-shirts, too.
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Hymie’s Records
3820 E Lake St., Minneapolis, MN. Website
With a soothing green-yellow color scheme and freestanding tables to sit down at, Hymie’s Records is as much of a spot to hang as a place to shop. A Minneapolis institution since the late ‘80s, Hymie’s – located just off Lake Street, not far from the beloved Hi-Lo Diner — has a respectable collection of new vinyl (pop, rap, rock, R&B) and a vast selection of used rock, country, jazz, big band, rockabilly, disco and R&B records (including 45s) at great prices (though you’ll naturally pay a bit more for a specialty item in top shape). You can gander at everything from an old-time jukebox to victrola horns to turntables while wandering through the spacious store, and if you’re in the market for a turntable, you can even pick one up there.
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Know Name Records
6009 Portland Ave., Minneapolis, MN. Website.
Located a short drive from the gorgeous Lake Nokomis, Know Name Records has a homey, hippie hangout feel, with tapestries hanging from the ceiling, incense in the air and bowls n’ bongs on sale for those who imbibe. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and the prices are good, especially in the used CD wing of the store – you can find a ton of classic titles from most genres in great shape for five bucks (there’s cassettes, too). New vinyl LPs go for market rate, but you can find some $2 used LPs in good shape here. Most of the vinyl stock is pop-rock, although there’s country, blues, R&B, metal and more, too, and a great selection of 45s to boot. Know Name, which has been rocking since 1977, also hosts the occasional live performance, and has a pinball machine and vintage arcade game for those looking to toke, err, take up some time.
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Lucky Cat Records
2557 Lyndale Ave. S, Minneapolis MN. Website.
Lucky Cat Records – one of the only female owned-record stores in the Twin Cities – opened in 2024 but inherits decades of history, as the corner spot on Lyndale and 26th formerly housed two legendary local record stores, Treehouse Records and Oar Folkjokeopus (both defunct). It was at the latter location that a young Paul Westerberg handed a demo to Twin/Tone Records co-founder Peter Jesperson, who was blown away by what he heard and eventually became the Replacements’ manager. The ‘Mats hung out at Oar Folk, too, as it was kitty-corner from their go-to watering hole, CC Club (which is still open); Tommy Stinson and the Wallflowers played Lucky Cat’s modest stage when it opened during the summer of 2024. It’s a fun store with friendly owners and a big selection of new titles and local music (including Minnesota heroes Bob Dylan and Prince), with a sizable collection of well-curated gifts, too, from shirts to books to puzzles.
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The Record Spot
405 W 38th St., Minneapolis, MN. Facebook.
Located near Lake Harriet, The Record Spot is a tiny store – more than five customers and it’s gonna feel cramped – with a surprisingly great used vinyl selection for its size, particularly when it comes to alternative bands from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. The owner is easygoing and full of stories, and happy to cut deals. A quick-stop spot for steals, this store also boasts a sizable collection of $1-2 LPs (the cardboard sleeve might be in rough shape but the vinyl itself is fine) as well as a box of sleeve-only titles (from icons such as Bowie and Roxy Music) that are perfect for those looking for a frameable display.
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Roadrunner Records
4534 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, MN. Website.
A bright mustard yellow rectangle on Nicollet Avenue, Roadrunner Records is small but mighty store that’s been around since the ‘80s. In addition to a curated selection of new releases on vinyl, Roadrunner is perhaps best known for an extensive selection of punk, new wave, indie, soul and disco albums – although there’s plenty of country, blues, pop and jazz, too (plus 45s and cassettes). If you’re buying used, you’ll likely snag a few classic LPs in great shape for just five bucks.
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Urban Lights Music
1449 University Ave. W, St. Paul, MN. Website.
One of the precious few Black-owned record stores in the entire country, St. Paul’s Urban Lights Music is a must-stop location for hip-hop/R&B enthusiasts in the market for CDs and/or vinyl. Owner Tim Wilson, who has been running the store since 1993 (and has a wall-of-fame of signed CDs and pics of him with hip-hop luminaries), is a wealth of knowledge, and he sometimes opens the space up for open mics or DJ sets. As for the selection, there’s a mind-boggling amount of used hip-hop, R&B, soul, funk, New Jack Swing and beyond (singles and full lengths) with many of the titles in the $3-5 range, plus a respectable collection of blues, rock, jazz and pop. You’ll pay more (about market price) for new vinyl, with those rap-skewing selections displayed on a nicely arranged wall.
