One highlight about making the hour and a half drive to the cities has always been the abundance of good record stores available. If I’m going to a show or something, I’ll normally try to leave a couple hours early to give myself some time to bum around and hit a couple up. Eau Claire has had a couple of stores popping up over the last couple years, but the Twin Cities huge variety makes it easier for me to find what I’m looking for.
Shows at The Beat in uptown are great for this reason, since Cheapo, Extreme Noise and Treehouse Records are pretty much all in walking distance. I’m not from the area and even I know how to get to all of these without directions.
Here’s my rundown of the usual stops I make:
Cheapo Records: Cheapo’s got everything. The first few times I went, their huge selection was slightly overwhelming. The do a great job of getting in new records, and there are plenty of gems that will show up in the used sections if you’re lucky enough (example: a friend of mine found an original press of Jawbreaker’s Unfun for 15 bucks). They carry a small amount of hardcore and punk stuff, but nothing out of the ordinary. However, they definitely pick up the slack that the big chains (Best Buy, Target, Borders, etc) don’t have. They’ve got everything from cassettes and records in the basement, and plenty of CDs and DVDs if you’re browsing upstairs. It’s always difficult for me to leave without buying something. Prices are always reasonable too, even for the more rare stuff. Plus, the employees always know their shit and are more than glad to help, especially the old dude who looks like J. Mascis.
Treehouse Records: I actually haven’t been here in a couple years but I remember them having a great selection as well. The store’s pretty small and barebones, but that just means there’s less crap to wade through. The 50-cent bargain bin rules.
Extreme Noise: This one should be the most obvious if you’re reading this. What I really like about the place is how it’s run as a co-op; the employees are all volunteers, and all of the profits go back into the store. Prices are awesome for both new and used stuff. Their selection ranges everything from plenty of local punk and hardcore from Dillinger Four to Disembodied, plenty of death/black metal, crust, etc. The staff is leaps and bounds above being nice, enthusiastic about what they’re doing, and more than welcoming to newcomers. I’ve never had a bad experience and have never walked out empty handed. Their website is also fantastic and has a great read on their history (did you know that Botch and The Get Up Kids played in the basement of their Nicollet location? I didn’t.) So I’d suggest checking that out as well.
Eclipse Records: If I have some extra time on my hands I’ll stop here on the way to Minneapolis. Good selection of new and used stuff with a good variety of indie and punk records. I will say, however, that I can usually find what I’m looking for at any of the other stores I’ve mentioned already, but this isn’t a drawback by any means, just more of a personal preference. What helps set this place apart from the rest are the arcade games (I think I spent more time playing Marvel vs. Capcom than I did browsing records on my last visit) and the back room for in-store shows.
-Nate Dimit