Looking for a record to add to your collection? Or a unique album that no one’s heard of? Well, Salt Lake City has quite a few record shops for all the music enthusiasts out there.
Here are a few of the best record shops around town.
Diabolical Records
238 S. Edison St. East, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
When they opened their doors 11 years ago, they didn’t do any advertising. Instead, they held concerts for small bands inside the shop to get people to come together and enjoy something they’d never heard before. Although they had to stop the concerts because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that has remained the heart of the store.
“Our passion and the reason we have the store is so that we can bring in small artists and to introduce people to new and interesting music,” said founder Adam Tye.
Diabolical Records specializes in selling records from small artists. In some cases, they are one of the few stores in the country that sell them. They are also big supporters of the Salt Lake City music scene, selling and supporting local bands.
FOUNTAIN Records
202 E. 500 S., Salt Lake City, UT 84111
New to the scene, only opening one year ago, FOUNTAIN Records is both a place to find new music and enjoy a good drink. They hold a variety of events, like DJ and live music nights, record release parties and other listening events. They have become a hub for the Salt Lake City music scene.
Finding and selling records has been a passion project for owner Adam Terry and his friends for years. This inspired their interest in opening their own shop, with their love for music remaining at the heart of their store.
“We are a collective of record enthusiasts and music enthusiasts,” said Terry.
Gabriel Mitchell, one of the shop’s employees, describes it as a digger’s shop. He likes to tell people, “You’ll find the best record you thought never existed here.”
Selling a variety of records and consignment collections as well, Mitchell said, “It brings in a new layer of music that exists in Salt Lake City. As a radio DJ, I find that really amazing.”
Sound and Vision Vinyl, LLC
3444 S. Main St., South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Sound and Vision Vinyl is a sanctuary for the memories held within music.
Michael Maccarrone started running record stores when he was 16 years old, running shops in New York City before coming to Utah and opening Sound and Vision Vinyl in 2015.
Maccarrone noticed the shift in the music industry when they switched from the vinyl record to the CD, and then again when everything shifted to streaming services.
“It sadly devalued music,” said Maccarrone. The mechanical royalty rates in 2024 are 12.40 cents per physical copy/purchased download and 0.0006 cents per stream.
“Those people who were receiving checks back then of $50,000 for royalties now receive paychecks for $10,” said Maccarrone.
Music was no longer a sustainable passion for some to pursue, which was heartbreaking for artists.
“Music to me is as important as oxygen and food. Music is one of the few things that gives you memories of people, places, times, events, emotions. It’s the happiness of going out, it’s the sadness of breaking up with somebody and thinking that you’re never gonna love anyone again. Nothing else does that,” said Maccarrone.
The music industry switched to the CD under the context that they sounded better and due to some strings being pulled behind the scenes. However, the CDs failed to live up to it.
“They didn’t sound as warm, there was a coldness to it,” Maccarrone said. “There were so many things about a record that is so much more appealing than a CD.”
He also noted the physical nature of listening to records.
“When you listen to something digital, or a CD, you think ‘Oh that’s a good song,’ and you hit a button,” he said. “A record, you’ve got to get up, pick the needle up, put it at the beginning of the record. You’ve just become a member of the band, you’re playing an instrument in the band, you’re a part of it. It’s different.”
Although the industry may have devalued music, the people who come through his shop have not.
“The only thing that’s changed over the years is my attitude, my hair color and the prices of records. I still see people walking in the door and leaving with the same feelings or facial expressions or emotions that I had when I was 20 years old,” Maccarrone said.
Fortunately for Maccarrone, he has been able to find a way to pursue his passion for music throughout the years. He and his band, That Sound In Your Head, play shows around Salt Lake City and are recording an album.
“My world doesn’t really exist in the real world,” said Maccarrone.
Each shop holds its own stories and memories for you to enjoy. So, as Penny Lane said in “Almost Famous (2000),” “If you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.”
