Reviewed by: Michael Seale
Our greatest finds at local record shops in + around Huntsville
Reading time: 5 minutes
You may have heard about the “vinyl revival,” or the recent surge of interest in vinyl records and record players. In some areas of the world, vinyl records are more popular than they ever were, and globally, they’ve already dominated well over CD sales.
Coming from a Gen-Zer who has participated in this revival, I personally think there’s a unique sound quality on vinyl you can’t get on any other format. Also, I love album artwork, so buying a vinyl is like buying my favorite music with a beautiful piece of visual art — double the masterpiece.
There are some great local record shops in Huntsville, and the Hville Blast team have found some amazing albums at each store.
Elizabeth’s find — Maxwell’s Music
- “Suburbs” by The Suburbs — 1986, new wave
“I purchased this from Maxwell’s Music this summer. I walked into his shop wanting something new but had no clue what. He has all oldies, and I told him a bit about my music taste and he recommended this Suburbs album plus one other. I couldn’t pick so I just got both, and love listening to both of them now!”
Elizabeth Hobbs, Content Producer Intern, Hville Blast
You won’t have any luck looking for this album on CD or any modern streaming service.
“Nothing I would’ve found on my own, and now I have that sweet memories of chatting with the owner Jarrod every time I listen. Suburbs is a 70s-80s alternative punk rock/funk/new wave band, and I love the record.”
Elizabeth Hobbs, Content Producer Intern, Hville Blast
Michael’s finds — Vertical House Records
- “The Blips” by The Blips — 2021, rock + roll
- “Beauty and the Beat” by The Go-Go’s — 1981, new wave/pop rock/post-punk/surf-rock
- “Tim” by The Replacements — 1985, alternative rock/punk rock/power pop
“I grew up on listening to my parents old records, but like everyone else, I started buying cassettes then CDs, etc. But about 10 years ago I bought a turntable and started buying vinyl. I probably own 200 records, but, the last 3 albums I bought were from Vertical House Records.”
Michael Seale, Managing Content Producer, Hville Blast
I’m not sure if I’ll ever have enough space for 200 records, but I can certainly dream!
“The Replacements’ album ‘Tim’ is one of my all-time favorites and one of the band’s albums I didn’t have on vinyl. The Blips are a band from Birmingham consisting of some the most talented and respected musicians in the Magic City. The Go Go’s album needs no explanation. If you grew up in the 80s, you know.”
Michael Seale, Managing Content Producer, Hville Blast
Lacey’s finds — Black Dog Grounds + Sounds
- “Christmas Presents” by various artists — 1976, Christmas
- “Joan Baez 5” by Joan Baez — 1964, folk
- “Violin Concerto in D Major” by Johannes Brahms — composed in 1878, concerto
- “Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1” by Chicago Symphony Orchestra — 1955, classical/romantic
“Here are some of the records I’ve gotten from Black Dog. Sometimes it can be really hard to find classical records but they always had a great selection for amazing prices. I love listening to classical music while I read so I was so happy to find their collection!”
Lacey Spear, Senior Content Producer, Hville Blast
Black Dog Grounds & Sounds was one of the Huntsville area’s most beloved local record shops. We’re all very sad about their closing, but we’re even happier about the memories made there and the great music and coffee they sold.
Curtis’s finds — Vertical House Records
- “21” by Adele — 2011, pop-soul/R&B
- “25” by Adele — 2015, pop/soul/R&B
- “Introducing…” by Aaron Frazer — 2021, blues-rock
- “Sob Rock” by John Mayer — 2021, pop rock/soft rock
- “evermore” by Taylor Swift — 2020, alternative rock/chamber rock/folk-pop/indie folk
- “Notes on a Conditional Form” by The 1975 — 2020, rock/pop/electronic/experimental
- “Footloose: Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Motion Picture” by various artists — 1984, album-oriented rock/pop rock/synth-pop
“Every time I visit Vertical House Records, I’m always pleasantly surprised. In my quest to collect every Adele album like the Infinity Stones, I was so happy to find both ’21’ and ’25.’ Sorry Swifties, but ‘Sob Rock’ is a great album, although I like ‘evermore’ quite a bit more. Aaron Frazer’s album, The 1975’s album and the ‘Footloose’ soundtrack were a few other records I had a hard time finding anywhere else.”
Curtis Venetta, Content Producer Intern, Hville Blast
What are you spinning from local record shops today?
Stay in the know, Huntsville! Follow Hville Blast on Facebook, TikTok, Threads and Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.
