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We've compiled the best of the best in Washington - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
This independent record store is a mecca for vinyl lovers, stocking both vintage classics and the latest indie darlings. It's clean and organized, but with just the right amount of a time-worn vibe. Along with the vinyl, you'll find CDs and even cassettes, and a staff of enthusiasts happy to point you in the right direction. If they have one of their free in-store events when you're in the neighborhood, stop by for a unique musical experience.
This small, stylishly outfitted shop with a roll-up door for warm days, stocks a great, varied selection of great-condition used vinyl, including deep-catalog albums, plus a lot of 45s. Local audiophiles adore this place.
A Seattle institution since 1979, Dusty Strings has long been delighting folk and roots music lovers with beautifully crafted hammered dulcimers, harps, guitars of all stripes, banjos, ukuleles, and mandolins. The relaxed shop invites hands-on browsing, and the lilting strains of traditional melodies often fill the space.
Opened in 1988 and still thriving, this record store will make you feel cool enough to wander the aisles and browse the new and used vinyl, even if you've never dropped a needle in your life. A staple of Seattle's music scene, it hosts free in-store performances by bands you've probably heard of (Pearl Jam has played here), along with selling records, CDs, cassettes, and DVDs. Listening stations let you preview albums before purchasing, and the attached café offers the kind of breakfast you'd want after a night of rocking out. Every other Monday is Music Quiz night.
If punk rock still means more to you than an anarchy patch on a Target hoodie, this place deserves a pilgrimage. The shop specializes in punk and its offshoots, everything from hardcore to ska, on both CD and vinyl, but you’ll also find a solid selection of rockabilly, indie rock, and hip-hop.
If you're on the hunt for Japanese avant-rock on LP, antiwar spoken word, spiritual reggae with Afro-jazz undertones, or old screen-printed show posters, you've found the place. They carry new and used CDs and LPs of all sorts, specializing in the kinds of things you probably won't find anywhere else.
