Slightly OT Seattle music stores

[Rich Panteluk]

Sorry for the slightly off topic post, but I was wondering if anyone who either lives in Seattle or is very familiar with Seattle and it's cd and record shops could give me a hand.

I am going to Seattle for a work conference (Wednesday - Saturday) this week and I have a bit of down time and I would like to hit the 3 BEST cd / Record shops.  Mostly I am looking for a used / new cd stores with a great selection of pop / rock / alternative stuff.  I love BW / BB but tons of other good pop too.  I prefer cds but if the selection is great I also buy vinyl occasionally.  I also tend to like used cd places as I am always looking for good prices and out of print stuff

I have been to Seattle twice (once to see Brian Wilson do Smile at the Paramount theatre in 2005, and once in 1994 or 1995 to see The Beautiful South at the backstage club.  So I am vaguely familiar with some areas of Seattle but I don't have that great a sense of direction.

Any other suggestions of cool things to do in Seattle would be most welcome.  Thanks.

Rich
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

richp20@hotmail.com

[brianc]

Golden Oldies Record Shop is great for '50s and '60s vinyl and CDs. Bop Street Records is probably the biggest record shop in Seattle. It's a bit overpriced, but they have an incredible amount of rare records and used CDs. Jive Time Records is probably the coolest record store in Seattle. It really comes out of DJ culture, so you have tons of good soul, jazz, funk, lounge and electronic music on vinyl and CD.

I don't live in Seattle, so I can't tell you how to get from one shop to the next. Not sure if you can hit all three in the amount of downtime you have, but if I had to choose one, I'd say go to Bop Street, if just for their massive selection. You can probably find the address on Yahoo and find directions in MapQuest or a GPS.

Hope that helps.

[chris.metcalfe]

I went in 2006 and stayed in Queen Anne's near the Seattle Center. There were two just around the block - Backstreet records and Dawg (I think). Anyway, if you're in that area you can't miss them - near the pink cinema (that's the colour not the sexual orientation, as far as I know). There's a great coffee shop on that block too, but you won't struggle to find one of those in Seattle.

While I was there I went to see Chicago (the band, obviously... though I did later visit the city... ), who played Wishing You Were Here.... rather well.

From Seattle Center take the monorail to the shopping center and wander round there. Go to Pike Place Market, eat a fresh fish dinner and listen to the soul singers on the pavement. Go to Pioneer Square & visit the bookshops but avoid the beggars (unless you like beggars). Walk to the top of Queen Anne St and admire the view. I would say go to a gig at the Crocodile in Belltown, but it just closed. Plenty of other music venues.