If the sizable DIY music scene in Eugene indicates anything, it’s this: The people who live here love music. This includes people who love the warm sounds of vinyl that capture more grit from the bands that recorded them, and for older bands, the authentic sounds of songs on their intended medium. For music nerds who already have a record collection three shelves strong, Eugene is a good place to be. Here we are lucky to be home to three record stores: the two story entertainment media center Epic Seconds, the intimate brick and window-faced shop named Moon Rock Records and a small colorful house-like store called House of Records.
Epic Seconds
Walking into Epic Seconds, a two-story building nestled in the heart of Eugene, isn’t just walking into a record store — it is stepping into a world of entertainment media.
“Movies, music and video games,” general manager David VanPelt said. These are the primary products Epic Seconds carries, but they have started an art gallery as well.
Opening under the name The Record Exchange in the mid-1990s, the store became The CD Exchange and, as of four or five years ago, Epic Seconds, VanPelt said.
The store’s record selection began as “four crates of records in a small little corner,” VanPelt said, and has grown to be an entire floor. The store carries a bit of everything, and has a “pretty extensive jazz collection right now.” VanPelt said they also try to keep new hip-hop and rock records in stock.
“We do considerable record trades every week now,” VanPelt said. “To see records booming again is really exciting.”
Moon Rock Records
This small record store celebrated four years in business last July and is now getting an upgrade — it will move from the current address on West 8th Ave to a bigger space on West 11th Ave this Wednesday.
Callie Dean, co-owner of Moon Rock Records, said the store began when she and a friend decided to open their own record store after working together at Mississippi Records in Portland.
“[We carry] a little bit of everything,” Dean said. “We have a lot of punk and underground stuff, but we also have a Taylor Swift section, and we try to keep the MF Doom section stocked.”
In its current location, Moon Rock Records is small in size with shelves lined with records and a small stage for performances.
The store also has a big international section with records from Brazil, Japan, Turkey and more. Dean said the store is unique for “our specific curation,” with lots of selections in the store consisting of records personally enjoyed by the owners, such as punk and old soul music.
Dean also said there are regulars that come in often and “definitely” a community at the store.
“That’s the cool thing about records,” Dean said. “It brings people together. We’re all there for the records.”
House of Records
House of Records is possibly the most well-known record store among music-loving UO students. It is an intimate, homey space just a 15 minute walk from campus down East 13th Ave.
“We opened in 1971, so we’re on our 50th year now,” Dora Taylor, an employee, said. This makes House of Records the oldest record store in Eugene, yet you wouldn’t know that from the well-kept building.
Like the other Eugene record stores, it sells “pretty much anything you can think of,” Taylor said. “New and used, a lot of rock/pop. [That’s] definitely our biggest section.”
Amanda Buchanan, a local that comes to House of Records around once a month, enjoys the environment there.
“It’s always really calming here, and the people that work here are really nice,” Buchanan said. “They always have a lot of different records and are always getting new stuff in here.”
There is also a group that comes in every Monday for the “new arrivals” section, Taylor said.
There are four bins that consist of around 120 used records that the store just got in for that week and are released on Mondays. “We get a lot of people that come in right at Monday opening just to get their hands on new arrivals,” Taylor said.
One thing that makes House of Records special is the community it holds.
“I feel like we’re very community focused,” Taylor said. “A lot of people have been coming here since the 1970s and 1980s.”
With the close location to campus and community of the store, House of Records is a must-see for the UO community.
Although some may feel that streaming services like Spotify are more appealing than records, those who love vinyl can’t give up the warm tones and satisfying aesthetic. With records gaining popularity among both older and younger people, now is a great time to begin a collection of your own.
