Not your average record store! Darkside Records is a must visit if you're in the Hudson Valley. Justin is awesome and the whole team is friendly, and super knowledgeable without being 'record store pretentious.' The new space is unreal and holds countless vinyl records, CDs, video games, DVDs, VHS, etc. along with so many cool products ranging from swag and gifts, to cannabis equipment and incense. Darkside has a great website to place orders in case you can't stop in in person. Even as a local, I place preorders online for new music, and always can rely on them to have what I'm looking for, including indie-exclusive pressings and vinyl variants. As a loyal customer for nearly 11 years, it's been great to see this business grow into what it is today. Excited for what this new chapter brings to them, and our community. The new Darkside is more than just a storefront, but a community and a VIBE! Soon, it looks like they'll have self pouring taps for customers, as well as a bar on the second floor. Hoping they'll continue to have concerts in the new space. A must visit! read more

My first time dealing with them. They seem very nice people.I was looking for an art gallery.They don't really do that anymore.But they 're gonna speak to the owner and see if they give space.So therefore I put maybe if everything works out.I will switch my review to yes, definitely.And then I will give a star review read more

I ordered RSDs from here (Hello Kitty and Sleep Token!), and they shipped out/arrived at exactly the speed I paid for at checkout (despite it surely being a busy day/week for them). They'll be in my top choices for RSDs and other products any time I can't grab them locally. I believe I paid fair prices ($25 + $55) for both items. read more

Wow - just received my first online order from Darkside and couldn't be more pleased. First, I was able to get a nearly-impossible-to-find RSD title - at least here in my area. But second, it was packaged better than any vinyl shipment I've ever received - from anyone. Ever. Amazing company, great people (I did call and received quick/friendly help with some questions before buying), easy website/ordering, and spectacular service and shipping. Will most definitely be shopping Darkside again - and often read more

Good selection of new and used media. If you sell items to them , know their value before you do so - if not, you will definitely get ripped off. I went here for many years until they recently moved to a very sketchy part of Poughkeepsie. Seriously, this is a bad area to be in. Be careful. read more

This place is a true vinyl treasure. Prices and selection are stellar. Always worth the trip if you are a vinyl collector.

I first discovered this record store I believe back in 2012 or so when they first opened up in their original location. I was impressed by the way the store was laid out. They had the new LPs on an end stand. So they looked nice when you came into the store eye-catching. Had a very good selection of new LPs/used. New compact disc/used. They even had cassettes. I lived about an hour from the store but went there fairly often. They found a new location just further down the street. This location is much larger it used to be a former OTB location At first I thought the store lost some of its charm going from the size it was to the much larger size. But soon I came to really like the layout They still have course have new and used Records. New and used Compact Disc's But they also have used and new cassettes. A nice section of 8 Track tapes. New and used 45 RPM records. Small box of reel to reel tapes. As well as laser disks There is even a section of used hi-fi equipment. I believe they even have a team that will repair amplifiers/turntables/ Tape decks I'm very impressed by the selection of used CDs I have found a lot of albums from artists on CD that I haven't found anywhere else. Art Garfunkel/bacon brothers/John prine. They used record section is also quite impressive. Lots of good records priced at five dollars Everything is very fairly priced. I also find that the used records are all in very good to near mint shape. Even the 8 track Tapes labels are in nice shape not beat up The staff is very help full. Justin JD The cool guy . As well all the rest of the staff. They are very helpful in finding what you're looking for they know exactly where everything is It's definitely one of the best record stores I have been to. I'm glad I'm now living about 30 minutes from the store so I can go there more often The prices are better than Amazon. So support a very nice local brick and mortar record store read more

This is a great shop run by great people. A huge space, laid out by section, with a wonderfully organized and curated section of punk and metal. Lots of new vinyl, but maybe the most honestly priced new vinyl I've seen in quite some time. Lots of hidden gems, both on the wall and in the stacks. There is a massive jazz collection with both used and new, and I found things I've been looking for represses of for quite some time. Also finally found a Turnstile record that wasn't a million dollars. read more

Darkside Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

Absolutely terrible, DO NOT BUY from this place. I made an online purchase, waited a week and my order was not being shipped. I emailed them, and they cancelled my order saying it won't make it on time. Be ware of this place when it comes to online purchasing read more

I recently placed an online order with darkside for the first time. I was nervous because they were new to me but they were the only online vendor that had a rare album I wanted. They shipped out pretty quick but usps gave me problems. It went half way across the country got lost for 4 days then back to the east coast and lost at another post office distribution center for another 5 days. Then it finally came back to me be on the west coast. I was so nervous because I could only assume it was destroyed but when it arrived it was in the sturdiest of packaging. I was so impressed to see such care in shipping. No damage no warping. My new album plays like a dream. Thank you darkside read more

Pretty good record shop. I'm mostly after 90's and 00's punk. They had a handful of options, but not tons (had a used Rancid picture disc that I happily scooped up). They had plenty of other things though and I could have spent way more than I did. Well organized by genre's as well as alphabetically within each genre which is always a huge plus for me. They had lots of non-record items to keep my wife occupied while I browsed. Would definitely want to come back in the future if I was in the area. read more

Darkside Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

Horrible record store!!!!! Looks HUGE but had barely anything and what they do have is severely overpriced. We found a couple records we wanted but when we went to checkout they said they weren't for sale because we got them from one of the bins under the table. Isn't the point of a store to sell your shit???? Clearly not at Darkside records. Their specialty is being rude and denying the customer the most basic request--to make a purchase. read more

Awesome record store one of the best for new releases and current titles. NBA shoes. Also has a great use selection as well with albums priced as low as five dollars for a CD and five dollars for a vinyl I found some to hidden gems in here wish I lived closer. I'll be there more often. read more

Great music shop! Large and spacious featuring a variety of titles and genres. I spent a good amount of time crate digging. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. The layout was extremely organized and well thought out. I will definitely be back when I'm in town next. read more

i was brought here by a friend of mine, looking to start up my vinyl collection. The place was extremely organized and the collection expansive. I was in awe of how much history of music was in this place, impressed with the knowledge and friendliness of the staff. I bought several records and was told that if there anything I needed they could locate it and have it shipped directly to me. I have been back several times already and plan on going at least 1x a month. I hope this place never goes away as vinyl records are an important part of our culture. These records represent the way the musicians intended for us to hear their art and I hope it never goes away. read more

I ordered a couple records online that qualified for free shipping. After I placed the order, I realized I already had one of the records that I purchased. I called the store, and spoke with Carrie. I explained the situation, and that I would want to remove one of the records and replace it with something else. Carrie told me to go online, and order the item I wanted to substitute, and she would pull the record I accidentally ordered, and refund me for that item. I checked my email today and confirmed Carrie not only refunded me the record, but also refunded the $7.99 shipping for the subsequent order. Very happy with the level of customer service!!! read more

Grandparents have no internet access and asked me to order them some CDs. Placed my order with Darkside, it was canceled with no explanation a day later. When I emailed to ask about it, they told me I was out of luck. Don't waste your dollars. read more

Nice variety of quirky stuff besides music but most important a great selection of music on vinyl, and a friendly staff.

Yes. This is a piece of local love. This place contains beloved work of the greats in vinyl forms right up against artists that are on smaller labels or independents. Many good afternoons leafing through the old vinyls and admiring music with those who protect the art form. Keep this place alive. read more

Outstanding selection of used CDs and vinyl. They are a regular stop for me when I visit the Mid-Hudson Valley.

Local station WRRV and this store - that combination packs a very evil 1-2 punch for me, so I have (finally) come to (the) Darkside. The vinyl selection is impressive. I hope to make it more impressive, because I am more likely to sell older vinyl here than buy it - of course as long as it is of interest to them and of good quality. I was told vinyl of interest would average about $1 each. Their CD selection is of more interest to me. It's the only place locally where I can buy both older classic rock and newer alternative rock. And, in my opinion, unlike Rhino across the river (at which I do and will continue to shop), Darkside has a better organized inventory, more space in which you can walk around, and owners who are friendly and conversant. Don't forget to do your Yelp check-in to get the discount! My first visit to Darkside could ultimately be their last Yelp review at their current location. As of when I write this, this coming weekend (1/16/16), they will be moving about a quarter-mile east to a larger location on Dutchess Turnpike. I'll eventually have to update my review, but the only thing I feel I'll be adding is more superlatives. read more

Been going here for years. Original location was cool and poppin... this new one is next level. The owners are great at what they do. Lots to choose from, rare stuff, affordable stuff... movies, gear... lots to sink your teeth into. Oddly, other stores in the region have less and less vinyl... these guys are clearly active pickers. And the fellas that work there also dog hip-hop and have found gems in every genre I care about... a little light on the electro... otherwise, they touch on every style... read more

Very large record store, specializing mostly in rock music, with tons and tons of vinyl. They barely have any jazz or reggae, but if they did, would people in Poughkeepsie be buying it? Friendly staff, and they also sell and repair vintage audio equipment and turntables, and also have live shows here - bonus ! read more

Wanted to visit Darkside Records the last time l was visiting Poughkeepsie, but ran out of time. I made the trek a few days ago. Very cool place! Perhaps the largest record store I have ever seen. Other then vinyl, they sell other cool gift items. The guys working there seemed pretty down to earth. I picked up some vinyl and will be back! read more

The biggest record store in the Hudson valley, and by far the deepest collection for new releases and used titles from the last, say, 2 decades. Plus they have an awesome little stage where they host free events, and regularly have flea markets, holiday sales, official record store day releases, etc read more

Went there today with a box filled with CDs and was offered $6 for the ones they wanted. Just felt like I got ripped off because, I was told that the 24 of the CDs that they didn't want were "damaged beyond repair." Which I checked everyone of them before I brought them there and none of them had any scratches and the CDs were barely ever used. So I found it to be kinda bs. Anyway, I told them to keep the ones they didn't want because, I could not take them with me and left with the $6. Overall great customer service... read more

Love the fact that it's locally owned - music selection is great and Justin and Erin are excellent to talk to - I like how this place equally sells vinyl and CDs, cassettes too, and the points app with TapMango is a convenient add on. The new location is also killer, the bigger sales floor space is a huge plus. read more

Pretty cool store. I was impressed because the vinyl was actually organized fairly well. Decent prices, not like some spots in Manhattan with inflated prices on desirable lps from the 60's and 70's. Very friendly staff. They keep an inventory in their computer so you can just ask away for titles and they'll pull them up if they are in stock. Whenever I'm upstate I'll be sure to stop by here. read more

Darkside is the newest record store/art gallery in Poughkeepsie. I'm not sure how many other record store/art gallery combos there are in the area, but Darkside's off to a great start. Tons of CDs (included some harder to find titles that your local Best Buy won't be getting in anytime soon) AND vinyl records (old and new, singles and LPs) all at awesome prices. I was there last night for their big opening and gallery reveal and picked up 3 CDs that I had been looking for for a while. I had my eye on a whole bunch others, so another trip is in store shortly. The staff were all very friendly, and good tunes were playing the whole time I was there. But it doesn't stop at the music....Darkside also has on display a ton of art from some great local artists (most are for sale, also). They plan on having on new shows each month, so repeat visits are recommended. It's cool to have a place like Darkside nearby so I don't have to trek down to NYC to shop at a record store that has such a great selection of good (and sometimes rare) music. I'll be making it a regular stop for my music buying. read more

I've been to other record stores, and this is by far the cleanest, most organized, and friendliest of all. The records are all laid out in the center of the store, divided by their genre with ample room to actually look at which records are in each divider. Name cards are also used to help with that. End caps display recent releases or popular sellers, with CDs and cassettes of the featured album. The CDs and cassettes are along the back wall divided by genre and alphabetical as well. The staff will lend a hand at a moments asking, but are also nice enough to not harass you while you're just browsing. They have a ton of merchandise and musical novelties (books, cleaning supplies, etc) in addition to selling record players for newcomers. All in all this is the best record store I've been in. My only hope is that it stays as neat and tidy as it is now and doesn't go downhill in the future. read more

There are good things and not so good things about this record store. I will be tactful, but honest. Last time I went in there I was looking to trade in some Lps, CDs and a DVD. I had visited the store dozens of times but I got a guy who I had never seen before. I had a dozen or so LPs but all he wanted was a Ted Nugent, The Who and a third one. plus a rolling stones CD and a Elvis Presley DVD. However he would only give me 2 dollars credit. 2 Dollars for all that stuff! The store is so expensive I don't think there was anything decent for that price. I took back my items and left feeling cheated. I'm a loyal long time customer and that's no way to be treated in my opinion. It's a slap in the face considering how much they jack up their used Vinyl prices. However, as a customer I have bought alot of stuff from here in the past couple of years. About once a year I find new stuff in the cheaper sections. They are just a little too pricey for my tastes. Check out Rhino or Jacks in New Paltz. read more

As a couple old-school punks into our 4th decade of service to the planet, my boyfriend and I of course had to make a pilgrimage to Darkside Records during a recent trip to Poughkeepsie. The store is located on a strip in a part of Poughkeepsie that seems to have seen better days. But that just makes it more punk rock, yes? [In no way did we feel unsafe or anything so no worries about the location. I live in a city (DC) that is considered dangerous and the area around Darkside didn't strike me as unsafe at all.] The store is large, well-lit, and highly organized. They sell new and used vinyl and cassettes, a small selection of books, t-shirts, turntables, and some original art mounted on the wall. We visited on a recent Sunday afternoon; the store was busy with one guy working behind the counter. He was very nice, helpful, and knowledgible about the stock in the store. Prices are reasonable and the selection quite large. Poughkeepsie seems to have a vibrant indie music scene that Darkside appears to be very plugged into. I suggest that the store consider having in-store performances if they haven't begun doing so already. Support your local independent record store and keep buying vinyl, peoples! And visit Darkside! read more

This is the Go To! spot for cool music in the area. I never leave this place empty handed. Very well organized with a great diversity of music. Big vinyl section if you're collector too. The staff is always friendly and helpful. They even have a small seating area to check out their selection of music books and magazines. A definite must for any music lover - and worth the trip too as you'll find yourself hanging out there for quite a while. read more

Upon walking in, I heard mid 90s Afghan Whigs playing...The record store was inviting, neat and there was someone right there to help! The staff was VERY friendly ... High Fidelity atmosphere without the High Fidelity attitude. There were so many fun little gifts besides the CDs and vinyl. And the prices were good. There were some great priced LPs.....we picked up a number of them for $1.00 each. Definitely going again. read more

Great store! Nice selection, all types of media & they play good music in the place. Definitely a place I'll return to!

Great shop, great staff. The store just seems to get better with age, expanding their offerings, with the staff becoming increasingly comfortable in their roles of store curators. Thanks Darkside! read more

This used to be my local (about a 20 minute drive) record store and it is, bar none, the best record store out there. I lived in Brooklyn for 6 months and couldn't find a better record store there. In 2013 I went on a cross country road-trip and we made a point of stopping at every record store we came upon. Some of them had a bigger selection than Darkside and some of them had more variety. We visited places like Amoeba records and Waterloo. I am now living in Austin - if I could bring one thing here it would be Darkside. There are two things that set Darkside apart from most record stores: organization and customer service. If I was going there to look for a certain album by a certain band I could pretty quickly locate where that album should be and then be 99% sure that if it wasn't there they didn't have it in stock. I feel like most record stores are really haphazard when it comes to organization which leads to a whole bunch of other problems - you have to ask the employees if they have a certain record in stock and more often than not they're annoyed that they have to look something up on their computer. But not here! It was always the same people and they were super friendly and happy to help you find anything. Also, you can find rarities here - I was able to find the first Cursive album and they sold it to me super cheap because the first half of the first song had a minor defect. read more

Generally a pretty decent shop. VINYL - Good new section that often has titles sold out elsewhere. The used section is just so-so. A lot of records seem to have been there quite a long time (not much turnover). Probably due to the fact that the used vinyl is, for the most part, overpriced. I also have an issue with them selling shop worn and open stock as "new" records. The staff is always friendly and helpful. read more

On my way to visit my parents, bringing a used record player in tow, I realized last minute that it needs a new needle cartridge. I called around and this place was very helpful in looking up the model and type of turntable I had and made sure they had a needle in stock. The store was a little out of my way but I was glad I stopped by. Most small record stores I have been to do not have much of a variety when it comes to new music on vinyl but I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in and found everything from Bright eyes and Elliot smith to lady gaga and vampire weekend. Inevitably I left the store with a lot more then just a new needle and was very happy I did so. read more

Great selection with regular rotation, they're pretty active on social media too, so it's easy to see what's new.