Despite the fact his opening hours are about as consistent as politician's election promises and…read morethat you are eagled eyed if you walk in and are either female or freshly shaven, the collection of records and signed album covers at Porthole Records is one of the best in Adelaide. You will have to get your library geek on though, records (although neatly lined up in shelves) are all over the place here. Either that or I'm not up on my music genres - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is "new wave"? I was tempted to just buy a box of 50c or $1 records by the door and see what happened at home, but I didn't have my gumption boots on today. The variety of genres is impressive and I'm sure you'd end up with some pretty top quality albums here for $20. And for those really dedicated collectors, yes the $150 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Aboittoir Blues record is here for you too. CDs and cassette tapes, signed band posters and album covers are all on display here, but you too will need your gumption boots on to ask the owner re: price. Good luck!

The world of music has gone digital and iTunes has taken off in a big way. Music is available at…read morethe click of a button and instantly available on your computer with no additional hardware required. There is however a collection of people who like to have something tangible, something to hold on to. I'm one of those people. I like to SEE my music collection sitting on the shelf. I like to have visible CDs, tapes, vinyl and collectables. Porthole Records is a dying breed of music store that offers people like me the chance to expand their collection. Sadly it's only open a few days a week, but it's worth a trip down to Port Adelaide to check it out. It's full of LPs and that's what they primarily deal in. There's also a section for cassettes and CDs, but we're mainly talking old school vinyl here. Make sure you look everywhere, including all over the walls. I found a rare autographed copy of the Split Enz biography "Stranger Than Fiction" hanging on the wall and I had to have it. I rarely walk away from the store without having bought something. It may take a bit of digging through the copious amounts of stock, but it really is worth the trip if you find that one treasure you've been searching for years for. If you're a fan of any type of music you owe it to yourself to visit this store. It really is one of the last great music stores in South Australia.

Sanity is the best place to look when no other DVD stores stock the movie that you're after. They…read morestock all the old gems that are so hard to find anywhere else. Unfortunately the prices are a total let down for me. Some items are almost double the price at Sanity in comparison to another store. This particular store is very small and can sometimes get quite crowded. Prices aside, the stock is pretty good. Even if they don't have the movie in stock at the time you go in, they're more than happy to order it in from another store for you. If you're willing the pay the extra price for your favourite movie or TV show then Sanity is the way to go. The best time to buy things from there is when they have their big sales on.

You are doing such a great job. Firstly W.T.P. releases and now the Perdition album. Thank you very…read moremuch. I was so happy to get the new Perdition album today, amazing. Mark is such a legend and top bloke. The band is sounding great. Zol (Regression)

What are you looking for, Punk? Clarity Records has got a very good collection of it. Independent…read moremusic on Cd's and Vinyl and some pretty cool DVDs as well along with the t-shirts and books that you would associate with some of the bands that smash their way through sets like there is no tomorrow! The store specialises in importing music from all around the world but Clarity maintains a strong focus on Punk and Hardcore related products, as well as Metal, Indie, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Funk, Prog and much more. The enterprise aims to support all local music by stocking a large range of music from Adelaide and Australia. Obviously all of this is not to everyone's taste, but there are quite a few folk around who have a healthy love of this material, and we all try to support our local bands. I enjoy most of these music genres in moderation. I always enjoy having a bit of a chin wag with Matt one half of the team who run the show (the fellow behind the counter) and the store. The other half of the team is Laura Horvath and they have both lived and breathed music for most of their lives. Not just a shop, Clarity Records is a record label, releasing on both CD and Vinyl formats. Clarity Records releases are distributed in Australia & NZ by Shock Records. So our Matt Footy is pretty clued up on what's new, what's classic (in terms of punk and heavy metal etc.) and what's about to be released; he's a good person to speak with if you are having trouble finding what you are listening for. Always smiling, unless you're trying to slip out the door with something you haven't paid for, then watch your back dude! Clarity Records is a clean and fresh shop with a fine range of odds and ends among the wide variety of music you'd want from a punk/rock/metal specialist store.

My family have nicknamed this place "The Friendly Video Shop" because the staff are all so lovely;…read morehappy to help you find those tricky movies and to have a little chat when you come up to the counter. The prices have not changed a great deal since I was resolutely hiring Disney's Aladdin on every visit; $5.50 for 5 weeklies and you have the option of taking the 2 nightly videos home for a week too, that's about $10 for 5 movies. You need to live nearby to set up an account though.

My boyfriend brought me here on a whim and we've been just about weekly regulars ever since…read more You can't beat the prices, there is a truly spectacular selection, and it's a local, family run business that you can actually feel good about giving your money to. Five stars because I can't think of a reason not to. Great for a date night in (or five)!

It seems that records in Adelaide are getting more popular to purchase and collect in the last…read morecouple of years. My thoughts are that records (if you treat them right) last longer than CDs. Then the attraction to collect music with some amazing artwork and limited addition books that come with them. Or maybe it is just nostalgia? Records do have a specific sound that you can't replicate well on CD. My partner and I used to buy heaps of CDs. But stopped after a while as they just kept scratching. I have thrown so many away. Do you remember when you where younger ordering and waiting your favourite cassettes and CDs? There was a lot of excitement and anticipation of getting it home and thrashing it on your player. Or maybe you grew up in the vinyl era and you always knew the value of owning a piece of physical musical artwork. Recently my partner and I decided to purchase a record player from a thrift store. Consequently this has developed a lust for vinyl. We have been searching high and dry for good record stores. We came across Rocktherapy simply when driving past. The big record on top of the store is a good flagpole. The store is small, but has some quality and well priced records and CDs stocked. There are a couple of rare and collectables available depending on your taste. I was very happy to find a Grandmaster Funk LP for $10. Got that little gem home for many laughs and dancing around the living room. The gentleman that owns and runs the store is very friendly and helpful. He is happy to have a chat about music and what his store has too offer. I think that stores like this is something that I really missed from when I was growing up. Now with access the Mp3s kids are missing out on that sense of excitement in finding something cool in a record store and owning it's physical form! For my fellow vinylheads, worth a trip to browse!

Here's the thing, I finally put aside the time to go for a little drive and visit Rocktherapy CD's…read more& Records and am oh so grateful that I did. I love vinyl records and there sure is no shortage in this store, situated off of Goodwood road in Daw Park, the place was bustling with people within minutes of me setting my feet inside. I'll let you decide, but I think vinyl is on its way back up and it's stores like this where any collector both young, old and after any genre should start searching. This is by far the best set out store I have come across when it comes to vinyl records, everything was well labelled and not inconveniently crammed in to every nook and cranny. The gentleman who ran the store was very well mannered and warmly welcomed me upon entrance. Not only does Rocktherapy stock heaps of vinyl but they also keep CD's and tapes on the shelf too. Pick any genre of music, any, I dare you! You'll find it here! I was particularly impressed to see one of my favourite genres in a neat little box under a table (and although not on a pedestal for all to see), it was still there. I'm talking about bluegrass music, I love anything to do with folk, bluegrass or country music and there was a nice selection of all these genres as well as a huge selection of other more popular genres in store. I really can't wait until the next time I visit, there were far too many records that I left behind that need (yes need!) to be purchased. In all seriousness though, Rocktherapy have a massive variety of music in a variety of formats, all fantastically organised and ready for you to sift through! If you're a music lover, of any genre, style or format, check out Rocktherapy, I can assure you, this therapy won't leaving you battered and bruised, more delighted and happy I think!

Whatever happened to music stores? Shut up grandma - you know very well that Steve Jobs and Sean…read moreParker happened. Big Star is one of the last and much loved - I think the Magill Rd store is even the last Big Star in SA and as such is entrusted with a legacy. Big Star began in this very store in the 1980s; a second hand outlet focusing on sixties and seventies music. The chain consequently expanded to become six stores strong spread across Adelaide. I will always remember the huge collection of vinyl downstairs in their rundle st location, and seeing great bands, like the Avalanches play instore. Now with the changing times they have made their way full circle and are back to just the original second hand outlet. If, as a casual music consumer you fancy a little nostalgia and miss the days when you would spend all your pocket money on EPs / LPs / casette tapes / Cds. Flicking through the catalogue this store is a great trip down memory lane. For the more serious collector or music buff this is a must see destination. They're always looking for a select list of Vinyl, and this is the place to buy and sell. They have some selected merchandise, band t-shirts, etc too.

Big Star Records on Magill Road is the last remaining of the Big Star record shops that existed in…read moreAdelaide not too many years ago. Whilst the others are sorely missed, I'm glad that this little treasure is still in operation. Big Star stocks a lot of new releases, all sealed in plastic wrap and ready for your unwrapping. But that's not why I come here - it's the secondhand rarities that I'm interested in. There's nothing better than going on the hunt for a rare record, and then finding it in a shelf amongst a number of discarded copies of Frampton Comes Alive. I've spent literally hours in here flipping through secondhand records, and the stuff you can find is pretty incredible - they've got collections of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, etc. Basically, all the good stuff. And of course, Big Star is one of the few record shops in which you can actually preview handed-down records before you purchase. This means that each visit to the shop is welcomed with an array of music, and going through record boxes to the warm crackling of vinyl is really something to relish.

I'm one of those few people who still regularly go out and hire DVDs. I buy movies all the time,…read moreand yet I still complain I have nothing to watch so I head down to Video Ezy and hire more often than I probably need to. Video Ezy has had quite the makeover over the past fews, especially this store after it relocated a few months ago. I definitely like the new setup better, it feels like a video store. The new releases are always top of the notch and tend to have plenty in stock when you want them. I usually hire weekly's instead of overnights, and the selection is pretty stellar. There's plenty of black and white classics, foreign, action, romance, comedy and cult classics. The prices are very reasonable too, and on Tuesdays it's only $2 per movie! The West Lakes store also has a lovely choice of movie snacks (mmm chocolate and popcorn) and plenty of ex-rentals and new movies to buy. Sometimes the brand new movies are too expensive, but if you're lucky you can get a great bargain.

Great staff, slightly pricey for a nightly.read more

So not really indicative of it's name, The Wax Department stocks new and used CD's, records, DVD's…read moreand a range of local and national t shirts, caps, magazines and other goodies from a variety of different artists and bands. They mainly deal in Hip-Hop music and cover an impressive range in this genre from not only international and national artists, but from an array of up an coming local artists! Not only do they deal in Hip-Hop but there's something for just about everyone here. I'm a sucker for anywhere that sells new and secondhand vinyl, and the few times I have ventured to this store, I haven't left empty handed. Today, I picked up a unique UK Press of an folk band I'm most fond of, I'll say it again, there's something here for everyone. The gentleman who runs the store is very well mannered and is willing to answer any question you may be pondering. One could quite easily spend hours searching through the incredible range of mainly CD's and records that are home to The Wax Department. Prices are reasonable, but if you look hard enough, you'll find a bargain here and there, it's all worth the money anyhow! If you're around the area, or have a particular interest in CD's and vinyl from mainly Hip-Hop artists but from any genre for that matter, call in to The Wax Department, you won't be disappointed.

Game Traders! I'm a fan of video games, so I'm a fan of this store. It's every geeks dream. At Game…read moreTraders you can buy new games, sell your old games or trade your games. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. This particular Game Traders store is the perfect size, and everything appears to be well organised. You don't have to go hunting through everything just to find something that you like. The staff are just as geeky as anyone who walks into the store. I probably should stop saying geeky shouldn't I? I'm a gamer, so I really like going here, especially to trade games. That's always fun. I love the fact that there's always new and different stock when you go in store.