When I walk into Exile, I feel like Frasier walking into Cheers. Well, maybe not Frasier. Maybe I'm…read moreNorm or Cliff. It's hard to say. I guess that makes Jeff our very own Sam Malone. Who would be Woody? I'll leave that up to Mike to decide. Before I moved to Champaign and started shopping here, I was honestly just a CD and digital music man. Exile changed that. I never really considered vinyl as a "current" format until I started talking to Jeff and the rest of the crew. I think I've probably gotten somewhere close to 70ish records and countless CDs from Exile and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. Don't forget the local section! It's one of the best archives of music from the Champaign-Urbana scene and it's always got something in there to catch your ears.

Conveniently located in downtown Champaign near the Illinois Terminal (Amtrak, MTD buses) and a…read morestone's throw from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, Exile on Main Street has a fantastic selection of new and previously loved vinyl, CDs, cassette tapes, and more. I recently met the owner, Jeff Brandt, at the store while my partner was on the hunt for Taylor Swift and Charli XCX vinyls. Jeff was immediately attentive and we struck up conversations about Taylor Swift, the positives and areas of improvement downtown Champaign could use, the area's history as a musical mecca, and much more. It was easy to see how much love and sweat equity he's put into the community and the store. An adjacent vintage store has closed but Exile regularly hosts pop-ups, underscoring its community-first vibes. When you're looking for vinyl finds, skip online, Target and chains and support institutions like Exile on Main!

Be careful if you are taking things in to sell. Be VERY careful. Not the best place to sell things…read more In fact, a BAD place. The buyers, though, will find almost everything they are looking for. Usually, the prices are good. But forget about the "swap" part. A very uneven playing field that.

I was incredibly impressed with the selection of new vinyl, and the selection of vintage vinyl was…read morepretty good too. Staff seemed friendly and polite, everything was clean and organized. The issue is the pricing. I prefer to buy in a store and support independent record stores and small businesses. I have my limits though. Not sure how he can get away with charging 20-300% more than other sellers. My record store day I bought for $26 he had for $45, my RSD I got for 35 he had for 50. The Zappa broadcast I bought for $8 new sealed he wanted $40 for, another I got for $13 sealed he wanted $40 as well. Most the vintage vinyl was worth half what it was priced at. I know you've got to pay the rent and I know prices are higher brick and mortar, but why are your prices higher than stores in downtown Chicago? Highest priced store I've ever been to, and I'm a traveler, I go to a LOT of record stores. I could have easily bought a couple dozen albums if they were even 20% cheaper, but I left with nothing and very sad that I had to pass on so much good stuff. I guess you can build a pretty epic collection if you don't price things to actually sell...Went online and bought what I wanted for 30-50% less than he wanted. Didn't feel good about it, but I'm not going to be ripped off just to support indie record stores...

While I'm not an indie fan, my girlfriend is. (When I introduced her to Parasol, she wanted to move…read moreinto their hard-to-find storefront-slash-warehouse.) I don't know much about the label or mail order business at all, but I can safely say that Parasol's storefront carries the best, and extremely well-edited, selection in town for indie and punk vinyl, CDs, and DVDs. Just the latter alone! You can buy the Kill Rock Stars Video Fanzine III, live performances from Coachella, and documentaries about freestyling, K Records, or even that one about early California hardcore, which features far too much footage of TSOL. There are also bins full of seven-inches, and a decent-sized collection of $1 vinyl and CDs. Much time could be successfully killed here. Anywhere I can buy the A-Frames Black Forest LP, and peruse seemingly endless back issues of Mojo, is aces in my book. They'll also special order anything you want, which means that I won't have to save my shopping list for trips to Chicago's Reckless!

From the owner: Record shop, record store, vinyl records, CDs, music magazines, DVDs , Blu-Rays, CD replication and…read moreprinting.

Jesse has a knack for knowing and stocking the cool new record releases. Friendly, easy to talk…read moreto, and I've yet to see him out of sorts. Hard working and will do the extra to get you what you want or turn you on to a new band. Has limited space but I enjoy how he fills the place with all kinds of cool things. Decent used collection. Worth checking out!

Came through in my way to Chicago, decent selection and good prices. They used the small space very…read morewell and had a very chill aesthetic. Jesse was very nice and recommended a new album based off what I liked. He was very nice and humble and it was easy to talk to him. I will be coming back! -Cy

This store has absolutely everything you need and mores my first time visit I was primarily…read moreupstairs getting EIU gear. I didn't really check out the rest of the store. This time was a different story. I walked don't the entire first floor and boy was I surprised! They have sage, crystals, jewelry, dream catchers, Greek supplies, tshirts, posters, records, etc. I really can go on and on. This store meets both your spiritual needs and eiu swag needs lol. Service was great. I had question about some crystals. The young man working let me know he didn't know much about crystals but his girlfriend did and she would at work the next day. I went the next day and she surely knew about crystals. She answered all of my questions and more. I really like this store! And everything is reasonably priced.

if ur looking for some crystals they definitely have them, also lots of records and incense ^_^read more

A very impressive group of people here. I didn't hang out and talk too long but it's clear they…read moreknow music history and are still staying on top of the new vinyl trend as well. I also enjoyed all the old antique stuff along with some cool bowls made from used vinyl records. Nice and fun selection. This is a great stop to make as you pass BloNo and it's easy to spend an hour or two at the counter service restaurants and locally owned unique shops within this two block Uptown area. Don't pass it up.

Great independent music or record stores are getting harder to find. It often will be in a college…read moretown when you come across it. North Street Records is in such a town. Hard to find records and other artifacts. The staff certainly knows a lot about what they have, and will help find something. As in places like this, the music is the main thing of course. It has a lot to look through. They, as the name implies, specialize in vinyl. Great place to find more popular artists. Or more obscure. Also despite the name they also have other forms of music such as CDs. These like the records also are obsolete so might as well have these. Has a big collection of new and old items. It seems most people come in and just look around, but some people actually buy something. The main thing is the vinyl.

When I went to Waiting Room Records on a work trip, so was amazed at the quality of both the…read moreproducts and the service. I was able to get many items including their awesome Black Flag referencing cat t-shirt, a record player felt protector, stickers, a Merge sampler, the new New Pornographers record, a Ministry tape, and more for a truly affordable price point, especially considering that I was supporting a local shop rather than a huge soulless conglomerate. I really hope to be able to buy more from them soon, for example, the new LCD Soundsystem record. Plus...cats in the shop. What could be better? Support them! Do it!

Locally owned record store offering new and used records. Check out the bin by the front door,…read morehidden bargains.

UPDATE: This shop is getting more space which just makes it that more great of a shop with more…read moreopportunity for the community. Here in lies the beauty of this shop...it's for our community as well as other visiting here in BloNo...This shop cares that we have good music to listen to and options! I'll tell you right upfront I am biased. I love this store, the owner John and his staff are very knowledgeable and really good people. We are blessed in B/N to have several good music shops and this place is tops for me. John caters to his customers, he stocks what they are looking to buy. It is not a huge store but it is packed full of goodness. This is not an RSD store so if you are looking for that hype, this is not your place. This is a vinyl shop, so if you are a digger this is the place for you. They cover every genre in the book, and they are always adding more. Prices are more than fair and I have never felt like I was being taken advantage of from the first day I walked in to yesterday when I walked out. I have always felt more than welcome, it's an oasis for me. Anybody giving this place any less than 4 stars isn't a record person. Chances are if you are looking for it they've got it or John can get it. If you are in town go check them out you will not be disappointed, if you are a townie or a college kid go more and go often. KOTJMFS!

Reverberation is an unusual record store. I've never seen so many records in one place from…read moreartists/bands I don't recognize, but at the same time, I've spotted some very obscure stuff in the experimental and jazz sections, so I wonder if they cater to people with a taste for lesser known music. At least for the styles I shop for (jazz, experimental, electronic), this store is full of strange, unknown things. I like how they have a special section for deluxe horror movie soundtracks (think Waxwork Records, Mondo, and the like). I also appreciate how you never know what kind of weird thing you'll find there (like an old DJ Krush Mo Wax 10" for a reasonable price). My main complaint is the difficulty of browsing. First, the record bins in the main area are so high that you need a stool to see the furthest back albums unless you're decently over 6' tall. The store has stools sitting around for just this purpose. Second, the bins are completely packed, so there's no flipping through records. You have to grab a chunk, set them aside, and then you can brows. It makes digging a real pain and is one of the reasons Reverberations isn't in my regular rotation. Some have written about the owner being rude. I didn't find him rude, but yeah, he doesn't usually say hello or goodbye or look you in the eye when you check out. Definitely not the gregarious type you find at a place like Exile in Champaign, but I never got a rude vibe. Maybe he's more effusive and warm if you're a regular. If browsing wasn't such a pain, I'd give it four stars. Any record shop that continues to exist is a good thing. Certainly worth checking out if you're in the area.

I died and went to mid century modern heaven. Lol kidding, but what a solid gem this place is…read more Smells of vintage treasures. When I say vintage, I mean a mixture of really HIGH END vintage and mid range affordable pieces. Every piece is a worthy piece here. I have purchased clothing and furniture with excellent service. Down stairs is a lovely selection of curated clothing. They update about every week. There summer hours are limited, but this place is not one to be missed!

This place is such a gem in Champaign. The inventory is constantly moving, the pieces are in great…read moreshape, and the owners are welcoming. We always manage to find something to take home every time we visit. During my most recent visit I was able to find a great mcm wire plant stand and gorgeous mushroom lamp. Check this place out!

Wish this place was around when I attended U of I…read more Take a book store with artistic vibes and add a coffee shop with some nice baked goods plus a bar. Made the best espresso martini that I have had in some time.

Hey Lit, what happened to your amazing menu choices? In the past, so many vegetarian and vegan…read moreoptions as well as beautiful vegan dessert choices. Now there is just a packaged cookie at the bottom of counter next to some candy. That's like gas station food. I'm looking for restaurant food. The day I came in, I was like the 3rd person in a row asking for vegan so clearly there is a demand. Please bring "the other breakfast sandwich" back and/or the jackfruit sandwich and the vegan cakes, pretty please!!!