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.

I talked with Jeff. He's a really knowledgeable cool human. I felt he offered fair prices for the…read morerecords I brought in...my childhood memories. He's honest with you. Which I find commendable. He is responsible in recycling, reusing, up-cycling records that can't be used anymore. I had a really great experience. I do need to say the I know nothing about records...but I can imagine he has an amazing selection.

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 don't live anywhere near Reverberation, but I've had the pleasure of digging here 2x in the past…read moreyear, and this is a great record store. Friendly owner, ample parking, and an incredible array of new and used records. Items are priced to move not gouge the customers, and conditions are exact. And what's crazy is the depth of the inventory. Really, this store is stacked. Local collectors are lucky to have Reverberation as one of their brick and mortars. Highly recommend!

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

Waiting Room is one of those places that is tiny but every single title is good. Most of the stock…read moreis new, but it's not just a bunch of mainstream stuff that you can find anywhere. I'm a fan of a lot of fairly obscure industrial, experimental, and electronic stuff, and they never disappoint. You can also find a lot of contemporary popular music (especially if it's more on the indie side of things), a great selection of metal, soundtracks, and jazz. They even have a cool selection of blu-rays, including some boutique label stuff. It's a great place for discovery. I can always count on finding some obscure jazz reissue that I hadn't even realized was available or some experimental/electronic title that I figured I'd have to order straight from the label. Highly, highly recommended.

This shop is New York-level. Impressive selection, eclectic and eye-catching decor, wonderful…read morearray of art (including local artists), utterly charming atmosphere. If it were in the Village, I'm sure I'd be going all the time. The folks behind it have impeccable taste, and their hearts are clearly in the right place. I wish them much success.

I have watched the growth of Bobzbay Books through the years and marvel at the innovative and trend…read moresetting promotions they have sponsored over time.

Great record store on Main Street in Eoris. They offer records, CD's , and cassette tapes. They…read morealso have vintage clothing. Owner is extremely knowledgeable about music and helpful when looking for a certain record.

good record selection with bargains to be had if you dig deep enough. I enjoy talking to the owner…read moreabout music while checking out.

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!

This is the THE record store to visit in Champaign-Urbana. Yeah, there's Record Swap if you want…read moreused classic rock or See You Vinyl with their dozens of records, but Exile is the place to be. The store itself has an interesting layout that promotes exploration and discovery. There's a nice mix of used and new vinyl, (mostly used) CDs, and even some cassettes and VHS tapes. I'd say Exile's strengths are all things indie, major artists from the 90s onward, classic rock, and a bunch of niche stuff. I like to find reissues of 90s and 00s electronic stuff there, and they typically stock new jazz releases from Blue Note and some of the other big labels (not a huge selection, but everything they have is good). Of course, this is just my perception. You'll find each genre well represented. If you don't see what you want, the owner is happy to get it for you. He's a great guy with a deep knowledge of music. He actually has a whole section that he's selling from his personal collection, which is an interesting category. It's like a bunch of great titles that have been out of circulation for a long time. Overall, this is a fun place to find good music. Check it out.

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.

This place is so cool! Definitely check it out if you haven't. They have the most unique selection…read morefor great prices!

Review Visit: March 11th, 2015…read more Thankfully they don't sell defective Acme comics.... wait, that sounds familiar. Yep, another Acme Comics post for my blog. This one is fortunately still open and is no way related to the Acme Comics in Normal, IL (which has closed recently). I am bias towards this store as I have been here many times. This store is my first place to scope out used video games. They don't have a large selection of current generation stuff, but they do have a lot of 'retro' games. Think NES, SNES, N64, PS2, Gameboy and the like. Everything is moderately priced, if not sometimes lower/higher than market value. But it's a locally owned business, so I don't mind paying a few more dollars to support a great shop. Since their inventory shifts, there is usually always something new to see when I go in. Lately, I have been getting old GamePro, Nintendo Power, Tips & Tricks magazines for $2 a piece. Talk about a nostalgic trip. They offer a large selection of CDs but they seem to be shying away from those in the more recent years. I believe they also do have vinyl and music dvds as well. I used to purchase a large amount of cds back in the day when they had 4/$10. Still reaping the benefits of that today with a massive music collection. Moving on, this place is a Comic shop first and foremost. While they do sell other things, obviously, I am betting the comic book scene is the bulk of their customers. One of my friends alone has a massive pull list there. I don't know much about comics, but they offer a wall of new arrivals as well as your $0.50 comics. The staff can be a bit inattentive at times, but they never seem bothered when you ask them for help. All in all, a pretty great local shop.

Went there the first time about a month ago. WOW! So much to look through, Bought quite a bit and…read morewill be buying more.

I've been coming to GB's for 20+ years now, and even though I moved away and went digital years…read moreago, I always make it a point to come here and buy some CDs when I'm in town. Gary and Bob are great guys and have always been able to make good recommendations no matter what genre. Everything from the old shop smell to the faded posters on the wall is the same as it's ever been, and I couldn't be happier they've never changed despite everything around them. GB's should be considered a historic landmark of Decatur. I wish them all the best and hope they keep it going another 26 years.

A lot, they are just scamming people! And , they have not got a phone number that you can call…read more Both phone numbers tell you that you have missed diled. So, if there is no way possible to get ahold of this company, that just screams rip off!

Wow Steve the Owner was so generous with his time and knowledge, I felt like he was the Nice uncle…read moreI never had. Helped me find so vinyl I had been searching for and some others I didn't know I'd appreciate so much. Really laid back and after an hour listening and learning, I only spent about 1/2 of what I expected. Got some free Album art for my walls too. I could have spent hours there looking at the vintage stuff. Def. going back. Highly recommend this store!