I'm old enough to remember when they were in Georgetown back in the day. Oh so many fond memories of old school Georgetown like Commander Salamander. Wow what a shop that was. Anyway... Smash Records continues to be the record store it started as, an indie shop selling punk, hardcore, metal, etc. records, books, CDs, and so on. They've got new and used media and books. The clothing selection is pretty rad too with skater stuff, band shirts, and so on. This is one of my favorite places to crate dig. The vibe is totally old school DC punk rock and I really love how they've held on to those roots and beliefs. I've caught a couple of live shows here as well. Absolutely one of the best places for music shopping. If you're in DC, show them some love. read more

Very cool spot. Loved the aesthetic. Decent selection too! Also had some rly cool thrifted clothes. Entrance was a little hard to find. Could do with a sign out front. Staff was nice and left us to our searching. Would come back. Prices are reasonable. read more

Smash Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Dope record shop with nice employees! Was walking past and couldn't help but go in. They have lots of records, cds, dvds, along with clothes, shoes and accessories. The prices are great and they have so much to choose from! A little something for everyone. Books, and comics. All types of nostalgia in there. I had no intentions of going in there and ended up spending about 30 mins in there just fumbling through all the goodies. Hubby purchased a few records and we left happy. Check them out! read more

Smash Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I was in town on business and was recommended this place by my waiter at a restaurant I was eating at down the street. Let's just say I broke the bank here buying hard to find vinyls, clothing, dvds, buttons, etc. but worth every penny! So much to look at and dig through. The cashier working the counter was RAD! Seriously can we just be best friends! Lol! Based on my purchases he recommended some cools pins in the case and artists to follow on Spotify. Thank you so much Smash records, because of you I had to pay for the extra weight in my luggage flying back home. read more

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Smash has been my go to record shop for years. The prices are some of the best I've seen and I always have amazing finds. The first time I visited I purchased the Beatles Red and Blue album and Thriller. These three totaled to $22. While this is the most lucky I have been there, their selection never fails to make me leave with a smile on my face. I would encourage all record enthusiasts to check out smash. They are most well known for their punk rock selection. read more

super friendly owner and very nice small business. decent selection and even got hooked up with some stickers!

The best record store in the DC area. Dig deep when you go, there are so many treasures, cool t shirts, and a wider than you might think range of genres. Awesome. Embrace the punk attitude. read more

I will just say that there is a wall where they print out surveillance images of customers who enter the store without a mask (still, in mid 2023.) To be more edgy, they add speech balloons with satirical, self-mocking statements regarding the person's intelligence and moral indifference. Maybe it's just part of the punk ethos to publicly mock people who are trying to give you their money, but this is something I will never personally understand. Small store and selection is ok. read more

A great local record store with a very solid punk and indie selection and competitive prices. A go-to place for DC area band releases. Also an extensive 7 inch collection and book section. Overall the inventory is not huge but it is well selected. read more

Super precautious. The man in the shop opens the door for you and requires customers to sanitize and wear gloves while in the store. Most of the LP were of the rock and alternative genre. There's a small selection of apparel, but I didn't look at it. read more

Smash Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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A pretty hard place to get to, there is never any parking and the inventory here is pretty mediocre. Nothing worth the trip to go to. The off chance you may find something nothing much otherwise. Requires masks, which is completely fine but does not provide for those that may have forgotten one. Little silly. Otherwise a mid-store. read more

Ok, love this place with some cool little finds...I got a Matilda DVD and a Madonna vinyl. A pretty small shop with some cutesy finds...recommend to check it out! read more

They might be ok, who knows? Been waiting here for half an hour and apparently the sign saying that they open at noon is just for decoration. They might be ok, who knows? Been waiting here for half an hour and apparently the sign saying that they open at noon is just for decoration. read more

Very cool place even if you aren't into punk rock. They have some awesome thrifted clothing and a great record selection. I went there for record store day and I got everything I wanted! read more

Smash is one of my top ones in this list, and a part of that is the vibe inside. I can't actually explain it, so you're just gonna have to go in and check it out for yourself. They have a very large collection of records. It might be the largest on this list, up against Record and Tape Exchange. They also carry a lot of new, or more modern vinyl which is nice for a lot of collectors. Pricing is great and the selection is also wide. I've found several white whales here as well, including the Best of Cream that I'd been searching for! read more

Smash Records - Front of store - parking can be tricky - Music & DVDs Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

You know that slightly overwhelming feeling "There's so much to see here, I don't have time!" Yeah, I got that here. But, I calmed down and dove into the 7"s of which I left with more than I intended to get, but scored some real gems. Cool selection of clothes and shoes as well. Olga was cool, and I later emailed with Matt who was cool as well about distributing Blind Pigeon Records vinyl. read more

Walked in here earlier today looking to browse their vinyl selection. As I'm walking in, the guy at the front (red hair, white) asks me to leave my bag at the front, in an empty cardboard box. I agreed to do this, since I'm all for supporting small neighborhood stores, but as soon as I turn around I realize I'm the only one who has been asked to check their bag, and the other ~4 (white) customers are walking around with shoulder bags (like mine) and backpacks. I confronted the guy at the front about this and he literally just shrugged his shoulders and brushed off the situation. As a woman of color, I recommend you take your money to a different, better record store, instead of this bigoted establishment with "bag policies" that depend on the color of your skin. read more

I checked out Smash Records while walking around the neighborhood and it was a total blast from the past! Such a fun experience!! Not only do they have a great vinyl selection, but they also have CDs, cassettes and VHS tapes. Plus retro games, clothes and shoes. Really fun store with a very friendly staff! read more

Smash is a shell of what it was long ago. when I say "long ago" I do not mean the way 21 year olds say "back in the day". nonetheless, i won't give them two stars without explaining. the two stars are solely on account that they ATTEMPT to sell vinyl records. if they did not even try, they would get one star. smash at their first of two locations in georgetown (before the evacuation to adams morgan) was a great stop for RECORDS (of the punk variety & beyond). Bobby knows his shit. this incarnation is NOT that Smash & i would imagine Bobby is at home watching ESPN (deservedly so after truly serving the dchc scene forever). smash 3.0 is like a dirty version of hot topic on a dirty street in a dirty city. they have clothing for sale for children who want to act rebellious and for adults who want to act like rebellious children. the music selection is very below average & the prices are jacked up to match. that's about it. smash is in a basement, filthy, poorly lit, and has very little to offer in used or new wax. there are some overpriced vcr tapes as well. looking through a few moldy crates of overpriced records & scoring a $20 ramones record does not make your record collection better, but talking about it may score you scene points with your pierced friends over a mimosa at a dive bar during sunday brunch. by the way, like any record collector with a few thousand kickass slabs of wax, i'm not going to post on here where i get a hold of used vinyl. if i told you i'd have to kill you. read more

Smash is one of those records shops I frequent that give me hope for the DC area. Thank jeebus that Smash moved from their lame Georgetown location to a lesser lame spot in Adams Morgan. In comparison to their G-town location, they're able to accommodate a much more beefy selection of records and CDs (a result of the bigger store space, naturally) plus they have tiny addition of a vintage clothing section, which I don't recall ever seeing previously. The staff at Smash are knowledgeable and friendly-- I came here last on Record Store Day and chatted it up with the owner over a PBR. (We came to the conclusion that we both have mixed feelings about Record Store Day). After the chat, I wandered around the shop-- I'm a big fan of 45s and if you're looking for that obscure and possibly out of print punk 7" you've been looking for for the past 10-15 years, you will more than likely find it here. I got A.D.D. and moved onto the full lengths-- really awesome selection to say the least. And Smash, not to discount any other worthwhile genres, offers a selection (however slim) of jazz, soul and R&B, just FYI. I managed to come away with a few great records all while not breaking the bank. For one: I found a copy of Devo's New Traditionalists record that came with a free poster... success! read more

Went to Smash for the first time and it reminds me why DC is the worst when it comes to quality record shops... The Good... -pretty clean -many different genres The Bad... -pretty run of the mill selection -overpriced used and new LPs -12" singles mixed in with LPs -didn't buy a single thing.... Overall this spot appeared to have potential, but was more of a disappointment. Quite rare for me to pop in a record shop and leave empty handed. I think I'll pass next time. read more

God, I always thought it was ironic that DC's most famous punk rock store was situated across the street from Dean & Deluca's. This was the place of my high school teen angst. A day trip to Georgetown from the 'burbs of Bowie via the Metro with my best pixie-cut, chucks sporting friend was a regular weekend event. Our destination: Smash! Before Hot Topic tainted the waters, there was Smash - a real original, crusty little music shop where the people behind the counter seemed to love their products but hate their customers. It was everything a pink-haired, chain walleted, plaid pants and band shirt wearing girl could hope for. read more

I was a bit surprised at the very small size of Smash's inventory. The staff was not very helpful and seemed self involved with their own world. I was particularly interested in vinyl and was disappointed. I haven't checked other record stores in DC and I am comparing to NYC, so maybe this is the best I can find. read more

The Best vinyl store in DC! Prices are fair, The atmosphere good and the employees always kind and helpful. Never have I left that place empty handed. read more

It's not closed, they've moved to 18th street in adams morgan. They carry records, cds, and vintage clothing. If you ever find yourself wondering "Why is DC filled with so many goddam yuppie douchebags? I hate this freaking town!" go to Smash, get yourself some well priced vintage clothing (none of that $40 t-shirt crap), or perhaps a minor threat cd, and feel better about things. read more

I leave the house for about ten or so things at most and going here is one of them. Excellent used vinyl section, they buy a lot of used stuff fairly frequently but you have to check back fairly often as some of the gems go pretty quickly. Specializes in many varieties of punk, hardcore, and indie rock. A real great mix; you could come out with a June of 44 LP in one hand and a Dropdead LP in the other. A fairly good selection of CDs, DVDs and Cassettes if you buy those as well. The owners are typically very good at buying used stuff as well, I was able to trade a bunch of big band shirts for two new vinyl. Also check out Crooked Beat Records two doors away. edit: by big band I mean shirts when I used to be fat, not Big Band the jazz thing. read more

My favorite record store in DC. What I love about this place is that it's small but mighty! Great selections, very organized, and awesome location in AdMo. Prices are very reasonable and I love the random tchotchkes and memorabilias. It's also not super overwhelming, but I will say they fill every inch of their space with inventory. I've only ever had to ask for help regarding reaching something but the staff is very helpful and seem to be knowledgeable of all musical varieties. So be prepared to be on the floor or smushed in a corner trying to see every little record/cassette/cd because you know you'll be finding something worth that muscle cramp! read more

This record/CD botique seems tailor made for the under 15 "alternative" crowd and the occasional vinyl collector. However, if you are really looking for serious music, you'd be better off at the Red Onion. That being said, they do have a decent selection of used records at the 5-20 range. Like most record stores, they'd rather sell you some new vinyl, obvi, and they supply that here as well. Bottom line, the selection is decent, but not the best in DC. However, because it's on top of that other record shop, it's probably worth a quick stop by before you head out. I can't comment on the "vintage" clothing or whatever they sell there, but I'm no longer in high school so I guess my opinion on such matters is likely irrelevant. read more

Came in just to browse and walked out with two Fugazi albums, both reasonably priced. Would've loved to see a bigger selection, but they have a tight space to work with and also sell clothes, so I understand the spatial restraints. The two guys working there were really cool about helping me find what I wanted, even though I didn't really know what I wanted. No judgement. No smiles either. Fine by me. read more

Fantastic little record shop, specializing in punk, hardcore, and indie rock. They sell LPs, new and used CDs, and they even have an impressive little used cassette section. It's a small store, but clearly all the music has been hand-picked, so you don't really have to dig too much. Used cd's were mostly $6-9. They also sell vintage clothing, plus some new local clothing, and shoes (Vans, Converse, etc). The new clothing wasn't too exciting and I thought it was pretty overpriced, but the vintage section was nice and relatively cheap. Lots of fun dresses to look through, plus a smaller selection of jeans, vests, t-shirts. There's clothes for men and women, though the women's selection is significantly more exciting. There's also a small selection of accessories, including jewelry, tights, buttons, hair dye, suspenders, hats, bags, and things like that. My only complaint would be the crazy slow speed... I was buying 4 cds, and my boyfriend was buying another 4 or 5, and it took seriously over 20 minutes for them to find the discs and ring us up... molasses speed I'm telling you. But other than that, it's a great little shop that I'm happy to support! read more

I heard about Smash because I was searching for a place in the district that carries women's sized Vans. When I went in, I immediately felt excited that this store could cater to my love of fashion and music. Between the records, vintage clothing, and shoes, this is now one of my favorite stores in DC. The staff were very accommodating and the prices reasonable. I will definitely be frequenting the shop. read more

My favorite record store in DC. Great selection of vinyl, cassettes, clothing, and other memorabilia.

I would have never found this place if I woudln't have droped something and stoped to pick it up. The sign is okay, but at first glance I paid no attention. Walking into the store, the place had a very punk-rock feel. The guy at the counter wasn't that enthuastic, but hey, it was quiet and pretty early in the day. I took a quick glance at thier record collection and it seemed very decent. I was mainly there for the vintige clothes, and I found some unique pieices, and the prices were OK, but not the cheapest. I scored a red aisan "robe" with a dragon embroidy in the back for 22 bucks and a button up 70s inspired printed hurly shirt. There were also other cute pieices, but they didn't fit me. however, they had some very vintey/ punk-rock things there as well. overall, this place is good. i wish i paid more attention to the CDs, i could have found some good buys (but i am not really a record buyer). i would have to comment that the guy at the counter did take awhile ringing me up. read more

SMASH! was a fixture of my growing up in the punk scene in DC in the 80's. Loved the authenticity of the place. I remember being on the young-ish side and seeing Wattie Buchan from The Exploited in there (figure it had to be after they performed their (recorded) DC show, "Live At The Whitehouse"). Stops to Georgetown weren't complete unless you stopped at SMASH!, Commander Salamander and Roy Rogers. They've moved a couple of times, but they're still the best goddam punk store IMHO. Good selection of music, clothes and punk odds and ends. Hit em up! Support your scene! Screw mega stores, shop local! DCHC!! read more

I am old enough to remember when Smash was in Georgetown. The current location does not disappoint. A great selection of music and an authentic atmosphere. Picked up some Fugazi, Weirdos, and Subversives CDs. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the neighborhood. read more

Best record store in town, great selection if you're looking for Dischord rarities. They do have some new wave and rock also

Smash is not an "indie rock" store, it's not a "vintage" store, it's not the place to go to find that new Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes or whatever crappy band you discovered via Pitchfork. Its strength and focus is on used records (mostly punk, rock and metal) bought from personal collections, estate sales and at record fairs. Their good stuff moves fast, because it's been around long enough (30 + years?) that it has its fair share of regulars who scoop up a lot of the rarities that show up pretty fast. Smash! is never overpriced, and you will always find at least one record, cd (new and/or used) you've been looking for. There's a good selection of used clothes, band t-shirts, shoes, buttons, posters. I never leave empty handed, and I'm a cynical 35-year old who has been collecting music for the past 20 years. read more

I was really worried about going in here. Getting the old negativity in a punk store. No thanks. But they were really cool. I think I might start going here before I even go to Crooked Beat. gasp. Big selection of used CD's. The new stuff was mostly punk. They've got some thrift store (perhaps I should say "vintage") clothes for sale, and also some new t-shirts. Also shoes. They even have some used cassettes for...Well...I'm sure someone needs them. We talked to the girl at the counter about the relationship between this store and Crooked Beat and were told that they get along great. Different parts of the market, I suppose. They only accept credit cards on purchases over 10 dollars. read more

Decent CD and clothing collection, but the owner clearly doesn't care what customers think. He's never returned my emails (which contained inquiries)...the #1 rule of running a business is to communicate with your clientele. Pathetic. read more

I like off-the-beaten path places and this place truly wants to be one. But they're not. We came here in search of records for my husband's ever-growing collection. There were a lot of albums we would've been interested in but they were in horrific condition- scratched, chipped, torn, spilled on, etc. I couldn't even hear myself think, much less have a conversation with him because of the screaming sounds in the background. I won't even stoop to the level of calling that crap music cause that would be insulting but needless to say, I put in earplugs and eventually just left because there was no point in staying. In the end, I think my husband bought one record and was pissed at himself for giving them any money. Won't be going back there for any reason. Ever. read more