Great record/cd store. Price is reasonable. Love their listening stations.

Was visiting from Seattle a few weeks ago and my fiance and I were beating the heat and hitting up all the local record shops in Phoenix before a concert. We weren't impressed with this place - not a very good selection for our taste of music apparently. Tiny cute retro shop but just didn't suit our fancy. We are metalheads and there was a very tiny section for metal and everything else was pretty eclectic even for us. Bummer since it had such rave reviews. Maybe we will visit again when we are in town to see if the selection has changed at all. read more

There's an impressive range of artists in this little joint, a lot of them being new vinyl presses. The staff is also s u p e r friendly and informed on what they carry, and can totally match you up with your new favorite band if you're trusting enough! I had an incredible experience here and seriously suggest checking it out. read more

Simply amazing. A wealth of knowledge. Suppor this local business owned by a woman who is on fire with Phoenix love. Vote with your dollar!

This is the best record store I have ever been to. The staff knows so much about so many different types of music and they are always willing to help you find what you need. If you tell the staff what style of music you are looking for they will help you find tons of options,and then other options that you would probably want after you listened to whatever you buy. I am not a DIY music consumer so i depend on this place for ideas on how to grow my library. These people care about music and it always really shows. read more

I went to Stinkweeds today with a mp3 recording I made off of an internet radio station two years ago. A station from LA used a collage of music in an intro that included a literally 3 second piece of a song, no kidding. I hesitated for so long thinking it would be impossible to identify the artist and when I first played it for Lindsey she exclaimed with a sly smile was "Is this a test" but with only two listenings she was able to identify the Go Teams "Do It Right" without the use of the internet thus ending my two year trek. She really knows her stuff. read more

I regret I have not yet visited the Camelback location (no longer having a car really limits my possibilities these days) - but being that it's the same people responsible for their older locale still behind it, I can vouch for the awesomeness of this store. In fact one of my all time dearest fondest memories is tied up with the super-helpfulness of the staff! Flashback to mid-90's. Record collecting was a hobby of mine (I would scan the pages of Goldmine Magazine with a fine tooth comb looking for that rarity) - this was still before web usage was commonplace. I had hear about Stinkweeds from others for several years but since it was on the opposite corner of the Valley - and my not having a car at that time - made visiting it a chore. One day, some friends of mine and I were in the general area for something else and we had time to browse around the shop. Indeed they did have a very impressive selection and as I combed through racks, I just struck up some (what I thought at the time) was some basic general conversation about "Oh, I've heard about this place for ages but I live on the opposite side of the Valley and this is my first visit". After talking about how I enjoy record collecting and the stuff I'm often on the hunt for, the lady encouraged me to sign their guest log. A fair amount of time had passed and then one day out of the blue, I get a message on my answering machine from Kimber with Stinkweeds who mentioned she actually remembered how I had talked about collecting rare Eurythmics records and how frustrating it was for a E'mics fan in the States since a lot of Dave Stewart's solo stuff hadn't been released here and was very hard to find. She was calling to let me know that they had a copy of one of those "holy grails" I had so far been unsuccessful tracking down - Dave Stewart & the Spiritual Cowboys' second unreleased-in-the-US album "Honest" and she said it was mine if I wanted it!! I was just floored! Not only was I finally going to have a copy of an album I've been fervently tracking down but just the idea that what had been an almost forgotten (on my end) "aside" in a general/small talk conversation was actually remembered and noted and when I'm not at all expecting it, someone was able to acquire something I couldn't and set it aside just for me first before putting it on the shelves! It was a two hour bus ride (each way) to get there but so worth it! Not only did I buy the album but I also left with a SECOND Dave Stewart rarity that I hadn't found til then - an album he recorded with Terry Hall under the name "Vegas". (I had acquired the cd singles from the album via record magazines but not the album itself.) The long bus ride back was even better because I had my portable cd player with me and listened to my new records. To this day, "Vegas" still remains my second top favorite album of all time! Hopefully sometime soon, I can make a trek to the Camelback location and see how it's doing and update this review a little more. In this age of Amazon, file sharing and internet shopping, it's still gratifying that there still remains some actual honest to goodness brick-and-mortar shops and I'm thrilled that Stinkweeds is still one of the last ones standing! read more

This was my first time experiencing stinkweeds. A few weeks ago I saw that they were gonna be the only local record store having a promo with a vinyl order. I got a call a whole weekend after the album already came out. They still didn't have the promos in. I was told they would call me when they got more information on the items I pre ordered. I never heard anything back. It's sucks that the first time I try a new place I'm immediately turned off by the way they handled things. read more

Came in to stink weeds couple days ago. Man I blown away by the knowledge of the staff. They have some of the best records in town. Definitely will be back, I really recommend this place to anyone looking for records.. read more

I have shopped record stores in L.A., San Diego, Seattle and New York. Stinkweeds is by far the best I have ever had the pleasure of shopping in. I am one of the lucky ones who has been a customer since the store first opened and I have never had anything but the best service. The staff, particularly the wondrous Ms. Cates is top-notch. Whether it's the newest disc from Neko Case or an obscure CD from a Scandanavian hurdy gurdy band, I can count on Stinkweeds to get me whatever I want. Don't even get me started on Stinkweeds' owner, Kimber. She is my hero. A more engaged and caring person, you could not care to meet. Tell her what bands or records you like and she will come up with 5 more for you to buy. When you get them home, I can practically guarantee they will become your new favorites. The only time I am disappointed with something I get at Stinkweeds is when I fail to listen to Kimber or the other staff members. Kimber is also a maven of the local music scene. She has concerts at her store and nearby gallery and is devoted to promoting worthwhile bands, local and otherwise. If you want to know what is happening on the music scene, trot down to Stinkweeds. If you are too lazy to make the trip, you can check out new releases on Stinkweeds' website and find out who is coming in concert on Kimber's other website, silverplatter.com. It's for real baby, the total package. Check it out. read more

If you can get over the grumblings of 15-year-olds talking about how they "grew up listening to Belle and Sabastian", then Stinkweeds is the place for indie records. read more

I love coming here so much. I always come here for harder to find stuff - I never leave empty handed. Can't find it? They'll special order it for you. Best record store in the valley. read more

I called last week to see if they had a copy of a 2007 CD. I wish that I could remember the name of the young lady that I spoke to. She was very polite and congenial. She told me that they had the CD and that they could mail it to me since I live in another state. I was told the price of the CD and how much to ship it. I was only charged for the CD and first class shipping. No handling charges or made up shipping charges. I received the CD in excellent condition along with the receipt and a hand written thank you on the receipt. Who does that anymore? I hope that you keep the honesty and excellent customer service of your business. It is a rarity. Thank you CL in Tennessee read more

Best little indie music store in town! I've been going since I landed in this town for college... and I hope to keep going until I'm a little old still music loving lady. Even though you can get better "deals" at the monster shops, you will not get the music knowledge. Kimber, Lindsey and Dario definitely know what's what when it comes to indie music. I especially love when Dario points me in the right direction when I have no direction at all--it's how I got into Atlas Sound, Juana Molina and Bon Iver--for which I am eternally grateful to him for. And Lindsey led me to AA Bondy and currently has Kings of Convenience posted as her music pick! So, for all this extra "Know-How" I will GLADLY shell out a couple of dollars more for a CD in support of this little shop that could to keep on keeping on! As a music loving freak, I am still in favor of the tangible disc or record, so Stinkweeds is just the place for me! Don't get me wrong, digital has it's upside (immediacy, cheapness), but still there's something about listening to a whole record and holding the CD booklet in your hand while sifting through the lyrics and artwork. It's likened to reading the paper or reading it online. You know the difference of which I speak. Everyone keeps talking about how cramped the store is... well, I think of it as more intimate... and REALLY intimate when there's an in-store performance. I still remember seeing The Trashcan Sinatras perform at the Tempe store... that was AWESOME! Just yesterday, I realized I had purchased a Ticket for a show and in my haste FORGOT the ticket! I went back this morning pretty much as soon as they opened and Kimber counted the $ and sure nuff, there was an extra ticket... which now has a home in my concert stub holder till St. V comes to wow us again in an intimate set at the Rhythm Room! Can't wait. Also, there was once a time where I took it upon myself to get a place for a little known musician to perform here in AZ. I immediately contacted Kimber and although she couldn't put him up at either Stinkweeds or Modified on such short notice, she did point me to some other leads and silverplatter.info posted the info for the show that I booked at Copper Star, another great local shop! True, you can't find everything at Stinkweeds, but they can order it right up for you... we need to keep Independent stores like this thriving, so that's where my $ goes! As a final note, don't forget to check out the Free CD bin and also the flyer rack... there, you can find not only flyers to upcoming shows but awesome deals like $5 off at Ticoz & Switch! Mmm mm! (To me, Kimber is the face and heart of the AZ Local First Movement, so I think that's why you can find great coupons there). read more

this was my second stop during my trip to AZ. this is pretty much a good place if you are into new Current Indie Vinyl. Their selection of good used 80s vinyl is pretty scarce. I like to spend, I should say, I end up spending, way too much money on records, but here I was only able to spend under $20. I do have to give this place props, as I scored some used 80s 12in singles, which were cheap and were almost brand new----I did find it weird they seal all their used stuff, but was pretty pumped to find all of it was almost pristine read more

Wow. Color me surprised to find such a treasure in Phoenix. Knowledgeable staff and good inventory.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Stinkweeds...it is such a jewel of a record store...a true snapshot of culture in Phoenix...AND locally owned...so even better!! read more

Love this place got a Tom Waits record. IT would be five stars but the store needs more metal for my taste and a little more wiggle room to view the vinyl. SERVICE is ALWAYS OUTSTANDING! read more

Stinkweeds is great. Whether you're stopping in to buy concert tickets, get your hands on must haves, or just browse, it's a local institution. A couple years back I even saw Great Lake Swimmers perform an intimate acoustic set here. It was magical. Just walking through the front door makes me happy. :) read more

Great indie music store and wonderful staff - they are really attentive and they make recommendations based on your taste if you're unsure on what to get . More than their personalized service that keeps me coming back, I can spend a whole day in here just listening to records as well. read more

Best place for new vinyl! Love going there before and after work to pick up the latest

I really appreciate the local business. It was an awesome place to come in and check out. But being that I am not rolling in cash, I was bummed out to see that when I picked up a used CD, it was listed at $14. There were lots of cool records to look through. I noticed that there were even little notes for artists whose concert was going to be in the area on their CD section. It's small, but it was well worth checking out. But again, I wasn't sure if it is what the local business needs to charge in order to keep running, which I completely respect, just by no means affordable by me. read more

cute little record shop. Very nice staff.

I LOVE Stinkweeds and I miss it so much since I moved to Portland last summer. I know, I know, Portland is supposed to be a great city for indie music and record stores, and that's true...to an extent. There are some cool stores with good selection, but the used CD's are overpriced and the clerks are often rude, which is never the case at Stinkweeds. I know people think record stores are on their way out, but as long as there are people who appreciate the higher audio quality of CD's and the wonderful tactile experience of an actual product in their hands, places like Stinkweeds will have a bright future. P.S. - as I write this, I'm back in Phoenix for the holidays, and I can't wait to spend some of my gift money at Stinkweeds! read more

Opening qualifying statement - This is a 4-star rating based on comparison to other record stores in phoenix area (poor area for record stores), if you're from L.A. or NYC this may not apply to what you're used to. That said, here is my breakdown by major category of what I feel is important in a record store: Used Records: 3/5 - This isn't really the place for used records, yes they have some, but they just don't have the room for a ton of records in here, and they utilize most of their space with new, and cd's. So it is what it is. New Records: 4.5/5 - This is the best part about this small local record shop in my opinion. They have more new records than most in the valley, and you can tell they actually put some thought into what new records they order every week, rather than just ordering the billboard top 40 artists or whatever. Genre Variety: 3.5 - This was very difficult to grade because while they do have a good array of variety within specific genres they have, they have a couple genres that are either non-existent or barely there like Blues/Reggae. For the genres that they do have decent quantities of you'll find a refreshing array within that genre, for example hip-hop you can find old school, new school, mainstream, underground, etc, etc, etc. In general, if you're looking to score some used Howlin' Wolf records, or some used Frank Sinatra, or rare Pink Floyd used records or going to have a limited limited selection and low chance of finding what you need here. But if you're into finding some Black Keys, White Stripes, Kanye West you'll be very happy here. Customer Service/Atmosphere: 4/5 - This is more a personal taste thing, personally I love that feeling of digging in crates of beat-up old records in a hole-in-the wall smelling like musky aged vinyl rather than the new-agey hipster feel of this place. That said, it's a very cool hipster-style place to grab some vinyl. And the times I've met the owner I've been very pleased at her attitude towards keeping real record stores alive and being openly against downloads/itunes. Composite Overall: 4/5 - I hope that they continue to grow, and eventually expand or move into a bigger location, would love to see what they could do with more space, they could easily become the go-to place for vinyl in Phoenix if that happens. Right now I'm still giving those honors to Revolver, but Stinkweeds is a must-stop too when I get downtown. And really, I love going to both Revolver and Stinkweeds as they compliment each other nicely, contrasting styles, you can definitely go to Revolver and still go to Stinkweeds after and be very happy with both experiences. read more

Uhhh awesome? It's pretty much my go to place to get records when I'm in AZ. They have a really broad selection and the staff is pretty nice. Records aren't too expensive like other shops that think they own the last vinyls on planet earth. It's a little tricky to find if you don't know what to look for, but can't miss it once you know the way. read more

I've been shopping at Stinkeweeks since they first opened. Kimber is awesome as is everyone else in the store. Whenever I'm flipping through my vinyl I always remember which ones I purchased at StinkWeeds. read more

Could this store BE any smaller (said in my best Chandler Bing voice)? I seriously walked in with Rickie, stayed 90 seconds, and said "Dude, I gotta git outta here!" Fortunately they had a guitarist/singer on the back patio with a coffee pot full of java and some cookies. How cool is that? Said musician was eventually joined by a little girl who played her clarinet. Played is being kind. Poor thing. That clarinet squeaked more than the brakes on my 95 ghetto beemer. More than Peter Brady's voice during puberty. But how cute it was. How very Bohemian. Rickie scored The Knife CD he's been looking for and the staff was VERY helpful and not all weird slacker don't bother me cuz I'm too cool to move from behind the counter cuz I just know you two queers are looking for Brittney Spears or Madonna crap and that is so lame...NO...not at all. Nicest of nice. And we were cool. Besides. I'd never heard of The Knife. That was always my nickname for OJ. And he WAS not there. Oh. Cuz he's in jail! HA HA! Anyway, I digress. Stinkweeds! Neither stinky. Nor weedy! Check it 08 my yelpitas. Love you!!!!! read more

Holy sh*t! *#!@!!*#??? F**K !!!! Sorry, I'm not prone to using profanity, but that's how upset I am that today was my first visit to Stinkweeds. I have wasted countless hours surfing iTunes listening to 20 second clips of music, when I simply needed to walk into Stinkweeds and say, "Hi, tell me about some cool music." I am completely outsourcing my music shopping to the staff of this store. Let me tell you about my first time. I walked in the door. I am sure I looked disoriented. I had not been inside a true record store in years. The fact that the shelves were filled with an overwhelmingly large number of albums with unrecognizable band names amplified my disorientation. A member of the staff approached me. "Do you need help?" I hesitated, thinking to myself, I am so not cool, I am about to be exposed. I must have nodded in the affirmative because he quickly followed up with "What kind of music do you like?" This is the most perilous question to be asked by a record store guy. Visions of High Fidelity flashing through my mind, I mumbled, "Uh, I don't know." "Yes, you do. Tell me." I managed to rattle off the names of a few non-mainstream bands that I actually really love. I waited for a respond. "Cool. Let me play you something." He proceeded to switch the music being played in the store to his pick for me. Within minutes I was sold. We repeated this process until I had selected 3 absolutely amazing albums that I would have never found on my own. After wandering around the store for a while on my own, admiring the wide selection of stellar music, I decided it was time to pay and get on with my day. Record store guy paused a moment before ringing up my purchase. "Wait a second, I think we have used copies of all 3 of these albums. I'm going to save you some money." Sure enough, after some searching, he returned with the promised goods. Total price for 3 amazingly good albums? $24 including tax. I'm hooked. Awesome music selection, friendly non-threatening staff (yes, I know that's redundant), lots of used CDs... you know where to find me next weekend. read more

I love this place! I rode my skateboard there in 87 and bought my first record there. People still had record players then. It was The Smiths, This Charming Man 12' single. I still have it and will always remember Stinkweeds for opening my eyes to music that didn't get played on the radio, I will be forever grateful for the staff there helping me discover something besides Huey Lewis. Haven't been to the new store yet but will visit soon as I'm in need of some new vinyl. read more

I understand terms like "mint" or "near-mint" and "good", etc. on used vinyl, but probably should have inquired as to what Stinkweeds means by "clean". In retrospect I should have asked what "clean" means on a $20 used album or asked if I could open the sealed album so I could check it out before buying. Well, it plays but it is very worn and has enough pops and crackles to justify looking for a better copy. A lot of people love this shop, but don't neglect.. always inspect! read more

Customer service at Stinkweeds is second to none. Location has a vast selection and even better employees. I would recommend to anybody looking for records in Arizona. read more

Stinkweeds is what quintessentially a Small Indie Record Store should be. Plain and Simple. Great underground selection, knowledgeable staff with just enough record store attitude (I kid Lindsay, I kid), and i can't go in there without finding at least ten things i absolutely have to have. I'm in record and book stores so much that i constantly have titles and bands and weird EPs fluctuating in my head, and it'll just so happen that I'm looking for something obscure in the used CD section, and bam, they've got like three different titles to choose from for that artist and usually one of them is something i've never even heard of. Word to the wise, if you're gonna sell them stuff, make sure the vinyl is in excellent condition, they only believe in selling high quality used merchandise at what is more often than not, very reasonably priced. That and they have the best selection of magazines too. Big Ups!! read more

Terrific independent record store. Great place to find new music. Good stock of hard to find CD's. It is terrific to have so many listening stations. read more

My son bought me a stereo for Christmas last year and when I recently moved the needle came off. I bought a replacement needle but I couldn't hear any records when I tried to play them. My son and I brought the stereo to Stinkweeds and several hours later Dario called and we discussed what was going on. Dario could not have been any nicer and he eventually fixed it. I only write reviews for exceptional or extremely poor service. To say Dario was exceptional is an understatement. He could not have been any nicer or more helpful. I will never go anywhere else for service or music and highly recommend Stinkweeds. They truly care about their customers, which is very rare nowadays. read more

One of three or four really great record shops operating in the Valley. I've been a customer of Stinkweeds since the 80s and have watched what has always been a really great store get better over the years. Great selection of popular and rock music. More of an emphasis on import and indie music than your average record shop. Normally used records are in excellent condition and prices are fair. read more

so you should support your local businesses, I am totally down with that, and if you're one of those people that's still willing to pay 15 or 17 bucks for a new cd, god love ya, this is your place. but if you're like me and you shop around and you shop online and you buy electronic, that seems high. this is a small little place so there ain't much selection of new or used, especially compared to Zia or Bookman's, and the used stuff isn't all that much cheaper than the new, which I just can't get into. It does have personality, I'll give it that, it feels a little lost in time, like there should vinyl in the slots, not cds, and if that's what you're going for, cool, check it, thumb through the stacks, but just know, there are cheaper ways to buy, just without the ambiance.. read more

Amazing store what more can I say?? I came down to Arizona from California for a family trip and decided to stop by a few record stores and this one by far was the best one! Selection is really good although some of the bands I was looking for on vinyl were sold out, no biggie though because you're sure to find one band you're looking for. Staff was friendly and welcoming (:!! Rad little place!! read more

Best local record shop! Great selection of indie records and I always find something for my collection. Knowledgable staff who have also made some great artist recommendations to me. What are you waiting for, get in the car and go here now. read more

I don't know how they survive with the download competition but I am so glad they do.