genre guide
Sep 2, 2026
Essential 2000s Hip-Hop on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
From Supreme Clientele to Tha Carter III, these are the ten essential 2000s hip hop vinyl records that tell the decade's whole story, picked from the racks at our Boston shop.
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Essential Punk on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
Ten essential punk records on vinyl, from the Ramones' 1976 debut to Amyl and the Sniffers, with the hardcore, post-punk, and pop punk classics in between.
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Aug 19, 2026
Dub and Reggae Essentials on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
From the Wailers' Island debut to King Tubby's mixing desk, these are the ten essential dub and reggae records on vinyl we hand people first, every one a pressing we carry.
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Film Soundtracks on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
The movies fade but these records keep playing. Ten essential film soundtracks on vinyl, from The Godfather and Jaws to Pulp Fiction and Princess Mononoke, the ones we hand people first.
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Best 90s R&B on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
The best 90s R&B on vinyl, in ten essential albums: hip-hop soul from SWV and TLC, slow jams from Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton, and the neo-soul turn of D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill.
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Library Music on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
Ten doors into library music, the production cues never sold in shops: KPM's synth-funk and crime jazz, France's Tele Music grooves, Italian TV noir, one gloriously fake Japanese pop record, and the Madlib Invazion revival, all on modern pressings we carry.
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Essential Soul on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
Soul is the source under almost everything else we sell, and these ten records are where we tell people to start. Sam Cooke, Otis Blue, What's Going On, Hot Buttered Soul, and more, running from gospel-trained beginnings to the Daptone revival. Every pick is a modern pressing we carry, with a word from behind the counter on why each one earns its slot.
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Essential Funk on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
Funk is the foundation under half of what we sell, and these ten records are where we tell people to start. The Payback, Maggot Brain, Mothership Connection, Superfly, and more, running from New Orleans single sides to 80s punk funk. Every pick is a modern pressing we carry, with a word from behind the counter on why each one earns its slot.
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Jul 31, 2026
Video Game Soundtracks on Vinyl and CD: A Starter's Guide
Game music finally gets the physical editions it deserves, and our shelves prove it. Ten titles, four on vinyl and six on CD, from Koji Kondo's Super Mario Bros. themes and the four-disc Final Fantasy VII score to Metal Gear Solid and Blue Prince, heavy on the Japanese imports that anchor our game music wall. Whether you arrive through nostalgia or pure curiosity, there is a title here that will make your setup feel like a save point.
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Jul 29, 2026
Essential 90s Hip-Hop on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
The 1990s produced hip-hop's deepest album shelf, and this is where we tell people to start. Ten essential records, from Return of the Boom Bap and Ready to Die to The Diary and Future Development, covering New York boom bap, Houston storytelling, and Oakland independence. Every pick is a modern pressing we carry, with a word from behind the counter on why each one earns its slot.
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Essential City Pop on Vinyl: A Starter's Guide
From Masayoshi Takanaka to Tatsuro Yamashita: eleven essential city pop and Japanese fusion records on vinyl, and how to start a Japan-import shelf.
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Jul 22, 2026
Essential Trip-Hop on Vinyl: A Bristol Sound Starter's Guide
The Bristol sound on wax: ten essential trip-hop records from Massive Attack, Portishead, and Tricky, and where to start with each.
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