Minneapolis shops

Randy: my biased scoop on our local muscial-biscuit-vending scene:

Naturally, I would first recommend the excellent shop that's close to my heart, Roadrunner Records (822-0613), where I work some hours each week. It's a packed little place on Nicollet Ave at 43rd St in South Mpls. Piles of used cds, many deep specialty sections (e.g. mighty mighty international, industrial, punk, surf sections) each maintained by one o' us. Also much more vinyl than most, new & used. I know for a fact there's a vinyl copy of
"Sex and Travel" there for like $3.75 if you're interested. Prices are,
whenever possible, competitive with the Best Buys and other frightening megamonsters in the area.

Then there's our sister store, Aardvark (885-9737), at 90th and Penn in Bloomington. Smaller and shallower but with a used section with different surprises (because suburban).

Also on Nicollet are two fine little shops, Garage D'Or (871-0563) at 26th and Let It Be (339-7439) at 10th (the latter is right downtown Mpls, on Nicollet Mall, on which only buses can drive). Both specialize in new import and indie cds and vinyl. Let It Be is said to have an excellent dance bent.

Not far (~6 blocks west) from Nicollet is Lyndale, and at 25th and Lyndale is Oar Folkjokeopus (872-7400), a historical store with the "Record Collector's Co-op" (used collectible vinyl) in the basement. I haven't been in there in a while, so can't say much but what I see posted in their windows (the usual, local & cool indie bands).

AND, then, another historical place, the Electric Fetus (870-9300), 4th Av S at Franklin. Large, warm, almost solely domestic, good on jazz, blues,
"urban" and rock n roll; also the area's premier head shop.

These stores are really kinda close together (within the same hemisphere of Mpls), and you could visit all of them easily in an afternoon in your car with little trouble, and likely without getting anywhere near lost.

Also, when in the Twin Cities, listen to 770 AM Radio K, the University station. I have come to adore it. It only operates between sunrise and sunset because of some obscure holdover license rule from when it was for the farmers. More mainstream are the two commercial alterno-stations, REV 105.1 (locally-operated) and The Edge 93.7 (nationwide syndicated or something). We also have what seems like a hundred local bands these days.

Sheesh. The above has been brought to you by the Minnesota tourist board!

Amy Gregoret

Limnological Research Center
University of Minnesota
webmaster, LRC Manual: http://lrc.geo.umn.edu/manual/ pager/voice mail (612) 908-5538

Those who *can do sometimes have to teach too.

                        Alex Received on Tue Sep 17 21:30:17 1996