Ear Peace Records

Where else would I get my vinyl?! Not to mention the amazing boutique in the back! Ladies get your threads here!  The staff is amazing and the ambiance matches!  Tons of selection in music and apparel .  The artwork on the walls is incredible.

This is barely a record store, and more of a boutique throwing stuff up on the wall to see what sells. A decent but paltry selection of mostly overpriced collectibles, not meant for actual listening or enjoyment, but decoration. As I browsed the racks, for a second I thought their letter dividers were off: Duke Ellington was in D, Ella Fitzgerald was in E, Fats Domino was in F... wait, what?

Then it hit me: the records were alphabetized by artist FIRST name. I asked the salesclerk if what I was seeing was intentional, and he asked me, "How is it normally done?" Stunned speechless, I left the store, never to return. It occurred to me later he'd probably never stepped foot inside of a library, and was following iTunes, which sorts likewise (at least it doesn't put The Animals in T). Pathetic.

If I weren't in the Bay Area, where truly fantastic record stores abound, I might forgive Ear Piece for being a dixie cup of water in a desert. But if this is what starts passing as a record store in Berkeley, I'm selling my turntable.

Props goes to Ear Peace  for having great taste in music and making smart choices about the artists they bring in to play shows.  I'm paying attention to what happens here from now on.

Loved the space.

Dope .