Little Rock, Arkansas
Been-Around Records & CDs
1216 S University Ave, Little Rock, AR 72204
Record shopping in Arkansas
Arkansas raised more foundational American music figures than its profile suggests: Johnny Cash grew up in the Dyess Colony cotton-farming community in northeast Arkansas, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born in Cotton Plant in 1915 and pioneered the electric guitar a decade before Elvis, Glen Campbell came out of Billstown, Levon Helm was born in Elaine before joining The Band, Conway Twitty was raised in Helena, and Al Green was born in Forrest City. Evanescence formed in Little Rock in 1995 under Amy Lee and Ben Moody, and the King Biscuit Time radio show has been broadcast from Helena since 1941 as the longest-running blues program in the country. Arkansas Record-CD Exchange in North Little Rock has been Arkansas's largest vinyl retailer for 30-plus years with 90,000-plus LPs, 140,000 45s, and crates of 78s, cassettes, and 8-tracks. Block Street Records has run an indie mini-chain since 2014 with locations in Fayetteville and Bentonville, Phoenix Records & Goods recently opened in Fayetteville with 2,500-plus LPs and vintage stereo gear, and Full Moon Records anchors Conway. Hot Springs holds an unusual five-shop concentration through Downtown Record & CD Emporium, Memory's In Music, Pat's Vinyl Records, Random Records, and Spa Records. Pour Jon's Coffee & Vinyl and Slow Drip Records sit literally next door to each other in Siloam Springs. Ride 40 from Fort Smith east through Little Rock and Memphis, swing 71 north through Fayetteville, and see what the Natural State has been keeping in the bins.
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BEYOND ARKANSAS: VINYL JOURNEYS FROM THE NATURAL STATE
As the tone arm resets in the Natural State, every shop you flipped through today is just one stop on a much wider Mid-South map. The Ozarks roll north toward Missouri, the Delta runs east across the Mississippi to the Helena bluffs, and Arkansas's six bordering states put Memphis, New Orleans, and Tulsa within a single day's drive.
Missouri Record Stores: Head north into Missouri, where St. Louis's Vintage Vinyl in the Loop carries deep soul and indie, Kansas City's Mills Record Company and Vinyl Renaissance run the Midtown circuit, and the Ozark towns hide bluegrass and rockabilly pressings.
Tennessee Record Stores: Cross east into Tennessee, where Memphis still spins Sun, Stax, and Three 6 Mafia in roughly equal measure, Nashville's East Side stocks outlaw country alongside Third Man pressings, and Bristol still claims the 1927 Bristol Sessions as the Big Bang of Country Music.
Mississippi Record Stores: Drop southeast into Mississippi, where Clarksdale and the Delta blues trail run from Highway 49 to Highway 61, Oxford and Jackson carry the college-town and capital scenes, and the Delta pull is strong for any musician chasing the original American blues source.
Louisiana Record Stores: Roll south into Louisiana, where New Orleans's Louisiana Music Factory and Domino Sound Record Shack carry the city's funk, jazz, and bounce lineage, Baton Rouge's college shops cover Cajun and zydeco pressings, and the Bywater and Frenchmen Street stores keep the second line spinning year-round.
Texas Record Stores: Travel southwest into Texas, where Austin's Waterloo Records and Antone's heritage carry the city's roots and indie pull, Houston's Cactus Music runs the city's deep dig, and the I-30 corridor down to Dallas keeps the Arkansas-Texas music exchange constant.
Oklahoma Record Stores: Swing west into Oklahoma, where Norman's Guestroom Records anchors the OU college-town circuit, Oklahoma City and Tulsa indie shops cover the state's two metros, and the Red Dirt country tradition stays close through the radio and venue network.
Colorado Record Stores: Fly northwest to Colorado, where Denver's Twist & Shout anchors one of the country's most respected indies, Boulder's Bart's Record Shop runs the college-town dig, and the Rockies pull Arkansas families up for ski-and-snowboard weeks every winter via the I-40 to I-25 corridor.
At Record Store Directory, every state line is an invitation to keep exploring. Share your finds, connect with fellow collectors, and chase down that next unforgettable album, because the perfect record is always closer than you think.
Happy hunting, and we'll see you in the next stack!
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