Welcome to the new Breakaway Records at 211 W. North Loop Blvd. Love the new sign.

It’s so comfy in here with the extra room. The records can breathe. We can breathe. Ahh.

The Bo Diddley lives on in a new form. Bo knows displays. I still want that Big Bird player.

There were DJs at the opening. It probably won’t happen on the reg, but there’s room for it.

Listening Stations now have room to stretch out at. And enjoy a beer. Beer optional.

Gabe looks psyched to have a place to sit down and chill in the middle of the store. Me too.

Saw this sign when I went behind the store. Fittingly upside down. I wonder what will come of it. Congrats on the new store, Gabe. Great job on the move!

Pics by THE Mary Rehak

Fresh from Gabe to you:

Dear Breakaway Records folks and vinyl addicts…

THIS FRIDAY…
We will be hosting our reopening party at the new location,

211 W. North Loop Blvd
Austin, Tx 78751
Next to Epoch Coffee and Blue Velvet

THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 9TH!
Doors will open at 11am and will stay open ’til around 11pm
we will be having some guest DJ’s, playing choice vinyl for your perusing pleasures,
here’s the line up…
(more…)

Breakaway Records is moving to a bigger (and hopefully better) location in just a couple weeks. You can find Gabe and his vinyl-only store at 211 w. North Loop next to Epoch Coffee and Blue Velvet as of Friday April 9th, 2010. The store will be open today (March 29th) and next Monday (4/5) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the old location on E. 5th.

“I am quite excited about the move, as it will be more than twice the room as the current location! We will continue to do our best to bring you choice vinyl and all things vinyl related.” owner Gabe Vaughn wrote.

Gabe says to expect a grand opening party of some kind when they re-open next Friday. Personally I’m a little sad because I love the location on E. 5th, but I’m sure he’ll make use of the space in the new location and make it better than ever. Cheers to the new location. Can’t wait to celebrate on the 9th!

I was the first one in Third Man Records’ pop-up shop in Austin, but I only had a few minutes of my lunch break to scope the place out. They have the obvious stuff like the DVD and Blu-Ray of “Under Great White Northern Lights” and Texas-sized vinyl of LPs/45s fromThe White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather.

Open March 17th through March 20th. Located at Frank Restaurant on 4th and Colorado 12 pm- 8pm

Here’s the goodies you wouldn’t expect: (more…)

Third Man Records is coming. The record store that is home to Jack White’s trio of rock (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather) is excited to announce their most ambitious temporary store yet, set to pop-up at SXSW from March 17th through March 20th. Located at Frank Restaurant on 4th and Colorado,

Third Man Records at SXSW will feature exclusive Third Man vinyl only available at TMR SXSW, debut releases, screenings of Under Great White Northern Lights, food, drinks and much more. The Third Man Records SXSW shop will be open to the public from 12 – 8PM daily and you dont need a SXSW pass to get in.

When an Austin record store closes, Austin Vinyl mourns. It’s like losing a pet. We only had Snake Eyes for four and a half years, but we loved her like family, we had good times and we’ll remember her fondly. But she’s gone now. Well, what are we to do? We’re gonna get a new puppy, that’s what.

Richard J. Quintana is opening up Missing Link Records in Snake Eyes’ recently vacated spot in April and, like a young pup eager for a walk, he can barely contain his excitement.

“We’re going to add some color and refresh vinyl,” Quintana tells me.

Quintana is bringing in 100,000 records and 30,000 45s with a tag line of “hits and hard to finds.” He says they’ll get people good quality at a good price and specializing in everything. He lists off jazz, blues, rock, soul, punk and show tunes before exclaiming “just anything!”

While he’s reluctant to categorize the collection, he said they will specialize in sealed records and first pressings. Quintana will be one of the vendors at the SXSW record convention, so look out for Missing Link there and don’t feed him any chocolate. It’s bad for puppies.

Where: 1401 Rosewood Avenue, Austin - (512) 524-1445

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12pm – 9pm Sunday 12pm – 6pm

Screw CD’s! Speaking of technology no one uses anymore, they have a bunch of VHS tapes for real cheap.

What: The most in-store performances, old school arcade games, and tons of vinyl. They feature an ample amount of punk, but they’ve got a lot of everything. Check the calendar to see who’s playing in-store. Trailer Space usually at least three live shows a week and they’re all free, but bring cash, because they don’t accept plastic.

I see classic rock staple “Brothers and Sisters” by The Allman Brothers and the Clapton Rainbow Bridge concert featuring Pete Townshend. If you don’t pick up the Rainbow Bridge album soon, I’m gonna have to.

Meet Spot, owner of Trailer Space Records. He’s super excited about the new arcade games at Trailer Space. There’s now a pinball machine in there too. Check it out.

Bring coins for the games, cash for the records and be prepared for some live music. Oh, and East Side Pies is next door, so come hungry.

Photos by the incredible Mary of http://shutter-noise.com/ except the one of Spot playing video games. I nabbed that one from their Web site: http://trailerspacerecords.blogspot.com/

Where: 1101 Navasota (512) 600-6950

What: A store in transition. I spoke to Becca, the owner, on Valentines Day and she said the store is in the process of being sold, but admitted no paperwork had even been drawn up yet. She did say she had a buyer and that they intend on keeping it a record store.

What you need to know: 50% off all vinyl for the next week until they close!

The “crotch on fire” pointing to the bend in the y is probably the best graffiti I’ve ever seen.

The ambiance of Snake Eyes is something I’ll miss even though I just discovered it recently. How can you not love the Yo La Tengo album title scrawled out. I think Becca said the band wrote that for her. Becca says she’s excited to move on with her life. Stop by, wish her well and enjoy the 50% off.

Photos by the lovely Mary of http://shutter-noise.com/

Where: 3909 D IH 35 #1 (Right next to I-35 next to Fiesta) (512) 451-3361

What: A hip-hop focused shop, but their vinyl doesn’t reflect that. Every LP is $1. I’ll let you come to your own conclusions, but I’ve only been there once and only found one thing I wanted. Don’t let me detract you, there are surely some gems in the store. (more…)

Where: 1704 South Congress Avenue in the alley behind the building. (512) 447-1000

Hours: Sunday: Noon – 8pm, Monday-Thursday: 11am – 8pm, Friday-Saturday: 11am – 9pm

A massive selection of quarter albums and dollar bins, they also have a box of 100 sealed albums for $5 or a box of 100 sealed ROCK albums for $10. I bought the $5 box and found all of Beethoven’s symphonies, Magical Mystery Tour, Hotel California, some Steely Dan, The Supremes and a bunch more gems. It’s a great way to bolster your collection. (more…)