Ahh, Criminal Records…I haven’t been there since the mid 90s when I was kicking around that part of the country on and off, but I am quite pleased to see they are not only alive and kicking but have also branched out and gotten even cooler. Criminal Records is in the alt-culture magnet known as Little Five Points, arguably the coolest part of Georgia, hands down.

I remember visiting family in Atlanta at the time and hearing them talk derisively of Little Five Points as “the place where all the freaks hang out”. I knew that meant good things for me and bad things for them…I forced ’em to show me Little Five Points and laughed inwardly at the obvious discomfort of those not really used to cool record shops. What did they expect, Gershwin tunes on the overhead and posters advertising another run of 42nd Street? If you’re in the area, I strongly urge you to go to 1154-A Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307. The store has moved from when I knew it, but the rave reviews Criminal Records gets indicates they are still the coolest shop on the block.