Tag Archives: indie record stores

Cleveland, Ohio Record Stores: Blue Arrow Records

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Cleveland, Ohio used record store Blue Arrow Records is at 16001 Waterloo Road and WELL worth the trip. It’s literally about half a block away from the equally impressive Music Saves record store, and these two shops complement each other so well they really could just combine into one awesome super store…

Where Music Saves has the new releases covered, Blue Arrow is an amazing place to find used vinyl. The first thing you notice when you walk into Blue Arrow?

The FLOOR. Have a look at this amazing work of art–album cover artwork on every square inch of record store floor, safely sealed under a transparent veneer. I wasn’t doing so well with the digital pictures on this one, but you get the idea. Click the photo for a larger version.

The vinyl here runs the gamut, from the fun finds:



To the ultra-drool worthy artifacts inscribed with autographs and all:

Blue Arrow has a nice selection of music books and other ephemera, too. All in all, this is NOT the place you want to rush into 45 minutes before closing time. You’ll devour this stuff, collected here by savvy record buyers who know how to put a shop together. When I strut into a used record shop and find an Easy Tempo vinyl record in the first ten minutes, I know I’ve got a shop worth shouting about. Blue Arrow IS that shop in Cleveland. Well done!

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Vinyl Road Rage 2: The Journey Begins

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The road rage begins! The Turntabling quest to find cool indie record shops, interesting vinyl, and eye-grabbing album covers good and bad.

The trip started out saying ta-ta to Chicago and getting right over to Indiana for a visit to Michiana Used Music and Media–I’ll be posting reviews of each stop along the way so each individual record shop can get its own 15 minutes in the spotlight. The good, the bad and the ugly will all be here…

The first day ends in Cleveland, with Day 2 headed to Akron, Youngstown and Pittsburgh. Stay tuned for record shop reviews on Michiana Used Music and Media, Blue Arrow Records in Cleveland, Music Saves in Cleveland, and points east.

Vinyl Road Rage Two: Chicago to NYC

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vinyl road rage two

by Joe Wallace

It’s official, Turntabling’s second Vinyl Road Rage is in the works. This time, I’ll be hitting indie record stores from Chicago to New York City. Consider this a sort of Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, except without the fear or the loathing. Everything else is up for grabs as I blaze a trail from Chi-town to Greenwich Village.

Dates and record store destinations to be announced, but here’s your chance to throw your two cents in. Know of an awesome record store in South Bend? Pittsburgh? Maybe Allentown? I’ll be looking for places to stop, do video, blog, recharge, refuel, catch shows and meet up with fellow vinyl junkies.

Drop me a line: jwallace242 (at) gmail (dot) com and say hello, make suggestions, name a good stop for recaffeination, etc. More info on dates and destinations coming very soon. Stay tuned, the road rage is about to begin…not in the next two weeks, but soon!

Reader Poll: Where Should Vinyl Road Rage 2 Go?

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vinyl road trip 2009 joe wallace

Many of you will remember the Turntabling Vinyl Road Rage road trip we took in 2009, driving from Chicago, Illinois to San Antonio, Texas. I  blogged about a host of indie record stores along the way, and it looks like a spring 2010 version is shaping up nicely. But here’s the big question–where does Vinyl Road Rage #2 go?

The starting line is Chicago, Illinois, of course. But from there it’s anybody’s guess, so I thought I’d throw this one open to suggestions. Please feel free to get in touch directly by dropping me a line on Facebook. I am open to any suggestions at this point, short of looking for a record shop on the moon or in a place I can’t drive to within the continental United States.