As an obsessive record nerd I’m always EXTREMELY stoked for MORE local record stores, and the newest shop in town, Daybreak Records, run by former longtime Jive Time staffer RJ, has a lot of us record collectors excited. I went on opening day, last Saturday (and the day after!), and it was remarkable, all of it!

The shelves were stocked deep with top-class used records, like, there were a LOT of quality records—deep catalog titles, not just the more common stuff. Oh, and there's a LOT of reggae on 45 in the bins! Beyond that, the walls are covered in rarities, but I was most excited to find a nice original Vanguard issue of the Peter Walker LP,"Second Poem to Karmela", a record I’d never seen in three decades of collecting. A friend also spotted some hard-to-find Pharoah Sanders, Tim Blake, and Ruth White LPs.

The shop itself was open and airy, super-inviting, even random neighborhood folks just passing by stopped in to check out the space. Really, the only thing missing (HINT HINT) is a couch for us lazy record nerds who wanna loiter and yammer at one another about music. If the opening weekend is any indication, its looking like Daybreak will be a hub of record-freak activity.
 
So far the shop is stocked with used records, but eventually RJ says he’s planning to add a “well-curated” section of new records, used cassettes, and used CDs. When asked to sum up his shop, RJ said, "Daybreak Records [will have] an emphasis on high-quality used vinyl in all genres, as well as select new titles. The space was designed to let the music do the talking, with wall-to-wall records and locally made fixtures and racks, and a keen eye for detail in both the interior as well as the inventory. With a solid balance between all genres, and a curated but super-relaxed feel, to keep people guessing as to what they might run across in the new arrivals bins each day. No artist is too big for us to carry, but on the flip side, no one is too obscure, either. I still actively collect, so that thrill is something I am keen to recreate in the right setting and this space felt like the perfect place to do that.” I think it should be noted he "still actively collect(s)," as that's the spark that will keep his fire for selling great records burning hot.
 

Located at 4308 Fremont Avenue North next to Uneeda Burger, Daybreak—which doesn't have a website yet—opened July 16, so if you haven’t been yet, I’d get there sooner than later, ’cause you’re missing out.