Best Used Record/CD Store

Ask anyone who’s made the drive into the wilds of Decatur’s Leafmore/Oak Grove/Sagamore Hills neighborhood to check out Ella Guru, and the response is akin to a wild-eyed Dennis Hopper circa Apocalypse Now. Tales of mind-blowing records lining the store’s bins and walls are true. It’s all used vinyl, and owner Don Radcliffe and the tight crew he keeps know the value of a well-curated selection. Be it classic or obscure rock nuggets, country gold, hip-hop 12-inches, serious avant-garde scores, or deep cuts from Marion Brown, John Coltrane, or Sun Ra’s catalogs, the dedication to quality over quantity is Ella Guru’s strong suit. The prices are right, but bring a stacked wallet. You can’t leave empty-handed. less...

ELLA GURU RECORD SHOP doesn’t have the biggest selection of used LPs in town, but it certainly has the best records you’ll find anywhere outside of eBay. Tucked away in a quiet LaVista Road strip mall in unincorporated DeKalb County’s Leafmore Creek Park, owner Don Radcliffe has culled together one of the most meticulously curated selections the metro area has ever seen. From rare Marion Brown and Wadada Leo Smith compilations to Cecil Taylor’s first record on the Candid label, the jazz records alone are the stuff of dreams. But Radcliffe also keeps the shelves stocked with an ever-shifting supply of no-nonsense rock ’n’ roll, power pop, R&B and indie must-haves from the ’60s through the ’80s and even some ’90s gems. Whether you’re looking to cop a good record by anyone from Dire Straits to Dwight Twilley, Sonic Youth to Nurse With Wound, there’s something in those racks you’ve been looking to scoop up for years. Know your budget, though. The records are fairly priced, the people behind the counter know what you’re looking for, even if you don’t, and there’s enough high-quality merchandise in the crates to break the bank. 2747 LaVista Road, Decatur. 404-883-2413. www.facebook.com/EllaGuruRecordStore. less...

After years of supplying CDs to hipsters, CRIMINAL RECORDS has lived up to its name and become a full-fledged record store. In addition to vintage vinyl and brand-new LPs of the latest albums, Criminal makes it a priority to stock ample supplies of paycheck-siphoning box sets and limited-edition items. Buy the best of Radiohead box set and you’ll find that meeting people is easy. Need a compilation of Norwegian death metal? It can be yours, Lars. Can you afford not to own the deluxe nine-LP Mastodon set on 180-gram vinyl? And you know where to find the Stone Roses 20th anniversary LP/CD/DVD box set. Going anywhere else could be considered criminal. 1154-A Euclid Ave. 404-215-9511.www.criminalatl.com. less...

While the CD market is fading in the MP3 era, you wouldn’t know it at ELLA GURU, an expansive storefront tucked into a pleasant corner of the Toco Hills shopping center. The store doesn’t hedge its bets by selling vinyl, concert tickets or comic books; it’s all CDs, all the time, with the occasional in-store appearance. Don’t go expecting an edgy atmosphere — or the attitude that goes with it — just one of the larger selections of used and new CDs in town. If you’re selling, Ella Guru pays close to the local top dollar, and its own prices are pretty reasonable, considering that even Best Buy has jacked up costs for new music.
2993 N. Druid Hills Road. 404-325-1350. www.ellaguru.com.

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It may not have the most or cheapest CDs, but CRIMINAL RECORDS probably has the most up-to-the-minute, indie-riffic selection in town. You won’t find yourself combing through stacks of Hootie or Clay Aiken, because its in-house music snobs don’t fill the racks with crud. The convergence of indie-music dilettantes, comic-book nerds and ‘zine-seeking hipsters that make up Criminal’s clientele also make it a great place to peep the freaks while you’re trying to locate the new Wilco or Modest Mouse album. “466 Moreland Ave. 404-215-9511. www.criminal.com” less...