New Orleans invented jazz, birthed bounce music, and keeps brass bands employed full-time. Five record shops operate as cultural archives where the bins hold local music history alongside current releases. Each specializes in different genres, different eras, different approaches to collecting vinyl.
Louisiana Music Factory, 421 Frenchmen Street, Marigny.
The essential New Orleans music shop. Three floors of vinyl, CDs, books, and posters focusing on Louisiana music: jazz, blues, R&B, Cajun, zydeco, brass bands, funk. The collection includes rare recordings from the 1920s-1940s New Orleans jazz era alongside current releases from local artists. Listening stations let you sample before buying. Staff knows the catalog and recommends based on your interests. The shop hosts in-store performances and album release parties. Located on Frenchmen Street near the music clubs. Open daily 11am-7pm. This is where serious collectors find Professor Longhair originals, Meters albums, and Treme Brass Band recordings. Phone: (504) 586-1094.
Peaches Records, 4318 Magazine Street, Uptown.
Operating since 1975. This warehouse-sized shop stocks everything but specializes in New Orleans hip-hop and bounce. The bounce section holds releases from the 1990s when DJ Jubilee, Partners-N-Crime, and Cheeky Blakk were creating the genre. Local rap from Cash Money Records, No Limit, and current artists fills multiple bins. The shop also carries rock, soul, country, and international music. Peaches is where New Orleans musicians shop. The staff includes working DJs and producers who know the local scene. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday noon-6pm. The shop sells turntables, speakers, and equipment alongside records. Phone: (504) 282-3322.
Euclid Records, 3301 Chartres Street, Bywater.
Pink walls, dense bins, indie rock and alternative focus. The shop opened 2010 in the Bywater when the neighborhood was cheaper and weirder. The collection emphasizes independent labels, punk, post-punk, garage rock, and local New Orleans indie bands. Used vinyl section includes rare pressings from 1970s-1980s punk and new wave. The shop is small, holds maybe 10 people comfortably. Serious diggers spend hours flipping through bins. Staff is knowledgeable but not pushy. Open daily noon-7pm. The pink exterior makes it easy to spot on Chartres Street. Phone: (504) 947-4348.
Domino Sound Record Shack, 2557 Bayou Road, Treme.
Small shop in a Treme neighborhood house focusing on international vinyl: Afrobeat, reggae, dub, Caribbean music, African funk, Latin records. The collection includes rare pressings from Nigeria, Jamaica, Brazil, and Cuba. Owner Jim Daneker sources records internationally and stocks items you won’t find at larger shops. The shop also carries New Orleans brass band and second-line recordings. Hours are irregular, usually Thursday-Sunday afternoons, but call ahead because Daneker closes when he’s traveling to source records. The shop is off the tourist path in a residential neighborhood. Cash preferred. Phone: (504) 309-0871.
Sisters in Christ, 3054 St. Claude Avenue, Bywater.
New Orleans punk, metal, and hardcore specialist. The shop opened 2016 as a community space for the local underground scene. Vinyl bins hold local punk bands, touring bands who played New Orleans, and rare hardcore releases. The shop also sells zines, patches, band shirts, and cassettes. Shows occasionally happen in the space with local punk bands performing. The atmosphere is DIY, anti-commercial, focused on community over profit. Staff works in local bands and books shows at nearby venues. Hours vary, generally Thursday-Sunday afternoons. Check social media before visiting. The shop sits on St. Claude Avenue in the Bywater past most restaurants and shops. Phone not listed, contact through Instagram.
