The Best Record Stores in the USA

NW Market St., Seattle, WA; Melrose Ave., Seattle, WA

Ballard is the Brooklyn of Seattle, so it stands to reason that one of the best record shops in the city has the bigger of its two locations there, near the earthy live venue Sunset Tavern. Sonic Boom has enough space for in-store performances and an array of new titles, indie and major, and while the vibe skews toward the former, there's little snobbery to be found either there or in the recently relocated Capitol Hill location. A wide selection of vinyl and books rounds things out — as do homemade mixtapes from K Records' Calvin Johnson.

• Photos: The 20 Best Record Store Day Exclusives