Best CDs/Tapes/Record Store '95

Best CDs/Tapes/Record Store

Zia Record Exchange
Three locations

READERS' AND STAFF PICK: What makes a great record store? Well, a whole bunch of CDs for one thing--and Zia has that, for sure. From A Bead to a Small Mouth to ZZ Top (they were out of ABBA on our recent visit), the popular music section alone is chock full of the wondrous and the weird and the fully expected. New and used are mixed throughout. Separate stacks are established for Jazz/Classical and Heritage. Naturally, Zia stocks plenty of cassettes, also new and used, as well as music videos. Also on hand is a small collection of 10-inch vinyls, L.P.s and 45s. The store is laid out warehouse style, nothing fancy, with plenty of space and light. The walls are covered with T-shirts and posters--some for sale, some wallpaper--and lined with shelves holding a rich array of magazines and books. Read the current issue of Skin and Ink or peruse the pages of Hank Williams--The Biography. Likely as not you'll be roused by the voice of someone you know, calling from across the rows (Zia has been referred to as Tucson Meet Yourself without the falafel.) As you head for the register or the door, stopping at the cases to investigate the Manic Panic pastel hair colorant and the Ed Wood trading cards, you'll glance at your watch and discover your afternoon has slipped away.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Americans have been led to believe that vinyl is dead, but the folks at PDQ, 2342 N. Dodge Blvd., know differently. They're not only the most impressive place in Tucson for vintage vinyl, they've become one of the planet's largest vinyl dealers. Collectors travel regularly from both US coasts and Europe to dig through the hundreds of thousands of 12-inch and 7-inch platters, also sifting through the countless promotional items, picture discs and one-of-a-kind releases. Increased space has recently been made for their used CD and cassette section, making PDQ a complete music lover's store. The prices are sometimes ridiculous or sublime--it's up to the collector to decide.

CAT'S MEOW: Malls and faceless chain stores now rule the music domain, but not at Last Wax Records, 402 N. Fourth Ave. This small shop carries a variety of musical genres, mostly on that forgotten (but not gone) vinyl medium. (CDs and cassettes are also available, but aren't the focus here.) Unlike other vintage vinyl stores, though, the prices and collectibility of these nuggets are generally lower, but no less interesting. It's a small business catering to others who still like to look through record stacks and sigh over The Byrds or Aretha Franklin or Herb Albert. A stack of these treasures can be had for only a few bucks--a fact that the CD-driven music industry doesn't really want you to know.

CAT'S MEOW: What with the lo-fi revolution, D.I.Y. ethic, and indie-street cred all the rage, you can hardly swing a dead music critic these days without running into an article in mainstream rags like Spin or Rolling Stone about the Next Nirvana, explaining how they're really not compromising their indie punk ideals by signing to a major label for wheelbarrows of cash and loss of all artistic control. "Alternative music" is a marketing ploy to fill the void left by bands like Boston and Journey. For those with a taste for the truly alternative, check out Toxic Ranch Records, 424 E. Sixth St., a haven for genuine independent recordings. You can find treats by the likes of stalwart indie icons Superchunk and Tsunami, as well as indie-by-necessity outfits like the Vandals, Gas Huffer and the Hickoids. All this and shirts, 'zines, and the punker-than-thou Toxic Tatertot newsletter. This is the place to catch punk before it dresses up for the MTV awards.

1998 Winner: Zia Record Exchange
1997 Winner: Zia Record Exchange
1996 Winner: Zia Record Exchange