While I'm not an indie fan, my girlfriend is. (When I introduced her to Parasol, she wanted to move…read moreinto their hard-to-find storefront-slash-warehouse.) I don't know much about the label or mail order business at all, but I can safely say that Parasol's storefront carries the best, and extremely well-edited, selection in town for indie and punk vinyl, CDs, and DVDs. Just the latter alone! You can buy the Kill Rock Stars Video Fanzine III, live performances from Coachella, and documentaries about freestyling, K Records, or even that one about early California hardcore, which features far too much footage of TSOL. There are also bins full of seven-inches, and a decent-sized collection of $1 vinyl and CDs. Much time could be successfully killed here. Anywhere I can buy the A-Frames Black Forest LP, and peruse seemingly endless back issues of Mojo, is aces in my book. They'll also special order anything you want, which means that I won't have to save my shopping list for trips to Chicago's Reckless!

From the owner: Record shop, record store, vinyl records, CDs, music magazines, DVDs , Blu-Rays, CD replication and…read moreprinting.

Very friendly and down to earth staff. Super laid back environment with lots of cool things…read moreeverywhere. Prices are what you expect for quality items and there's something for everyone. Very cool shop and a personal must stop for all down-to-earth people.

Headstone Friends gives off the vibe of a place that used to be really cool, having that music…read morebasement atmosphere (dark, somewhat cramped, aromatic), with clerks who can be nice and friendly and who clearly love what they do... but it also suffers greatly from the lack of competition around it and variety within it. The majority of what they carry, which is a bit hard to navigate due to the vertical storage spaces with horizontal disc orientation, is nothing particularly special. There is not enough obscurity in the catalog to really foster discovery, as most of what I could find were the same over-pressed, over-priced albums that can be found everywhere else. I will admit to the biased perspective that living in a pop culture mecca such as California has ingrained in me, and maybe HF's fault is mostly due to that bias, but - in a time of digital stores and downloads, where the rest of the world can have access to everything and anything from the convenience of their home and can share a similar perspective to mine due to this - this fault can be fatal. Furthermore, having the merchandise under lock is very off-putting when a large part of the appeal of a record store is the ability to "touch the music": the packaging, the angles, the reflection of the light off the glossy surface... the scratches, the plastic wrap, the track listing and bar codes. Maybe it wasn't always that way and maybe a few bad apples ruined it for the rest of us... but it has ruined it regardless. As the only standing music store in Terre Haute (that I know of, and without counting big chain electronic stores), I can accept it for what it is and appreciate the fact it has held out this long. Unfortunately, there are not very many other redeeming qualities of the store, and frankly, it seems more like an incense shop than anything at this point. I enjoyed the breath of a familiar air when I walked in (having been starved for the record store experience during a summer visiting family), but all too rapidly, that initial feeling became a longing for the version of this experience that I was used to... I wish this store the best and hope they can adapt in an increasingly hostile world for its likes. PURCHASED: Happy Head/Out of Hand by The Mighty Lemon Drops (Used, $7.99)

Conveniently located in downtown Champaign near the Illinois Terminal (Amtrak, MTD buses) and a…read morestone's throw from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, Exile on Main Street has a fantastic selection of new and previously loved vinyl, CDs, cassette tapes, and more. I recently met the owner, Jeff Brandt, at the store while my partner was on the hunt for Taylor Swift and Charli XCX vinyls. Jeff was immediately attentive and we struck up conversations about Taylor Swift, the positives and areas of improvement downtown Champaign could use, the area's history as a musical mecca, and much more. It was easy to see how much love and sweat equity he's put into the community and the store. An adjacent vintage store has closed but Exile regularly hosts pop-ups, underscoring its community-first vibes. When you're looking for vinyl finds, skip online, Target and chains and support institutions like Exile on Main!

This is the THE record store to visit in Champaign-Urbana. Yeah, there's Record Swap if you want…read moreused classic rock or See You Vinyl with their dozens of records, but Exile is the place to be. The store itself has an interesting layout that promotes exploration and discovery. There's a nice mix of used and new vinyl, (mostly used) CDs, and even some cassettes and VHS tapes. I'd say Exile's strengths are all things indie, major artists from the 90s onward, classic rock, and a bunch of niche stuff. I like to find reissues of 90s and 00s electronic stuff there, and they typically stock new jazz releases from Blue Note and some of the other big labels (not a huge selection, but everything they have is good). Of course, this is just my perception. You'll find each genre well represented. If you don't see what you want, the owner is happy to get it for you. He's a great guy with a deep knowledge of music. He actually has a whole section that he's selling from his personal collection, which is an interesting category. It's like a bunch of great titles that have been out of circulation for a long time. Overall, this is a fun place to find good music. Check it out.

Went there the first time about a month ago. WOW! So much to look through, Bought quite a bit and…read morewill be buying more.

I've been coming to GB's for 20+ years now, and even though I moved away and went digital years…read moreago, I always make it a point to come here and buy some CDs when I'm in town. Gary and Bob are great guys and have always been able to make good recommendations no matter what genre. Everything from the old shop smell to the faded posters on the wall is the same as it's ever been, and I couldn't be happier they've never changed despite everything around them. GB's should be considered a historic landmark of Decatur. I wish them all the best and hope they keep it going another 26 years.

I used to go here at least once a week to check out new music. As I'd climb the stairs from Green…read moreStreet, they'd always have something cool playing, with the jacket displayed at the counter. Checking through the bargain bins one day in 1975, I found a copy of Buckingham Nicks for a couple bucks. I'd been going through Fleetwood Mac withdrawals with no new albums, so I bought it. Another time, the sound of Chameleon greeted me, and I just had to buy Herbie Hancock's groundbreaking Headhunters album, take it home and learn the keyboard parts. Record Factory workers were always on top of new releases and bands, and could always direct you to what you were looking for. I suspect they've kept that work ethic into the CD era. Highly recommended.

Poor service. I took in a box of 43 games a ps3 and a dualshock 4 charging stand and they said to…read moregive them 15 minutes. I expected the wait but when i came back they only took half the games saying the others were too scratched to work, which is false as the last time they were out of the case they worked just fine. They left the charging station as well. The guy at the counter said i could get 76 cash then proceeded to only hand me 56. Not coming back to this place i couldve made more on marketplace

Don't sell anything here they either don't know what movies & video games are actually worth or…read morethey are purposely cheating people by underpaying people for products that are worth more than what this Disc Replay is offering.....Also they hardly ever take everything you try to sell and use the "We're overstocked on this" excuse or they'll act like stuff is too damaged when it isn't at all (So yeah don't waste your time on these people they're lazy crooks)

My husband and I had read an adulatory article about the store and the many thousands of books…read morethere, so we traveled up from St. Louis to take a look. The thousands of books were there, all right, but in a building that smells overwhelmingly of mold. I don't know whether it's from a roof leak or a flood, or whether they have just bought a lot of smelly books, but my husband and I both stank of mold even after we left, and I was coughing. I didn't find much of a selection of unusual or uncommon books to tempt me, and the layout of the place is very strange. I couldn't find mystery books for over ten minutes. They were hidden away in a corner, and given far less prominence than romance or inspirational books. Even if I found out that the mold problem had been solved, it's not likely we would return.

Don't let any negative reviews steer you away from this place, it's great!!! I was in-town…read moreovernight, and specifically looking for guitar tablature books. While they didn't have much, I did find their music section, and got a great book on the old ACE Records label. However, the best part of the experience was Lori, the owner (I believe). She was SO HELPFUL!!! I asked about her usual stock, and she was totally willing to have an in-depth conversation with me about various subjects. Also, when I went to check out, and told her that I was in town for a concert, she reached into a drawer, and pulled out an information sheet recommending restaurants for dinner, breakfast and coffee places. She even gave me some of her own, and some advice on where else to look for good used books!! Other than the concert itself, it was the highlight of my trip there. Thank you Lori!!!

Just walking into the store throws you into a fit of nostalgia. The staff is always super friendly…read moreand always willing to help out. Highly recommend!

Not a bad store, except that it is nearly impossible to even get someone to look your direction…read more The selection is what you would expect for a place that buys from people. It is inconsistent, but you can also find some pretty cool things. Prices are not bad and they often have deals if you buy multiple items. I would say that they are better for movies than anything else; it is a pretty vast selection. It can be crowded and a bit messy. It seems like the employees are most of the problem here. The shelves can be really out of order and I have seen many times when the same item was listed at multiple different prices or had gunk and other stickers all over it. If you are patient and do not mind doing all the work yourself you can find decent deals; just be prepared to wait ages for anyone to help with things you cannot reach yourself.

Be careful if you are taking things in to sell. Be VERY careful. Not the best place to sell things…read more In fact, a BAD place. The buyers, though, will find almost everything they are looking for. Usually, the prices are good. But forget about the "swap" part. A very uneven playing field that.

I was incredibly impressed with the selection of new vinyl, and the selection of vintage vinyl was…read morepretty good too. Staff seemed friendly and polite, everything was clean and organized. The issue is the pricing. I prefer to buy in a store and support independent record stores and small businesses. I have my limits though. Not sure how he can get away with charging 20-300% more than other sellers. My record store day I bought for $26 he had for $45, my RSD I got for 35 he had for 50. The Zappa broadcast I bought for $8 new sealed he wanted $40 for, another I got for $13 sealed he wanted $40 as well. Most the vintage vinyl was worth half what it was priced at. I know you've got to pay the rent and I know prices are higher brick and mortar, but why are your prices higher than stores in downtown Chicago? Highest priced store I've ever been to, and I'm a traveler, I go to a LOT of record stores. I could have easily bought a couple dozen albums if they were even 20% cheaper, but I left with nothing and very sad that I had to pass on so much good stuff. I guess you can build a pretty epic collection if you don't price things to actually sell...Went online and bought what I wanted for 30-50% less than he wanted. Didn't feel good about it, but I'm not going to be ripped off just to support indie record stores...

Came through in my way to Chicago, decent selection and good prices. They used the small space very…read morewell and had a very chill aesthetic. Jesse was very nice and recommended a new album based off what I liked. He was very nice and humble and it was easy to talk to him. I will be coming back! -Cy

This review is about my experience, plus constructive feedback that can be used to make this shop…read morebetter. While I love digging through the stacks at local record shops, I have experienced much better. I've been through quite a number of fantastic record stores in my lifetime, so I have expectations on how a record store should be (even for smaller and newer shops that may just be starting out). I root for local record stores and encourage them to do their best. I've been here, Record Swap, and Exile, and I find Record Swap is the best one. Let me start off by saying I did leave with the purchase of two records today. The shop wasn't terrible, but I do think it was lacking a bit. I understand building up a quality stock takes time, but given the amount of time this store had been around, I expected just a little more. Some selections are spot on with the prices, while other selections aren't worth the $5+ as they look like they've been pulled from thrift stores and $1 bins elsewhere. The layout of the store was decent for the size space, but how the stock was "organized" was honestly a bit of a choppy mess. For the size store, I'd honestly shrink down the "new arrivals" spot significantly and put the items where they're supposed to go. This will make browsing so much smoother (only bring in a bigger new arrivals spot when you've got much more merchandise coming in). Do away with the boards you've got taking up a wall. You may have a passion about them, but they don't belong in a record store, nor will people use Google to look you up if they're in the market for a board... it's just not expected to be found in that type of store. Use that space for more music merchandise, which is expected to be found in this store. Move your cash register to the bar that was built into the spot. This makes the extra merchandise ready for sale behind bar moved to another spot and easier to get to. These are just some of the key changes that could made to make this shop 100x better, instead of adding injury to your name, and will help you take off.