Amoeba Music, Hollywood / Photo by John Leverett

12. GONER

2152 Young Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Why It Rocks: A terrific local record store, Goner merits special distinction for the plucky punk label that it also runs out of the shop, which has put out releases by Reigning Sound, longtime local punk icon Ross Johnson, and Quintron (to name only a few), with more on the way from Box Elders and Tyvek. They showcase talent galore at their yearly, four-day Gonerfest. And as far as reps go, these guys have earned one about ten times the size of their tiny shop.

Fans Say: "Goner is an ever-strengthening force as a label, BBS, and mail-order outlet on the national level as well, with such minor masterstrokes as the introduction of Eddy Current Suppression Ring to the rest of the world, serving as the launching pad for Jay Reatard, and causing a lot of scuttlebutt via the incendiary/informative/hilarious/maddening Goner Bulletin Board (careful, you were warned!) When you enter the store these days, it's almost as if the economy wasn't on the fritz, the music biz was in good shape, and you've just stepped into the pre-Internet record store environment. People congregate, talk shop, crack jokes, and do whatever networking there is to be done in a town like Memphis." -- Andrew Earles (SPIN contributing writer and artist, Earles and Jensen Present...Just Farr a Laugh Vol. 1 & 2 (The Greatest Prank Phone Calls Ever!))

11. RECKLESS

3161 N. Broadway, 1532 N Milwaukee Avenue, and 26 E Madison, Chicago, Illinois.

Click To Enlarge. / Photo by Sarah-Ji

Why It Rocks: Chicago is home to a strange, wonderful modern phenomenon known as Reckless Records. Laughing into the wind of Internet-driven changes in music purchasing, they've expanded their operation to three locations in the city. The Wicker Park branch, in particular, draws the young, hip, and dusty-nosed used vinyl crowds, but the selection and staff album reviews can be relied upon at all three spots. In a time when so many shops are shuttering, Reckless proves that there's still a way for record stores to get even bigger if they provide an exciting service you can't get anywhere else.

Fans Say: "Reckless in Wicker Park is my standby. Their used section is great, they carry vinyl, CDs, new stuff, DVDs, and magazines. They have a knowledgable staff that includes musicians (industrial legend Chris Connelly and avant electronic rocker Magas both work there) and DJs and folks whose recommendations you can trust. They are a geniunely hip hold-out in a neighborhood that has been run over in the process of gentrification. It's the axis of indie rock for the town." -- Jessica Hopper (SPIN contributing writer and editor of Hit It or Quit It)

10. WUXTRY

197 E. Clayton Street, Athens, Georgia

Why It Rocks: As much as some record stores help foster their town's music community, none has done so as prominently as Wuxtry in Athens, Georgia, which, if you believe the stories, has employed members of every prominent local band since the scene exploded in the '80s. But the shop's reputation rests just as much on what it provides to visitors, apart from a great selection. Devotees tell stories of hanging around Wuxtry as young'uns and being included in discussions or encouraged to "record your own damn songs, already!" Plus, the upstairs eccentric comics zone Bizarro Wuxtry is a legend unto itself.

Fans Say: "You know how you're always hearing stories about kids who got schooled on cool music by their older siblings who had awesome record collections and you got pissed because your older siblings, if you even had them, liked fucking Foreigner or Kajagoogoo or Deep Banana Blackout? Well, the thing about the original, bedroom-sized Wuxtry (on the corner of College Avenue and East Clayton) was that it was like you suddenly got to hang out with all those older siblings -- specifically owner Dan Wall and whoever happened to be working or blissfully killing off endless afternoons (R.E.M.'s Peter Buck was a particularly opinionated participant once upon a time, most likely hammering on about the New York Dolls or whatever used rock bio he'd just picked up). I distinctly remember somebody there insisting that I stop dicking around and buy the Cramps' Songs the Lord Taught Us and loving it so much that I went back and got Psychedelic Jungle ('Goo Goo Muck' was me and my college roommates' virtual theme song for two years). Then came Bizarro Wuxtry, which got included in an issue of Peter Bagge's Hate as 'the FUNKIEST business establishment I've ever seen!' and the larger storefront space next door, and eventually, Wall even opened the small, adjacent memorabilia-crammed Athens Music Museum. It's mind-boggling to me that for more than 30 years, and after thousands of other great stores have faded or bitten the dust, Wuxtry has actually gotten better." -- Charles Aaron (SPIN music editor)

9. MUSIC MILLENNIUM

3158 & 3144 E. Burnside, Portland, Oregon

Why It Rocks: A 1969 opening date makes Music Millennium the oldest record store in the Pacific Northwest, and they've proven their wisdom over the years with an inventory (now including sizable selections of DVDs and other non-music ephemera) that has grown almost as fast as their importance as a community staple. The original house where the shop was founded has expanded into an adjacent wing with a Classical Annex, making it one of the few stores that's both charmingly ramshackle and agreeably freshfaced.

Fans Say: "Holy moly, I love Music Millenium! It's the way a record store should be: It's wonderfully curated, and the Burnside location is seasoned, cozy, with a modest but inviting and comprehensive vinyl collection (you have to climb up a shitty, narrow stairwell to get where the vinyl is, but who cares?) and a superbonkers CD selection. It's an essential part of the PDX music community, for sure." -- Joan Hiller (publicist, Riot Act Media)

CONTINUE THE COUNTDOWN ON PAGE 3