Vinyl Junkies Record Shack
2235 Fern St.
San Diego, CA 92104
Phone: 619-794-2399
Email: orders@vinyljunkies.net
Store hours:
Sunday-Wednesday: 10am-8pm
Thursday-Saturday: 10am-10pm

THE TOP 3 OF 2022
~STAFF PICKS~
ROB M.
Amyl And The Sniffers - Comfort To Me
This is a blistering dose of Australian pub punk, lead by Amy Taylor, a woman with no wasted words. It's a wall-to-wall ride of radical riffs, but with more knob-twisting production and a bigger sound than their previous album.
/Security, will you let me in your pub?/
/I'm not looking for trouble, I'm looking for love!/
I mean come on, I love her.
Drugdealer - Hiding in Plain Sight
This is the AM Gold 8-track that’s been stuck in your Dad’s station wagon all summer. And just like the smell of wet sandy shorts, it's growing on you. Keys, horns, and clean guitar, lift the easy words into warm air. If Steely Dan and Jackson Browne lived together, this record was the weed they grew.
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Jack Harlow - Come Home The Kids Miss YouI don’t care what anyone says, I'm going with the white rapper kid from Kentucky.
‘Come Home’ was put on one night and I just kept spinning it.
Harlow has a calm confidence and easy flow that you you can root for
.
/Maybe I should pick up a hobby/
/More like probably/
/More like Margot Robbie/
Maybe not the most tech rhymes, but he’s got Drake, Big Sean and other top tiers to throw in bars to help.
MARIO R.
Stone Axe - Slave Of Fear 7" (Yunque Records)
Highly anticipated and hungered and drooled for by heavy/proto metal lovers for many a year. Yunque Records finally delivered the goods with a first ever reissue of this mythical beast. Raw and chunky with tons of hot sauce all over it. I also had the honor to do the liner notes to this heavy rager.
Herbie Nichols - The Prophetic Herbie Nichols
An amazing discovery for me, Herbie is a pianist and has a vibe along the lines of Thelonious Monk in that he has no strict structure of chords or melodies. It’s a really fun ride to go on. Highly recommended!
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John DuCann - The World’s Not Big Enough (Just Add Water Records)Long-awaited vinyl release of this hybrid glam hard rock nugget that is produced by Status Quo rocker Francis Rossi. Rocks yr socks off!
NATHAN J.
Weird Nightmare - Weird Nightmare
Hooks and melodic bliss! With an adventurous track sequence, you’ll be on that psychedelic journey you’ve been dreaming about. Love this thing!
Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Cheat Codes
Danger Mouse, you win. You’re the best beat maker in the world. Why wouldn’t this record be so darn good?!?!
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Viagra Boys - Cave World
Such a fresh take on songwriting with production that’ll knock your socks off. This thing is punchy as hell!
JULES M.
Belle And Sebastian - A Bit Of Previous
These songs give me all the great feels and is the soundtrack of partying again with friends after a long absence during the pandemic. It is so fun to sing along with and even more fun to dance to.
The Schizophonics - Hoof It
High energy and packed with that classic Schizophonics guitar sound, this album makes me want to shake my booty.
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Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork
This album grew on me and quickly became one of my favorites. Florence Shaw's dry and sarcastic tone is mesmerizing and absolutely wonderful.
DEREK M.
Pedro The Lion - Havasu
I love all things David Bazan. There's Headphones, Pedro the Lion and his solo project. Havasu came out in January, and according to Pitchfork is the second album in a "pentalogy" of albums which are named after cities that David grew up in. My favorite song is "First Drum Set," which starts slow and then really gets going two-thirds of the way in.
Swami John Reis - Ride The Wild Night
I definitely love all things John Reis. From Rocket from the Crypt, Pitchfork, Hot Snakes and Plosivs, the list goes on and on. This solo album has 10 rocking songs that really get me bobbing my head. "I Hate My Neighbors in the Yellow House" is my fave.
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The Afghan Whigs - How Do You Burn?
I also love all things Dulli. He has Twilight Singers, his own solo album, and of course The Afghan Whigs. How Do You Burn? came out in September and is the ninth studio album from the band. Marcy Mays returns to sing on the amazing song "Domino and Jimmy" as she did 30 years ago on "My Curse" from the album Gentlemen. Gives me goosebumps.
HEATHER J.
Thee Sacred Souls - S/T
The Bogie Band & Joe Russo - The Prophets In The City
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cool It Down
DUSTIN L.
Westside Gunn - Peace 'Fly' God
The Flygod’s curation on this mixtape is just as strong as anything in his HWH series, with his unmistakable fashion-obsessed coke-rap bars anchoring standout tracks like “Big Ass Bracelet” and “Derrick Boleman." Stove God Cooks' omnipresence throughout just further solidifies his MVP status in the Griselda crew and lends some extra heft to an already killer album.
John Coltrane - Blue Train: The Complete Masters
This 1957 classic gets the Blue Note Tone Poet treatment remastered by Kevin Gray, so you know it sounds phenomenal. The 2LP stereo version is simply revelatory with alternate takes. It sounds open and full yet intimate all at once – this one has been on repeat.
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Oliver Sim - Hideous Bastard
I like The XX alright but got into this album because of its compelling backstory. While talking about it in an interview, Sim explained it was a long overdue effort to free himself from expectations, judgement and shame – spurred by living with HIV since he was 17. It’s the sound of lifting an unbearable weight off your shoulders with an undeniably catchy, and pensive, electro-pop backbone.
TIM M.
Thee Sacred Souls - S/T
Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia
Porridge Radio - Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky
LETY B.
The Chats - Get Fucked
Killer high-octane rock and roll from Australia. This band consistently delivers the goods with their ‘77-esque punk riffs and witty lyrics.
Earthless - Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons
If you're a fan of rock gods like John Bonham and Hendrix, listen to this one! This is an epic sit-at-home-with-headphones-and-let-your-mind-go killer rock odyssey album.
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Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa
Spoon went back to their roots and delivered all killer no filler. Great album that just doesn't stop with the bangers. No skips on this one.
ABOUT US
Vinyl Junkies was established in 2012 by Eric Howarth, the former owner of record label Hi-Speed Soul (Nada Surf, Swervedriver, Afghan Whigs, and Film School). After selling his first record shop of 8 years in San Diego and taking a hiatus from record retail to run his label full time, the world of vinyl pulled him back in and Vinyl Junkies was born as a mobile record shop selling at events in Southern California.
Soon after, Eric approached Tim Mays of the legendary Casbah club about putting on the Vinyl Junkies Record Swap meet. The idea was met with enthusiasm and the bi-monthly event was born. After years of success with the Swap, in mid-2017 Eric and Tim decided to partner up financially and open the brick and mortar location in South Park that we have today. We’re located in San Diego’s quaint and fiercely independent neighborhood of South Park, right across from the popular Whistle Stop Bar.
We take special pride in the personalized service for our customers and aim to be the “go to” source for serious record collectors and new vinyl listeners alike.