Rhode Island RSD FAQ
How many record stores are in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has 16 active record stores spread across 8 distinct towns. Providence holds six shops, Warwick adds four more, and the rest distribute one per town across Chepachet, Cranston, North Providence, Tiverton, Wakefield, and Warren. The Providence-area shops sit a short drive from Massachusetts (Armageddon Shop Providence is sister to Armageddon Shop Cambridge), and Westerly-area and the southern Rhode Island shops border Connecticut on the I-95 corridor toward New London.
Tell me about Round Again Records.
Round Again Records on Wickenden Street in Providence has been operating at the same Wickenden Street address since 1979 – 46 years of continuous operation, making it Rhode Island’s oldest record shop. The store bills itself as a “real, independent, used record store” with a focus on jazz, rock, folk, country, and pop, emphasizing condition above everything else. At the same Wickenden Street address for nearly half a century, Round Again is the natural first stop for any Rhode Island record-store circuit.
What are the best record stores in Providence?
Providence’s six shops form Rhode Island’s densest cluster. Round Again Records on Wickenden Street is the 1979-origin anchor (see above). Armageddon Shop at 436 Broadway is the city’s underground-music specialist since September 2000 and a sister store to Armageddon Shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Olympic Records also on Wickenden Street complements Round Again’s used-vinyl trade. Analog Underground at 504 Broadway opened in 2011 under a DJ-curated focus on reggae, African, and Latin music. Symposium Books on Westminster Street is an indie bookstore that runs a substantial vinyl section, and Newbury Comics covers the Providence Place mall trade.
What are the best record stores in Warwick?
Warwick’s four shops anchor the central Rhode Island scene. Doomed Records on West Natick Road opened in Pawtuxet Village in April 2022 and relocated to its current Warwick address in October 2024. 2nd Chance Trading on Warwick Avenue is a second-hand shop carrying records alongside stereo gear and antiques. The Newbury Comics Rhode Island Mall location and the FYE at Warwick Mall (the only FYE in Rhode Island) round out the city’s mall-side trade.
What are the best record stores in Rhode Island's smaller towns?
Outside Providence and Warwick, the rest of Rhode Island carries one shop per town. In Your Ear Records on Main Street in Warren was founded in Boston in 1982 (and later expanded through a Thayer Street Providence location); the Warren shop is the current operation. Kangaroo CD’s & Tapes on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence has been operating since 1989 (37 years) and is organized strictly by artist across CDs, cassettes, DVDs, records, games, and comics. Steve’s Record Store in Tiverton (opened 2015) carries classic rock, punk, R&B, metal, jazz, and country. Looney Tunes II on Kingstown Road covers Wakefield. The Junk Store on 44 in Chepachet anchors the rural northwest corner. And The Time Capsule on Pontiac Avenue in Cranston (opened 2003) is a comic shop and record store hybrid that adds 800-plus new LPs every Friday.
Does Rhode Island participate in Record Store Day?
Yes, and Rhode Island’s iconic shops anchor the annual Record Store Day drop every April. Round Again Records, Armageddon Shop, Analog Underground, and Doomed Records all draw the in-state RSD crowds, with the two Newbury Comics locations also participating as part of the Massachusetts-headquartered chain’s RSD footprint. Check the official Record Store Day store locator each spring for the current Rhode Island participant list.
Where can you find rare and collectible vinyl in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island’s deep used inventories sit at the long-running anchors. Round Again Records has been pulling Wickenden Street trade-ins since 1979 and prioritizes condition above everything. In Your Ear Records in Warren has 44 years of cross-state buying history dating to its 1982 Boston founding. Armageddon Shop in Providence is the national reference for underground, hardcore, and punk rarities (alongside its Cambridge MA sister). Analog Underground on Broadway specializes in DJ-curated reggae, African, and Latin pressings that other RI shops don’t routinely stock.
Are there any unusual or off-the-beaten-path record shops in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has a few. The Junk Store on 44 in Chepachet (on Route 44 in the rural northwest corner of the state) runs as a junk-and-antique shop and recommends calling before visiting. The Time Capsule in Cranston operates as a comic shop and video-game store with a serious vinyl program (800-plus new LPs every Friday since 2003). Symposium Books in Providence is an indie bookstore that’s sometimes informally called Symposium Records for its vinyl section, and 2nd Chance Trading in Warwick blends records with stereo gear and antiques under one roof.