What better way to celebrate Record Store Day on Saturday than by visiting Aquarius Records. Why? Because Spin readers ranked the Valencia Street vinyl treasure chest as the 7th best indie record store in the U.S. (Also: oops.) Ta-da.
"They get as many obscure releases per week as most stores get per month (particularly of metal and other extreme genres), and it seems like every last one gets a lengthy and consistently well-written review on the Aquarius website," beams Spin. "Just walking around, staring at the blurbs taped up everywhere, feels like an education."
The store is also known for helping to keep the (dwindling) music community together. "There's a lack of venues in San Francisco to sustain a music scene, so Aquarius is kind of an establishing factor; it really helps hold the community together," explains Jenn Su of GOOD magazine.
Here's the pub's official 15 best indie record stores in America: