Mad World Records

Nice record store located in the square in Denton. The people were friendly and knowledgeable and the selection was pretty diverse given the size of the store. The pricing for albums is competitive to online, but even if they are a few bucks more, I feel better supporting a local shop and recommend you give them a shot when in the area.
I bought the first three Metallica albums, a Chris Robinson Brotherhood EP, Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsies and Ryan Adams 1989. Again, diverse selections in store and they can order just about anything you want.
I will definitely go back to Mad World Records. Go check them out!

This place is amazing! There records are at really good prices and the staff is friendly! A great selection of records too!

Great little record store on Denton’s Downtown Square! Well organized, good selection! We were able to find some cool blues and jazz records! Not crowded, large space! Helpful, nice employees!

Marginal people skills at best. I arrived at 9:03 and they close at 9. It seemed like a cool place as I walked in but I felt that I wasn’t welcomed as a customer at closing. I was greeted with an abrupt «we closed at 9.» I was a little thrown off and wasn’t too thrilled about my short experience. I intended on checking out this place but after a back and forth banter with the worker I left. I understand I showed up late but I thought the customer was always right? And that my money was worth more than an ego trip. Who knows maybe he had a long day. A simple hello sir welcome in, we closed at 9, but can I help you? Would have made my experience much better. Life is all about people, and you only get one chance to make a first impression. I hope they will learn from this mistake, but I won’t be back for a second Impression. I hate to dis on people’s livelihood but you need people in the store to make money, even at 9:03 pm. I wish them luck

Great personality. Great service and appreciation for your business. Not a tremendous vinyl selection or inventory, but certainly adequate. A few to many commons (Johnny Mathis, etc.) mixed in with the rock, etc. But you’ll wanna spend 45 minutes here anyway… these types of stores and their operators are what make collecting vinyl worthwhile!

I love this place! Decent prices and great customer service! Whenever I’m on the square I like to look around mad world. I also like the Atari they have in the back and the good t shirt selection.

Easily the best selection for punk and indie records in DFW. The staff is awesome and beyond helpful. Totally worth the trip from Fort Worth.

Great little record store in downtown Denton. There was something for everyone here– starting with the media type. You had a vast selection of vinyl, CD, cassette– both new and used. There’s a listening station for the used vinyl, which was a nice touch. They were playing Spoon’s Kill the Moonlight while we were browsing, a nice selection. I also saw DVDs, Blu Ray, t-​shirts for sale.
All the main genres were there– rock, pop, indie, rap, blues, jazz, country, etc. They had a healthy selection of new vinyl– we walked away with Dawes and the new Ryan Adams ST. I thought the prices were very reasonable– maybe $ 1 higher than Amazon– so why not spend your money at the local stores.
Lots of eye candy here as with any cool record store– posters, memorabilia (not for sale) and other kitschy items for sale. There were bowls shaped from heated vinyls records at the front, selling for $ 4.99. A cool candy dish if you ask me.
Support your local record stores.

Prior to Mad World, owner Mark Burke had a small operation called CD Addict. While that place helped fill the void left by CD Warehouse’s closure, it was just a tiny place to get indie and punk CDs along with used DVDs. CD Addict closed shop when Mad World opened in a prime location in the Denton downtown square. Mad World retains the calm, friendly vibe of CD Addict, with triple the selection, especially vinyl.
Burke really cares about the used vinyl he sells, and I’ve never bought a dud from the place. I’ve found wonderful albums that have been barely played for less than $ 10.
This is the best record store in the Dallas/​Fort Worth/​Denton area.

Great selection of records and a great place to just visit and reminisce about the old days of CDs, cassettes, and records.

Los Angeles has Amoeba Music. Austin has Waterloo Records. Denton has Mad World Records. Yes, despite occupying about ¹⁄₃ of the space of Waterloo and clocking in at maybe ¹⁄₆₀ the size of Amoeba Music, I’m putting Mad World Records atop the same pedestal as these other music meccas because of selection, price and unassuming greatness found within. For the love of whatever deity you might believe in, there is a life-​size statue of a Mayor McCheese just randomly sitting in the corner of the far back room. There’s no warning that Mayor McCheese is a music fan. No reason to assume he would be waiting for you with a leering smile as soon as you turn the corner. He’s just there… watching you. And somehow this all makes sense.
Actually, «making sense» is probably the total opposite of the shopping experience here for the untrained consumer. Look at the facts: it’s a record shop that sits in the «square» of a college town. It should be packed with college kids spending money they don’t have on vinyl they have never heard of in an attempt to be «retro cool.» We stopped in here on a whim (and a recommendation of a coworker) on a Saturday afternoon and it was practically empty. How is that possible? On one hand, I’m kind of miffed that more business is not coming their way since I want them to succeed… but on the other hand, I’m glad they were not packed with customers since I do not have to share their wonders with the masses. And that’s ironic given that I’m sitting here typing out paragraphs championing the place, but I digress…
We walked in and were greeted with a room far deeper than I thought it was initially. A fun window display with figures and discarded records occupies the main wall and the vinyl section runs the length of the left wall. In the middle of the floor are racks and racks of CDs. CDs are easily the most prolific product here, and there are some good finds! It warmed my heart to see «Ted Leo» with his own unique placard in the «L» section. Some movies are scattered about for sale and there’s even an Atari in the back near Mayor McCheese’s hipster den. For all intents and purposes, we were here to see if there were any hidden gems I had to have and Mad World did not disappoint.
Records are arranged by genre (though «Indie/​Rock» seems to be a collective assortment of just about everything) and, brace yourself, the prices are probably the most appealing I have seen in most any record store, chain or otherwise. Yeah, I’m not prepared to drop $ 25+ on Skeletonwitch’s «Serpents Unleashed» but for the person who is, you’re in luck.
I’m looking around at records when I turn my head up and start scanning the glass shelves. There’s a Godzilla toy with a miniature Animal (of «Muppets» fame) in his grip, there’s more random stuff I would try to cram atop my desk at the office, there’s Throbbing Gristle’s «20 Jazz Funk Greats,» and– time out. I thought for sure it was just a display but when I picked it up it had a price tag on it, and it was significantly less than what it usually goes for online. So then I thought I was just holding an empty sleeve. Nope, the record was in there, and in great condition. That was enough to convince me, but further investigating also unearthed a copy of Billy Bragg’s «Life’s a Riot with Spy vs. Spy.» I had to get out of this store before I spent the paycheck I did not have in my possession. One last glance made me want to give a silent nod of approval to whoever owns this store as the group «!!!» were correctly filed under the «C» section. Someone here totally gets it.
And that’s not an exaggeration, either: the staff here were grand. Happy to help out but distant enough to not run you off with their glares or unwarranted recommendations. The guy and gal running the place did not give off the typical music store snob vibe, and, in fact, looked like they were pleasant and had groovy personalities. A quick conversation with each proved this was the case and I’m now starting to wonder if I maybe hallucinated this whole shopping trip.
Fortunately, that was not the case. If you have even a slightly vested interest in music, you owe it to yourself to head this way. The selections are outstanding, the prices are more than fair, the employees are wonderful and there’s an anthropomorphic cheeseburger in the back room for reasons no one can explain. If that is not enough to get you in the door, you may want to check yourself for a pulse or a crippling fear of cheeseburgers.

Awesome record selection, including other awesomeness! Found stuff I was not expecting to find!

The funky town of Denton’s square would not be complete without a record store, and like many of the square’s shops, Mad World Records is a wonderful step back in time.
Bins of interesting CDs (used and new) and LPs are meticulously organized as if by librarians, and you can pick some up at a reasonable price. I could spend hours in here, so I have to pace myself within a reasonable budget.
Leave yourself adequate time to check it out on your visit to town.

Pluses: Atari in the back to play. Huge Mayor McCheese in the back room to marvel at. The game Payday plastered on a record bin. Tons of selection for a small shop, but many I’d seen before. Prices were ok; not terrific. There are tons of CD’s, and I guess with the name, I was expecting a world of mad records. Not the Alfred E Neuman kind, just some rare vinyl. And lots of it. I didn’t find it. It’s a nice shop amongst some hipster shops along the square in Denton.

Mad World Records is a store that just fits in with Denton Square. Denton square has an eclectic array of shops from clothing to secondhand merchendise, to junk to candy to burgers to square «donuts» and all sorts of great food. It just fits perfectly.
Now mind you, the majority of this place is CDs dedicated to alt music and lots of local Texas acts. But there is a record section and there were many people searching through the vinyl looking for that incredible find.
My daughter wandered in and found the pins. you rememebr those ¾ diameter pins relating to your favorite rock acts or cartoons or «anarchy rules». Well that’s where a four year old gravitates to and immediatly found buttons she wanted. Like the good father I am, they made it onto her sweatshirt and she was a happy little camper.
It’s a small shop but you can get lost for quite some time in there. Heck they even have a little Ska section, so that works for me!
Enjoy

Fan-​freakin-​tastic. I’m actually a little embarrassed it’s taken me this long to review how wonderful this little gem is…
For me, it’s sized just right. I’m indecisive and walking into a huge record store just throws me into a panic attack. Mad World has the different genres well labeled and split up to where you’re almost guaranteed to find something you’ll love without the hassle of having to track it down for an hour. Their pricing is totally reasonable– yeah, you may be able to find it cheaper online, but why not support a local business for $ 1.50 more to have it in your hands right then. There are new and used options on almost everything, which is a major cost saver. They only offer products in great condition that are thoroughly checked before they go on the floor. The single record I’ve bought from there that skipped (brand new in the package, mind you… a manufacturing problem, not theirs) was immediately replaced with no hassle or charge.
The staff has always been extremely friendly, including the owner who works shifts at the desk. They’re very knowledgeable and good for recommendations… unless you like really bad music, then they just smile and nod. Haha! They’ve got it all, though, even music they may not personally have the slightest interest in. Respectable.
My weakness: they have really inexpensive old big band, swing, jazz, etc. vinyls for around $ 0.99. That’s cheaper than most estate sales and they’re always in great condition! A good way to give new music a try without breaking the bank.
I’m also a big fan of their vintage t-​shirt selection. It’s pretty regularly rotating and most are only $ 3.99-$ 5.99, which is unheard of cheap for a college town. I’ve never personally sold them any used music or clothing, but I have a friend who does and she said they’ll give you a pretty decent amount of everything.
You must go here. Make a square day of it! Grab a burger at Denton County next door… shop to your heart’s content for records, CDs, DVDs, and t-​shirts… and finish it off with ice cream from Beth Marie’s or some candy and a specialty root beer from Atomic Candy.

I figured out pretty quickly that I was going to feel right at home here, and not just because they happened to play about ten tracks out of my personal music collection upon entry, including some long extinct Austin bands that I was surprised to find in rotation.
What Mad World Records lacks in size, they make up for in intricacy: there are groupings by smaller label if you’re looking to discover something new, and the usual cast of characters was present. If, per chance, you ever find yourself wondering if High Fidelity is real (and believe me, I get it, what with Jack Black not knowing how to ‘turn it down a notch’), the answer is not entirely, but very definitely some. I wandered in to a group of dudes chatting bands and releases and past experiences: who was touring, who’d traveled where, and what the next interesting (not big, but interesting) thing might well be. To the credit of staff, they let me file my way through CDs in the distance.
For the life of me I may never actually figure out how every single record store (are we sort of still calling them that?) isn’t jammed daily with the masses seeking inspiration (my burden perhaps), but they’re not. And I’m sure in an age of downloads not everyone gets how cool it is to fall in love with the frankly cinematic experience of tracking down that record you never knew you always needed. Here’s hoping I never lose touch with that ideal. There’s good happening at Mad World, much good. I can only hope for more of the same.

I absolutely love this little shop. Although most of the space in there is for used CDs, decently priced, the real gem is their LP section. I have been to several small record stores and, although Mad World Records has a smaller collection, I have always gone away with more than I intended to buy. They have a good mix of newer bands and awesome ‘classics’ (I’m not talking Journey, I’m talking The Cramps). They have a whole section dedicated to Punk.
Besides what they sell, it’s a cool atmosphere. Very cool window display that I’ve seen them change up for different holidays. Inside it’s very organized and clean and inviting.
If anything negative, I don’t often jive with whatever screamo /​obnoxious indie band that the employees insist on blasting throughout the store. Also, I really wish they stayed open later.
Anyways, keep it up Mad Records! I dig your style.

So I like this place, let me start off by saying that, I like the idea of a records shop but I think this place has opened up a little late in the game now that amazon and itunes and best buy have dominated most of the music market.
The one good things that this place has to offer is there selection, they have the strangest the most unusual cd’s that i’ve seen in a long while. The genre’s are across the board which for me that’s great because that means I can browse and maybe discover a new artist and purchase that cd and take it home that day. The only down side of all of this is that the cd’s new (because they sell new and used cd’s) are more expensive than the big chain places. 13 to 14 dollars a cd approx.
I can honestly spend hours there rummaging through the cd section of the store finding new cds, and thanks to technology and smart phones I’m able to see what people online think of a particular album and check prices online… That’s the downfall of this store is that there are cd’s online being sold brand new for cheaper than this store sells. I can check with other competitors to compare prices.
The reason why I’m giving this shop 3 instead of 4 or 5 stars is because I feel that they’re really going to have to do something different to appeal to the area because its such a tough market for new cds. I hope they do well.

When I walk into Mad World Records, I always feel like the lead investigator in a prime-​time crime drama. I feel like I’ve been sent here to solve the mystery of «Who killed the recording industry?» You see, I used to go into record stores with a thrill in my belly of discovering new music, new bands, new songs, and new records. I still get that feeling when I go into Mad World… but not when I go in any other record stores.
So who killed the recording industry? Well, until the mid-​90s there were a lot of record stores like Mad World. You know, stores with a huge variety of new and used LPs, CDs, DVDs (back then it was videotapes), posters, and buttons from all genres (and even emerging genres of music like remix tapes and CDs.) They had something for everyone. In fact, they had a LOT of something for everyone… and if they didn’t have something, they went out of their way to get it. They loved music, and they loved finding music for people.
Modernly, most of these Mad World-​style stores have disappeared and have been replaced with two other types of retailers: The first are corporate run chain stores (ie. mall stores, Best Buy, Hastings, etc.) that carry only Top 40 releases and «new» greatest hits collections designed to stimulate sales for «classic» bands that are past their prime. The other kind of record stores are the «hip and trendy» stores (ie. Good Records) which aren’t interested in selling music so much as selling whatever (usually awful) music accents this week’s version of a trendy lifestyle.
So who killed all these stores? Well, simply put… the record industry killed all these stores. Instead of spending the late 90s developing and exploiting new technologies for their own profit, the recording industry alienated a great number of their patrons by going after fans who were downloading MP3s. (It wasn’t until 2000 or so when the music companies finally realized they could profit from SELLING music via downloads.)
More significantly, by 1992 the major labels suddenly found themselves losing sales to independent labels like SubPop, Matador, or even Minty Fresh who were selling gold and platinum records. The major labels responded by buying up independent labels, distribution chains, and record stores and simply shutting them down to stop that product from ever reaching the marketplace. At the same time, the labels were signing every band they could find (and yeah, I DO mean EVERY band) and hoping that if they threw money and outdated marketing techniques at the problem while restricting a huge amount of music from ever reaching retail stores that somehow things would just fix themselves. Instead, the music industry lost billions. Everything interesting was forced out of the marketplace, and the mainstream recording industry became producer driven, formulaic, and prompted entirely by short term trend.
I know what you’re saying. You’re saying, «Hey Kevin, you make a great point… but what about Recycled Books and Records? Recycled is a Denton institution!» OK, so yeah… maybe Recycled has a lot of records, and they’re an all around great store… but Recycled NEVER has what I’m looking for, and when they do it’s overpriced… and more importantly, they don’t have new LPs.
Instead, I’d rather head over to Mad World where the owner, Mark, is an all around great guy. Not only does he always have a half-​dozen records I HAVE to but, not only does he love running a record store, but he loves all kinds of music and he loves searching for whatever his customers are looking for when he doesn’t have something in stock. Also, if you look around you’ll see that Mark carries records that his own bands have recorded. If he sees you buying any of those, he’ll tell you that his bands are no good. That’s a lie… in addition to running a great store, Mark’s recorded some great records, too. (He’s just a humble guy.)
So who killed the recording industry? The poor planning and absolute control exercised by the major labels killed the recording industry. I’m just glad that there are a few — too few — stores like Mad World around to remind us that there is still some really great music out there… you just have to know where to look for it.