Mod Lang

Love having this place in my neighborhood. This is a real record store with character with all its warts and charms. Hope you like it.

Don’t get in here near as much as I’d like or used to but still consider myself extremely lucky to have such a great brick and mortar record store so close to where I live. Naomi is awesome, everything you’d want in an independent store owner (friendly, no snarky attitude, answers all questions politely). If you believe that Amazon and free music streaming are the future, this place isn’t for you. If you still value physical media, believe that good music that nourishes your soul is worth paying for, and enjoy interacting with a real person to talk about and discover new music, this place is the real deal.

Just recently my teen daughter dragged out a plastic tote full of my old vinyl. It’s a combo of my vinyl and my parents. So I decided to pull out the turntable that my hubby bought me a few years back that converts to mp3. I have been too lazy to learn how to do this, but it also is a lovely turntable. Take daughter’s inquisitiveness about the vinyl plus the turntable I’ve never used and now you’ve got a retro party.
The kid had a soccer game at El Cerrito HS yesterday late afternoon and we decided with friends (daughter on the same team) to have dinner out and found Elevation 66. It took a few to park and when we did my daughter called me over and said «Look! There’s a record store down here!»
It was only 4:45pm and a bit too early for dinner just, we noticed the open door and walked on down the alley and into Mod Lang. WOW! What a great store! The shop manager was really nice and helpful. She instructed us on the layout of the store after a while. I immediately stopped poking around the middle section and went to the green wall for the promise of 80’s music. :)
The prices were reasonable and there was a great selection. I picked up a new Echo and the Bunnymen album. Of course I immediately thought of the scene in High Fidelity with Jack Black. I probably should have looked for a Jesus and Mary Chain album to go with it, but I was risking being cliché already.
My daughter found an Ella Fitzgerald she had to have and we both reveled over finding a Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five.
SO happy we stumbled upon this by chance and plan to go back as soon as we can.

If music is something you prefer to hold, collect or socialize with then find it here. Any genre is discoverable on vinyl or cd and they are particularly rich on 80’s, 90’s indie pop and rock from across the pond.

Randomly deciding to walk down some random alley in El Cerrito and finding Mod Lang was like finding a $ 20 dollar bill in some old pair of jeans. Love that this sort of shop can exist still.
First step into Mod Lang is like slipping into a vinyl covered dream. They’ve got both a nice selection of new and reprinted vinyl records, as well as all those original oldies. Everything is organized pretty nicely over here, but there’s still enough random inventory to go on the hunt. The hunt is searching through stacks and stacks of records looking for anything akin to buried treasure.
They do have CD’s here as well, but those aren’t as fun and I figure that if you’re still listening to CD’s you might as well have it digitally. Nothing’s gonna ever replace vinyl’s sound. So glad I decided to randomly check this place out. Gonna be my home base for music now!

Actually a vinyl collectors dream– I’ve found so many gems here, and they have lots of original issues at amazing prices. Example: public image limited’s original silver box for about 40 – 60, if I remember correctly.
People behind the cashier are incredibly friendly and will go through all the (unorganized) boxes for you. I usually talk with them about concerts and what not.
This is probably my favorite record store in the east bay, and I’m so glad it exists and thrives.

Amazing selection of vintage vinyl, new vinyl, all sorts of genres — I came to the shop looking for something in particular and left with several things that were even better. Five stars for the actual record selection and customer service.
Three stars overall because for some reason that completely escapes me, the people running the shop put price stickers directly on the sleeves of records. You might be thinking that I’m OCD, and maybe I am, but in several cases there were up to six different price stickers on some of the LP’s I purchased, and there’s really not a foolproof way to remove them without risking damaging the sleeve. You can try lighter fluid and goo off and isopropyl alcohol but all of these methods risk damaging the sleeve.
Why not put the price stickers on the jacket? WHY??? You have to remove the jacket to get to the sleeve…
3 stars overall.

Can I just say how much I love this place???
Let me first say that they don’t get 5 stars fir one reason, and one reason only. Their hours. They have set hours, and I know they are closed on Thursdays, but I have gone over there a couple times during operating hours, and they have been closed. Not sure why.
Anyway, this is a REAL record shop. When I walk in here, I am transported back to my high school days when I used to spend literally hours going through the racks of industrial and new wave at Trax on Wax in Huntington, New York.
Indies? Mod Land has them
Hard to find imports? Mod Lang has them and if they don’t have whatever rare thing you are looking for, they will find it.
Yesterday was Record Store Day, I unfortunately spent most of my afternoon at Rasputin and Amoeba in Berkeley. I got a couple of the RSD releases I wanted, but wanted a few more. I managed to get to Mod Lang somewhere around 5. They hardly had anything left either, but did have a small selection, and I walked away with a couple from it. I also picked up some 80s Echo and the Bunnymen, Psychaedelic Furs and Talking Heads for cheap cheap cheap! I spent a decent amount in here, and that was after I spent a decent amount in Amoeba earlier. So, unfortunately I couldn’t get the rare import of Primal Scream that I ran across in one of the bins. $ 50 for it, would have pushed me over my budget for the day. That’s OK. I was drooling so much all over that find, that no one else will probably want it with the drool puddle I left.

I’m new to the wonders of vinyl, and certainly no experienced audiophile. Typically I shy away from specialty shops because I don’t like that feeling of not «fitting in» with the usual customer (I have this problem with comic book shops as well) but I’d rather support local stores rather than buy off the internet if I can manage it, which often results in awkward shop visits. Having been burned in the past, I just wanted to grab a few records and leave as quickly as possible.
But Mod Lang is special. It has a dusty, sweet smell that welcomes and promises treasured finds if you dig deep enough. I found myself sucked in, browsing through ancient records and new releases alike. I brought a friend who had no turntable and no interest whatsoever, and by the end of the visit, she had a healthy start to her own vinyl collection. That’s how powerful this little shop is.
The best part is the shop attendant (I didn’t catch her name, but I will rectify this when I return) is warm, helpful, and eager to introduce her customers to new music. Mod Lang was a great visit, but she is the one who convinced me to be a return customer.

I so love this place. If I ran a record store, I’d do it up right like MOD LANG. It’s what I like to call «Genuine Cool». Just walking in the door and getting that first look lets you know you’ve entered a REAL record shop. Stacks and boxes of vinyl are everywhere! Just dig in and you’ll find some treasures you just gotta have. Great selection of new and rare HTF vinyl and new and used CDs as well.
The service is awesome too. Naomi rules! If she doesn’t have it (a rare occurrence), she can get it. You need a limited edition 7″ by some underground garage band that was only released in Swaheeley on just 200 colored vinyl copies back thirty years ago? Naomi can track one down and get it shipped in. I’ve custom ordered stuff and had it arrive in just 3 days. Also, she knows her stuff — unlike the 18 year olds working the Mega shops in Berkeley and S.F. who think they’re so cool with their replica Pink Floyd ’75 tour t-​shirt they bought at Target as they stare at a turntable like a monkey doing a math problem.
I’ve scored so many great pieces here I can’t list them all. But they include vinyl from the UK, Japan, Spain, Denmark, etc. If it wasn’t for that pesky rent check and those frivolous groceries, I’d just take my paycheck in MOD LANG dollars.
Bottom Line: THIS PLACE ROCKS!!!

I’ve been coming to Mod Lang since my college days at Cal. I remember when they were off University Avenue, but now they are located in a nondescript building in El Cerrito due to the rising cost of rent in Berkeley.
Mod Lang has been my source of getting Import CD Singles from my favorite Indie and Britpop bands. Also, they have an awesome selection of used vinyl along with new releases too. The staff has always been helpful and I really appreciate any questions I have about a particular release on vinyl or the condition of a recommend. Mod Lang might be a bit out of the way, but you’ll be rewarded with the treasure trove of great music waiting to be discovered.

It’s too bad this place is a bit of a trek from SF. The selection is great and the staff are really helpful and nice. Checking through the vinyl section, it’s easy to find a good mix of older and newer stuff. However, it can be a bit daunting to look through all the records on the floor. If this place was a little more organized, they could probably sell through a lot more.
Last time I was there, the woman at the counter talked forever to a customer about some special orders. You could tell he was a regular and you could tell Mod Lang is totally willing to go out of their way to get their customers what they want.
Oh, and when I checked out, they had some free pins up front — I scored an Orange Juice one!

Like others here, finding the 11am opening time not to be observed — arrived outside at 11:30am and still waiting at noon. Thru the window I can see bins full of tasty vinyl but no one’s here. WTF
Wondering if this place is still in business. Perhaps caught in the sad cycle of «business failing so not open,» which turns into «not open so business failing.»
Three stars for traditionally having amazing stuff (tho not cheap), two stars off for wasting (would-​be) customers’ time.

I’d gone in there a couple times in the past. Good selection of imports and rare stuff. However, I recently requested a hard to find CD from them. They said it would take a week to order (took more like two and a half). When they called, I told them I’d come by the next day around mid day to pick it up. So I got there the nest day around noon. The store was closed. Hmm guess the 11 am — 7 pm hours listed both on their web site and store front don’t mean anything. Clearly, they’re open when they feel like showing up. Sure would be nice if they would post the hours someone is actually there. I waited 45 minutes and no sign of anyone. Finally left. Guess the CD I ordered will gather dust since I’m not going back there again.
Mod Lang = massive Fail.

Mod Lang is strictly mail order CD’s for me as i’m out of state
they’ve helped and sold me titles i’m searching for, going back 20 years now. you go to them initially for the odd & imported
i’ve had no problems as such and can recommend them w/​o reservation, naomi always turns up something i can afford from my want list

Okay, so Mod Lang’s website says they are open every day from 11 – 7, except for Thursday and Sunday, on which they’re open 12 – 6. The «store hours» sign on their door says more or less the same thing. I went there on a Monday, a few minutes shy of 1:00, and they were closed. Neither the website nor the sign on the door mention anything about being closed Mondays.
Since they moved from downtown Berkeley to El Cerrito, I rarely go to Mod Lang because I’m never in El Cerrito. If I go to Mod Lang, I’m going out of my way, for the sole purpose of going to Mod Lang. Otherwise, I never have any reason to be in that part of the world.
I understand things happen, unexpected emergencies arise, etc., but if you’re going to close your store at a time not specified on your website or shop front, it would be nice to leave a sign that says you’re sorry you’re away and you’ll be back around such-​and-​such time. It’s not nice to your customers to just not be open without any explanation.
If I get the hankering to go to Mod Lang again in the future, I will call first to make sure they are open.
As for Mod Lang’s collection — on occasion I find some nice, hard-​to-​find, 80s, post-​punk UK imports there.

The first time I walked into Mod Lang, I almost tripped over a giant cat. I took that as a sign — stores with cats (especially big fat ones) are usually friendly.
Stepping into Mod Lang is like opening Pandora’s box. You think you’ll just pop in for that obscure UK import you can’t get out of your head but end up walking out with a cool old school punk album that reminds you of your best friend from summer camp or that folk album your dad used to play for you when you were a kid. Last time I visited, I was able to replace a decaying cassette tape of Boston bands — taped off the radio and held together with duct tape — with a CD reissued on a tiny boutique label. Never in a million years would I have been able to find that as a download off the Internet. Oh happy day!
There is no poseur attitude here. You shop at Mod Lang because you love the type of music they offer (alternative, indie, punk, British Invasion, psychedelic, folk…) not because you have a cool new haircut the world needs to see. If you’re having a little trouble finding what you’re looking for, they probably know where it is. If they don’t have it, they’ll special order for you. If you time your purchase right, they may even throw in promotional material that came with release. What’s not to like?

Much like the «Down Home Music Store» which is a few block away, «Mod Lang» is pandering to a specific demographic: rock and indie. This would be understood by seeing that those two demographics take up nearly 75% of the store. This store carries both CDs and vinyl and they both seem to share equal shelf space in the store.
The jazz section consisted of three row of records and most of the records in there were your run of the mill dollar bin items from Amoeba and Rasputin. With that being said; their rock and indie selection were quite good. Their stock of new and used seemed very full and diverse.
I was concerned to see the most recent CD by Paul Flaherty filed under Thurston Moore because his was the only name the store clerks knew.

After years of being hassled by Mrs. Z about the boxes of records, the audio components and my beloved old turntable littering the basement storage room — and me steadfastly refusing to get rid of any of it — one of my kids finally expressed an interest in vinyl.
«What is that?»
«it’s a turntable.»
«A what table?»
«A turntable. You play records on it.»
«Records?»
“YES, YOU STUP… endous son of mine. This is how we listened to music in the dark ages.”
«Haha. I’m just screwing with you. I’ve already been through the boxes. You’ve got like every Pink Floyd record ever made. Can we set this up?»
And so we did. After years of listening to music through the computer and cheap speakers mounted in walls, we were blasting a sweet LP version of Dark Side in all its glory.
The next thing we did was take an inventory of some of the awesome vinyl we were missing. Which is how we found ourselves at Mod Lang.
This little out of the way record store is amazing. What they didn’t have in the bins, the guy magically produced from various nooks and crannies of the store in moments upon request. The few things they didn’t have, they were happy to order up. My son threw some pretty obscure requests at them, and they never blinked. The prices were decent and they don’t just stock the old used vinyl, but a surprising number of new releases as well.
Right now, the sweet vinyl of Nas’ Illmatic is playing on that turntable, which was only an argument or two away from seeing a shelf at the Goodwill.

I’m a vinyl head and they fulfill my fetish every time I go. Nice people, nice music overhead and in the bins … you really can’t go wrong … well, unless you want to pick up some classic hip-​hop on vinyl. But, I won’t knock it.
Word.