Barely Bros Records

The best kept secret in the Twin Cities for record buffs! If you want CD’s — don’t bother — this place is strictly for vinyl geeks! Huge selection, super friendly & geeky owner that really knows his stuff! Daily used bins are like a treasure hunt, very organized — I get over there as often as I can.

Record stores in St Paul off the Green Line? Say it isn’t so! Barely Brothers is located in a little hip corner off University Avenue near Key’s Café, with a few vintage shops in between, and another record store around the corner. What do all of them have in common? Slightly overpriced. What do they also have in common? The selection warrants it, and the service is legit.
The quality of records available here is going to be hard to beat, and I know I will be visiting this store often. It seemed almost serendipitous that I found a record I had no idea I would ever find in a store, much less in St. Paul. Noone I know has ever heard of Catherine Wheel, but they were a great rock band in the middle 90s over in England… and made a short break into the Indie Rock scene here in America briefly at the same time. Their album «Chrome» is a very rare record, and was never sold in the States. Apparently someone brought in a collection not that long ago from their time living in the UK in the 90s. The record was not cheap, priced at $ 125, but I did get the 10% discount for spending over $ 100. I simply could not pass it up, and it only added to the allure of this store for me.
Despite the higher than normal pricing scheme, I’ll come back for the chance to score more rare records, and keep it local. This shop is worth a visit.
Other details you may be interested in:
–They have old stereo equipment for sale, and the pricing seemed on par with the condition of the items they had on hand. If you’re looking for a turntable, this might not be a bad place to shop.
–They have a WALL of 45s, all alphabetized. That’s impressive.
–There is a stage in the back that looks like there is live music here on occasion.

I had high hopes for this record shop after my first visit there. Good vibe and decent selection, but their prices are out of control.
New records are often several dollars more than other local shops. Used records are priced according to the eBay/​discogs model, and while I can’t entirely fault them for this, I have a hard time believing many folks are going to walk in and pay $ 150 plus for Frampton Comes Alive! MFSL, or $ 100 for a Bonnie Raitt DCC. I frequent shops that price below the idealist, sky-​high online prices, so this will not be one of them.
A bargain can be found here, but it’s not likely. I’m all for paying a fair price and prices here aren’t quite there.

Wow! What an incredible selection! Not to mention the awesome staff and totally relaxed atmosphere. How a real record store should be. I can’t wait for after-​brunch-​warm-​weather-​Sunday-​record shopping with the family!

I have my iTunes and stream things via the web. Sure it’s nice but there is just something about real about spinning vinyl.
If you have done it, you know what I’m talking about. Slowly pulling pulling the album out of it’s protective sleeve. Giving it that between the palms spin and then slowly putting it on the turntable. Your anticipation goes up as you move the needle over to the first track and then slowly lower it on to the album. Maybe you get the first crackle through the speakers but then they are filled with a sound that will let you escape until you need to flip it over. It’s magical.
Barely Bros. recently opened off of Raymond and University (By Foxy Falafal) and they have an amazing selection of both new and used albums covering all genre’s. Boxes upon boxes of 45’s and if you’ve been thinking of getting a turntable, they even have some old school retro versions available that probably came out of our local schools.
If you spin, you probably already know this is here. If you don’t, it is definitely worth checking out.