Sound Connection

this place sucks ass for customer service. I’ve never actually been told to «get the fuck out» or to «go fuck myself» in a store, especially by an employee. the chump behind the counter was a joke and he had some hippy dippy space music on in the background, I wont be back lol

When I walked into Sound Connection they were blasting AC/DC’s «Live Wire» over the speakers. Not «Who Made Who» or «Highway to Hell» but «Live Wire». That gave me the indication of the type of establishment that I was going in to. The dudes behind the counter were super-​friendly and laid-​back. Their open cans of Kokanee on the counter probably had something to with the jocular, jovial atmosphere.
Sound Connection is free of the pretentious Record Store Sub-​Culture that plagues most indie shops (if you don’t know what I mean, watch John Cusack’s «High Fidelity»… people like that really exist).
They have a wide-​open floor plan with a lot of used vinyl that’s all alphabetized and in protective sleeves. The used stuff seems to be in great, «cared for» condition and the prices are awesome. Most of it was under 10 bucks. Remember those K-​Tel Gold records that were advertised on TV so much in the ‘80s? I swear that SC has all of them.
They have a pretty good assortment of new stuff too. This place is for the rock & roll, metal, and punk crowd. If you’re an «indie» fan (I’ve never understood why people use that ridiculous term to describe music), you and your fedora probably won’t find much here. No satchels or tweed jackets here.
When I first went there they had a sign on the door saying, «Back in 10 – 15 minutes.» I returned about a half-​hour later and they still weren’t back yet. I guess they were on a beer run.

OK, I’m dating myself a bit here, but I started going to Sound Connection back when I was in high school and it was just a block north of The Marquee Records & Tapes. How long ago was this? Well, it was called The Marquee Records and Tapes — no mention of CDs. ha ha. Anyways, back on topic (next I’ll be reminiscing about Kelly’s on Whyte) — back then, Sound Connection was the best record shop in the city. Once the staff got to know you, you’d just walk in the door and they would have recommendations ready to go. And their selection of bootlegs was only bested by Sonix a decade later. When they moved to 124^th, the essence of the shop stayed the same, but I just didn’t make it to that part of town too often. I was happy to hear they were moving to Whyte, but after visiting the shop, I was a bit let down. The store is smaller so it seems like the stock has dropped. And their selection of CDs — both new and used — seems to have not only diminished quite a bit, but lacks current music. A few months ago, I went in to trade some CDs, and the clerk asked if they were all new bands ’cause he didn’t recognize any of them. Sure, they were mostly currently bands, but not exactly obscure. The clerk didn’t take any in trade, but I decided to look through the stock anyways. I soon figured out why they were not interested in my newer music — the inventory has definitely taken a turn for the older style of rock. I’ve never seen so many Budgie and Uriah Heep and Moby Grape and Vanilla Fudge. well, you see where I’m going with this. If you are interested in older, more obscure bands, then this is the place for you. My other complaint is the price of new vinyl. While they have some newer bands on LP, a quick comparison to other record stores (like Blackbyrd down the ave.) showed that for the most part, the vinyl here is usually 4 to 6 bucks more expensive. I haven’t gone back to Sound Connection in quite some time, which is too bad; it really was a big part of my record buying experience growing up.

Sound Connection used to be my favourite place to buy new and used albums. I could always find the bizarre, the common, and just plain good bargains. The store recently moved to a new location from the northwest to Whyte Avenue, and the selection has changed as well. It has become mostly a vinyl bargain bin, with some used CDs and even some cassettes. Still, you never know what you can find — there are likely all kinds of hidden gems stashed away here. I used to special order in imports, but I do not know if that service is still available (nor do I guess is it really necessary any longer, with CDs being so easy to order online). There are other second hand outlets with better selections of CDs, but if winyl is your thing, or you are searching for something rare and uniqye, Sound Connection is definitely worth a visit.

Now in its third location, twenty-​somethingth year, and under its second ownership, Sound Connection is certainly not what it used to be but it’s still possible to find some sweet and surprising record deals here. Mostly vinyl, there’s lots of used rock, a little new punk and metal, and a selection of used CDs. A lot of the stock hasn’t changed since its 124^th-​street days (my first visit in 4 years yielded sightings of 7“s I’d traded in before moving away) but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as the former owner was notorious in his underpricing and very high standards for condition. I left happy after picking up a Dwight Twilley solo record and Ruefrex’s Flowers For All Occasions, something I never expected to come across in Edmonton, for $ 5 apiece; a Thin Lizzy single with picture sleeve for only a buck; and a rad Mott the Hoople rarity.
You might have to do some digging but Sound Connection is worth the occasional visit.