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View Full Version : Best independent/alternative record store?

LocalMotion
February 21st, 2007, 12:18 PM
are there any "indie" type records stores in honolulu?

i use the word record, but also mean cd's, etc...

any places that carry indie, college radio, alt type stuff?
jdub
February 21st, 2007, 02:29 PM
Try Jelly's in Aiea. Indie is exactly Norm's bag. Or Cheapo in Puck's Alley, if it's still there.
Hellbent
February 21st, 2007, 02:36 PM
cheapos is gone, i think hungry ears is gone.
go to san fran, check out amoeba =p

i havent been to these for a long time, but for dj stuff theres 'the beat' and a few other places.
Palolo Joe
February 21st, 2007, 03:20 PM
Stylus... across South King from Puck's Alley and across University from Kinko's. It's up on the top floor of the building.
LocalMotion
February 21st, 2007, 05:37 PM
cheapos is gone, i think hungry ears is gone.
go to san fran, check out amoeba =p

i havent been to these for a long time, but for dj stuff theres 'the beat' and a few other places.

yeah i've been to amoeba's, it's freakin awesome... love that place
DannyWilliams
February 21st, 2007, 08:42 PM
YES, Amoebas is da fo shizzles of Independants in the BAY Area.......
When I waltzed in there for the first time back in 1998 when I just moved to SF I felt the very early EARLY JELLY's vibe at the time and still is.

Expect to be spending at least a good 2 hours in there. The place is BIG cause it used to be a bowling alley establishment. I have found good stuff assumed out of print. They also have locations in BERKELEY which I have been there but found it to be manini lookin. And they have one in So Cal Hollywood.
Leo Lakio
February 22nd, 2007, 09:15 AM
Sounds like Amoebas is a great place...but that's not gonna help someone looking for independent/alternative stores in Honolulu.:p
AbsolutChaos
February 22nd, 2007, 03:55 PM
cheapos is gone, i think hungry ears is gone.

Hungry Ear is in Kailua. Jelly's is in Aiea behind Cutter Ford.
LocalMotion
February 23rd, 2007, 01:00 PM
Stylus... across South King from Puck's Alley and across University from Kinko's. It's up on the top floor of the building.

thanks i think i'll go check out Stylus first, since it's the closet to me...
Leo Lakio
February 23rd, 2007, 01:38 PM
...it's the closet to me...That's a pretty small shop, then.:p
tvguy
February 24th, 2007, 05:12 PM
I felt the very early EARLY JELLY's vibe


Was the Keeamoku location across from the old Tower Records & soon-to-be Wal-Mart the first one? They moved to Piikoi where Hawaiki Tower now stand, a few doors down from another music store, Records Hawaii afterwards, then to Pearl Kai.
DannyWilliams
February 24th, 2007, 08:27 PM
Yes JELLYS first location was indeed right across from where TOWERS used to be. As I recall it did not aquire its signature look yet. Looked more rundown at the time. :rolleyes: I remember skimming thru tapes picking out a Pat Benatar album and getting ticked that the tape quality took a life of its own cuz it had screeches when played.
JELLYS finally got their look when they were at the Piikoi Location. Like i have said many MANY times I loooooooooooooooooved it when they were there.
High school memories back in the mid 80s, shopping for 45's and getting to sample them before buying. skimming thru the DJ Mix tapes that were pretty much illegal cause it violated copyright laws and some bugga when blow da whistle on them so they were not allowed to do that anymore.
Then they moved back onto Keeaumoku but more by the LikeLike Drive Inn segmented area. Not much memories there for me and then the final location for me cause I left in 1998 was Market City.
Jellys also had locations in Millani me thinks but I could be wrong. Pearl Kai was also a popular place. Went there a lot cause I would pak da moped I used to have a go to them and waltz over to the TOWER Records there too also.
mel
February 25th, 2007, 08:42 AM
Is Rainbow Books & Records on University Ave. still there? I haven't been by that area since Cheapo's went out of business in 2005.
DannyWilliams
February 25th, 2007, 01:42 PM
Is Rainbow Books & Records on University Ave. still there? I haven't been by that area since Cheapo's went out of business in 2005.

I was fortunate to have freqented them......
Dunno if they are still goin or not but when I was still on the islands they were not big on the music. They basically got what customers brought to them and if they found some use for it they would buy it and incorporate them into their stock. They leaned more towards what would sell which is artists the public would know off hand.
dick
February 25th, 2007, 07:39 PM
Rainbow Books is still there... not the biggest selection of CDs, but I have found some interesting things there. Prices are generally in the $6 - $7 range. There are some LPs, as well.

There's a place across the street in Puck's Alley on the second floor above the coffee shop/ internet cafe thing. I can't recall the name, but there is a lot of vinyl there. Much of it seems aimed at the DJ crowd, but there is some jazz and funk, as well as rock. A lot of new records, and most of the used stuff is in very good condition, so the prices are higher than what one might find at Jelly's.
AbsolutChaos
February 25th, 2007, 07:42 PM
Rainbow Books has a website and email list too...

http://www.rainbowbookshawaii.com/
Palolo Joe
February 25th, 2007, 09:13 PM
There's a place across the street in Puck's Alley on the second floor above the coffee shop/ internet cafe thing. I can't recall the name, but there is a lot of vinyl there. Much of it seems aimed at the DJ crowd, but there is some jazz and funk, as well as rock. A lot of new records, and most of the used stuff is in very good condition, so the prices are higher than what one might find at Jelly's.

Too Gruvz...