Music Mayhem: A review of independently-owned record stores in the Kansas City area

I’ve always been one to plug in my earbuds and listen to my 30+ hour-long playlists in the background of whatever task I’m doing — nothing pairs quite like math homework and Phoebe Bridgers.

Though I enjoy the convenience of streaming Spotify on my phone, I wanted to get deeper into my favorite music, so I invested in a record player for my room. New to vinyl collecting, I amassed my small collection of records by either digging through my parent’s ancient collection or ordering from big box retailers like Target, Walmart and Barnes & Noble. 

However, I wanted to expand my music taste, so I visited three of the most acclaimed record stores in the metro area — Vinyl Renaissance, Brothers Music and Mills Record Company.

Vinyl Renaissance:

As the store recently moved locations, I had to search around before spotting Vinyl Renaissance — an unassuming shop tucked away in the corner of a less-than-affluent strip mall off of 91st and Metcalf. Chipping plaster and worn down parking lots don’t exactly scream high-end or extravagant.

The impression I got from looking at the outside of the store couldn’t be farther from how it was on the inside. The spacious interior was packed with record crates organized by genre and artist. Album posters plastered every inch of the store, and cardboard cutouts of musicians like Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift lined the walls. 

Not to mention the many rooms for testing records and audio equipment that ensure music-enthusiast consumers the ultimate listening experience. The decor of Vinyl Renaissance was an explosion of all things music, and of course you can’t miss the giant stage for live performers in the back of the store.

I walked out of Vinyl Renaissance with three new LP’s — Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits, Highway to Hell by AC/DC — both from the $2 bin — and Lorde’s Solar Power. I had to limit myself to just these three, but I found so many more vinyls that I had to part with.

The store’s massive assemblage of records of any variety and prices ranging from $1 to as high as $250 justifies my rating of four out of five stars. I could spend hours in Vinyl Renaissance looking through the countless bins of records, CDs and tapes. 

Brothers:

Marked by a bright green sign on the storefront of its location on Johnson Dr., Brothers Music was the second stop on my vinyl tour. I was immediately greeted by a helpful employee before I could take a step through the doorway. 

While Brothers doesn’t have nearly as large of a selection as Vinyl Renaissance, their records featured a variety of genres, with a heavy emphasis on jazz and classic rock. I sorted through the new record crates and found When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish. I also picked up Court and Spark to add to my ever-growing Joni Mitchell collection. I would have grabbed a few more LP’s I spotted like Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon II and Pressure Machine by The Killers, except I had to stick to my minimum wage budget to save my bank account.

My three out of five star rating isn’t due to the quality of the records, but the limited supply they carry. Similar to Vinyl Renaissance, these were moderately priced and decently affordable for a student working part-time like myself. I would definitely recommend Brothers to anyone who’s searching for a retro-themed, local shop with a small business charm and niche assortment of music.

Mills Record Company:

In the heart of Westport, Mills Record Co. can be seen from Broadway Blvd., inviting the curious shopper through the tall set of double doors and into vinyl paradise. A classic rock record I hadn’t heard before was playing over the loudspeakers and customers were busy chatting and contemplating their selections.

I didn’t know where to look first — one of the many “New Arrivals” shelves, the countless stacks of new and used vinyl, the staggering bookshelves or the CD and tapes section. An employee must have seen my overwhelmed expression, because I was quickly pointed in the right direction of what I was looking for.

Folk, pop, rap, R&B, rock, jazz, country and any genre you could think of was on display at Mills. Every record on my “to-buy” list was here. Needless to say, I took my time combing through the many wooden crates scattered about the store to make my final selections.

After an excruciatingly difficult decision process, I made my way to the checkout counter with Boygenius by Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus as well as Sufjan Stevens’s Carrie and Lowell. 

This store truly deserves a five out of five star rating. There isn’t anything that would make my experience here better — the service was great, the selection was varied, the atmosphere was fun and busy. Combining the lively community aspect and a vast assemblage of some of the best quality records I’ve seen, Mills Record Co. was the epitome of what vinyl collecting is all about — and the timeless epicenter of the record collecting scene in KC.