Sound Exchange

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1846 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098

713-666-5555

4 User reviews Write A Review

Best Vintage Record Store
Award Winner 2008

Description

It's a record store by day, but the employees lose their High Fidelity music-snob attitudes and reveal themselves as the scene boosters they really are by night, when they open up the old house to live music after retail hours. From death metal to free jazz, Sound Exchange hosts performances that are always mind-expanding, far beyond the mainstream and that can't be found anywhere else in the city. Or, as they put it in their own words, "Presenting unlistenable music to an uncaring public for 25 years. Does your band make people run from the room? Book a show with us." (BYOB)

2008 | Best Vintage Record Store

Sound Exchange has been slanging rare and collectible records to Houston's stone-cold junkies for years now. And those junkies have good reason to be repeat customers; the incredibly fresh selection and well-priced bins of '60s psychedelic music and soul are hard to beat. And the two owners are courteous enough -- or fiendish enough -- to regularly slip you some hip sounds from their secret stash. You'll most likely leave the place as high as can be with a fat sack of vinyl under... More »
2007 | Best Music Store

This Montrose-area establishment has been supplying local music snobs with the most epicurean of sounds for years now. No matter if you're looking for the latest vinyl release from an obscure noise band or a self-manufactured CD by a local group, Sound Exchange is the place you're most likely to dig it up. By no means does this little house-turned-record-store have the largest selection in town -- they just have one of the finest. The employee-recommended picks are a guaranteed way to... More »
2006 | Best Place to Buy CDs by Local Musicians

Sound Exchange might not have the widest selection of local music -- the place is too small for that -- but it's still the best spot to buy the stuff. That's because the staff there knows local music like no other salespeople anywhere, and they pretty much stock anything from any band willing to walk in with a consignment. And Sound Ex is where most local rock musicians shop, too, so there's a decent chance you can get your CD autographed while you're there. And on occasion, the store hos... More »
2005 | Best Vintage LPs

"Back in the day -- 1977 -- Houston was a sleepy cow-town, known mostly for petroleum-related businesses, serial killers with "Wayne' in their name, and the Astrodome..." So begins the epic saga of Sound Exchange, as told on its extremely entertaining Web site. But here's a spoiler alert: The saga ends with a few dudes running a great new-and-used record store out of a cool two-story Montrose home. If you want the new Avril Lavigne-Clay Aiken duet CD of Celine Dion covers, it's probably not... More »
2005 | Best Place to Buy CDs by Local Musicians

You just witnessed an awesome set by one of Houston's many local bands, and now you're freaking out because there was no merchandise available. No fear, local music lover, Sound Exchange is here. This music hotspot lets local bands hawk their latest material. Beat freaks can find DJ Sun, Freedom Sold and Geto Boys. Stoners will get more than a bowl's worth out of the Linus Pauling Quartet, Charalambides and Cosmik Power Trio. Noise purists can get an earful from Rotten Piece and... More »
2003 | Best Vinyl Record Store

Sound Exchange on Richmond and Black Dog Records were neck and neck for top honors in this category. Both stores have an exquisite collection of rare and long-lost vinyl LPs, often at affordable prices, and they both have their share of eccentric regulars who like to hip the knowledgeable employees to the latest conspiracies. For a while there, Black Dog was in the lead, thanks to its use of incense. But after a second look, Sound Exchange won because of its extensive bargain-basement... More »

Vinyl Gets Another Spin

By Craig Hlavaty | Thu, April 19, 2012

Check out our slideshow on the rise, fall and rise again of vinyl records. In a dark room at A&R Records & Tape west of downtown Dallas, Stanley Getz II cuts an electronic group's music into acetate — a reference point for what their final vinyl ... More »
Record Store Day: If You Take A Dump, Don't Tell The Staff

By Chris Gray | Fri, April 15, 2011

Today is Tax Day (boo), but it's also payday for a lot of people, which comes in handy because tomorrow is Record Store Day. In a few short years, RSD has become one of the biggest red-letter days on ... More »
Local Motion at Sound Exchange

By Chris Gray | Thu, March 27, 2008

Sound Exchange 1846 Richmond, 713-666-5555 1. Dirtbombs, We Have You Surrounded (LP/CD) 2. The Judy's, Washarama (CD) 3. Hearts of Animals, Hearts of Animals (7") 4. Hellhammer, Demon Entrails (LP/CD) 5. Black Mountain, In the Future (LP/CD)... More »
Local Motion at Sound Exchange

By Chris Gray | Thu, February 28, 2008

Sound Exchange 1846 Richmond, 713-666-5555 1. Times New Viking, Rip It Off (LP/CD) 2. Hate Eternal, Fury & Flames 3. Hearts of Animals, 7" 4. CoCoComa, s/t (LP/CD) 5. LSD Pond, s/t (CD) 6. Hellhammer, Demon Entrails (LP/CD) 7. Disfear, L... More »
Local Motion at Sound Exchange

By Chris Gray | Thu, January 31, 2008

Sound Exchange 1846 Richmond, 713-666-5555 1. Cat Power, Jukebox (LP/CD) 2. Robert Wyatt, Comic Opera (LP) 3. Horna, Sotahuuto (CD) 4. Various Artists, Thrashing Like a Maniac (CD) 5. Six Organs of Admittance, Shelter From the Ash (LP/CD) ... More »
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houstonpressbestof | Houston, TX | 132 Reviews

| Wed, May 6, 2009

Sound Exchange has been slanging rare and collectible records to Houston's stone-cold junkies for years now. And those junkies have good reason to be repeat customers; the incredibly fresh selection and well-priced bins of '60s psychedelic music and soul are hard to beat. And the two owners are courteous enough � or fiendish enough � to regularly slip you some hip sounds from their secret stash. You'll most likely leave the place as high as can be with a fat sack of vinyl under your arm and a little coin left over in your wallet.
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junkerdesigns | Los Angeles, CA | 6 Reviews

| Thu, August 6, 2009

All the best vinyl I ever got, always willing to bargain. Super informative and always will point in the right direction to get your hard to find vinyl.
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lisakellybrew | Las Vegas, NV | 13 Reviews

| Fri, April 30, 2010

I used to shop there religiously but not so much lately. In the past Cactus had a better selection but since they moved to that rat hole Sound Exchange is kickin' their ass on selection.
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Sound Exchange

1846 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098

713-666-5555

Description

2008 | Best Vintage Record Store

2007 | Best Music Store

2006 | Best Place to Buy CDs by Local Musicians

2005 | Best Vintage LPs

2005 | Best Place to Buy CDs by Local Musicians

2003 | Best Vinyl Record Store

Vinyl Gets Another Spin

By Craig Hlavaty | Thu, April 19, 2012

Record Store Day: If You Take A Dump, Don't Tell The Staff

By Chris Gray | Fri, April 15, 2011

Local Motion at Sound Exchange

By Chris Gray | Thu, March 27, 2008

Local Motion at Sound Exchange

By Chris Gray | Thu, February 28, 2008

Local Motion at Sound Exchange

By Chris Gray | Thu, January 31, 2008

houstonpressbestof | Houston, TX | 132 Reviews

junkerdesigns | Los Angeles, CA | 6 Reviews

lisakellybrew | Las Vegas, NV | 13 Reviews

People Who Like Sound Exchange