In Vinyl Lives we spotlight and profile record stores around the country who offer music lovers an experience that goes beyond an iTunes purchase or a Spotify playlist. Vinyl has found a new resurgence and the good folks behind independent record stores are on the front line, directly responsible for curating a unique collection of music. Here at Glide Magazine we feel that record stores are a valuable part of the community and to music as a whole, and are therefore worth celebrating.
Believe it or not, Alabama currently lays claim to an eclectic and bustling music scene. Acts like the Alabama Shakes and Jason Isbell alongside lesser known but equally great acts like the Pollies and Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires have all been reminding the world that this Southern state is a major musical contributor with a rich legacy. Of course, much of that starts with the local record stores, one of which is Vertical House Records. Located in the northern Alabama town of Huntsville, east of the legendary musical towns of Muscle Shoals and Florence, Vertical House Records has been brining a fine selection of vinyl and other formats to the community for ten years. Besides their massive collection of music, they also host performances from local and touring acts and have even been known to have chili cook-offs. Vertical is a place to score some choice vinyl, maybe catch an awesome local band, and experience some Southern hospitality. This month we caught up with owners Andy and Ashley to find out what makes Vertical House Records such a special place.
Can you give us a short history of the store?
Vertical House Records is a husband/wife owned and operated record shop in the beautiful Rocket City, USA (Huntsville, Alabama). Our doors opened in 2007 at Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment. We had several different spots as we grew annually. Currently, we are located in Railroad Room #3 (located off the south side of the dock at Lowe Mill).
With over 20,000 new and pre-loved records you are sure to find a gem or few you’ve been hunting. Our inventory is versatile, although there’s a heavy collection of rock, pop, country, psych, soul, garage, and punk. We do have a smaller (albeit growing) selection of reggae, singles, kids, and classical. While we do have hundreds of new records in stock, the majority of our inventory is preloved vinyl that we have purchased from collectors & individuals over the years! Our inventory includes LP’s, 45’s, 78’s, cassettes, CD’s, comics, turntables, stereo equipment and more! We also buy, sell and trade, so our inventory is constantly rotating!
Along with slinging wax, we also host shows! Some of our favorite shows included the following: Greg Cartwright, Wreckless Eric, Ty Segall, Nobunny, Pujol, Dent May, Strange Boys, Tenement, Natural Child, Bad Sports, Kepi Ghoulie, Peach Kelli Pop, Sugar Stems, Jaill, Shannon & The Clams, Davila 666, Juiceboxxx, and more. Folks can keep up with announcements on our Facebook page or Instagram!
Where does your shop fit into the musical history of your state and city?
Vertical House Records hopes to leave a legacy like stores that came before us, especially like the beloved Sunburst Records. Record stores are a pace of community among music lovers and we hope to continue to nourish and grow that love among our city, state, nation, and globe. Alabama is home to musical legends, producers, venues, and recording studies. Local and regional bands are very important to our store, and when bands come through on tour, we love being able to carry their releases and directly support the bands. We opened in 2007 in a small shotgun space (around 300 square feet), and thanks to the love and support of our community, we currently have 1600 square feet (with our eyes set on another growth in the near future).
Top sellers of the past 2 months?
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Run The Jewels – 3
The Flaming Lips – Oczy Mlody
The Lemon Twigs – Do Hollywood
Ryan Adams – Prisoner
Whitney – Light Upon The Lake
Ty Segall – Ty Segall
Leon Bridges – Coming Home
John Paul White – Bealuh
Anticipated releases for 2017:
D. Watusi – Watusi Oosie
Belle Adair’s new album
Paperhead – Chew
Any new release by Ty Segall!
Any new release by Nobunny!
You’d be surprised but we sell a lot of…
Carpenters
Hall & Oates
Alabama
Jimmy Buffet
Vertical House Records is located at 2211 Seminole Dr SW, RR#3 in Huntsville, Alabama. For more info visit theverticalhouse.com.
Check out other editions of Vinyl Lives:
Eclectic Cafe & Vinyl (Charleston, SC)
Guestroom Records (Norman/Oklahoma City, OK & Louisville, KY)
Streetlight Records (San Jose/Santa Cruz, CA)
Scotti’s Record Shop (Summit, NJ)
Breakaway Records (Austin, TX)
Euclid Records (St. Louis & New Orleans)
Pure Pop Records (Burlington, VT)
Generation Records (New York, NY)
Is there a record store you think we should profile? Feel free to shoot your suggestions to Neil Ferguson on Twitter: @musicjournzo!
About the author: Neil Ferguson
Neil Ferguson is a writer, editor, and marketer currently based out of Portland, Oregon. Growing up immersed in music, Neil became obsessed at an early age and in 2006 he moved to Austin, Texas from his home state of Rhode Island. He is a rabid consumer of all things live music and has tried his best to present his passion to the world through his writing. When he isn't writing about music, he is writing about craft beer.
