The Last Record Store

keep this store alive. when you want some music, buy a CD. don’t buy it on amazon. buy it here. i’ve gotten everything i wanted at the last record store. if they don’t have it, they can order it. imagine a world without independently run businesses. let’s do our part to keep that from happening. when you can, keep it local.

Surprisingly big store that’s predominantly focused on CDs (feels like such a rarity these days) but a decent vinyl selection as well. Options in the vinyl area felt less picked over that you might find in, say, a Rasputins, but maybe that’s just me. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.

Never knew this place existed until I happened to drive past and instantly had to stop. I am so glad I did! They have a great selection of both CDs and vinyl, and I just got that «welcome home» vibe I’ve always wanted in a local music store but never could quite find. The guys working here were super friendly and personable, and they had some great tunes on as well. Ended up spending $ 70+ on this first visit, and quite frankly, I can’t wait to go back. Thanks for an awesome experience.

Started rebuilding my vinyl collection six months ago and have been crate digging in all the record stores in San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento. Stopped-​by The Last Record Store last weekend and was amazed at the big collection of rock, jazz, heavy metal vinyl. Their rock and alternative music selection was awesome. I found two clean copies of the Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street album — was searching for months and then suddenly found two to choose from. Also bought Nirvana Unplugged, an older Tom Petty album, New Order and Foster the People. The variety was impressive, and I will always stop-​by when I am in town. I would have given them a 5-​Star Rating if they had a listening station.

I’ve been going here for over 10 years. One of my favorite places to be. Staff has great recommendations and knowledge of good music– globally and locally. Huge used CD and vinyl selection.

Until last week I had never spent any time in this store. The selection of CD’s, DVD’s, Vinyl LP records (both new and used) is mind boggling! Hubby and I went in there and finally left after about an hour. We could have stayed for much longer, but schedule didn’t allow it. Must return soon!

The Santa Rosa version of the San Francisco Amoeba music record store. Copious collection of Lp vinyl, Audio Cd’s, DVD’s. Mind rattling amount of inventory in this 1,000 sq feet shop.
Been in biz in Santa Rosa since the mid-1970’s. Same owners. I’ve been a customer since then. Always leave the store with many more Lp’s than I intended to buy.
Instant gratification for music heads. Especially those with golden ears who think the fidelity of MP3’s on streaming services suck.

This store is a staple of Santa Rosa music. Been going since I was a kid and I don’t plan on stopping. Just picked up a brand new edm album. They cherish classics as well as the ever changing interest of younger crowd. Love the store!!!

Great place with a good selection. The music the employees play is a little on the discordant, noisy, unsophisticated side, but considering the overall uncultured vibe of Santa Rosa, it’s a miracle this place exists at all. They have a lot of vinyl and have particularly great deals on classical.

This staff has cultivated its customer base, treating them with a generous spirit of kindness, intelligence, and good humor. That creates a deep kind of loyalty, and that’s certainly true for me for over 20 years. LRS – which has survived after Tower, Wherehouse, Rainbow, Sam Goody, Virgin, all gasped their collective lasts – loves music and all that goes along with it. A real indie vibe pervades the place, along with an expertise, depth of knowledge and passion for music. No anonymous uniformed worker bees here.
And records? Yes, actual records, kids. Saints be praised.

Very friendly and informative. I had an issue with my copy of Bleach and they exchanged it without question. I will definitely be back

This place is amazing. I dropped by today to find some vinyl for my husband for our anniversary. Great selection, helpful staff, amazing prices! Thank you guys!

This place is a gem. I’m used to the bigger stores like Rasputin’s or Amoeba, but this place had a great array of vinyl records (in really good condition) for decent prices. The used CDs were priced comparatively to other stores as well. I found a record that I had been searching for, and it was priced much less than what it was going for on Amazon.
The staff was also helpful and kind, which is sometimes hard to come by at these smaller record stores. I’ll definitely be back!

I’ve gone to the Last Record Store a few times for CDs or Comedy Albums. They have a nice selection, standard layout, and helpful employees.
If you prefer to have your own copy of a CD or LP then go here instead of downloading it; no one can keep track of what you bought with cash so you won’t get bombarded with advertising in your e-​mail/​iTunes account if you buy from here.

I have been coming here for years — even when they were open on 4^th Street — I kind of miss that location.
This is a real FUN place to shop. Hoyt, Jerry, Sean and Ron are really knowledgeable and always willing to point you in the right direction.
All musical genres are well represented here. You want Rock — Check. Blue Grass– Yup. Surf Guitar — Sure. Jazz — Double check. It’s all here.
They even have lots of used CDs which I always poke through as I search for that one elusive gem I may be missing.
The space is large and parking is never a problem. The location is kind of Funky as it it is situated right next to Govinda’s Vegetarian Restaurant and Community Market — but considering the Hippi Gestalt of the place I guess it works.
Sometimes they have Artists come in and sometimes they have an occasional sale. You can also buy tickets to local shows. All a plus.
For you recordphiles there is a good selection of LPs, etc. Always good for a browse. Sometimes I get nostalgic when I see a record I use to own as a teenager — but I stick to CDs anyway. Still it’s fun to see the old albums anyway.
Record stores are to me like Drive In Movie Theatres –a dying breed perhaps. But they are essential to our culture. American, Cool and Real as opposed to ephemeral.
In this age of down loading and I Tunes it’s still great to get one’s hands on something that is tangible and real. Yeah, Records, CDs may collect dust but their mine to touch, to listen to and to treasure.
See ya in the aisles.

If you can’t find it here, you won’t find it anywhere.
Definitely check out the dollar record section, you’re bound to find some hidden gems.
There’s CD’s, vinyl, 45’s, and a ton of them.

Yet another place I should have reviewed a long time ago. We’ve been going here for many years, since they were downtown on 4^th St. This place has a great selection of music, used and new and, most importantly, lots of records. Many records are particularly inexpensive and they always have some for just a couple dollars. They are really knowledgeable and know a lot about music, so if in doubt, one can always ask and they have never steered us wrong in suggesting things we might not have known about.

Love, love, LOVE The Last Record Store!!! Always go there to shop their vinyl — good prices and awesome people working there. They do trade too which is nice when you have something worth trading. They have had some great instore performances too — Yo La Tengo and Lou Barlow just to name a couple.

It’s pretty simple, the Last Record Store is awesome!
The guys that work there are always really helpful and willing to order something if they don’t have it on hand. I love supporting local businesses, and there’s really nothing quite like listening to vinyl records. I will continue to shop there whenever my wallet can take it, and I hope they stay in business and keep rockin’ it for a long, long time!

One of the first times I visited this store was for the Tom Waits album release party for «Bad As Me». They were serving high quality local beer and I received a free poster with the purchase of the LP (which also had a CD of the album included inside). I thought to myself, «This place is cool.»
When they say «record» store, they mean it. Lots of crates to dig through, but well organized and grouped by genre. Most really good used vinyl goes for between 5 and 10 bucks a record. They also carry NEW vinyl, of the 180-​gram audiophile variety, offering tons of indies, as well as major releases. It costs a bit more but having the new Norah Jones album on white double vinyl with a deluxe lyric sheet is nice. Being able to find re-​issues of old Fred Wesley albums is really nice.
Since I’ve moved to the area I’ve visited the store on a weekly basis, sometimes multiple times within a week. Fortunately it’s within biking distance for me. Over the past few months I’ve brought in hundreds of pieces of vinyl and CDs to sell back and they generally have been very fair with me. Hint #1: Your trades are more valuable as in-​store credit than cash and they won’t buy stuff they already have many copies of. Sorry, kids… save the Boston albums for your garage sale.
Selection-​wise, if they don’t have it they can usually order it on CD or vinyl, if available. This store is also right on top of things when it comes to staying tight with their suppliers. This past April’s Record Store Day was proof of that. When most shops only get shipped one or two RSD titles this place had literally everything I was looking for, and then some. The feeding frenzy at the 7″ singles bin this year was something to behold.
Their dollar bin is a haven for those with little dough to blow, with slightly beaten-​up copies of lots of classic albums. It’s certainly a better deal than iTunes, to be sure. They even sell inexpensive turntables there for those neo-​hipsters who are just getting into the vinyl craze. Hint #2: If you shop the dollar bin, drop the $ 15 on a Discwasher brush.
I’ve found the staff to be nothing but knowledgeable, helpful and personable. Whether you’re seeking the music of Adele, Insane Clown Posse or Frank Zappa they’ll steer you in the right direction without even a smirk. Hoyt (the taller, bearded dude) has tons of fascinating stories about the history of the shop and local music scene in general. Doug (the guy with glasses who looks like he should be wearing a beret and playing bongos) is the other original owner, and is also a local musician in his own right. Gerry and Josh, two of the other regular staff, have assembled a series of YouTube videos promoting new releases the store carries. Jason will be happy to chat with you about horror rock or Nina Hagen.
Finally, with live in-​store events such as the recent appearances by Johnny Winter and Yo La Tengo, this place is constantly a contender for coolest record store in Northern California. If you love music, go here. Plan to spend some time, and most likely, some cash. You will probably find what you’re looking for and maybe even discover something you didn’t even know you wanted.