"Many of the staffers have been there for decades; regulars head straight to the far wall for densely-packed shelves of new and local releases."
That's how Rolling Stone.com describes the Electric Fetus in its new list of "The 25 Best Record Stores in the U.S.," where the Minneapolis corner store/stone came in at No. 6. Another decades-old Minneapolis shop, Hymie's Vintage Records -- recently relocated and under new ownership -- also made the list at No. 25. The article says about Hymie's, "Rather than the usual stereotype of haphazard you-find-it stacks, the shop is tidily organized and full of superb finds."
"We can be pretty meticulous about the way we do things, so that was nice to hear," said Laura Hoenack, who took over Hymie's last year with her husband, Dave (literally making it a mom-and-pop shop).
In April, the Hoenacks moved the store a few blocks to 3820 E. Lake St, next to Blue Moon coffeeshop. As RollingStone.com noted, "When you get tired [of browsing], you can slip over to the cafe next door for a caffeine fix."
Laura said the move has already produced a lot more foot traffic into the store. Making this list should help even more.
"We've already had a couple people come in and say they saw us" on the list, she said.
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
