Be prepared to spend some time there and don’t go expecting to discover some great obscure punk album you haven’t seen anywhere else (that’s what Hold Fast is for). It is without question the best music store on the Jersey shore. Jack’s is where I bough my copy of Douglas Coupland’s “ Generation X“, and for just $4 I recently purchased Ben Sisario’s 33-1/3 Series entry on the Pixies’ Doolittle.īottom line: Jack’s is a must-visit for any music enthusiast visiting Red Bank or anywhere in the general area. Not all of the books are music-related, but it’s as if all were selected to appeal to the kind of person who is otherwise shopping for music. There are at most 200-300 or so books for sale at any one time, yet I don’t think I’ve ever walked out without one. My favorite non-vinyl offering is Jack’s used book selection. Or if playing music is your thing, Jack’s has a large loft section with a variety of instruments and related necessities (strings, notebooks, etc.) and a deep library of sheet music for sale. One could spend an hour looking through the discount DVDs or interesting music tees. In this way, Jack’s reminds me a lot of Kim’s Video & Music in the East Village. (Again, a personal example: I purchased the Black Lips’ Live at Third Man album here.)įinally, when visiting Jack’s it’s critical that you leave some time to peruse the non-vinyl and non-CD offerings, even if that’s not the reason for your visit. The store also keeps a steady stock of music from Jack White’s label Third Man Records, including from the exclusive “ Third Man Vault“, making it the only place I’ve seen where one can purchase individual obscure titles from Third Man. Jack’s does an excellent job of maintaining its focus on this niche music genre and offering titles that I haven’t seen in other shops, with a heavy emphasis on famous indie labels Merge and Sub Pop. For example, on my last visit I picked up Pythons, the new album from Surfer Blood, which you certainly can find elsewhere but at many stores you won’t. When it comes to new vinyl, what can set a store apart is stocking a wide selection of lesser-known artists and titles. The store’s focus, at least in this area, is on harder rock, leaning towards alternative and indie. While I normally prefer browsing through used vinyl, I’ve been far more impressed with Jack’s selection of new and reissued albums. Again the albums are unsorted and mostly rock/pop on my last visit I found here a copy (original, not reissue) of Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction for $12, and previously I found a rare red vinyl version of the National’s 10″ EP, Cherry Tree. These are in plastic sleeves, with typewritten album artist/name on the front, and tend to be in the $10-20 range. Finally, there are racks of additional new releases that should be considered the store’s premium albums. Again, the findings here are generally pretty common albums, all in the $2-7 range, though I’ve occasionally found a few worthwhile items (R.E.M.’s Dead Letter Office, X’s More Fun in the New World, The Best of Elvis Costello) very inexpensively. Closer to the cashier’s desk is a table of “new arrivals”, which is not sorted in any way but is always worthy of a quick flip-through. I’ve almost never found anything of note in this section and will often skip it altogether, unless I am looking for something specific but common. At the very back is the normal stock of used records, nearly all rock/pop, arranged alphabetically. On each of my visits I start in the used section, which unfortunately is not the most user-friendly for shoppers. Nevertheless, both the new vinyl section in front and the used vinyl section way in the back are as robust as many NYC stores. Spinning local sound, entertainment and food in Dover, NJ.Jack’s has a lot of everything, and so vinyl makes up only about a quarter of the store, at most. We are always refreshing our offering so stop by often and connect with us via social media. Feel free to ask our associates about the availability of having your next private event here. Our lounge will give our community the opportunity to enjoy live performers while sharing each other’s experiences and culture. Enjoy each unique sitting area sipping our hand crafted coffee, light fare and live entertainment. Your experience at Factory Records is not complete without a visit to our Lounge. Vintage and new pro audio equipment available for sale. Looking to tune up your audio equipment? We have an in-house repair specialist on site. Looking to “pay it forward” we welcome to review your albums and collections that you are wanting to sell. Our selection also will include 45’s, LP’s, cassette tapes, 8 track, CD’s, DVD’s and video cassettes. Step into our rare red-carpet section to view our exclusive gems that we have uncovered. You will appreciate the organized offering of vintage and new releases of albums from rock, metal, punk, hip hop, country, Latin and jazz.
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