Sundance Records

The day the music died. In San Marcos. April 1^st, 2012.
As YNN reported this morning, Sundance is packing it in. After 35 years, Sundance yields to the generation that doesn’t believe in paying for music.
Live in-​store performances by local artists March 31^st before the curtain falls.
Several of you have told me you want to check this place out. Here’s your last chance.
Greg, Bobby, and Nancy, thanks for the all the incredible vinyl and polycarbonate you made so affordable through the years. Your service always went the extra mile and was consistently incredible. And shame on me for every single time I purchased somewhere else out of convenience. It never was about the price, after all.
Music makes a difference. Music worth playing is music worth paying.
«No one will remember the day they clicked iTunes for a song.» — Greg Ellis

Been around for along time. You can even find some cool bootlegs mixed in. They have a small used section as well. Check the DVD’s for some rare finds. I miss Mark a nice guy that was there forever. Overall a fun place to dig for stuff.

Amazing place! Not only is the stock deep, but the staff is really helpful. If they ain’t got what you want, they’ll get it – usually by the next day. If you don’t know what you want, they’ll help you find something that’ll do it for you. And if you know what you want, but you ain’t got a clue about what it’s called or who did it, they’ll help you figure it out. They’ll turn you on to new — and old — stuff that you never even knew existed — but that you can’t live without once you learn about. And they’ll work to get to know you and know what you like. So when they get something new or hear about something new that they know you’ll love, they’ll tell you about it – and play it for you. And there’s no better browse place in town. Can’t go wrong at Sundance. So do the right thing, get thee there — right now!

Great place to get used and new vinyl in town without having to make the commute to Austin. If they don’t have a particular item you are looking for you can order in store and normally they can get it the very next day.
The staff is great and knowledgeable about all things music related.
They also sell body jewelry and tobacco products.
Sometimes the incense can be a little too strong but that’s forgivable.

Three cool things I’ve purchased at Sundance Records: An Innova Star Wraith disc golf disc, a Charlie Pride vinyl box set put out by Readers Digest in the 80’s with a hilarious watercolor portrait of him (which, I was able to have autographed by Charlie afterwards, but that is a different story), and a copy of Hootie and the Blowfish’s «Cracked Rear View» for fifty cents (Hey, it sold 16x platinum and is the 15^th best selling album of all time, those copies are floating around everywhere!)
If you are an old vinyl nerd, into that whole chopped and screwed business, need a disc golf disc, or just wanna browse CDs, Sundance has got it. They have a ton of other random stuff like stickers, posters, etc too. Good place to kill an hour just looking at stuff and the prices are pretty reasonable. I believe they can order you just about anything. Although, anyone with a brain and internet connection can go to Amazon and order the same thing. If you do that though, you can’t support this awesome local business, and are therefore a horrible person. So there.

My favorite record store in all of texas. They have a unique vinyl collection. Not huge, but some hard to find classics. Especially there funk section. The used CD section has interesting stuff too. Probably because it’s across from the university and they get students from every walk of life from all over the country. I could easily spend hours in that store. Plus, the staff is extremely helpful and patient as well. This is the last bastion of the mom and pop record store. Keep it local people.

Independent record store, not as big as Waterloo Records in Austin, TX but if you want to find some indie music this is the place to go.

Sundance is a quirky oasis and as good as it gets for record stores. The scent of incense fills the air and the walls of music memorabilia and bargain bins could keep a stoner busy for days.
They have been a corner stone of the San Marcos community since 1977 and have successfully blended the old and the new with a groovy vibe that makes San Marcos one of the best places in Texas.
Their merchandise consists of cds, dvds, vinyl lps, jewelry, frisbee golf discs, t-​shirts, posters, and ahmm hmm «tobacco accessories» as we have to call it in Texas.
I originally came here in search of some cool posters and found lots more.
Live Long Sundance!

This is the best record store I’ve been in in about a decade. Sometimes that San Marcos behind-​the-​times mystique works to its advantage and Sundance, I’m happy to say, is no exception. Expect to pay $ 10-​$ 14 for a good used CD. This is not free downloads, mkay? It’s the real issue: liner notes and all. Sundance reminds me of the late, great Paradise Records– formerly in Baron Rouge. And, ladies and gentlemen, that’s a very, very good thing.

These guys have a monopoly on music in San Marcos but you’d never know. They’re always innovating, always working, they pay good money for used CDs and their employees REALLY know their stuff about music.
I don’t buy CDs anymore (waste of plastic and paper) but I still come here sometimes because its interesting and cool.

«I’ve got live stock, I’ve got live stock…»
is all I wanted to hear as Julie and I rolled down I 35 from Austin to San Antone. Those are lyrics performed by the great rockabilly band and texas legends ‘, Eleven Hundred Springs. So even though I could have scored their ‘bandwagon’ album on amazon for half the price, the exit was made on Aquarena Springs road, and we ventured into bobcat land.
As luck would have it, this legendary boutique had one ‘bandwagon’ disc in stock. The proprietor’s were very helpful, directing us to the recycled cd’s, where they even put out the latest 1100 springs cd up front, just for us… for only 6.99! Better price that amazon…
…The recycled section was naaawice, albeit I only got through the W’s. I took home some hank III and bob wills.
All in all, it was a great trip. The music that we scored at Sundance Records was worth stopping off in good olé San Marcos.