Stinkweeds Records – 12 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix Arizona 85013 Open – now with a 4.6 star rating in Yelp reviews on a 1-5 scale (see below).
On a recent trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona, I had the pleasure of stopping by Stinkweeds Records in Phoenix. Routinely found on lists of the best record stores in Phoenix and Arizona, as well as Hoodline’s top 50 stores in the US, Stinkweeds more than lived up to its billing. First opened in 1987, the (at present) approximately 1000 sq. foot store is perhaps best known for its Indie/alternative/punk offerings. It also offers a wide array of music in other genres and formats, both new and used, as you will see from the pictures below. The used records were all reasonably priced, with indie/alternative offerings much more plentiful than the record stores I typically visit.
Presently at its fourth location, where it has resided since 2003, the store is in the process of expanding.
Stinkweeds Records has hosted an impressive array of in-stores, including two by one of my personal favorites – the late great Elliott Smith – as well as by Sleater-Kinney and Calexico, to name but a few. If they liked it, you will too.
Highly recommended.
Wanna go? You can find Stinkweeds Records on our Record Stores Map.
What the Press has to say
Here’s a May 3, 2017 article from the Phoenix New Times Stinkweeds: An Oral History of the Iconic Phoenix Record Store’s First 30 Years interviewing store owner Kimber Lanning about the store and its history. Also interviewed are many musicians and store employees who visited over the years, each of whom shares fond memories.
And here’s another article from the Phoenix New Times, from August 1, 2023, announcing Stinkweeds is expanding its iconic Phoenix record store. Here’s what’s new for customers. Gone is the back patio/entrance, which will now be incorporated into the store, with an additional second floor for office and other business related activities.
Cool Vinyl Bought There
Purchased some really good used records on this trip, including Sleater-Kinney’s 2019 release The Center Won’t Hold, signed by the band, Belle and Sebastian’s first EP Dog on Wheels from 1997 (with one of their music school’s tutors on some guitar), and a very reasonably priced (as all the records were) The Other Half from 1968.
But I was most pleased with King Khan and the BBQ Shows Invisible Girl (2009).
A two man band from Montreal, Canada, King Khan aka Blacksnake (Arish Ahmad Khan) and BBQ aka Mark Sultan (born Mark Antonio Pepe) take doo-wop, garage, punk, soul and much more, and warp them into a raw sound all their own. The album art from this offering (tame by their standards) is straight out of ’50s horror movies – think Creature from the Black Lagoon. Live, these guys go all out, with costumes that make the Dictators’ Handsome Dick Manitoba or Jack Black in Nacho Libre look tame. And of course they often throw in lyrics that follow in a long line of teenage never grow up bands.
Here’s Crystal Ball, one of the many fine offerings on Invisible Girl. Try the doo-wop of Anala next. And oh, while both guys sing and play guitar, BBQ also plays the drums – with his feet.
In-Stores
Here’s the full Elliott Smith in-store at Stinkweeds Records performed on Feb. 13, 1996. I believe this was when the store was in Tempe Arizona, and not at its present location. Setlist: 01-Southern Belle 02-The White Lady Loves You More 03-Needle in the Hay 04-Angeles 05-Clementine 06-Condor Ave. 07-St. Ides Heaven 08-Last Call 09-Coming Up Roses 10-The Biggest Lie Man I love Elliott Smith. In the mood for more Elliott Smith? Here’s a link to Needle in the Hay
And here’s Sleater-Kinney’s August 12, 2017 set. Setlist 0:00 sound check 0:24 Stay Where You Are 3:05 Call the Doctor 5:46 Anonymous 8:23 I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone 11:04 Taste Test 14:11 Dig Me Out 17:11 I’m Not Waiting
What’s In A Name
My only quibble is with the store’s name. Stinkweeds? Per Oxfords dictionary, Stinkweeds are “any of a number of plants with a strong or fetid smell”. Doing my very best Wade Wilson/Deadpool, what, Rose’s was taken? But try as I might, I could not find the answer to my why question. But a rose by any other name ….
Yelp Reviews
Don’t just take our word for it. See how the Yelp community rates Stinkweeds.
Stinkweeds Records
