End of an Ear

If there’s one shop in Austin that fits the Championship Vinyl stereotype from High Fidelity, it’s End of an Ear. Serving South Austin since 2005 (and recently relocated to a larger location on Clawson Road), the shop’s shelves are rich in niche, rare and overlooked records that are dangerous to the pocketbooks of collectors, but the bins hold enough treasures to satisfy budget shoppers as well. Deep crates of psych, reggae, jazz, world and of carefully curated rock are where the shop flexes its encyclopedic knowledge, but close ties to an array of local scenes (punk, electronic, indie rock) mean that small pressings of Austin artists typically receive prime placement at the counter. Keep an eye on their Instagram for the occasional photo of visiting music royalty like Four Tet and Slowdive.