Best Record Store Oakland Near Me

4worldlovers: Mars Records is a vintage vinyl record shop offering quality/curated music to the Piedmont neighborhood and its visitors. All styles of music represented, including a robust “local music” section. Buying and trading welcome!

In addition to vinyl records, Mars also offers a smattering of other media types (cassettes, vhs, cds, dvds), as well as media storage options, cleaning supplies and other assorted music-related items (books, mugs, etc). Mars also hosts art by local artists, rotating every few months.

Steve Adams has been an Oakland-based career musician/bass player for over 15 years, making records and touring globally with solo artists and bands.

He has also part-timed at record shops (Tempo Records, Tower Records, Downhome Music and Open Mind Music) and sold at Bay Area record swaps. With live music on a temporary hold in 2020, Steve decided to lean into his love of vinyl and begin the journey of Mars Record Shop.

4worldlovers: We're very proud to announce that we are reissuing the entire Pinhead Gunpowder catalog on vinyl! Order now at the link in our menu bar!

Although they are very rarely seen in public Pinhead Gunpowder has been a band for 31 years and are currently constituted as Aaron Cometbus (Crimpshrine, Cleveland Bound Death Sentence), Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day, The Longshot), Jason White (The Influents, Green Day) and Bill Schneider (Monsula, Dead Sound).

There will be 5 phases spread across the next year with an LP, 7" and two exclusive t-shirts in each phase. Phase 1, due April 30th 2021, is the Jump Salty LP and Trundle & Spring 7"! Pinhead Gunpowder hasn't had official merch of any sort in years and these are truly special oversize prints. Jump Salty has been cut at 45rpm for the first time and it is LOUD. These are definitely the best sounding editions of either record to date.

Each record is pressed on a mail order exclusive color (visible above) only available from our website and each shirt is available separately or as part of the Phase 1 bundle.

We are also rolling out the Pinhead Gunpowder Discography Club for those of you who want to sign up for the whole run now! If you subscribe now you will get each phase as they come out on a PGDC exclusive color. We are only going to press enough of these to fulfill subscription orders and subscriptions will only be available for purchase until April 1st 2021. After that we're closing it up!

Phase 1 (4/30/21): Jump Salty LP, Trundle and Spring 7” plus two shirts with art from each release

Phase 2 (8/27/21): Carry The Banner LP, Fahizah 7” plus two shirts with art from each release shirt.

Phase 3 (5/13/22): Goodbye Ellston Avenue LP, At Your Funeral 7” (songs from two splits, split up no more!), plus two shirts with art from each release.

Phase 4 (7/1/22): Shoot The Moon LP, 8 Chords 328 Words 7” plus two shirts with art from each release.


Phase 5 (11/18/22): Compulsive Disclosure LP, West Side Highway 7” plus two shirts with art from each release and the stand alone “Kick Over The Traces”


In the flurry of the shutdown we blew right past our 12th Anniversary on the 15th. I started this shop in March of 2008 just before the financial crisis and it was tough. We weathered it but it was extremely hard. This current crisis is going to test us like no other. Like all other "non-essential" businesses our two shops are mandated closed. Subsequently all of our employees were laid off and 90% of our income has simply evaporated. The one saving grace is that I happen to live above the shop so sheltering in place still provides me access to the stock so we can run mail order. Mail order and gift card purchases are currently our only source of income and we greatly appreciate all of you who have ordered already. Thank you so much. Stay home, stay healthy, stay analog.

4worldlovers: Open Mind Music is about being open to all kinds of music and letting discoveries happen along the way