I often wonder if “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” applies to albums. From band portraits to concept illustrations, I decided to dig up some bottom-dwellers in the CD clearance section to test my cover-examining skills.

We get it. There are a million-and-one places to buy records and other assorted music memorabilia in Austin. But in a city that thrives off of music consumption and appeals to an enormously diverse demographic of listeners, finding a store tailored to one’s taste is easier said than done. To take the stress out of finding the right place to shop and put the emphasis back on the joy of adding a new item to the collection, the ORANGE music staff gives its picks for the top music stores in Austin.