Stormy Records relocates to bigger store down the block

Everyone loves Stormy Records, and with good reason; it functions as both a great local all-purpose record store and a clearing house for the most interesting avant-garde and unusual sounds around. There is no other store in the Detroit area like it. We wrote about the place last year; you can read that feature right here.

The new location is at 13306 Michigan Ave., Dearborn. Their phone number is 313-581-9322. The store's hours are Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Metro Times: Can you tell me briefly why you moved, and what is so great about the new location?
Windy Weber: When we moved two years ago, we moved with the comic book shop Green Brain. They bought the building, and we moved into it with them. Then, this year in early june, they told us they needed to expand and asked us to find a new place. We were pretty surprised, but luckily a great space we had been attracted to for a number of years had just become available, and we worked out a deal with the new landlord. We are good tenants and wanted a long term lease, and the new landlord and his family are Michigan-based and very accessible — which we appreciate.


After all the troubles we have had in the past with landlords, we are really happy with the owners of the new space. It is 50% bigger and far more affordable than where we just left, which makes it easier for us to keep our prices low and to offer far easier browsing for the seven inches and tapes. We also have these big beautiful antique display windows that we have filled with plants and old record players and colored vinyl. They are really a celebration of our love of records and their history. We feel good here; it's homey, and a good fit for us. There is also a ton of free parking in the back!!


MT: You can have events there now right?
Weber: Yes we can! Not only do we have the room, but we do not need to censor any content now. Bands can come in and perform with no constraints. We're on the street level, so load-in is easy. There is no upstairs or basement to worry about the weight loads of a group of listeners. We're super excited about having in-stores again!


MT: What else is new/ different. Have you guys scored any killer new collections of late?
Weber: We could use some new collections. We've had so many new customers and so many old ones return (many people thought we simply went out of business two years ago) that we have been very busy getting records into people's hands. And now we need more! We most certainly have new stock coming in; we've had a bunch of stellar Blue Note and Impulse jazz LPs, and some metal and dance 12"s. But it's always fun to have more. We love to help people find good music, so we're out hunting almost daily!


MT: What three new records in the store are you most excited about and why?
Weber: Oh my gosh, only three? That is a tough one. Carl has been really loving the Omar Khorshid Live in Australia LP — such wild exotic Turkish guitar! The Manuel Göttsching E2-E4 reissue is stellar; I'm happy that finally made it out to stores. It's one of the records I feel every collection should have. And the newest Of Montreal is quite good; it's the best record I feel he has done since Hissing Fauna. It's musically inventive while also recalling all sorts of luminaries. And then lyrically of course Barnes is fantastic, whether being satirical or completely realistic. He's a great lyricist.