The slogan on that shirt you see in the window of Smash! Records (2314 18th Street Northwest) sums up the attitude of the store, the neighborhood, and D.C. in general toward the out-of-towners who work at the Capital and the White House. President Trump didn’t even get 5% of the vote in Washington D.C. in the 2016 election. He isn’t liked in town. Most politicians aren’t really. The nation’s capital is full of working class people trying to get by without having a voice in government. The license plate slogan there is “Taxation without representation.”
So it’s fitting to have a record store that focuses on punk rock, metal, goth, and hardcore in the midst of a gay nightclub district a short drive (by D.C. traffic standards, at least) from the National Mall. The town, any town, needs places where you can find stuff like this.
Check out all those cool books on cool music, zines, CD’s, comics, and other weird goodies. They even have shoes.
Don’t worry, they have plenty of music, especially if you dig vinyl.
That’s a rack of 45’s and 7″ singles there in front, plus some 8-track tapes to boot.
I walked out of Smash! Records with CD’s by Captain Beefheart, Sons and Daughters, and Public Image, Ltd. Be sure to check this place out (and the neighborhood, which is pretty cool) if you need a break from packed tourist attractions or to stick it to the Man by keeping punk rock alive.
Keep your mind open.
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