Stranded

When this sunny little Oakland shop opened in 2012, it drew comparisons to Brokeland Records, the fictional record store in Michael Chabon’s novel, Telegraph Avenue. It may be a newcomer by record store standards, but it comes with a pedigree: It was founded by Bill Zindel, former owner of Jimmie Gallery, and Steve Viaduct, head of archival record label Superior Viaduct. The spot specializes in music from the last 40 years—including jazz, folk, international and blues—with a particular emphasis on rock and punk. (There’s a well-curated section devoted to Bay Area punk bands.) The spot has fashioned itself into a neighborhood hang-out, regularly hosting book readings, record release parties, movie screenings and in-store performances. In the summer of 2016, Viaduct and Zindel took over the Aquarius Records on Valencia Street, the oldest independent record store in San Francisco, and turned it into Stranded’s second location.