Can Josey Records Become Dallas' Iconic Record Store?

Kathy Tran

Josey Records opens its doors this weekend

The space is huge. And the clean black-and-whites, slick concrete floor, and pristine aesthetic make it seem even larger. For reference: It's not inconceivable that a shout or frisbee might fail to bridge the room wall-to-wall. It smells like fresh woodwork and feels, only in the very best sense, like a museum or some other high-end gallery. Row after row of record racks line the interior, and the mammoth walls are fresh with painted artwork. Even in mid-construction, everything in the soon-to-open Josey Records sits just so; from modern leather chairs to hand-etched coffee tables, design is no afterthought in this place. I've visited record stores the nation over, and still this yet-unfinished shop might be the most gorgeous I've ever seen.

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The bodies inside are busy, engaged, each preoccupied with several tasks at once. It looks like hard work but it doesn't look like boring work. In fact, there's a faint art school vibe to the scene: There's laughter, good music and beer cans, there's a guy on a skateboard swooshing about (impressively, he drops neither of his two beers). In short, it's an interesting place. While there are no doubt several behind-the-scenes figures involved, this whole thing, this massive record store, is the vision of but three longtime friends: JT Donaldson, Luke Sardello and Waric Cameron. They've all worked in record stores, they all collect music and they're all very serious about shaking-up the Dallas marketplace.

"We thought about doing a boutique shop, even looked at a couple spots, but I already had the line on a couple of large collections anyway, so we thought let's make it a destination spot, a place where people would really want to hang out, explore," says Sardello.

With a lounge, DJ booth, listening stations, a gallery of local artwork and future plans for a possible coffee and juice bar, Josey sounds like a spot to frequent indeed. However, it'd be a mistake to think that any feature takes precedent over the stock -- over the music, that is. A quick look around alone could tell you that.

Kathy Tran

Kathy Tran

"All genres are covered. Josey is for diggers; for DJs; for sampling musicians; for anyone that wants to discover something new; for everyone," Sardello continues. "We want to make sure that every time you come in, you see something new." Donaldson adds, "We want people to leave here feeling like they scored, like they can't wait to come back!"

As a destination shop -- a potential DFW hub -- Josey Records is ideally located. Roughly at the elbow where I-635 and I-35 meet, not far from the Dallas North Tollway, the store is in a unique position to serve both Dallas and Denton, as well as the northern 'burbs of Allen, Plano and Frisco. Surely, many Dallas residents will frown on Josey's far North-West locale, but that's missing the point. The concept here is to create a gathering place that's in reach for all of DFW, and for that purpose, Josey inhabits prime real estate.

Donaldson explains: "We've all lived here and we know the business. We knew Dallas well enough to know it needed something more." And it's true, we do. Here's the situation: The Dallas' record shopping landscape is changing. Fast. In a span of less than three months, we've welcomed some fresh faces (Spinster, Off the Record), made some new favorites (Dead Wax, GrooveNet), and said goodbye to a local legend (CD Source).

Where does Josey Records stand in all this? Even in its pre-open state, the store measures up nicely. In reality, only Forever Young in Grand Prairie can match Josey's depth of stock -- approximately 100,000 records, alongside tapes and CDs -- and while the former offers more titles at the moment, Josey boasts a larger space overall. Which is to say, its potential for growth is unmatched in the area. In a way, Josey is looking to do for records what CD Source did for CDs; that is, offer an ever-rotating inventory (by way of customer buys), with a selection that's competitive on a national scale. Word is, CD Source's assistant manager is even set to join Josey's staff.