Inside Sound Decay Records, One of the Shops Powering El Paso’s Vinyl Revival

By Patty G.

Photo of brothers and co-owners of downtown El Paso, TX record store, Sound Decay Records, standing in front of the counter at their store. Their names are Abel Salazar, left, and Danny Alcantar. — Abel Salazar, left, and Danny Alcantar open Sound Decay Records in July 2021. The records store in downtown El Paso sells new and used vinyl, CDs, tapes, and merchandise like tees and buttons.

Walk into Sound Decay Records in downtown El Paso on any random afternoon and the place already feels alive. Whoever’s behind the counter is usually mid‑conversation, trading hot takes with lifelong DJs, putting newcomers onto their first vinyl obsession or taking notes from serious collectors who are just as die-hard about music as they are. The regulars don’t just shop here anymore; they’ve become part of the shop’s soul.

That sense of community is exactly what brothers and co‑owners Danny Alcantar and Abel Salazar imagined when they opened the store in July 2021. “Our goal was to be a music hub to share music across the Borderland,” Alcantar says, adding that he’s loved becoming immersed in El Paso’s vinyl scene and meeting the wide mix of people who walk through the door.

And that hub energy isn’t just talk — Sound Decay occasionally hosts local DJs, giving them a space to spin and connect with music lovers face‑to‑face. It’s another way the shop keeps the Borderland’s music scene alive and moving. Both brothers come from the scene themselves: Alcantar plays in the punk/metal band Acid Spitter and Salazar previously played in The Sicteens, so building a space for musicians and music lovers to collide wasn’t just a business idea; it was instinct.

Sound Decay isn’t the only record store in town, but it’s carved out a lane for Sun City music fans who want a selection that spans genres, eras and entire subcultures. The racks jump from soul, funk, disco, jazz and cumbia to psych, house, techno, punk, metal, indie and hip hop — mainstream staples stacked right next to underground gems.

“We try to cater to our customers’ tastes, even if we don’t personally listen to that particular band or artist,” Alcantar says. “We try to maintain an equal balance so as not to alienate anyone. Our music selection is a mix of mainstream and underground artists that are often overlooked.”

Photo of the interior of Sound Decay Records, a record store located in downtown El Paso, TX. The photos features shelves of records. — Sound Decay Records carries a variety of genres, from punk, soul, cumbia, hip hop and indie.

Finding those overlooked artists isn’t always easy. Alcantar says tracking down rare, out‑of‑print records — especially within the niche genres they specialize in — can be a challenge, as can sourcing quality used collections in the El Paso area. But the hunt is worth it, especially when he thinks about the records that shaped him. “My most prized records are the first punk records I purchased around the age of 12 from bands like Dropdead, Disrupt and Los Crudos,” he remembers. “They may not have the largest monetary value, but they remind me of a period of time when I initially got into the hobby.”

Beyond vinyl, the shop also stocks CDs, tapes and merch like band tees and buttons. Alcantar says that post‑COVID, interest in all physical media has surged. For younger collectors, CDs and tapes offer a cheaper entry point. “Those formats tend to sell for less than vinyl and provide a less intimidating option for those on a budget.”

And the numbers back it up. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, vinyl sales hit $1.04 billion in 2025 — proof that records aren’t just nostalgia pieces; they’re prized collectibles and a direct way to support artists.

“We live in a digital- and streaming-dominated time,” Alcantar says. “There is a lot of convenience to streaming, but unfortunately, a lot of music is constantly being taken down off streaming services just as quickly as it’s uploaded. There is some uncertainty when it comes to always having to pay for a subscription and not even owning any of the actual music. People want to physically own all their favorite music.”

For Alcantar, seeing more people discover vinyl isn’t just good for business — it’s personal. “Our opening day at our first location (on Magoffin Avenue) in 2021 stood out as one of my happiest and profound moments,” he says. “My brother and I always envisioned opening a record store in El Paso and worked on the idea for a few years. Seeing so many people — including our friends and future acquaintances — visit the shop that day made us realize that we were onto something special.”

And today, that feeling hasn’t faded. Between the crate‑diggers, the DJs, the curious newcomers and the lifers who treat the shop like a second home, Sound Decay has become more than a storefront — it’s a living, breathing piece of El Paso’s music story.