New Haight-Ashbury record store aims to revive San Francisco punk scene

CBS News

21 hours ago

In Haight-Ashbury, where counterculture echoes through the streets, a new record store is turning up the volume on punk.
More than just a shop for vinyl, tapes and CDs, I Hate Records is carving out a space for the city's punk community.
Run by artists Cody Azumi and Pretty Sims, the store stays as unapologetically raw and DIY as the music on its shelves.
"One of my favorite things about punk rock is the ability and freedom to question authority," Azumi said.
The co-founders of I Hate Records say the store is more than a business, it's about building a space for real, face-to-face connection.
"You know, you can order anything you want on the internet," Sims said. "But I think that actually having that face-to-face, real conversation about it, and learning what people in San Francisco think punk is, is really important."
The shop, which also operates as an independent record label, aims to welcome those unfamiliar with punk, inviting them to learn and experience the scene.
"I would love it if people came into the store and gave it a chance and learned about the ethos and whatnot," Azumi said. "Because it is very angry music. You know, I think a lot of people have reasons to be pissed off right now."
That DIY ethos extends to the very walls of the store, with a lens toward social justice.
"This shop means a lot to me," one customer said. "I think it's a capstone. It was built on a lot of hard work. And I think it's really a pillar of the punk community. Got a lot of cool records, and it just feels like home when I'm in here."
That's exactly the experience Azumi and Sims hope to create.
"It kind of just makes you feel a little bit better," Sims said. "Just to know that you have people around you who are supportive and who are into making art for a greater purpose, to just say what you feel, no matter what other people think."
Each day, the shop stands as proof of punk's enduring roots in the Bay.