*Save Criminal Records logo – designed by Brian Manley/Fun With Robots.
It was way back in 2008 that we featured Criminal Records as our Record Store of the Week. Fast forward to the present day and it’s still a shop that we hit every time we’re in Atlanta…heck, we even buy from them via mailorder! Owner Eric Levin (who is also a co-founder of Record Store Day) and his great staff have been keeping the dream alive for 20 years by stocking independent music, comics, books and hosting must-see instores, but do to a host of problems are in danger of closing by November if things don’t change. Show your support of independent record stores and independent music by heading over to their shop (brick & mortar or online)! Without record stores like Criminal Records humble labels like ourselves would be nowhere. Seriously.
I’m sure it’s a dream shared by all record heads–your very own house filled with records! While some have made it a reality for themselves, the rest of us must be content to make the trip to Eugene, Oregon’s House of Records, our Record Store of the Week. Opened for business the same year that Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson and John Lennon’s Imagine were released (how’s that for perspective), House of Records is an Eugene institution and a must-see destination on your next NW record digging trip. It’s the blue house, down on the right. Just follow the smells of records!
Thanks to Fred Murschal and the House of Records staff for doing the interview!
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What kind of folks frequent your store, and what sort of records do they typically buy?
We get all kinds, but most are “typical” Eugeneans: well-educated and a little off-center. We sell some of everything, but our best-selling genres are the biggies: rock, blues, soul, country, jazz, hip hop and reggae.
Is there a record you play that someone will usually buy/inquire about every time?
That doesn’t happen as much as it used to, but we still have some luck playing Daptone releases in the store. Also Fleet Foxes and The Obits (chapeau atilt to Sub Pop).
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
Greg & Martha:The MonksBlack Monk Time because it rocks! An all-time favorite.
Katie: Karen DaltonIn My Own Time: A nearly perfect record, each song superlative, singular.
Fred: The Free Design catalogue is still my favorite because of the band’s fearless vulnerability.
What’s your favorite record right now?
Greg: The StairstepsStep By Step By Step (Buddah 5068 – You guys need to reissue this record!) Martha:Robert PlantPictures at Eleven Katie:Ian and Sylvia, et al Great Speckled Bird
Fred: suddenly, tammy!Comet.Warner Brothers dropped the band (and a lot of other bands) in the mid 90’s and their third album was never released. It has finally seen the light of day as an MP3 download and it is brilliant! Beth Sorrentino is an incredible songwriter.
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
Every day we field a phone call from an autistic middle-aged man with an East Coast accent named James. He wants to know what we are wearing down to the color of our socks, who else is working (Marilyn Monroe, Rumplestiltskin, etc.), and the price of 30 unspecified records (along with a litany of other enumerated formats). He always promises to bring a dollar and a penny more than the price quoted and to come in for them every day between tomorrow and Saturday! Trying to derail the trajectory of his inquiries in new and inventive ways is a challenging good time.
Greg adds: A guy with a knit cap and long white beard sold me some tapes. When I asked him for his identification he told me his name was Franz Kafka. Next time he came in I asked him to autograph my copy of The Trial. He signed it “To Greg, from the grave. May all your nightmares come true.”
What is the coolest/most prized record that has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
Greg: Original pressing of Introducing The Beatles with the album ads back cover. Martha: ChromeHalf Machine Lip Moves with the poster! Katie: Robbie BashoThe Falconer’s Arm II Fred: Big StarNo. 1 Record white label promo (about 20 years ago).
What’s the scene like out in Eugene? Do you carry any local artists?
There used to be a “Eugene scene” in the 1980’s and early ‘90’s. Now there are lots of little scenes independent of each other. We carry LOTS of local artists, and they produce music of all varieties!
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
1. Seeing LP’s rise from the dead. It’s very romantic.
2. Talking to customers about music.
3. Working in the basement in the narrow aisles of LPs.
4. I get to deejay all day long!
5. Listening and learning.
6. Making suggestions and seeing people get excited about something I love.
7. The smell of records.
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House of Records
258 E. 13th Ave.
Eugene, OR 97401
(541)342-7975
Monday through Saturday 10AM to 7PM
Sunday 11AM to 6PM
Florida. A weird and mysterious state that you gotta be from to truly understand (yours truly, Patrick, hails from the Northern “Southern” reaches of the state). Smack dab in the middle is the sprawling magical metropolis of Orlando. Largely known for its amusement parks and mosquitos, Orlando’s also got a thriving underground music scene that is centered around Rich Evan’s record shop, Wiggly World, and his label, Floridas Dying. This week we sat down with Rich to talk popsicles, the Beatles, and the strangeness of the Sunshine State.
Shop has been here for just over two years now. It’s an area of town called the Milk District. There is only one Milk factory so I don’t think that technically qualifies as a district, but whatever it’s Florida. We make our own rules. I’m in a free standing building at the back of a parking lot. It’s great for doing in-stores. Jay Reatard played my parking lot for the one year anniversary. The store actually grew out of my house. I started an online distro about 6 years ago, and it started to take my life over and a friend used to rent the space I am now in. Her boutique was moving to a larger location up front, so the building was available and super cheap so I snagged it.
What kinds records/CDs/ etc do you carry? Used & new? That Cramps Memphis Poseurs record I got from you kills!
I carry mainly records but also some tapes and zines. I carry a lot of punk and psych reissues, and mostly smaller current garage/ indie labels.
Is there a record you play that someone will usually buy/inquire about every time?
When I had it the Better Beatles was almost always a definite sale. An insanely understated synth and drum back track with a girl singing a monotone non-version of a Beatles classic over it. Completely stupid and totally better than the Beatles.
What’s the coolest/most prized record that has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
Well unfortunately I don’t sell used vinyl at this point so for me it has been the records that are slow to show and have somehow already become ebay fodder. I don’t do the ebay thing, but it insures that the copies I sell for a reasonable price to end up there. I’m just the middle man.
How about your awesome label Floridas Dying. How did that come about? Didn’t you just celebrate 6 years?
Yeah I celebrated 6 years in January. Floridas Dying stated because Florida really does not get any respect musically, especially 6 years ago. And while I agree that a lot of what goes on here musically should be kept a secret because its shameful there are some really good bands, and some really cool people down here. I was bored here so I figured I better do something to change that. I think its been a real good run so far. I’ve brought a lot of amazing bands down here that would not have come down otherwise, and kids down here have really gravitated towards it. I’ve also got to help some bands down here get some much wider attention nationally which is a great feeling. There are a lot of good bands going on right now, and Im excited to get to be a part of it.
Floridas Dying 6 year anniversary show flyer.
Are the label / shop associated?
Oh god are they associated. I spend pretty much my entire day from the time I wake up till the time I hit the bar to “unwind” working at the shop. I love what I’m doing and couln’t think of anything else I would rather be doing, but it’s a lot of work for one person, which thankfully is starting to pay off. I no longer live on a couch.
Floridas Dying has some great bands on it–Jacuzzi Boys (who just signed to Hardly Art, right?), Dead Ghosts, Shannon and the Clams, Cop City, etc the list goes on…
Yeah I put out mostly Florida bands. I’ve done two singles by the Jacuzzi Boys as well as the first LP. I also put out two Electric Bunnies singles and their full length. I’m currently working on the Cop City / Chill Pillars LP. They are a new band from Lake Worth who I’m really excited about. Also starting a reissue label called Floridas Dead. The first release will be a Roach Motel LP collection. They were an incredible hardcore band from Gainesville in the early 80′s. Floridas Dead is going to do all Florida reissues. Also just started a singles label called Total Punk! It’s gonna be a fun singles label. Real cheap hand stamped covers, two songs a record. All punk of course.
Jacuzzi Boys "No Seasons" LP
Are all of these bands local or do you have greasy A&R dudes out patrolling house party shows across the USA?
I’ve done mostly local bands, but have also done records for bands outside of Florida. Most of the bands I work with are people I know through traveling around, or have met through booking shows down here. I work pretty much exclusively with friends.
OK, what’s your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
Rodriguez – Cold Fact without a doubt. I got that record when I was going through some real dark times and that for sure helped me through it.
Nice display...dig the Rodriguez in there!
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
I’m in a bit of a weird area in town. I had a homeless guy that would give me $20 bills for a while. That was pretty cool. He’d tell me “You look like you need $20.” Then he would produce a bill. There was a guy at the milk factory for a while who was standing up on top of the silos during his breaks, and would shoot out windows with a high powered air gun. He was going up there on his break eating popsicles and shooting holes in windows. They never caught the guy, but the police found the spot he was shooting from. There were popsicle sticks and bb’s all over the ground. There is a techno record store in the next parking lot so sometimes they have barbqs where they blast techno music and people throw fire.
The store has a ton of in-stores, right? Have a favorite?
Yeah Thomas Function did an instore that was really great. The Jay Reatard one was the biggest. I’ve also had Pink Reason, Jacuzzi Boys, and the Electric Bunnies play my parking lot. This Friday Cop City is playing.
Lastly, tell us about the scene down in Orlando. Any more cool bands we should be on the lookout for?
Lots of great bands. I play drums in a few bands so everyone should check them out. Garbo’s Daughter is great. 60′s girl group stylings. Mandy Mullins, Garbo’s Daughter mastermind, has a beautiful voice. Slippery Slopes are the go to party band in town. Fun sloppy punk. Hungry Gayze, Vein Cranes, Sexcapades. Snakehole from Miami are great. Love Handles, James, Cop City, Electric Bunnies, Jacuzzi Boys, Ghost Hospital. There are a ton of great bands.
Just a few months ago, we featured a great record store in Richmond, Virginia called Steady Sounds. Well looky looky we goin’ kooky again for another VA record store, our Record Store of the Week: Melody Supreme (Charlottesville, VA)! Well Virginia may be for lovers but apparently it’s also for lovers of vinyl as both these stores–just a short drive on I-64 from each other–are stocking up on tons of essential vinyl releases both new and used. Last week, we set down with Melody Supreme’s owner Gwenael Berthy to talk a bit about his shop, the so-called “rebirth of vinyl” and the mysterious record-digging elves of Virginia…
Tell us some stuff about Melody Supreme.
Melody Supreme was created at a turning point in my life, when after 20 years as a professional photographer, I made the decision to pursue my passion for music and for vinyl records full time. My wife’s family is from Charlottesville and through the years, each time we visited, I’d be frustrated that I couldn’t find a vinyl store well enough stocked to feed my vinyl addiction. I finally decided to establish my own store, dedicated to vinyl, and launch myself into a new adventure.
Do you specialize in certain genres or are all musical bases covered?
I carry just about all categories of music: from classical to techno, from blues to progressive, from indie rock to psychedelic. But even though I try to make sure that everyone finds what they are looking for, my own tastes lean more towards independent music, more obscure productions, folk, and psychedelic. I’ve been a collector for a long time and have a large and full collection, so naturally I am always searching for what’s ‘inhabitual’.
Without revealing any secret sources, how do you typically source your used vinyl? Do people bring in records to sell/trade or do you have a team of record-savvy elves digging across VA?
People usually contact me directly to sell their collections. My dream would be to locate a ‘dead stock’ – like those that existed in the 80s. I’ve heard stories of huge bundles of sealed records being found. I realize it’s not very likely – but a nice though nonetheless. And in the meantime, individuals who sell to the store are a good source of quality records (in between the inevitable lots of Perry Cuomo and the like).
What kind of folks frequent your store, and what sort of records do they typically buy?
The majority of my local clients are in the under-35 category, but Charlottesville attracts tourists, so I get them in all shapes and sizes. What I sell the most of is anything punk, post-punk or indie. After that, the classics remain a pretty safe bet – for those who are starting to collect or for those who need to replace that copy of King Crimson that’s been used beyond recognition.
I’d have to say that my favorite type of client is the one who arrives without knowing exactly what they are looking for and is open to new musical adventures. That’s when I get a chance to really shine and share a favorite that may be new, or simply ‘resurrected’.
And then, I shouldn’t leave out the ‘just-curious’, who come into the store to witness the ‘Return of Vinyl’ as if they were visiting some sort of museum – I really hate that.
Is there a record you play that someone will usually buy/inquire about every time?
Curiously, and despite its intrinsic value, one of my biggest sellers is the reissue of the first Suicide album (!!?). In addition, let me say that if a dead stock of Television’s first album is ever found, I want it! Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t come into the store asking for that album. But my final answer would have to be: Andrew Bird’s instrumental album, Useless Creatures – a record possessing the double ability to mellow ambience and thoroughly seduce you – all at the same time.
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
On the 20th anniversary of his death, I must cite your edition of Serge Gainsbourg’sHistoire de Melody Nelson as an almost perfect edition of one of the finest records ever made.
But there is also Jim SullivanU.F.O.. Not wanting to seem like a flatterer, I felt that this record shows you as truly passionate people, bringing light to obscure gems through reissues that are beautifully and thoughtfully done – from the cover work to sound quality.
What is the coolest/most prized record has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
I had the satisfaction one day of making the acquaintance of a gentleman in his sixties who had been part of a strange garage/pshych band called the Hot Poop. They made an album – their only album – in 1972 called The Hot Poop Does Their Own Stuff’. Because the album cover was thought too provocative (it is in fact, one of the most provocative I’ve ever seen), no store wanted to sell it. The result was that only a few of the 500 albums made were ever sold, and this gentleman still happened to possess several sealed copies.
It was an incredible thing to discover: this testimony to the exuberant, uninhibited creativity of the underground music culture of the 60’s and 70’s.
OK, now for the serious question (well, not really serious!). In musical mortal combat between Kevin Ayers and Roy Ayers, who would emerge as the victor?
Without hesitation, Kevin Ayers. For Soft Machine, for Shooting at the Moon, one of my favorite albums, for his collaborations with Robert Wyatt, and for his love of French ‘grand crus’ wine.
And lastly, how’s the scene down in Charlottesville? Any cool local bands we should be on the lookout for?
A couple of months ago I came across the extremely well produced album of a local band called Invisible Hand. They excel in a type of power pop that’s delicate and energetic with just the right dose of psych. It’s a great album – only 500 copies made – and is available, of course, through the store.
Get your passports out, cuz this week were travelling all the way to Paris, Fance for our Record Store of the Week: Le Silence de la Rue! Nesseled in the citie’s 11th arrondissement, Le Silence de la Rue is packed to the gills with rare used vinyl/CDs and a well curated selection of new releases. So if you’re in Paris, go check ‘em out and if not, definitely put Le Silence de la Rue on your short list of stores to dig sometime.
What’s your favorite record right now?
FREDDI/HENCHI and the SOUL STIRRERS ” Crown of funk : the last set” on Wind Hit. This record kills!!
What record do you always find yourself listening to in the store?
THE BLACK KEYS ” Brothers” and I immediatly start a transcendental levitation.
Is there a record you play that someone will usually buy/inquire about every time?
MONO IN VCF S/T. It sounds like an audio hypnosis!!
Does Le Silence De La Rue specialize in any one genre or are pretty much all the musical bases covered?
We are open minded, from jazz to blues, funk, r’n'b, rock’n'roll, indie rock, punk rock, hardcore, ethno groove, garage rock, classic pop, afro beat, rap, reggae, latin beat, popular brasilian music, psychedelic music, kraut rock. We also sale french bands!!
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
Sixto RODRIGUEZ ” Cold fact ” because this record got 7 on the scale of the terrestrial happiness.
Any good funy/crazy/scary war stories of working in record stores over the years?
Yes, a few years ago, we sold some records to Mr OSTERBERG. He came on a saturday afternoon, the store was full of customers and nobody recognized IGGY POP!!
What is the coolest/most prized record has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
George ARVANITAS ” Soul Jazz ” ( a french jazz session from the early 60′s ). This record costs one eye!!
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
Essentially, to dicuss about music with our customers and to exchange our point of view.
Located some 2,500 miles from its namesake state, Mississippi Records (Portland, OR) manages to exist in an old-world cloud that floats around at 78 RPMs. Although they eschew modern conveniences like credit card machines and even cash registers, their taste and curatorial sense is very modern. Not only can you find albums by contemporary artists in the shop but just turn around and there are bins over flowing with rare folk, blues, rock, punk and all the rest. Don’t forget to check out their own releases on the Mississippi Records label, too. So saddle on up for this week’s Record Store of the Week: Mississippi Records!
Tell us some stuff about Mississippi Records.
We’re a small store in Portland that sells records, tapes, books & used stereo gear. We’ve been around for almost 8 years & haven’t evolved much in that time – no cash register or computer or credit card machine or answering machine or any advance business tools like that. Just inventory, a notebook & a calculator. We did recently get a cat.
The all too familiar "downward dig" pose.
Seems like the store’s / label’s motto is “Always…Love Over Gold” which is adorned above your doorway. Can you talk a bit about this…would you call it a philosophy?
Yeah – it’s a philosophy. I put that above the door to haunt whoever is working & whoever is shopping to making decisions based on more pressing things than finance – like asthetics & the golden rule & all that kind of thing.
it's a philosophy
And speaking of the Mississippi Records label, can you give us a brief history of it?
The first four releases (ed. – for a discography, check this link) had little to do with what came after – they were all friends projects or me & fellow label runer Alex Yusimov’s personal music projects (His being a pop LP under the name Duck Duck Grey Duck & mine being the Illegal Guardians cassette – my punk band with a 10 year old lead singer. Only 30 copies of that were made) After those two releases an audio zine about Police brutality in Portland & a memorial record for a much loved member of our community followed.
MR005 - Various: Last Kind Words 1926-1953
A year or so later me & my old friend Warren Hill decided to start putting together reissues of stuff we liked in very small pressings. Another old friend of mine Alex Yusimov got in on it & started adding more punk oriented records to the catalogue. We were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time as not alot of labels were doing LP reissues of the type of things we were into back then even though the demand was there.
Thanks to timing & our practice of keeping everything relatively cheap we managed to sell alot of records fast which gave us the freedom to crank out alot of product. We’ve released only what is inspiring to us with little regard to whether it is salable or not. Somehow we’ve managed to keep selling this weird stuff. I am thankfull for that everyday. We’ve released 78 records & are just getting started.
What kind of folks frequent your store, and what sort of records do they typically buy?
We get all kinds & they buy all kinds. We have every type of music except modern electric dance stuff & modern corporate shlock (But we do have some pre 1990′s corporate shlock despite my problems with it).
I can spot at least four records on the wall that I want.
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
It’s hard to choose between the RodriguezCold Fact(LITA 036) record & the Monks Black Monk Time(LITA 042)…..but when shit comes to shovel I got to go with the Monks. It was one of my favorite rock records for many years but only pretty shoddy bootlegs were available on LP for a long while that didn’t capture the true granduer of its sound.
When the Light in the Attic edition came into the store I ran not walked home with it & played it so loud the walls of my house shook. It sounded like a holy angels choir of truth shaking down babylon like a m**ther f***ker & I was so happy. It was like hearing it for the first time. Just a perfect record. (ed. WOW, we couldn’t agree more!)
OK, now for a ridiculous question. In mortal combat between Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Willie McTell, who would emerge as the victor?
I believe those two gentlemen would never resort to mortal combat but would rather work out there differences conversationally. They were both very eduacated men with calm angelic demeanors despite what you might read into their personalities based on the large amount of murder ballads & lines about beating women in their song repetoires.
Musically, I think Jefferson is the more strikingly original & revolutionary guitarist (His music freaks me out a little) & McTell is the more technically impressive. I’ll go with Jefferson even though I listen to McTell alot more. What the hell kind of question is this? (ed. – exactly…)
What is the coolest/most prized record has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
I once bought a copy of Buffalo Springfield’s second record that my sister had scrawled her name all over 27 years ago. I remembered her doing it. The guy who brought it in bought it in New York which means it travelled from LA to New York to Portland to find me 27 years later. That tripped me out.
maybe that angel brought the record back??
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
One time a lady came in & asked if we had any Gogie Grant LPs (Gogi was a middle of the road 1950s pop singer who had a hit called the Wayward Wind). I pulled out one & showed it to here & she said, “You know, I’m Gogie Grant” I held up the record next to her & she did indeed look like an older version of the face smiling at me from the cover. We small talked a bit about her career back in the day & she left.
About 6 months later an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT older lady came to the store & asked if we had any Gogie Grant records. I pulled out the same record & showed it too her & she said, “You know, I’m Gogie Grant.” Before I could ask her anything about the previous clamer of that name or the fact that she looked nothing like the women on the cover of the LP she corrected herself – ‘Well, I was the original Gogi Grant. I had a huge hit with my first single, The Wayward Wind on Columbia Records. Right after that I was captured by the Turks & put in a prison. An African tribe broke me out & rode me to freedom atop a glowing albino elephant. I stayed amongst the tribe as their Queen for many years but soon grew homesick. When I came back to the states I was mortified to find that Columbia Records had hired a proxy to capitalize on my hit song. They had some other lady…the lady on the cover of this LP….recording & touring under my name. It was tragic.”
Gogi...where are you really???
Whatever the real story may be, I thought it was amazing that the two Gogi Grants would both happen to stumble into the same record store to tell their tales so close in time to eachother. I have since looked at many photos of Gogi Grant & have found a few early press photos that more closely resemble the African princess version of Gogi than the one on the LP.
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
It gives me a good reason to put on a suit & tie everyday.
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Mississippi Records
4007 North Mississippi Avenue
Portland, OR 97227
(503) 282-2990
Everything’s bigger in Texas, so the saying goes. But did you also know that everything is “more gooder”? That’s right! Case in point, our Record Store of the Week – Good Records (Dallas, TX)! Good Records is exactly that and then some–a great store with an amazing staff and a stellar curatorial sense. This week Chris Penn (one of the dudes that makes Good Records good) took time from his busy schedule to chat with us. So next time your checkin’ out the Dallas scene, make sure to swing by Good Records and try to find a bad record. We dare you!
So, tell us some stuff about Good Records. Do you really only sell “good” records (sorry, had to ask)? Boy does the shop look sweet.
Good Records was started February 7, 2000. We wanted to give people an adventure in listening. We wanted to create a store we would shop at. We decided to carry records we deemed to be good whether it be Alice Coltrane or Alice Cooper. We run the gamut of all musical genres but try to weed it out for our customers and only give them the bumper crop to choose from. I think our friend Jim Fairchild from Grandaddy/All Smiles/Modest Mouse said it best, “Good people, good ears, and good curatorial sense. Good Records.”
Photo by Brian Lopiccolo
You’ve hosted a lot of local and national touring acts at your in-store performances. Got a favorite? Any cool ones on the horizon?
Some of our past instore performances have included sets by:
Grizzly Bear, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Queens Of The Stone Age, Grandaddy, Death Cab For Cutie, Regina Spektor, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, Black Angels, Starlight Mints, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Beachwood Sparks, Brightblack Morning Light, Enon, Califone, Black Lips, No Age, Ariel Pink, Old 97′s, Feist, Tegan & Sara, Great Lake Swimmers, Blitzen Trapper, Beach House, Centro-matic, Peaches, Dirty Projectors, The Mooney Suzuki, Danielson, Dark Meat, Fuck Buttons, Giant Sand, Heartless Bastards, Pinback, Ruby Suns, Toadies, Daniel Johnston, Demetri Martin, Of Montreal, The Polyphonic Spree, Kingsbury Manx, Long Winters, Mates Of State, Mountain Goats, Stardeath And White Dwarfs, Album Leaf, et. al. (Ed. – our jaws are on the floor!!!)
Picking a favorite is like picking your favorite offspring but if i was forced to pick one it would have to be Grandaddy. We sold so many copies of The Sophtware Slump that when they routed their tour they purposely left a day off in Dallas to reward us with a full blown instore. They played almost an hour and a half. People overflowed into the middle of the street.
Photo by Brian Lopiccolo
What’s your favorite record right now?
One of my favorite records right now is MalachaiUgly Side Of Love. I think a lot of people that needed to hear it didn’t.
What is the coolest/most prized record has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
One of the recent used LP finds that has come in was an original pressing of Dennis Wilson’sPacific Ocean Blue in pristine shape. Needless to say that never made it to the sales floor.
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
I am going to pick two of my favorite Light In The Attic releases. From modern times The Black Angel’sPassover from modern times. A friend/manager came into the store and gave us a copy of the EP and we were hooked. We have been fortunate to have them play the store several times. From the reissue department I choose Like a Ship… (Without a Sail) by T.L. Barrett & The Youth for Christ Choir. This release typifies what I think Light In The Attic does best…find a killer release and give it a rebirth and allow it to find new ears. The first time we played it in the store I immediately earmarked Like A Ship for my deejay sets.
OK, now for the serious question. In mortal combat between Concrete Blonde and Blonde Redhead, which band would emerge as the victor?
Blonde Redhead would win hands down at Good Records. Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons came out the first year we were open. We still play it to this day and it elicits one of two reacions. ”Who is this?” or “This is such a great album.” We have sold tons of copy of this. It is one of our ‘High Fidelity/Beta Band’ type albums.
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
Probably our best two celebrity encounters were with Glen Danzig and Luke Wilson. Glenn Danzig bought a used copy of King Crimson In The Court of the Crimson King and Luke Wilson came in on two separate occasions. On his second trip Luke was scouring for Bob Dylan bootlegs. I told him he should just ask Mr. Dylan as I think he was filming a movie with him at the time.
Photo by Sofia Retta
And lastly, how’s the scene down in Dallas? Any cool local bands we should be on the lookout for?
The music scene in Dallas is good. We have a little bit of everything going on. You should check out New Fumes, Leg Sweeper, True Widow, RTB2, Chameleon Chamber Group, to name a few…
This Holiday season, we’re jumping the pond and heading over to London to bring you our Record Store of the Week–If Music… (London, England)! Perhaps borrowing their name from the famous Bill Shakespeare quote “If music be the food of love, play on”, If Music… definitely bring it with their eclectic mix of new and used vinyl, expertly curated by the staff. So if you’re heading London way (or live there!), then hop the Oxford Circus tube to If Music… and get diggin’!
Tell us some stuff about If Music.The shop is so well curated. And there are audio samples online. How do you do it?
The curating is easy…”every day is a digging day”. Recording samples is even easier: Vestax portable plugged direct into the computer via the sound card. Into Godwave and done.
What kind of folks frequent your store, and what sort of records do they typically buy?
The days of the Dj needing to buy records from an indie shop is almost a thing of the past. The majority of our clients are professionals who still want to own a beautifully recorded, elegantly packaged piece of music that is now more a collectable indulgence, almost in the same way one buys art. Yes, they are collecting, but doubly important is the music on that slice of wax especially if they are willing to pay £50.00 for a Miles Davis Vol. 3 Comparison album (a 10″ 200gr. audiophile press with original artwork coupled with a 12″ cut at 45 for one to compare sound quality, crazy but oh the sound is to die for).
We have always prided ourselves in being extremely eclectic and discerning in what we offer our clients but in the last 2 years its all about 50s/ 60s R&B 7″s that have taken our customers breath’s away.
What record do you always find yourself listening to in the store?
Anything and everything. It’s all dictated by the mood of the moment.
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
If i have to choose one of all the great LITA releases it can only be Karen Dalton. Why?…. do u really need to ask that!
What is the coolest record has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
In 2010 it has to be the 180gr. re-issue of Milton Naschimento’s Club Esquina album re-released by those dudes at 4Men with Beards. The fact that it looks and sounds better than my mint original is simply awesome.
What’s the scene like in London right now?
In comparison with what has happened around the rest of the world when it comes to indie shops London is still the place to be for what we do, but it is hard, the young cats have no passion for physical product, it does not turn them on at present and they see it as so passe.
Do you carry many local artists?
Obviously we carry a lot of imports but never sacrificing the homegrown talent.
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
Every day is the same yet always different: the same as in everyday new records come in and go out, different because one never knows what toons we will discover that day.
This week we give you Steady Sounds (Richmond, VA)–our Record Store of the Week! Steady Sounds may be the new kids on the block (though they don’t sell NKOTB!), but they have a damn fine store with lots of cool used LPs and tons of new must-haves. So, if you live in Virginia, drive on down and say “Hi!”. Tell ‘em LITA sent ya!
Tell us some stuff about Steady Sounds.
We’re an independent (I guess they all are these days) all vinyl record store in the heart of Richmond Va, we carry new and used records of all styles and genres. It was started by Myself (Marty) and my friend Drew back in September of this year.
Photo by Fill Bowne.
Tell us some stuff about Steady Sounds.
We’re an independent (I guess they all are these days) all vinyl record store in the heart of Richmond Va, we carry new and used records of all styles and genres. It was started by Myself and my friend Drew back in September of this year.
What kinds of folks frequent your store, and what sort of records do they typically buy?
We get all types. College students, locals young and old. We are selling lots of new records at the moment, mostly indie titles but we occasionally get the hardcore psych, jazz and soul collectors in looking for goodies.
Photo by Fill Bowne.
What record do you always find yourself listening to in the store?
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
I’m glad that the Rodriguez records were reissued, I love those records and they sound incredible. Plus the guy deserved a second chance.
Rodriguez - Cold Fact
Do you do instore performances? If so, who is your favorite band/artist that has played in your store?
Being that we are so new we haven’t had many instores. We had Jeff The Brotherhood and they were incredible as always. We’re having Fabulous Diamonds and Pigeons soon and some other down the road. We’ve also had a few art and photography openings in the store as well.
Jeff The Brotherhood live at Steady Sounds. Photo by Nicole Lang.
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
All record stores have their fare share, but being new we haven’t built up to that level yet. We do have a local guy that comes in the store and we give him dollar records for free. The next day he usually tries to sell them back to us forgetting that we gave them to him.
What is the coolest/most prized record that has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
I actually have’t found that “Holy Grail” yet at this store but we’ve gotten some interesting things in. I did find a minty copy of Milton Wright“Friends & Buddies” on the street a year ago on the way to see a movie with my wife. Talk about random.
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
I love the community aspect of it. It’s a great feeling when you can hook someone up with a recording they’ve always wanted, and that you can have a venue for local artists to sell their releases. It’s really cool that the record store has gone back to the Mom & Pop, a place where people can meet others and listen to some new music that they may have never been exposed to even in the age of the internet.
And lastly, how’s the scene out in Richmond? Do you carry any local artists?
The scene is pretty strong right now…there’s some cool labels and bands in RVA. I’ve been digging The Diamond Center lately. We’re also lucky to have some other great shops in the area, like Deep Groove and Vinyl Conflict. We all try our best to support the local scene and carry local vinyl.
For this week’s Record Store of the Week, we give you Other Music (New York, NY)! Other Music is an essential stop on any NYC trip (hey, it’s an essential stop online too!!) and a part of the daily routine for tons of New Yorkers. Their selection is stellar, the staff is knowledgeable and helpful and their in-stores are not to be missed. Co-owner Josh Madell was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule to have a chat.
So Josh, tell us some stuff about Other Music.
We are a NYC-based LP and CD shop, open since 1995 – we’ve been on East 4th Street in Manhattan for 15 years now! We also do mailorder and MP3 downloads.
Some Other Music alums have gone on to have success making records as opposed to selling them. I remember hearing that Animal Collective was one such case…any current employees making killer sounds?
Yeah Noah and Dave worked here, and we’ve had so many staff go on to successful careers as musicians, DJs, label jobs, fine arts – we’re a great temporary thing until you hit it big! And there are, of course, several talented musicians on staff right now.
In 2007, Other Music was one of the first independent record stores to create an online digital music store. How has that been going?
Though I can’t say that our download store completely takes up the slack from shrinking physical sales, it has been great for us, and we definitely feel like we need to have a foot in that world to stay relevant if we want to carry new music.
...yerTunezzz
What records are on heavy rotation in the store right now?
The Psychedelic AliensPsycho African Beat on Academy LPs is amazing. Alva Noto & Blixa Bargeld‘s new project ANBB has been spun a lot the last couple of weeks. And the Gonjasufi remix record has been in heavy rotation for awhile now. Dam-Funk‘s Adolescent Funk keeps popping up too – so fun!
Other Music is known for its awesome and well attended in-store shows. You’ve hosted so many bands/artists over the years, do you have a favorite?
That’s tough, we have had so many special shows. Tinariwen was pretty incredible. I was just reminiscing about the Elliot Smith/Softies show. The very first Digital Hardcore show in the States, when Alec Empire and Shizuo kept blowing our circuits. The Breeders was pretty crazy – in so many ways! Boredoms!!!! It goes on and on, I always forget all the great bands that have played our store. Bill Callahan on Record Store Day a few years back was really beautiful. Ya Ho Wa.
Dirty Projectors in-store. Photo by Mikey "IQ" Jones.
Tinariwen burning up Other Music - Photo by Tim Soter
Boredoms perform In-Store at Other Music. Photo by Tim Soter
Also, in the last few years, you’ve started filming select in-stores and streaming them for free on the Digital Music Store site. How did that come about?
Out of the blue I was approached by Natalie Johns of Dig For Fire, which is a music film production company, because she loved our in-stores, and within a month we had filmed Vampire Weekend, No Age and St. Vincent. Those films are really fun to make, because I sit down and interview all the artists, and the final product is a really intimate and special document of these tiny shows by some pretty big names. Natalie’s work is just beautiful, great sound, 3 or 4 HD cameras. But they can be quite expensive to produce because of that, so we’ve been taking a break from filming as we look for sponsors. Other Music and Dig For Fire also collaborate on a couple of big SXSW events every year, great big outdoor shows – this year our two days were headlined by Thurston Moore and The xx, with a ton of other great bands.
OK, shameless self-promotion time! What is your favorite Light In The Attic release…and why?
Oh there are so many, I often think Light In The Attic is making records just for our customers; SergeGainsbourg, Betty Davis, Rodriguez, Monks, Karen Dalton, The Free Design… the list goes on and on. All of those artists were huge sellers for us as expensive imports or even more expensive rare LPs. LITA is doing a public service making great albums available in great packages, for the whole world to hear!
Any funny/weird/strange encounters with customers over the years?
Um – all of them – have you ever met any record collectors? We get all types here, crazy collectors, industry types, all of our favorite musicians. We love them all!
How about celebrity musician sightings?
Yeah, we get all of them, and besides all the great musicians who shop at our store, it turns out a lot of actors have pretty adventurous taste in music too. But recently Laurie Anderson was performing in the shop, and she was having some trouble with her gear – all of a sudden Lou Reed slinks in in his sweatsuit straight from the gym. He couldn’t really help Laurie with her pedal, but he gave her some sort of pep talk. Lou’s love – inspirational! [ed. - OMFG!]
What are your thoughts on the record store scene in NYC right now.
It’s rough – the collector’s spots like Academy and A-1 seem to be holding up, but so many great shops are gone.
And lastly, Other Music has been around for some time, how do you see your role in the greater NYC music scene?
So many things have changed in New York in the 15 years since we opened, and as far as the music world goes, many changes are for the worse, but there is a great scene of young bands right now – we support each other I guess. They keep making great music, we’ll keep telling people about it!
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Other Music 15 East 4th Street NYC www.othermusic.com 212.477.8150
M-F 11-9
Sat 12-8
Sun 12-7
