This week’s Record Store of the Week belongs to the fabulous Jackpot Records, who operate two locations in Portland, Oregon. We hit up Jackpot owner Isaac Slusarenko with some questions about his stores, label, and the great city where he operates:
Please state your full name, age, and occupation
Isaac Slusarenko 38, owner.
How long has Jackpot been open?
13 years.
How long have you been involved with record retail?
20 years.
About how many LP titles do you carry in the stores?
8000-10,000 LP’s and 12000-15,000 CD’s at each store
photo by Daniel Root
What kinda people frequent the store?
All types.
Portland, like Seattle, seems to fair well for record stores. Why do you think this is?
Portland has always been extremely supportive of the arts in all capacities. Music fans in this town are very supportive of local bands, so this has helped Jackpot and all local record stores. Not to mention the bands! There is a strong “buy local” mentality ingrained in the Portland community, so I definitely think that permeates into the music scene.
What is the coolest record that has ever come through your doors?
Leaf Hound Growers Of Mushroom, original Decca pressing.
What’s the weirdest/funniest/most memorable encounter you’ve ever had with someone while at Jackpot?
Recently it was buying Danny Glover’s record collection. Lots of 60’s -70’s funk/jazz. I was hoping he’d say to me, “I’m getting to old for this shit.”
Have you ever seen a grown man weep over a record he discovered in your store?
No, but I’ve seen a guy swear like a sailor when he found a record he had been looking for.
Tell me a little bit about the Jackpot record label and what you’ve been up to with that. (I really love those Wipers reissues and The New Dawn)
The label started in 2004 by working with Greg Sage to reissue the 1971 psychedelic soul LP by Beauregarde, a wrestler from Portland who had a local 45 hit with “Testify.”
From there we’ve reissued The Wipers catalog on vinyl, The New Dawn, MIJ, Cromagnon, and Lazy Smoke. I’m really excited about our next limited LP reissue of The Outsiders CQ from 1968 which never released in the US. It’s got an amazing op-art gatefold cover w/ silver foil and is a true lost masterpiece of 60’s garage psych. It’ll be out Sept 21st . Later this year, we have our third vinyl reissue by Jandek Chair Beside A Window and also The Original Sonic Sound, composed of 3/5 of Mudhoney including Mark Arm on vocals and Scott McCaughey (of R.E.M., Young Fresh Fellows) covering the 60’s NW garage band The Sonics. Plus we currently have four bands that are currently recording albums to be released this year.
Most of you should know who Mark Pickerel is. Original drummer for The Screaming Trees, the fourth member of Nirvana albeit briefly, hell, Wikipedia even claims that his name has taken on its own meaning, as in “pulling a Pickerel”. He’s a well known individual and a close friend of Light In The Attic.
That’s why were more than happy to shower a little love on Mark’s newest project, Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands. If you were lucky enough to attend SXSW you might’ve been even luckier and had the chance to see this Pickerel-fronted experience, a sort of raw mix of country and rock and roll that absolutely killed.
Well, Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands have recently, okay semi-recently, released a debut album entitled Snake In The Radio that’s getting all sorts of acclaim. And you, loyal reader, should most certainly check it out.
If that’s not enough Pickerel to tide you over, you can also check out The Tripwires, in which the one, the only Mark Pickerel plays drums.
