Backbeats Record Store, Rantoul Illinois

by Joe Wallace

I had been dying to check out Backbeats Record Store in Rantoul, Illinois since I read a very good online review of the store in 2010 while planning Vinyl Road Rage #2. I was never able to make the trip until this go-round, and I have to say I was not disappointed.

Backbeats is the kind of record store I like–one that has some thought put into the overall presentation, doesn’t limit itself to the easy genres (grandpa rock, new wave, R&B, etc) and has some style and atmosphere going for it.

The store isn’t open seven days a week–and in a small town like Rantoul, Illinois, it’s a wonder there’s enough of a buying community to support a store I enjoy this much–but it’s well worth the wait.

At the time of this writing, Backbeats has a weekend schedule starting on Thursdays.  The store is closed Mon/Tues/Weds/ so out-of-towners, plan accordingly. And yes, you should definitely make the trip.

There’s plenty of mainstream vinyl stuff on sale at Backbeats, but I managed to find plenty of more obscure 80s and 90s titles, and there was a nice selection of 12 inches from record store stalwarts Souixsie and the Banshees. Backbeats is no slouch in the soundtracks department, either. Soundtrack junkies should definitely take a look–I did pretty well in this section, which often gets overlooked at record shops that don’t think those titles are just as fun to browse as all those Ohio Players albums and Nancy Sinatra titles. Good prices, too.

The store is well organized, very friendly, and there is plenty to see aside from vinyl; this is a safe destination for what I personally call a “lopsided couple”–two people who don’t have the same obsessive fascination for all things vinyl can shop at Backbeats without either one feeling like they’re just marking time while the other browses.

Backbeats lives up to the reviews, and I’ll definitely be coming back here. I hope Rantoul appreciates what it’s got in its own back yard, I hope the community supports this excellent indie record store the way it deserves.

Disc Replay, Crest Hill Illinois

by Joe Wallace

Technically speaking, Disc Replay is a chain–I knew this going in, but unlike so many music chains that I’ve experienced, this particular Disc Replay has a large selection of vinyl and is not completely useless the way some such shops seem to be.

Granted, there is an enormous hodgepodge of vinyl on the floor–a major challenge to the knees and spine of any crate digger older than 25–but the rewards are worth the amount of Glucosimine and Chondroitin you’ll be required to take when you’re done abusing those poor old kneecaps. Cue the music for that tired old Billy Joel song and sing along;  ”Say goodbye to cartilige…”

The good news is, there are plenty of good finds OFF the floor, too. There’s a nice selection of vinyl in varying degrees of quality in a proper bin.

The better quality vinyl is better organzized but a dedicated crate digger knows better than to trust the categorization in any shop–the day you skip the country and western section is the day you miss a Death In June limited edition picture disc misfiled by a bored, gum-popping part timer who thinks YMO is a flavoring agent in Chinese takeout.

 Disc Replay dedicates a large amount of space to compact discs, but vinyl junkies will be pleased to note a large number of music books–reference and otherwise–in the collection. It’s great to find more and more record shops that carry used music tomes as well as vinyl–a well-rounded shop is a fun one.

I managed to score a few rarities and fill some holes in my collection including a surprising Legendary Pink Dots title at a reasonable price. Gotta give Disc Replay points for having some eyebrow-raising titles even if my joints suffered accordingly.

In spite of a large number of what I’m starting to think of as Grandpa records (Mark Farner, ZZ Top, every mid-80s Alice Cooper record, Ronnie James Dio and fifty million battered copies of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album) you can walk out of this shop feeling like you bought indie–and that’s a hard trick to pull off for a store that’s part of a chain.

Platterpus Records, Addison Illinois

by Joe Wallace

So it begins–the Vinyl Road Rage updates move into record store review territory now because if I don’t start writing ‘em, they will NEVER get done. There’s already a massive backlog of great indie record stores to cover and you have to start sometime so we begin with the great Platterpus Records in Addison, Illinois.

Platterpus sells online and does not have a storefront per se, but they do have a bi-monthly warehouse sale where they invite the public to come and browse literally thousands of records. You can also come out and look by appointment, which is how I enjoyed my first visit.

Platterpus is challenging for non-crate digging obsessive record shoppers going by appointment because the stock is literally boxed and waiting the warehouse sale–but the persistent digger is soon rewarded with plenty of delicious finds.

I strongly recommend searching the site’s online stock–which is not available for crate digging–before going to the warehouse. I was rewarded with a couple of wonderful finds using this approach–a Coil 12-inch I’d been long seeking and some other beauties.

Crate digging at Platterpus is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. I have yet to experience the warehouse sale but the Platterpus folks tell me it’s organized and fun. They’re friendly, very helpful and I will definitely be going back out to Addison at some point soon for more digging.

In the world of storefronts, Platterpus Records is a bit of an anomaly, but it’s definitely working for them, and any warehouse sale that also features cocktails  and live bands (as advertised in their last flyer) cannot be a bad thing at all. I REALLY want to try the warehouse sale version of Platterpus Records . Cocktails and vinyl? Oh yes, please.

Vinyl Road Rage Hits Pittsburgh

by Joe Wallace

Vinyl Road Rage hit Pittsburgh, PA last night (Saturday April 23) after a completely INSANE Saturday. I hit eight record stores yesterday between Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. Plenty of vinyl finds and some GREAT record shops to write up (they will all get an individual review starting later next week). Being a road warrior was never so much fun.

There are plenty of photos from Vinyl Road Rage on my Facebook page and I will be posting some images from the road here later on, but today’s top priority is the mighty Jerry’s Records, in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. I wrote up Jerry’s from the last Road Rage but a return visit was definitely in the cards as this place is simply amazing.

I was frothing at the mouth about Jerry’s to a friend of mine who quipped, “Well, they’re no Ameboa Records.” To which I said, “Yes, but Ameboa is on the west coast and much too far away.” Jerry’s is tops in my book–accessible from Chicago within a reasonable distance (for a complete lunatic behind the wheel). And since I haven’t seen Ameboa yet…

I would be completely remiss if I didn’t mention two simply outstanding record shops in Columbus, Ohio. Lost Weekend and Spoonful.

Lost Weekend is an actual HOUSE on High Street crammed full of excellent new and used vinyl, expertly categorized and fussed over. There are record stores that sell vinyl, and then there are people who run shops who LOVE vinyl and Lost Weekend is clearly run by someone who LOVES vinyl and doesn’t simply SELL it. There is a difference and I’ve experienced plenty of the OTHER example on this trip–places like Lost Weekend give me the energy to continue a crazy trek like this.

Then there’s Spoonful, which is a bit of Rough Trade in reverse–Spoonful started off as a label and then opened the store. (I’m reading the Rough Trade Records bio Document and Eyewitness so it’s a bit on the brain as of late, heh).

Spoonful is run by another vinyl-loving collector with a clear passion for both the music he releases and the music put out by others. This shop is a treasure–it’s inviting, friendly, the two pinball machines in the back really add something to this place totally missing from other shops. Spoonful hasn’t even been open a year and deserves a LOT of support–places like this and Lost Weekend are one of the reasons to collect vinyl in the first place–music aside–there’s a warm friendly community of people out there trying to make it as indie businesses.

I will definitely return to Columbus for no other reason than to visit these two shops, plus the reggae record shop Roots, which was also amazing–more on Roots later when I can rub two brain cells together without thinking about Jerry’s Records.

Vinyl Road Rage Day #1: Joliet, Champaign, and Beyond

by Joe Wallace

Vinyl Road Rage #3 is underway and day one was a crazy mix of brain-melting finds and wild goose chases. Joliet, Illinois was the first stop where plenty of interesting vinyl was found including a Legendary Pink Dots album on Play It Again Sam Records I didn’t know existed, some silly blooper vinyl (more on that later–the joys of DJing with that stuff can not be underestimated) and much more.

After Joliet, it was Champaign, Illinois–but first I had to escape Joliet, which wasn’t as easy as it sounds. After my first stop there, I went chasing after the apparently non-existent Monaro Records (the address and phone number turned out to be residential), then chased my own exhaust pipe trying to find the road out of town.

I did pass the old Joliet Prison, complete with a sign which reads “You’ve escaped Joliet”. If only. And why was EVERY SINGLE PLACE I stopped in today completely devoid of toilet paper? Just sayin’.

The hardware store I saw in one small town said it all; a neon sign proclaiming “Heating, Plumbing, GUNS”. If the zombie apocalypse happens, that’s where I want to live…but on a search for obscure vinyl, not so helpful.

Equally amusing–the tiny little cafe I went to this afternoon. When I walked in, the entire place STOPPED TALKING for a moment–the only thing really missing, as I mentioned on Facebook earlier, was the voice of a small child saying in a scared voice, “STRAAAANNNGER!”

Once I did get back on the road, Champaign was fairly profitable thanks to the very cool Backbeat Records, which yielded the Sisters of Mercy Some Girls Wander on delicious vinyl, Sousxie and the Banshees’ The Rapture on translucent vinyl, plus a fistful of soundtracks.

What I wasn’t prepared for is how early Central Illinois rolls up the sidewalks. Several record stores closed up shop at 5PM, which was fairly depressing in one case, and a great relief in another as the second shop to close before sundown seemed to be all CDs.

One of the craziest finds of the day, found in Champaign’s Exile on Main St. Records, was a record made in Russia which was apparently an unauthorized collection of Led Zepplin covers. I didn’t have the heart to shell out 20 bux for this, but the concept certainly is amusing to say the very least.

I am absolutely CERTAIN I made this joke LAST YEAR during Vinyl Road Rage #2, but apparently this Disney record is haunting me, so I say again–WHERE ARE THE DISNEY QUAALUDES to go with the Disney Disco Record?

I will be reviewing the individual record stores at some point, no time to hit all the ones I’ve covered so far in the earliest days of the trip…but the updates from the road will continue. Stay tuned for more vinyl road rage…including some video I’ve shot from the road. Tomorrow it’s Bloomington, Indiana, and Louisville Kentucky. On Saturday Cincinnati beckons, then Columbus on Sunday.

–Joe Wallace

Vinyl Road Rage #3 is on the Road

by Joe Wallace

Today is the day–Vinyl Road Rage #3 is on the road. This post was the last thing to do before loading up the Dreadmobile and hitting the road. First stop is Joliet, Illinois where there are two stores waiting to be hit, then it’s down Champaign-Urbana way for more vinyl hunting.

For the uninitiated, Vinyl Road Rage is a cross-country blogging journey in search of indie record stores, vinyl oddities and rarities, and all the discoveries along the way that make these trips fun, surreal and worth the effort. This is the third Vinyl Road Rage, the first was from Chicago to Texas, the second was from Chicago to New York City, and this one is a great big circle around the midwest, hitting six states along the way including Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Today the goal is to make it all the way to Terre Haute, Indiana, where a shop called Headstone Friends awaits, but there are about five or six record stores in between in Illinois to hit.

Can I make it the whole way to Terre Haute? We’ll see. It’s a very ambitious first day to be sure, but should yield plenty of good stuff.

There will be lots of updates, images and other posts at my Facebook page as well as plenty of posting here as time permits. Later today I’ll post an update on Day One of Vinyl Road Rage and review some of the record shops visited so far. OFF WE GO!

Vinyl Road Rage #3 Itinerary Announced

by Joe Wallace

What follows is the press release I wrote up for Vinyl Road Rage #3, which hits the road this Thursday, April 21 2011. This year’s trip is going to be a real doozy, running from Chicago to Indiana, parts of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and back to Chicago.

Vinyl Road Rage is a blogging road trip covering vinyl record shops and related fun along the way. I have 31 record stores to hit along the trip–who knows how long it will actually take or how much good vinyl there is to be had?

I am on the prowl for rarities, soundtrack LPs, and good old-fashioned weirdness on vinyl. Vinyl Road Rage is a way to expand my collection of weirdness (I DJ with it as well as collect it for its own sake) and share some of the greatest record stores on the planet you AREN’T reading about on all those top ten lists.

Here’s the press release. The posts on Turntabling will be a bit spotty this week until I hit the road and start sharing my adventures and discoveries. Thanks for taking the journey with me…I look forward to getting feedback and comments on the trip!

Turntabling.net Vinyl Road Rage #3 Itinerary Announced

Turntabling.net, the Chicago-based blog covering all things vinyl, has announced the itinerary for this year’s Vinyl Road Rage–the cross-country blogging road trip dedicated to indie record shops, vinyl records, and the strange discoveries that can only be made on an extended road trip across America.

Since 2009, Turntabling founder Joe Wallace has hit the road for seven to 12 days per trip, blogging and photographing the record stores he finds along the way. The first Vinyl Road Rage went from Chicago to San Antonio, Texas. In 2010, the shops between Chicago and New York City got a look. This year’s Vinyl Road Rage is a bit closer to home, starting with the first stop in Joliet, Illinois and winding through Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Each day of the journey is packed with record store visits, photo ops, and blog posts about the good, bad and ugly finds along the way. Vinyl Road Rage covers everything from the stores themselves to the vinyl finds within from the rare and hard-to-find (obscure Italian horror soundtrack vinyl by Goblin, anyone?) to the utterly reprehensible (the Charles Manson vinyl record comes to mind.)

There’s plenty of kitsch to be blogged about, too–still sealed 8-track tapes, televangelists playing rock-and-roll, and all the Saturday morning cartoon nostalgia records you can shake a stick at. The stranger the vinyl, the better. Joe Wallace listens to it so you don’t have to.

Vinyl Road Rage kicks off Thursday April 16. Wallace has no set return date, but thinks the journey should last ten days. There are a whopping 31 record shops scheduled. The owners are largely unaware of their upcoming 15 minutes of fame in the Vinyl Road Rage spotlight. “I try to e-mail everyone in advance to let them know I’m coming, but that sort of thing often gets lost in the shuffle. I do love meeting the record store crews, regardless. They’re awesome and the whole reason why I can do this in the first place. Without them, we’d just be buying records online and that’s not nearly as much fun.”

Joe Wallace runs Turntabling.net and works as a freelance writer, editor and social media guru. “I couldn’t really do this if I had a traditional desk job. This trip is open-ended and I could be gone a lot longer than ten days if I needed to be…I’m grateful for free coffee-shop wi-fi and the iPhone. I get up early, get my work done, then hit the road for another day of vinyl obsessive blogging and buying.”

Wallace is available for media opportunities on Vinyl Road Rage–call 312-504-1264 to schedule or for more information.

The Vinyl Road Rage #3 itinerary is listed below. All stops are tentative and may be changed without notice.

TURNTABLING.NET VINYL ROAD RAGE #3 RECORD STORE ITINERARY

Disc Replay – 1701 North Larkin Avenue # 400, Crest Hill IL 47.0 mi –

Monaro Records 1309 Woodruff Road Joliet, IL 5.7 mi –

BackBeats 120 E. Sangamon Rantoul, IL  101 mi

Exile On Main Street 1 E Main St, Champaign, IL 16.7 mi

Parasol 303 W Griggs Street, Urbana IL  2.1 mi

Record Swap 114 E University Ave Champaign, IL 1.8 mi

Chart Records 131 North Vermilion Street Danville, IL 35.5 mi

Headstone Friends 1142 Poplar Street Terre Haute, IN 47807-4566 59.8 mi

Landlocked Music 202 North Walnut Street Bloomington, IN 58.9 mi –

Tracks 415 E Kirkwood Ave Bloomington, IN 0.4 mi

Ear X-Tacy 2226 Bardstown Rd Louisville, KY 40205 109 mi –

The Great Escape 2433 Bardstown Road, Louisville KY

Underground Sounds 2003 Highland Avenue Louisville, KY 2.4 mi

Moles Record Exchange 111 Calhoun Street Cincinnati, OH 45219-1526 102 mi

Everybody’s Records 6106 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, OH 45213 3.3 mi

Shake It Records 4156 Hamilton Avenue # 1 Cincinnati, OH 45223 9.4 mi

Everybody’s Records 6106 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, OH 45213

Omega Music 318 East Fifth St Dayton, OH 45402 47.3 mi –

Magnolia Thunderpussy 1155 North High Street, Columbus OH 70.8 mi

Roots 1357 N. High Street Columbus, Ohio

Used Kids 1980 N. High Street Columbus, OH 0.9 mi

Lost Weekend Records • 2960 N. High St. • Columbus, OH

Spoonful Records 116 E Long St, Downtown Columbus, Ohio 4.3 mi –

Ace in The Hole 1153 Kenny Centre Columbus, OH  8.9 mi –

Jerry’s Records 2136 Murray Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 196 mi –

Blue Arrow Records & Boutique 16001 Waterloo Road Cleveland, OH 44110 144 mi –

Record Graveyard 2926 Caniff Avenue, Hamtramck 182 mi –

Cousins Vinyl 13101 Eckles Rd Plymouth, MI 20.6 mi –

Underground Sounds 255 E Liberty St Ann Arbor, MI 22.6 mi –

PJs 617 Packard St Ann Arbor, MI 0.7 mi –

Corner Record Shop 1710 W Main St Kalamazoo, MI 99.9 mi –

New York City Record Stores: Other Music

New York City record stores are generally full of great collections of dusty old records. Then there are the shops that combine brand new releases with those dusty grooves…but then there are the shops like the New York City indie record store Other Music, which concentrates on a much more selective library of new titles on the cutting edge.

Other Music, at 15 E. 4th Street, doesn’t exclusively sell new releases–there is a small collection of used records and plenty of shrink-wrapped reissues to choose from-but this shop has both feet firmly planted in the now. Compare to a store like Bleecker Bob’s which is truly the Marty McFly of record stores–going back in time and no looking back.

Other Music is clean, friendly, and when I dropped in, packed with people. Always a good sign! This is one NYC record store I could spend a lot of time in. The vibe here is much like the one you’ll find in Chicago’s Dusty Groove, except Other Music is aimed at hip modern sounds rather than delicious retro tracks. Not a bad thing, to be sure.

Browsing the titles, I got the distinct feeling that I’ve let modern indie music get away from me in the past couple of years–something I aim to rectify soon. Other Music is, for a retro vinyl-phile like me, a reminder that great music is still being made and pressed on vinyl. You just need to make time to get some and have a listen.

Other Music actually has plenty of vinyl titles. The size of the shop is a bit deceiving though; at first glance it looks like you’ve walked squarely into CD-land, but there is a good portion of LPs and yes, that’s a Kim Fowley album you see in the photo above–one I really should have picked up while there. Regrets….I definitely think Other Music is well worth the stop when you’re in NYC. Take a break from inhaling decades-old used LP dust and have a look around here. I was very glad I did.

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