Tag Archives: Record Shops

Vinyl Road Rage: Views From The Road

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I’ll have a full update on day #2 later–it’s very late at the time of this writing and I need sleep soon, but here is a look at some of the things seen on the trip so far. These images were taken between Bloomington, Indiana and Memphis, Tennessee. The record stores along the way have been great and there is much more to come.

Also stay tuned for a new Vinyl Road Rage video sometime tomorrow (Friday December 9, 2011).

Jack White’s Third Man Records isn’t just a label, it is also a boutique-y record shop with loads of great atmosphere and interesting vinyl & merch. Tiny, but very well done–an impressive shop indeed!

Landlocked Music in Bloomington Indiana is a favorite stop…highly recommended, as is the shop pictured below, also in Bloomington–TD’s CDs and LPs.

Oh, to own this pricey-but-essential Nurse With Wound box set…agony of the damned is mine now that I know it exists, yet own it not.

Elvis on 8-track? That’s like asking if Stereolab is available on compact disc. I kept having to remind myself that I was in Tennessee and would be seeing a LOT of Mister Elvis over these few days.

Long before the New Kids on the Block, The Partridge Family was carrying the torch as a kiddie sensation–except the New Kids didn’t feature a mom, just some (probably) Svengali-esque manager.

Nashville’s answer to environmental activism: Think Globally, Act Hillbilly. Does that include squealing like a pig at the command of someone wearing a trucker hat and a shotgun?

Al Jazeera on Vinyl Records

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by Joe Wallace

I was pleasantly startled to find this video clip posted by Al Jazeera on vinyl records. Having never seen anything of the network at all, I don’t know what I was expecting, but since the majority of the exposure to Al Jazeera in the USA has a lot to do with political, war, and terrorism coverage, I suppose I had an impression that Al Jazeera is more of a breaking news service along the lines of HLN.

But they do features, too. This one is pretty interesting but it’s a bummer that it’s all from an American perspective. I’d love to get a glimpse at the record industries of other countries and what its like to buy or sell vinyl in places Al Jazeera bureaus call home.

The central conceit of this 2011 clip is a bit misguided–it’s really late in the game to say vinyl is making a “comeback”–but overall this is pretty interesting and well-done.



My one question–who is the Jeanne Moos of Al Jazeera? I’d love to see some of those quirky culture style pieces in a completely different cultural context.

Backbeats Record Store, Rantoul Illinois

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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.