Tag Archives: record stores

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

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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

Prepping Madly for Vinyl Road Rage #3

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Been getting things ready for Vinyl Road Rage Three, the mad dash across six states to find the coolest indie record stores in the USA. There has been much to do, including a stop at the sadly going-out-of-business local Chicago stalwart Deadwax Records, where many New Order and The The 12-inch singles were scored for cheap. It is a real shame that my Lincoln Square neighborhood will be short a record store when Deadwax closes…they were a wonderful part of the community and I shall miss Deadwax greatly.

Back to Vinyl Road Rage. I shall be journeying out of Chicago come Thursday morning, iPhone in hand and behind the wheel of the Dreadmobile, a blue Ford Escape packed with all manner of beverages, empty milk crates for the vinyl finds, and an unhealthy collection of CDs to listen to on the long drives ahead. For anyone who cares about such things, the playlist will include a LOT of dub by Scientist, King Tubby, Super Ape, I Roy, Augustus Pablo…you name it. Plus a lot of Italian Lounge, Manic Street Preachers, Orb, Big Black, Hexstatic, Skinny Puppy, Perry & Kingsley and Pulp.

I’m planning plenty of updates on this trip–more than the previous two between here and  lots of Facebook posting from this trip. If you’re into the FB, join me there for the updates.

It’s going to be a hell of a journey. Join me! My insane six-state vinyl blogfest/roadtrip begins Thursday at 9AM.

–Joe Wallace

Adam and Joe’s Record Store Guide

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I have no idea who Adam and Joe are, but they know their music shops…pretty damn funny, though there are sure to be a few “take me seriously” types reading this who will get offended because they have no sense of humor about their amusing record shop habits. My favorite part of this vid is all the bogus names for electronica genres. “Ambient Nutsack” and “Hardcore German Housewives”…PRICELESS.

Click on the image to view the clip--couldn’t embed it here as the creators don’t allow it, but well worth the time unless you’re one of those dour clubby types nursing a perpetual hangover and nic fit.

–Joe Wallace Continue reading Adam and Joe’s Record Store Guide →

New York City Record Stores: Bleecker Bob’s Records

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New York City record stores come and go, but some are institutions. Bleecker Bob’s Records is one of those institutions and when you get inside, the collector in you comes right out and you stop thinking about silly things like prices and budgets and start drooling right away over whatever holy grail title you’re currently after on vinyl…you’re likely to find it here.

When I go into record stores that sell items intended to enhance the vinyl listening experience, (usually made out of glass) I tend to ignore that aspect of the operation, but sometimes you can’t even make it inside the shop without being reminded why so many feel that inhaling and record playing go together. But once I did get inside, it was obvious that my record collection needed some serious additions…but at this stage in the trip, my vinyl budget was in the red.

Yes, I do believe that is an ORIGINAL Mothers of Invention LP there on the bottom right. And your eyes do not deceive you–that’s a Jack Kerouac/Steve Allen LP there. What?

At this stage I just wanted to scoop up ALL this vinyl here. Coil? Current 93? Throbbing Gristle? Artifacts from an era when the music industry still had a barrier to entry but was opening up to people with strange ideas. Strange as in, good. I can’t help myself–I am a sucker for these gloriously weird and beautiful albums–they still sound as original as ever, more so sometimes when I hear the latest Vampire Weekend single. Sorry guys, I TRIED to like you, I really did. But, um, no.

All the metal you can eat. And then some. You may have noticed in this particular post that I don’t even bother TRYING to review Bleecker Bob’s Records. Hell, the pictures speak for themselves….do I really need to ooh and ahh over how much collectible stuff there is to spend massive amounts of money on? Record collectors may swoon, and some may hold their nose and hold out for an Ebay steal but the fact of the matter is that Bleecker Bob’s does have what the true junkie needs. Are you willing to pay their prices? That’s all you really need to know. But go look, regardless. There’s just a ton of essential vinyl junkie stuff here across a good cross-section of genres.
Continue reading New York City Record Stores: Bleecker Bob’s Records →