Saturday, April 17, 2010

Round and round and round we'll go

It's National Record Store Day. Do you have your vinyl shopping list?  Do you even know where to find one of those incredible vanishing stores?

Hard to believe it's been a year since Zach and I drove up to Vinyl Fever in Tampa to celebrate the big day with an in-store set by New Roman Times.  Now the lad is on a destroyer in Pearl Harbor and his old man is scurrying about in Milwaukee trying to relocate his senses.

Well, not so much scurrying. There is coffee to drink and a newspaper to read -- and we're delighted to report our Pulitzer Prize winning local paper has a Record Store Day story that lists SEVEN participating area shops in boldface type with addresses.  We're set! One thing about record shops: They don't start their day any earlier than you.  It's OK if it takes all day to get there.

With any move it takes time to become familiar with your new surroundings. But sooner or later you find the best route to work, the right barber who doesn't make your hair LOOK like a $12 cut and the tavern that offers a three-hour stimulus special.  A cool record store might not be a priority when you're getting settled,  but it ought to be. Today, finally, it becomes our mission.

We'll be cruising downtown to check out Flipville Records and The Exclusive Company, which are conveniently located within walking distance of each other. Then we'll be on to Musical Memories and Bullseye Records, saving Limewire Music for the trip back home.

To locate a store near you follow this link and click the Participating Stores button. If you don't buy something round today you're just plain square.

2 comments:

  1. I got the gatefold, full-treatment
    limited edition LP of Jeff Beck's
    new "Emotion and Commotion" (such
    a remarkable sonic adventure on CD
    that I *had* to get the vinyl) as
    well as a Moby Grape 45rpm (Rounder
    b/w Sitting By The Window), a Doors
    When You're Strange movie soundtrack
    45 (People Are Strange b/w The Crystal
    Ship), the Elvi's first single (a 45
    of That's All Right b/w Blue Moon of
    Kentucky) and the ltd ed John Lennon
    "Singles Bag," a packet with three
    singles (Mother b/w Yoko Ono's Why;
    Imagine b/w It's So Hard; Watching the
    Wheels b/w Yoko's Yes, I'm Your Angel),
    and a 24" by 36" poster, three post
    cards and a custom adaptor hub (for
    you younguns, the piece of plastic we
    put inside the hole in a 45 rpm single
    so it would center on a turntiable's
    spindle). Good haul, a good day. And
    as long as I was in the trading (rather
    than buying) posture, I also picked up
    a rare Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
    LP and a very cool Maxi-version 45 rpm
    12-inch record of David Gilmour's "Blue
    Light," a very unusual German pressing
    of a special produect I'd never seen
    before. VInyl Day paid off in spades.
    - wayne

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  2. Wayne that's a pretty good haul, especially the Grape 45.

    I didnt' make it to a record store today but i hope to get in while they still have some of the special releases.

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