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Record Store Day, April 19, 2008: Final Score


(photo by Smart Wife)

The Take from Offbeat Records, Durham NC, 4/19/08

Warpaint - The Black Crowes
Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus - Spirit
Will the Circle Be Unbroken - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Volume Two - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Stronger - Carlene CarterBe Still Please - Portastatic
Coast to Coast Carpet of Love/Standard Gargoyle Decisions - Robert Pollard
Take a Good Look - Fleshtones
The Sound of Sound - Luaka Bop sampler
a gift CD for a friend, the title of which I cannot divulge here
Merge 7" 45 of "Madame Butterflies" - Destroyer b/w "Prodigy" - Wye Oak
2 buttons with the peace symbol in black and white

What a great day! Some stuff I know (NGDB, Spirit), some bands I know ('tones, Crowes), some labels I like (Merge, Yep Roc, Luaka Bop), a record I'm on (Portastatic) and two entire records by Pollard (whom I figure I should really be more familiar with, considering his prodigious output and impressive melodies and guilt-by-association with Tommy Keene).

Plus the two buttons, which I got because the baby likes to grab at my Pretenders lapel button, which is also black and white. I figured she might enjoy the change.

Now, the rain is falling, and I'm doing what I've done since I was a kid-poring over my purchases, tearing off shrink-wrap (and those infernal top wrap stickers), reading every liner note, anticipating the first notes of the first song up.

********

By way of clarification, when I use the term "record", I mean the content and not necessarily the format. To me, a record is its songs and its cover. Much like an album is a collection of songs, a la photo albums. I won't quibble about CD or vinyl or reel-to-reel or Edison cylinder or download (well, maybe download, if you don't get the art and notes) as long as the presentation and sequence is the same. Technically, I only got one vinyl
record today which was the 45. As I have no turntable at present, it behooves me to use a format (compact disc) which I can hear and enjoy, rather than just admire. The little Merge 45 will get played at some point in the near future, as I have discovered that I really want a USB turntable, or maybe just a record player. For now, however, it'll have to sit silent on a shelf for a while.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Awesome Peter! I'm long overdue for a record store clean up like that. Tracey and I were just lamenting over how many of them on Long Island have closed down - and how terrible the music selections have been in the department stores. iTunes is a great thing - but it lacks the tactile experience that we love. Give me album covers, liner notes and something vinyl or plastic to spin!
April 20, 2008 at 6:47 AM
man with a bass 4 kids and a wife said…
Sounds delightful. I miss record stores.
I would make special stops in Philly to go to "3rd Street Jazz" or Columbia S.C. to go to "Papa Jazz". The world today is.....sadly, there are not many record stores. In the record store you could find out what was going in town. The obscure Dave Holland cd. Mal Waldron in Europe. I love that feeling of "hey, I didn't they had that out".
April 20, 2008 at 12:35 PM
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