The world is all fucked up because of the decline in record stores. Idle hands do the devils work. I was having a discussion this past weekend with a buddy of mine about the good old days when record stores existed. I remember a good amount of my teenage years being sent at record stores. While living outside Philly in the 80s my parents would drop me off at the mall, Montgomery Mall, and I'd walk the mall with friends. I know old people do that now, but we'd cruise the mall. Talking to girls and well sending a lot of time in the record store. Hours were spent there Friday night through Sunday. We'd also stop in the tobacco store and SPencers. Yes we were well under 18 and we'd go into the tobacco store with no questions asked. Snuff, dip, and cigs. Never got into cigs never really got the whole thing. Back the main point, the record store was awesome.
Once I stopped going to mall as I got older I still always had a local record store that I would send a lot of time just walking through looking over tapes and later CDs. Before the internet I'd sometimes pick out something just bsaed on the cover or name of the band. If it wasn't good I'd sell it back.
My last place was Norms just off St. Marks Pl NYC. This was from mid to late 90s. This place was great, http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com ... ore-owner/. There were always a crazy group of people there. Some worked there and they were always trying to sell shit like wallets, glasses, etc. I'd be there 3-4 times a week, it was a few minutes from my apt. If a CD came out on Tuesday, he'd always have it for sale on the Friday before. I was so much more informed about new music back at that point. I'd be so excited because I know I could get my hands on the new release before any of my friends. I asked how he could sell it before official release and he explained since he was just some small shop they couldn't tell since he wasn't moving large numbers and he didn't care. I'm pretty sure Norm was involved with Bill Laswell.
Now I just order shit off Amazon that's sad. Do people still go to the few record stores that are left.
Anyone else remember these things?
Anyone else
Record Stores
Re: Record Stores
i spent a lot of time at record stores too. my roommate worked at tower records so i could get unlimited free cd's. i remember many months i would have to sell back the cd's to be able to pay rent. tower was great here in sacramento because they had tower records, video, books, cafe and theater. i would spend all day there.
all of the "big" stores are now gone here.
colin knows what's up
all of the "big" stores are now gone here.
colin knows what's up
Re: Record Stores
Yep, spent a lot of time in record stores too. When I was really young I used to go to the Sam the Record Man store near my house. Sam's was a Canadian record store chain.
Here's a pic of the flagship store downtown on Yonge St. There was also A&A Records next door. Later on an independent opened next to them called The Vinyl Museum. All of these stores are gone now.
.
When I first started buying records I bought 45s.
I went to Sam's almost weekly to check the Chum Top 30 charts (1050 CHUM Radio) I remember the store had a little area just for the singles. They were in their own little shelving type units that were numbered so you could find the one you wanted.
Here's an example of a chart from 1975.
As I got a little older I started to buy albums and then when I was a teen I sought out the independent shops to find imports, and music that wasn't the top 40.
My friends and I hung out browsing and chatting to the guys that worked in the store. Also, we would read all the music mags without having to buy them or get kicked out for hanging around too long.
Buying an album was such a thrill, I remember when I purchased one it was wrapped in it's own special plastic bag, not like a regular plastic bag you'd get in other stores.This was a bag JUST for records. I'm not talking about the wrap that was on the actual album. Anyway, when I got home with my purchase I would rip off the bag and the wrap and play the record! While listening, I examined and read the album cover along with the inside. Sometimes the discs were just in a plain white covers which disappointed me.
I remember cassettes very well. I bought, I mean my parents, bought me the Sony Walkman when it came out. I didn't like cassettes as much as albums but it was pretty cool to walk around with a private music listening device.
This is the one I had:
Record stores were really changing with cassettes, then CDs. I still loved going to the record stores to check out the latest and to buy. I liked when HMV came because they had the listening stations where you could listen to CDs. I think they were one of the first record/music store retailers here to do that. I loved it. I used to work downtown near a few record shops and would often go on my lunch hour to listen to music. I worked near HMV, Sam's, and Sunrise Records.
For the last couple of years I have not bought any CDs from a store or purchased anything through itunes or any other sources. I find myself at a loss of how to buy and listen to music these days.
I hear cassettes are making a comeback. I hope so because I have several hundred in storage bins in my locker room in the basement.
Here's a pic of the flagship store downtown on Yonge St. There was also A&A Records next door. Later on an independent opened next to them called The Vinyl Museum. All of these stores are gone now.
.When I first started buying records I bought 45s.
I went to Sam's almost weekly to check the Chum Top 30 charts (1050 CHUM Radio) I remember the store had a little area just for the singles. They were in their own little shelving type units that were numbered so you could find the one you wanted.
Here's an example of a chart from 1975.
As I got a little older I started to buy albums and then when I was a teen I sought out the independent shops to find imports, and music that wasn't the top 40.
My friends and I hung out browsing and chatting to the guys that worked in the store. Also, we would read all the music mags without having to buy them or get kicked out for hanging around too long.
Buying an album was such a thrill, I remember when I purchased one it was wrapped in it's own special plastic bag, not like a regular plastic bag you'd get in other stores.This was a bag JUST for records. I'm not talking about the wrap that was on the actual album. Anyway, when I got home with my purchase I would rip off the bag and the wrap and play the record! While listening, I examined and read the album cover along with the inside. Sometimes the discs were just in a plain white covers which disappointed me.
I remember cassettes very well. I bought, I mean my parents, bought me the Sony Walkman when it came out. I didn't like cassettes as much as albums but it was pretty cool to walk around with a private music listening device.
This is the one I had:
Record stores were really changing with cassettes, then CDs. I still loved going to the record stores to check out the latest and to buy. I liked when HMV came because they had the listening stations where you could listen to CDs. I think they were one of the first record/music store retailers here to do that. I loved it. I used to work downtown near a few record shops and would often go on my lunch hour to listen to music. I worked near HMV, Sam's, and Sunrise Records.
For the last couple of years I have not bought any CDs from a store or purchased anything through itunes or any other sources. I find myself at a loss of how to buy and listen to music these days.
I hear cassettes are making a comeback. I hope so because I have several hundred in storage bins in my locker room in the basement.
Re: Record Stores
I use youtube to preview new music, if I like it I buy it. I just miss the whole record store experience. As I said before Amazon or sometimes best buy are my music store. I don't download off iTunes, I like having the actual CD.
I still remember the rush of skipping class in college to wait for the record store to open so I could get the first PFP cd when it came out. I took it right back to my apartment and listened to it for hours. I guess back at that time in my life I could do that, can't now.
I still remember the rush of skipping class in college to wait for the record store to open so I could get the first PFP cd when it came out. I took it right back to my apartment and listened to it for hours. I guess back at that time in my life I could do that, can't now.
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Pandemonium
- Posts: 5720
- Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 3:18 pm
Re: Record Stores
Yeah, I loved record stores back in the day. Big chains, mom n' pop stores, didn't matter. Rarely ever considered them "hang outs," that was reserved for arcades, bowling alleys, etc. Music stores were strictly places to buy albums and later videos. Or wait overnight at the Ticketmaster outlet at places like Music Plus and Tower hoping for good seats to whatever big tour was going on sale.
Even up to a little over a decade ago, the big Tower Records chain was still hanging in there. Loved going through the Long Beach, Buena Park and Hollywood/Sunset stores because they not only had a good music selection but a good video section too. I think one of the last major releases I got there before the Long Beach store closed was U2's How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Tower was the king of stocking EVERYTHING that was in print. I could find almost any UK and Japanese import I was looking for. It was a big deal when the Hollywood Tower Records finally closed their doors around 2006 - they hosted so many bands doing parking lot performances and in-store signings. There's several movies that feature scenes in the music or the video store. And it was common for many LA area musicians and celebrities to be seen browsing the store.
My three favorite small stores were Bionic Records in Huntington Beach, Black Hole records in Fullerton (it's still there) and this place in the 90's who's name escapes me right now in Fountain Valley run by this old couple who would stock bootlegs and sell new releases a week or more before their street dates. One of the few fun things about going to Arizona when we'd see my wife's parents was driving around Tucson to places like Zia Records who are still around which carried a *lot* of great new and used stuff. Big box stores like Best Buy and Target are almost useless for any new releases beyond the top 5 of any given week. I really hate going to BB but there's one literally right around the corner from my son's school so I usually find myself killing a few minutes in one once a week before picking him up.
Now, it's a bit better than the last decade. I think the likely short-lived vinyl resurgence is contributing to the small mom n' pop record stores niche rebounding. My mainstay is still the big Amoeba Records in Hollywood that I hit about once a month but their prices, especially on used stuff is outrageous. But I can spend a few hours rifling through the racks looking for stuff I'm going to empty my wallet on there. Next would be Fingerprints in Long Beach who are small but have decent CD pricing and most new vinyl releases. Recently, I happened across a dedicated small record store in Costa Mesa called "Port Of Sound" which has a surprisingly big selection of vinyl (no CDs) and decent pricing even on rare used stuff.
But probably my biggest source for at least used vinyl albums is a monthly record swap meet in Buena Park. Hundreds of vendors selling anything you might be looking for, and believe me, you spend the day looking through all their bins.
But the thing is, primarily Amazon (especially with Prime membership) really makes it easy to buy new releases instead of slogging an hour or more to Hollywood or wherever. I can navigate all the foreign iterations of Amazon so I can order UK, German or Japanese imports as well. I will say I hate ordering vinyl albums through Amazon though. I've received several albums packaged in flimsy bubble mailers especially from overseas that have been destroyed in transit. Free shipping in 2 days and up until a year plus ago, no sales tax made shopping on eBay a no-brainer. And then there's eBay which has completely undermined the used, collectors' market. 90% of any out of print, rare CD, vinyl, dvd or Blu-ray I want, I can almost instantly find on eBay. It's hard for a physical store to compete with that. I don't know a record store in existence who doesn't pull anything used of worth when someone sells or trades them in and puts it up on eBay. Then there's the people (and stores) who simply hold or buy out limited production new releases and move them for higher prices on eBay. This is a huge problem for "Record Store Day" bullshit.
In the late 70's through the beginning of the 90's, a good portion of the best bands I've been turned on to have been happy accidents where browsing through a record store I saw a catchy vinyl album cover or band name that was "cool" or I heard a single on the radio. Yeah, I bought a lot of junk as well that way but I certainly broadened my listening horizons. Now, almost exclusively I know what I want to buy way in advance, there's so many ways to know what a new band sounds like before ever spending a penny on their product thanks to the internet. Even live shows I can see how good a band is playing on their current tour, their setlists... it's like I'm vetting a new car. I'm the guy that peeked under the wrapping of Christmas presents as soon as they were under the tree. No surprises.
Even up to a little over a decade ago, the big Tower Records chain was still hanging in there. Loved going through the Long Beach, Buena Park and Hollywood/Sunset stores because they not only had a good music selection but a good video section too. I think one of the last major releases I got there before the Long Beach store closed was U2's How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Tower was the king of stocking EVERYTHING that was in print. I could find almost any UK and Japanese import I was looking for. It was a big deal when the Hollywood Tower Records finally closed their doors around 2006 - they hosted so many bands doing parking lot performances and in-store signings. There's several movies that feature scenes in the music or the video store. And it was common for many LA area musicians and celebrities to be seen browsing the store.
My three favorite small stores were Bionic Records in Huntington Beach, Black Hole records in Fullerton (it's still there) and this place in the 90's who's name escapes me right now in Fountain Valley run by this old couple who would stock bootlegs and sell new releases a week or more before their street dates. One of the few fun things about going to Arizona when we'd see my wife's parents was driving around Tucson to places like Zia Records who are still around which carried a *lot* of great new and used stuff. Big box stores like Best Buy and Target are almost useless for any new releases beyond the top 5 of any given week. I really hate going to BB but there's one literally right around the corner from my son's school so I usually find myself killing a few minutes in one once a week before picking him up.
Now, it's a bit better than the last decade. I think the likely short-lived vinyl resurgence is contributing to the small mom n' pop record stores niche rebounding. My mainstay is still the big Amoeba Records in Hollywood that I hit about once a month but their prices, especially on used stuff is outrageous. But I can spend a few hours rifling through the racks looking for stuff I'm going to empty my wallet on there. Next would be Fingerprints in Long Beach who are small but have decent CD pricing and most new vinyl releases. Recently, I happened across a dedicated small record store in Costa Mesa called "Port Of Sound" which has a surprisingly big selection of vinyl (no CDs) and decent pricing even on rare used stuff.
But probably my biggest source for at least used vinyl albums is a monthly record swap meet in Buena Park. Hundreds of vendors selling anything you might be looking for, and believe me, you spend the day looking through all their bins.
But the thing is, primarily Amazon (especially with Prime membership) really makes it easy to buy new releases instead of slogging an hour or more to Hollywood or wherever. I can navigate all the foreign iterations of Amazon so I can order UK, German or Japanese imports as well. I will say I hate ordering vinyl albums through Amazon though. I've received several albums packaged in flimsy bubble mailers especially from overseas that have been destroyed in transit. Free shipping in 2 days and up until a year plus ago, no sales tax made shopping on eBay a no-brainer. And then there's eBay which has completely undermined the used, collectors' market. 90% of any out of print, rare CD, vinyl, dvd or Blu-ray I want, I can almost instantly find on eBay. It's hard for a physical store to compete with that. I don't know a record store in existence who doesn't pull anything used of worth when someone sells or trades them in and puts it up on eBay. Then there's the people (and stores) who simply hold or buy out limited production new releases and move them for higher prices on eBay. This is a huge problem for "Record Store Day" bullshit.
In the late 70's through the beginning of the 90's, a good portion of the best bands I've been turned on to have been happy accidents where browsing through a record store I saw a catchy vinyl album cover or band name that was "cool" or I heard a single on the radio. Yeah, I bought a lot of junk as well that way but I certainly broadened my listening horizons. Now, almost exclusively I know what I want to buy way in advance, there's so many ways to know what a new band sounds like before ever spending a penny on their product thanks to the internet. Even live shows I can see how good a band is playing on their current tour, their setlists... it's like I'm vetting a new car. I'm the guy that peeked under the wrapping of Christmas presents as soon as they were under the tree. No surprises.
Re: Record Stores
I wish there were more pictures of the place, but the record store that raised me was Rock Bottom Records in Antioch, which I think finally closed for good 2 or 3 years ago.
I still remember getting money for my 10th birthday and buying Rush - Moving Pictures, AC/DC - Back in Black and Kiss - Destroyer with it. Which might have been the first records I ever bought with my own money.
When I started really getting into rap in 7th grade I'd head over to Berkeley and shop at Leopold's or to Rasputin's in Pleasant Hill.
The nearest record store to me now is some 30 miles away, ever since the one in the mall right down the street shut down in 2010.
I still remember getting money for my 10th birthday and buying Rush - Moving Pictures, AC/DC - Back in Black and Kiss - Destroyer with it. Which might have been the first records I ever bought with my own money.
When I started really getting into rap in 7th grade I'd head over to Berkeley and shop at Leopold's or to Rasputin's in Pleasant Hill.
The nearest record store to me now is some 30 miles away, ever since the one in the mall right down the street shut down in 2010.
Re: Record Stores
I used to drive out from Concord to get the new releases days early, and they always had a great selection of local VHS Bootlegs. Still have Chili Peppers in Stockton and Black Sabbath San Jose. That place was awesomecrater wrote:I wish there were more pictures of the place, but the record store that raised me was Rock Bottom Records in Antioch.
Re: Record Stores
I've still got Superfly's (previously Sundance Records), Groover's Paradise, Atone's, Waterloo, Breakaway, and End Of An Ear to go to. The great thing about the Austin area is that music is still alive and well here and most of the city can still agree on a love of music of all types. Part of it is getting gentrified which really sucks but every time that happens another area of the city springs up with those displaced artists keeping music alive and well.
I see a lot of young people in the record stores when I go (usually about once a week) and its awesome seeing them get into new music as well as new to them music. It's even more fun when they ask you something to check out from the older days.
I see a lot of young people in the record stores when I go (usually about once a week) and its awesome seeing them get into new music as well as new to them music. It's even more fun when they ask you something to check out from the older days.
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nausearockpig
- Posts: 3907
- Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:03 pm
Re: Record Stores
Yup. I'm old too...
It's still fun going into record stores but because I'm an old fart that doesn't get new music now, all I do is peruse shelves like a drone... If a band I love has something new though, I'M THERE... Like the new FNM single and album...
I used to love Rockinghorse Records in Brisbane. They always had lots of cool second hand stuff...
It's still fun going into record stores but because I'm an old fart that doesn't get new music now, all I do is peruse shelves like a drone... If a band I love has something new though, I'M THERE... Like the new FNM single and album...
I used to love Rockinghorse Records in Brisbane. They always had lots of cool second hand stuff...
Re: Record Stores
Record Stores were the BEST! And definately a destination on a Saturday when I was a teenager. We had a local record store we used to go to.
But when the first Tower Records opened on Broadway in Manhattan, it was like record nirvana
But when the first Tower Records opened on Broadway in Manhattan, it was like record nirvana