RECORD STORE DAY IS TOMORROW

Do you remember where you bought your first record, 45 or LP? Do you remember who turned you on to what, and where? Yesterday I mentioned a record store called Soundsville, as an important store to me. It was, in fact, where I busted my shop lurking cherry. But it was only the first of many. It made me think about all of the other record stores I've spent countless hours in. Because favorite record stores are easier recalled for what they offered, rather than what they lacked.

Along with Soundsville, the other record store I frequented in my formative years was Good Karma. (After I got to know one counter guy from Good Karma, he told me that he always watched my brothers and I, because we browsed so much in relation to what we bought, he convinced that we were shoplifting. Where a gangly 13 year old would hide a 12" x 12" record is still beyond me.) Both record stores were doomed once Tower Records move into San Diego. LPs at Tower were less than $3.00, and they were about four bucks at the two independent outlets. The extra mile or so of a bike ride was worth it back then, especially if your source of income was a paper route, and time was not a factor. Tower had a much larger selection, and the prices were lower, but they lacked the personal touch of the smaller stores. It would be about five or ten years before that personal touch returned, when punk, new wave, imports and reissues breathed new life into independent stores. The chains just weren't flexible enough to adapt quickly, and to be curt, the employees not quite passionate enough. (There were exceptions of course. I'm still pals with a few ex-Tower employees, one of which I used to DJ with. Though, something tells me that I'll still get flack, even with that disclaimer.)

Rather than go through the list and bore you with names of more stores that you probably couldn't care less about, I would be remiss if I didn't take talk of records stores as an opportunity to give a rare retail endorsement. Thirsty Moon Records is one of the best, if not the best, record stores in San Diego. Per square foot, it definitely tops the list. It's tiny, and off the beaten track, but it has quality, variety and, this is important, cool knowledgeable counter guys. It has all the ingredients. The selection is obscure enough that you won't find any top sellers. Punk rock, funk, jazz, metal, psych, garage, soul, and reggae, you will find. And, even if there inventory is not overwhelming in its volume, it's varied enough that, if you're not a one genre person, you'll find something that you've never heard, and more importantly, that you will dig. And if you don't, leave a want list. After a conversation with one of the guys, I asked him to give me a call if he ever came across an rare Italian pressing of the Injections, a punk band one of my former roommates was in. There were less than a thousand pressed, so I my expectations weren't that great. But, less than two weeks later, they called to tell me that they had a used copy they were holding for me. I was properly dipped in shit.

Record Store Day is this Saturday, and even if your local record store isn't participating. it's reason enough to go talk shop with like minded freaks. Learn something, or proclaim the virtue of your latest "you gotta hear these guys." And, by all means, feel free to endorse your favorite record store in the comments.

Here's a few from The Witch, from the shelves of Thirsty Moon (the LP is in the photo above). Because you can never have enough Zambian afro-psych music.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

The Witch - Black Tears mp3 at Arkitip
The Witch - Motherless Child mp3 at Arkitip
The Witch - Strange Dream mp3 at Arkitip
The Witch - Look Out mp3 at Arkitip
The Witch - Havoc mp3 at Arkitip
A few good record stores:
Thirsty Moon Records, San Diego, CA
Folk Arts Records, San Diego, CA
Groove Merchant, San Francisco, CA
Village Music, Mill Valley, CA
Read:
Record Store Day official site
Review of Thirsty Moon at Blog San Diego
Review of Thirsty Moon at Arkitip
Previous posts that mention record stores:
Behold the Economic Solo (Monty Rockers)
Two From the Twit (Monty Rockers)
I'm A Monster (Amoeba)
(Lazy Title) Straight Outta Tel Aviv (Tower Records)
How To Stay In Business (Monty Rockers)
We're Going to Take A Short Break While We Mop Up Gary's Vocal Chords (Scratching the Surface)