Archive for the ‘Record Stores’ Category
Music 2008: Staff Picks and More from Melody Records
Another note from Wynonah Steen at Melody Records. Special props to anyone who can piece together those initials!
Staff Picks:
- a.q.: Alias, Resurgam
- c.w.: Kindred the Family Soul, The Arrival
- w.s.: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, Party Intellectuals
- h.h.: Tricky, Knowle West Boy
- d.l.: Chromeo, Fancy Footwork
- c.m.: Hank Williams, Sr., The Unreleased Recordings
- g.s.: Cropper & Cavaliere, Nudge It up a Notch
- n.e.: Tobacco, Fucked Up Friends
- k.s.: Kate Nash, Made of Bricks
- mr. d.: Gustavo Dudamel w/ Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Fiesta
More buzz below the jump.
Music 2008: Melody Records Sells a Boatload of Madonna
Below: this year’s top-sellers at Melody Records. Glad to see Gnarls on there; chagrined to see Coldplay; not surprised to see either; curious whether any other stores were able to move the Hancock album like this.
- Madonna, Hard Candy
- Coldplay, Viva la Vida
- Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part One
- Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
- Portishead, Third
- Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson
- Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
- R.E.M., Accelerate
- Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes
- Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple
- Sigur Ros, Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust
- The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely
- TV on the Radio: Dear Science
- Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters
- Duffy, Rockferry
Music 2008: Red Onion Goes To 11
Josh Harkavy, owner of the record/book store Red Onion, e-mailed me this: his favorite, or some of his favorite records of the year.
Josh explains: “This is by no means a top 11 list, just 11 albums I listened to a lot in 2008.
Let me know if you need more info or anything. I hope you don’t mind that I went to 11.”
We don’t mind at all.
Irma Thomas: Irma Thomas Sings (Mississippi Records)
While it’s tough to choose one favorite Mississippi Records release, this is probably the one I play the most, especially in the store. It seems that whenever this album starts up, somebody ends up buying it.
Cotton Jones Basket Ride: The River Strumming (St. Ives Records)
This is truly my favorite discovery of the year. 300 pressed and I am so happy that I own one. Funky, folky psych from Maryland. More people need to hear this album.
Eddy Current Suppression Ring: Primary Colours (Goner Records)
I know the lead singer kinda sounds just like Mark E. Smith from the Fall, but that’s ok.
Vinyl District Nets Exclusive Deal For National Record Store Day
There is no better consistent local blogger on all things vinyl than the Vinyl District. This past weekend, the blogger sealed the deal with the announcement of his exclusive partnership with the folks behind National Record Store Day.
The national celebration of the record store had its debut this past year. It was a really cool event and I know that a lot of the local stores saw it as a big success (both in sales and simple store traffic). The event will return next year on April 18. Vinyl District writes of their deal:
“The Vinyl District will be the official one-stop for Record Store Day 2009 news, events, and promotions leading up to that third Saturday in April. Look to TVD for exclusives as they develop–and already there is plenty to announce. To mark the occasion, Radiohead plans exclusive vinyl pressings of EPs and tracks never before available on vinyl. The Doors are opening up their archives to release completed, but unreleased tracks exclusively for Record Store Day. And they too will be pressed on vinyl.
On the home front, DC’s own independent music retailers (those guys to the left) are at work planning a Record Store Day that will hold its own share of surprises. Additional details to be announced right here.”
“Hey Girl” Comic Book/7″
Hey, what a nice package!
Oh! I apologize, that wasn’t a come-on. I was just examining this Hey Girl comic book/7″. Carefully assembled by illustrator/songwriter Erin McCarley (ex-Problems), Hey Girl takes a multimedia approach–including drawings, songs, and elegantly silk-screened cover art–to addressing male-douchebaggery in its myriad insidious guises.
“Oh Jesus, really? I don’t want to have your baby,” sings McCarley on weary piano ballad “The End”, expressing an exhaustion/disdain that will not be unfamiliar to any young lady who has spent a week night sitting around at The Black Cat’s Red Room opting out of lascivious and undesired advances. Andy Gale (The Shirks, Haram) not only contributes drums, but also shows off his impressive acting chops by giving voice to said creeps and cads.
You can order Hey Girl online here or here, but copies will also be on sale at Crooked Beat Records and Black Cat’s upcoming “Rock n’ Shop” event.
What’s New @ Red Onion
Jeez. Red Onion is so well sourced. They’ve got some great LPs in stock this week. They promise that they’re gonna put out a stack of funk 45s as well.
Crooked Beat Makes its Bet on Vinyl
There’s lots of interesting info in an update posted Friday on Crooked Beat’s MySpace page: Vinyl is now the big sales driver for the store, which is now dialing back the new CDs it stocks and getting more selective with its used CD selection as well. Excerpts from the post below. (But go read the whole thing. Thanks to Don Carr for the heads-up.):
For the second year in a row (2008) New & Used Vinyl LPs have outsold CDs at Crooked Beat. LPs now account for around 70% of our total sales. We will be increasing our vinyl selection even more in the coming months.
New CDs: Crooked Beat will continue to stock New CDs but on a more limited basis. Effective Immediately: we will now only primarily stock CDs from indie and import labels such as Touch & Go, Matador, Dischord, Merge, 4AD, Sub Pop, Numero, Bomp, Damaged Goods, Cherry Red, Secretly Canadian, Ace, Bear Family, Soul Jazz, Anti, etc….
Used CDs: We will now only carry Used CDs that mirror our selection of New CDs. e.g., Crooked Beat always stocks New CDs by artists such as Built To Spill, Magnetic Fields, Cat Power. Therefore, we will usually accept them as USED trade-ins provided they are in good condition.
What’s New @ Red Onion
Oh, it’s time to get out your X-Mas LPs. Two nights ago, Mingering Mike was having me track down “White Christmas” by the Drifters and a sweet James Brown yuletide favorite. Thank G-d for iTunes as the Drifters track was AWOL on Amazon. And thank G-d for Red Onion, the record shop just got in a batch of X-Mas favorites from the Beach Boys, Ernest Tubb, and Lou Rawls. Not to mention the Charlie Brown Christmas LP that everyone must listen to. If that’s not your bag, he’s got a special sale on most Numero LPs which make great gifts! And of course, tons more new arrivals:
What’s New @ Red Onion
There are tons of awesome new/old vinyl at Red Onion. We just got the e-mail. You wanna race for that gospel comp on vinyl? Don’t worry there’s more. Lots more. The man’s got some cool reissue psych folk and some Mexican psych-punk, the new Love Is All, a bunch of Low LPs, and so on.
The One Record Store That Will Never Die
Intangible Arts is reporting that Orpheus, located next to the Clarendon metro stop, is still having its going-out-of-business sale:
“Proprietor Rick’s ‘final days’ and store-closing sales have been going on since last winter, and we hungry vinyl-hounds have picked the bones while wiping away tears… But there’s STILL meat on them bones.
Orpheus’ door was set to close for the last time this Saturday but there may be ONE LAST RALLY. Evidently Rick has the month of December to clear out even more inventory, if he can be convinced the customers will be there to support it.”
Vinyl District was the first to this story. Look–it’s obvious what needs to happen. This store just needs to quit all this business about closing its doors. It just needs to stay open or move somewhere and continue its grand tradition. One more thing: Rick should at least know by now that he is beloved among vinyl nerds. I don’t see too many people mourning the CD/Game Exchange place in Adams Morgan. That place closed down a few weeks ago (I heard).
*photo courtesy of the Vinyl District.
