Happy Record Store Day!
Today is an ode to indie. Today we celebrate the wonder that is the independent music store. It is indeed something to celebrate as record stores are dying and they have been for quite some time. Today is marked by celebrations across record stores worldwide. In-store performances and sales on cds and vinyl's.
The record store of my dreams is located in Hollywood, CA. I often refer to Amoeba Records as my heaven or nirvana. A glorious sight to see. A friggin' warehouse full of music, and walled by posters, fliers and stickers. The store is staffed with knowledgeable music lovers, who know the merch well. The store also has locations in San Francisco and Berkley.
I am a 32 year old woman who is probably not all that hip to what the "kids" are up to these days. I do, however, know that CDs are becoming ancient relics to those who have embraced the ipod as a segway to itunes. The hunt is still a desire for some of us old time folks, but even old-timers are not immune to the temptation to download.
I've been collecting CDs since the age of 15 and my collection consists of well over 2,000 shiny disks that are accompanied by artwork, lyrics, photos, credits, dates and named record labels. You don't get that from a prompt that informs you that your quick fix is "downloading....."
Quotes featured at Record Store Day website.
“I love the smell of them. I love that people actually care for and know about the music they are selling.”
“I have watched independent record stores evaporate all over America and Europe. That's why I go into as many as I can and buy records whenever possible. If we lose the independent record store, we lose big. Every time you buy your records at one of these places, it's a blow to the empire.”
“I think it’s high time the mentors, big brothers, big sisters, parents, Guardians, and neighborhood ne’er do wells, start taking younger people That look up to them To a real record store and show them what an important part of life music really is. I trust no one who hasn’t time for music. What a shame to Leave a child, or worse, a generation orphaned from one of life’s great beauties. And to the record stores, artists, labels, dj’s, and journalists; we’re all in this together. Show respect for the tangible music that you’ve dedicated your careers and lives to, and help It from becoming nothing more than disposable digital data.”
"Independent record stores are aural cathedrals, havens for those who find music as much a spiritual endeavor as passing entertainment. Indie employees will go out of their way to help you find a rare or back-catalogued recording, commiserating over neglected artists & all-but-forgotten masterpieces. They offer discounts & suggest records they enjoy with genuine interest & enthusiasm. Indies embody mom&pop, individualist expression - they're in it for love, not to turn a huge profit or to bend popular taste to a uniform will. viva la indie!"
"Folks who work here are professors. Don't replace all the knowers with guessors keep'em open they're the ears of the town”
Lastly; I'd like to plug film pending its release: Last Shop Standing: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the Independent Record Shop.
Website Description:
Last Shop Standing is a film about independent record shops and independent record stores. It charts the rise the fall and the rebirth of the independent record shop. Last Shop Standing has gained 5 star reviews from Q magazine and, 4 stars in record collector magazine and a half page spread in the sunday observer. Last Shop Standing is made by vinyl record fans, for vinyl record fans. Blue Hippo Media are an independent film company and they are the creators of the film Last Shop Standing, which is based on the book of the same name by Graham Jones who is a huge vinyl record collector and has the claim to fame of visiting the most independent record stores in the world.
Last Shop Standing: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the Independent Record Shop - documentary film - 2012
The DVD drops, April 23rd, 2013. That of course, is just around the corner. To pre-order, click here.
To view and purchase the book that inspired the film, click here.
Another fun treat of note is, a book entitled, Record Store Days: From Vinyl to Digital and Back Again.
Lastly, a great 2010 documentary called, I Need That Record! The Death (or possible survival) of the Independent Record Store.
I Need That Record! Trailer! 2010!
Starring: Thurston Moore, Mike Watt, Ian Mackaye, Noam Chomsky, Legs McNeil, Glenn Branca, Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), Chris Frantz (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club), Pat Carney (Black Keys), BP Helium (Of Montreal), and Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), and more
Record Store Day website is so excited by the day's celebration that it actually presents a countdown to the next Record Store Day. Enjoy this one until the next one folks! Happy Record Store Day, all!
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