This Saturday marks Record Store Day, a day in which indie record stores team up with artists and record companies to celebrate the shops’ unique space in the industry. Many artists are putting out special limited-edition releases that are only available at these independent shops.
Among the acts taking part in Record Store Day are huge names like Bruce Springsteen (a limited edition 10″ single featuring live versions of Wrecking Ball and The Ghost of Tom Joad), Wilco (a deluxe package of the Kicking Television live release with eight bonus tracks and a CD), Velvet Underground (vinyl reissues of Live 1969 Vol.1 and Vol. 2) and the Rolling Stones (7″ single featuring unreleased track from Exile on Main St sessions). You can peep a full list of the special Record Store Day releases at the the RSD website.
With all this talk about Record Store Day, I can’t help but think about the local indie shop in my hometown of Hazlet, NJ – Now and Then Records. I loved walking into Now and Then with some hard-earned cash and walking out with a stack of vinyl and/or CDs that I would play over and over again until my next trip to the shop. Things have changed in a big way since the ’90s and Now and Then has been gone for over 10 years. While it’s amazing to be able to download whatever album you want instantaneously, that instant gratification has come at the expense of most local record shops. I’ll be heading to Generation Records in the village on Saturday to support one of the remaining indie shops and I hope you do the same.
What was (is) your favorite local record store? Let us know all about your favorite shop by leaving a comment below…
10 Responses
Even though it was a chain, I always loved going to Tower Records. They always had a knowledgeable staff working there and was always stocked with what you were looking for from the big releases to the odd jamband album that probably wasn’t getting a slot anywhere but there. I definitely miss walking through the aisles there.
Nashville – Grimey’s
Columbus, OH – Used Kids Records
Austin, TX – Waterloo Records
PRINCETON RECORD EXCHANGE. Newbury St. Comics in Boston not too bad either.
miss walking through the aisles of Tower Records?? wow.
Shake It Records – Cincinnati. Recognize.
Positively Records in Levittown,PA. Still one of the best places I know to get stuff. While it’s pretty much all CD’s, they have an incredible selection of used stuff. Found such incredible deals over the years, and was definitely responsible for introducing me to a ton of music I probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise. I still try to get out there at least once a month and spend a good 1-2 hours just digging through stuff. Fabulous!
I’ll be dropping by MUSIC MATTERS in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Tiny little shop, but he gets the important stuff in there. Personally, I still love to buy CDs and vinyl. Man, mp3s just don’t cut it. I’ll be looking to pick up the new JFJO 7-inch and Mike Cooley collection!
Now and Then Records closed maybe 5 years ago. Their final location was in the Toys ‘R’ Us shopping plaza in Hazlet. I wonder what (owner) Gary did with all the CDs and records. I’m sure they’re in storage somewhere. Shame.
MUSIC MILLENIUM here in Portland will be getting my business!
REPO RECORDS!!! Wayne>Bryn Mawr>South St. Philadelphia!!! I’ll be heading there on Saturday!
I’m studying abroad in Israel right now, where Tower Records is huge … brings me back to the days of my youth when Sam Goody, in Great Neck (Long Island) was the coolest place ever.