some songs i didn't know i couldn't live without...until this weekend.

I hadn't been to Record Theatre since college. Sadly, it's one of the only authentic music stores left in my neck of the woods; New World Record shutdown last year. The place has been going since 1976; it's outdated signage hints at it's early inception. But the thing that I'm kicking myself in the ba-hind about is this: Record Theatre is pretty much a straight shot down the road from where I've been living for the past five years. (Seriously, is this what the Internet has done to me? Yikes.) In my defense, I completely forgot about its existence and truly assumed that it was no longer in business, as it was in pretty rough shape when I took my first visit over 10 years ago. But this short sad story has a happy ending: we finally reconnected this weekend.

Walking through the doors of the worn yellow-sided building I instantly recalled fond memories of my trip to Amoeba Records in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. There were handwritten signs, staff picks, used and new CDs and vinyls,  and a flea-marketesque stash of random books, prints and plastic figurines. After a good hour wondering the same aisles over and over and over again, I finally settled on my purchases: Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" CD (I know, I'm late to the game), The Cars' "O-Candy" (vinyl), and "Everything All The Time" by Band of Horses (vinyl). First up was the Cars' album. I listened to both sides and, despite the fact that my record player is running a hair too fast (she's going in sometime this week for a tune up), I can't even offer a cherry picking of songs: You have to listen to the whole album--it's too good to play favorites. I'm sure after I get a few more rounds in I'll have my favorites, but for now, I suggest--if you haven't--give it a full listen. On top of it all, the "O-Candy" album cover is arguably one of the best album covers of all times, note the image below, and while you're at it, take a listen.



Then Wilco. They're a band I've been meaning to take some time with. I suppose one could say they're a New Year's resolution. And I'm quite happy with the way they've started my 2010. In the Rolling Stones review of the "50 Best Albums of the Decade" their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album was No. 3. And I can see why. It's my new driving-in-the-car album, and my oh my how fancy I feel with this CD. I. Bought. In. A. Record store. WHAT?! Not that I don't buy my albums, but I've been doing so online and it feels really strange--a good strange--to have a disc that I didn't burn. One that is actually labeled. One that has a case. And one that notes all the songs and even includes lyrics. I like this buying-CDs-in-a-music-store concept. It's been a long time...