Digging for musical treasure yields better results than buying off the front rack.
It's the ultimate nostalgia of music fans: a cramped record store, dusty and unorganized shelves, the search for that favorite band you've never heard before, the quest for some obscure legendary EP, the excavation, the exhilaration and maybe even the success.
Unfortunately, the hunt for the perfect album at the local record store is an antique notion now. Major record labels jack up prices and pocket the profits. iTunes offers at-home purchasing ease, and the free download remains ever-tempting. Buying CDs off the rack is just too expensive and inconvenient.
Luckily, there are still places for thrifty CD pack rats to congregate. Here are some unassuming storefronts across the Valley (and actual recent purchases made there) that may be secretly concealing your Holy Grail, and for a better price than that new $18 Kelly Clarkson single:
Zia Records
(University Blvd., Tempe)
Located just west of Mill Ave. (practically on-campus), Zia has extensive local and discount CD sections in addition to new releases. The small chain is well-known for its emphasis on trade-ins and used music, making this store a good bet for random and cheap shopping. Zia sets itself from most indie-record shops with its sales of local concert tickets and a strong DVD section. Some finds:
1) World's Greatest Bluegrass Pickers (Various Artists), $2.99, found in "Used Compilation CD" section. It was a pretty good price for this nifty introduction to a hard-to-find genre.
2) Fists of Bruce Lee, $2.49, found in "Under $5 DVD" bargain bin. Come on, cheesy, two-dollar kung-fu like this is impossible to turn down.
Two items: $5.48, plus tax
East Side Records
(University and Ash, Tempe)
Even though it's right down the street from Zia, this self-run business has gone unnoticed by most students. The vinyl selection is unparalleled, with over half the crowded shelves devoted to old records and overflowing $1-vinyl bins littered underfoot. East Side is equally impressive in its obscure assortment of alternative/hard rock, reggae and blues CDs and cassettes. Although its prices are sometimes a bit higher than Zia, the musical variety makes the trip worthwhile.
1) Soul Searching (Average White Band), $1.00, "$1 Vinyl"— found in a labeled wooden crate. It's a signature funk band at its best — the perfect vinyl find. The ankle-high location of the crate just adds to the LP novelty.
2) Scientist Rids the World…of the Evil Curse of the Vampires (Scientist), $7.99, Reggae CD section. A little more cash spent, but these songs are priceless. Rare re-mastered disc from an almost unheard-of LP series from an almost unheard-of dub artist. I love record stores.
Two items: $9.72, tax included
Revolver Records
(4214 N. 7th Ave, Downtown Phoenix)
Inconspicuous outside, neurotic goldmine inside, Revolver is the ultimate "if you're in the area…" record store. It's like a wildlife refuge; the storeowners go catch endangered musical species and let them roam free in a publicly-observable habitat. Except the habitat is randomly distributed rooms and little organization. But who cares when inimitable vinyl, CD and movie heaps are begging to be perused?
1) Katonah (Apollo Sunshine), $4.99, unlabeled CD bin. First full-length from one of my favorite and most secret bands, and Revolver Records just happens to have it lying around, bargain-priced. Almost literally jumped for joy inside the store.
2)Requiem for a Dream, $5.99, used DVD rack in a back room. A gorgeously chilling piece of cinematic genius, and one of my new favorite movies. It was hidden behind some old musicals and an unopened Godfather boxset. You've got to dig and loot, but this place is definitely loaded with buried treasure.
Two items: $10.98, plus tax. But I also got the first stamp on my Revolver Records Reward Card (just nine more till I win a free $10 purchase!)
Reach the reporter at trabens@asu.edu.
