"Seeking through a screen to select an album doesn’t have the same charm as brushing my arm past someone’s hand as I reach for a record" Love this.
The place where I grew up the records/cassettes would be behind a counter, as shopkeepers were worried about shoplifting. So the recommendation we'd get is the one which was least moving for the shopkeeper. As kids, we just bought what he told us. It took a while for me to get this. :-)
Wow, this was so textured. I felt myself there, so vivid! Amazing how you can make us *feel* something so ethereal as music, or the experience of it. Thank you for this New Slang. Also, Caring is Creepy, in a way (haha just throwing out some random Shins references because I loved you mentioning that album I deeply love).
Funnily, this is a topic that's been front of my mind lately: how physical the world still is, and needs to be. In my case it has to do with being part of flying furniture three stories high and how sometimes stuff ties you to a place, with its good and its bad angles. So it was awesome reading about the convergence of it here, with the amazing backdrop of such great music I could clearly listen while reading!
Ahahahaha I was wondering what kind of silly things you would sneak into your comment for this one. I am not disappointed. There were so many used copies of that album---people must have really wanted to get rid of it. Maybe they don’t love Garden State anymore 😂
I’m so with you! I don’t know what I’ll do with my stuff like CDs, movies, and my books!!! Especially my books whenever I move. I guess take all the things with me forever. I can’t really imagine a life without those physical kind of things. My answer could probably change if I was moving into a three story building like you though---I could be convinced.
Garden State! I hadn't thought of that movie for ages... I wonder how well it holds up, we should watch it to see if we want to get rid of our copies 😂
Hahaha do take them with you forever :) I will, definitely.
There is something lost as all our media floated up to the cloud. Maybe more than one thing. But that sense of community you conveyed so well is probably the biggest.
I agree!! Loved her essay. Big appreciator of physical things and places. My local public library is a staple for me. But I’m also drowning in physical books 😅
Community will always be at the heart of everything.
I had the same thought about this one and Michelle's article. Makes me want to write a piece about physical photographs, mug shots from childhood, instamatic pics on refrigerators. Ah, nostalgic
Paudan, please do and let me know if you do! I’ve written about my dictionary, a stranger’s list I found on the ground during a walk, letters/writing by hand, etc. I love when others write about this kind of stuff :)
I never browse record stores, and I never had a record player lol
I appreciate records though! And would love to get a player one day and start a small collection. My mom told me she had so many records from the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and other bands from her youth. But she gave them away. I wish she still had those originals.
I wish I had more of an experience browsing records like you write here. It seems so lovely, and reminds me of this one wine shop I used to love by my first apartment 😬. I loved looking and feeling all the labels and asking the employees for recommendations for gifts and dinner parties. But now I want to get a record player and go browse a store and discover some new music!
Yes but CDs!!! Did you ever go for CDs or nah? I’m all here for Liz starting a small collection :) Tell me when you want to get this started so I can help.
Aw I love that!! Why did she get rid of them? The vinyl records I have are mostly from my godfather. My first ones I bought myself at a garage sale in high school. We’ll browse records together one day.
And we can add browsing the shelves at that wine shop too. Music and wine ✨
This made me nostalgic for my first ever CD (weird Al in 5th grade).
I’ve been thinking about how technology changes the culture of music. Spotify gives you hyper personalized recommendations, but it strips away the culture. There’s probably an argument that vinyl/CDs also distanced fans from live bands too. And radio distanced the song from the album.
Seems like we’re at the peak of music as lyricless background music to study and rave to. Even if this is what music generally turns into for most people, wondering if there are any intense/cozy/tasteful music subcultures online you know of. Have you found anything online that captures the spirit of an analog record store?
And have you thought about writing about music in detail? Would be cool to see you write an essay about 1 of those 6 albums!
Please tell me the story behind that CD? Did you buy it yourself? Ask for it for Christmas? And which album?!
That’s true. You can say something similar about music videos and TikTok. Or maybe it’s not that it strips away a culture, but manifests a new more disconnected one.
I don’t know that I agree with the lyricless background part! I’ll have to think about that. As for something similar online? Nope. If you ever see something along those lines, let me know. Or maybe that’s something to be made 👀
Writing about music and movies were actually part of my original intention and desire with writing online. It’s still on the table! But not in terms of criticism, more in terms of celebration. Last year, I actually intended to write about specific albums, as part of wanting to write about personal artifacts. We’ll see!!
If you were to write an essay on just one album, what would it be???
I’m pretty sure I got it for Christmas because I liked one of the songs on it.. it was Running With Scissors, and since it was the only CD I had I played it over and over haha.
Re: lyricless background -- I mean that music has become so accessible that it’s more like to be on in the background when you’re doing something else (instead of listening carefully). I find myself more often picking music on the basis of “what’s good to write to / work to?”
I like celebration over critique (reminds me of a pitchfork scores). I most recently wanted to write about the new The Smile album. Also would want to write about Aldous Harding / Ty Segal. Those are all present. From the past, I’d probably start with Anthem of the Sun or The Second Album by The Fugs. That’s 5 so I lose. Also working on a Primer for the Beatles for a friend who has never listened to them.
Oh, two of my first CDs I got as gifts for Christmas. Can't reveal what those were though. Your Weird Al is maybe much cooler.
I'd read all of that. I'm trying to process "for a friend who has never listened to them." I feel like you can't live in a society and escape them lol HOWEVER, I'm very interested to know what's on that Primer---share?!
Love the return to music shops. Streaming music lacks that tangible feeling of putting the thing on the player, and then carefully taking out the sleeve and read whatever notes or takin in the images. My daughter and I have started a vinyl collection and we love flicking through the record crates in the shops. Thanks for sharing!
We found a second hand record player earlier in the year and decided to get it and start a collection. So we have all sorts from Billie Eilish, to Coldplay, to Melanie Martinez, to Queen :)
No way!!! That's so cool. I remember in college me and my roommates did a cover of "Zombie." I think we recorded it with the PhotoBooth video on my MacBook and I turned it into a really bad MP3. It must live on an iPod somewhere lol
Hey Sandra, I recently moved and got rid of most of my things. This included all of my CDs, except for two. My two Sixto Rodriquez CDs. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was because they were so hard to find. Maybe it’s because his story of being this talented musician that just never makes it big (but becomes this momentary hero in South Africa) was so appealing to me - I don’t know. But I wasn’t ready to let them go.
I think what I am getting at is that there was a time that I deeply connected to music. And it feels like the world replaced deep and slow and hard with convenience. But this was a reminder that I don’t have to.
So thanks for sharing this. And congrats on your great finds.
I love that you specifically saved those two CDs. Reading this made me smile. I bet it would have made him smile to know a stranger picked two of his CDs to save amongst a sea of options too.
It made me wonder if you bought those for yourself or if someone gave them to you or if someone in particular introduced you to his music? So many questions! I want the whole story.
"I think what I am getting at is that there was a time that I deeply connected to music. And it feels like the world replaced deep and slow and hard with convenience. But this was a reminder that I don’t have to."
This is essentially how I feel too. I think I've been doing a lot of relearning and rediscovering and reinforcing all the parts of myself I want to keep with me still.
Thanks for asking, I had to give it some thought and delve deep into that memory to remember.
So when I was liddle, I had access to university people's music. I had this one song on my phone (was it a Blackberry lol), it was called 'track 4' or something. Fast forward to when I was older and enjoyed going to see films at cinema nouveau.
That's when I saw the documentary about Rodriquez's life, Searching for Sugar Man. His story was really interesting, so much talent and no commercial success. And, most importantly, my 'track 4' was his single, Crucify Your Mind :)
I think me too, over the last couple of months and even starting the writing process. I think we will learn and discover gems by doing this too :)
...i think i have shopped at this store before...
You should have your OWN store
...dreams can come true, it can happen to you [me]...
"Seeking through a screen to select an album doesn’t have the same charm as brushing my arm past someone’s hand as I reach for a record" Love this.
The place where I grew up the records/cassettes would be behind a counter, as shopkeepers were worried about shoplifting. So the recommendation we'd get is the one which was least moving for the shopkeeper. As kids, we just bought what he told us. It took a while for me to get this. :-)
Hahahaha aww Paudan!! Thank you for sharing this story. What kind of recommendations did you get from him?!
Wow, this was so textured. I felt myself there, so vivid! Amazing how you can make us *feel* something so ethereal as music, or the experience of it. Thank you for this New Slang. Also, Caring is Creepy, in a way (haha just throwing out some random Shins references because I loved you mentioning that album I deeply love).
Funnily, this is a topic that's been front of my mind lately: how physical the world still is, and needs to be. In my case it has to do with being part of flying furniture three stories high and how sometimes stuff ties you to a place, with its good and its bad angles. So it was awesome reading about the convergence of it here, with the amazing backdrop of such great music I could clearly listen while reading!
Ahahahaha I was wondering what kind of silly things you would sneak into your comment for this one. I am not disappointed. There were so many used copies of that album---people must have really wanted to get rid of it. Maybe they don’t love Garden State anymore 😂
I’m so with you! I don’t know what I’ll do with my stuff like CDs, movies, and my books!!! Especially my books whenever I move. I guess take all the things with me forever. I can’t really imagine a life without those physical kind of things. My answer could probably change if I was moving into a three story building like you though---I could be convinced.
Garden State! I hadn't thought of that movie for ages... I wonder how well it holds up, we should watch it to see if we want to get rid of our copies 😂
Hahaha do take them with you forever :) I will, definitely.
Hahahah--I've been thinking about rewatching it now for months!! I'm down.
I have a story behind my Garden State DVD.
Eager to hear it! Also, "DVD" made me laugh. So old school. I don't have a DVD player nor know anyone that does
Great read, and pairs so nicely with Michelle's piece on reading physical things: https://www.varghoose.com/p/read-more-physical-things
There is something lost as all our media floated up to the cloud. Maybe more than one thing. But that sense of community you conveyed so well is probably the biggest.
I agree!! Loved her essay. Big appreciator of physical things and places. My local public library is a staple for me. But I’m also drowning in physical books 😅
Community will always be at the heart of everything.
Thank you for reading, Matty T.!!
I had the same thought about this one and Michelle's article. Makes me want to write a piece about physical photographs, mug shots from childhood, instamatic pics on refrigerators. Ah, nostalgic
Paudan, please do and let me know if you do! I’ve written about my dictionary, a stranger’s list I found on the ground during a walk, letters/writing by hand, etc. I love when others write about this kind of stuff :)
The communal bliss!!! 🙌👏
The best kind of bliss, right? :)
I never browse record stores, and I never had a record player lol
I appreciate records though! And would love to get a player one day and start a small collection. My mom told me she had so many records from the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and other bands from her youth. But she gave them away. I wish she still had those originals.
I wish I had more of an experience browsing records like you write here. It seems so lovely, and reminds me of this one wine shop I used to love by my first apartment 😬. I loved looking and feeling all the labels and asking the employees for recommendations for gifts and dinner parties. But now I want to get a record player and go browse a store and discover some new music!
Yes but CDs!!! Did you ever go for CDs or nah? I’m all here for Liz starting a small collection :) Tell me when you want to get this started so I can help.
Aw I love that!! Why did she get rid of them? The vinyl records I have are mostly from my godfather. My first ones I bought myself at a garage sale in high school. We’ll browse records together one day.
And we can add browsing the shelves at that wine shop too. Music and wine ✨
This made me nostalgic for my first ever CD (weird Al in 5th grade).
I’ve been thinking about how technology changes the culture of music. Spotify gives you hyper personalized recommendations, but it strips away the culture. There’s probably an argument that vinyl/CDs also distanced fans from live bands too. And radio distanced the song from the album.
Seems like we’re at the peak of music as lyricless background music to study and rave to. Even if this is what music generally turns into for most people, wondering if there are any intense/cozy/tasteful music subcultures online you know of. Have you found anything online that captures the spirit of an analog record store?
And have you thought about writing about music in detail? Would be cool to see you write an essay about 1 of those 6 albums!
Please tell me the story behind that CD? Did you buy it yourself? Ask for it for Christmas? And which album?!
That’s true. You can say something similar about music videos and TikTok. Or maybe it’s not that it strips away a culture, but manifests a new more disconnected one.
I don’t know that I agree with the lyricless background part! I’ll have to think about that. As for something similar online? Nope. If you ever see something along those lines, let me know. Or maybe that’s something to be made 👀
Writing about music and movies were actually part of my original intention and desire with writing online. It’s still on the table! But not in terms of criticism, more in terms of celebration. Last year, I actually intended to write about specific albums, as part of wanting to write about personal artifacts. We’ll see!!
If you were to write an essay on just one album, what would it be???
I’m pretty sure I got it for Christmas because I liked one of the songs on it.. it was Running With Scissors, and since it was the only CD I had I played it over and over haha.
Re: lyricless background -- I mean that music has become so accessible that it’s more like to be on in the background when you’re doing something else (instead of listening carefully). I find myself more often picking music on the basis of “what’s good to write to / work to?”
I like celebration over critique (reminds me of a pitchfork scores). I most recently wanted to write about the new The Smile album. Also would want to write about Aldous Harding / Ty Segal. Those are all present. From the past, I’d probably start with Anthem of the Sun or The Second Album by The Fugs. That’s 5 so I lose. Also working on a Primer for the Beatles for a friend who has never listened to them.
Oh, two of my first CDs I got as gifts for Christmas. Can't reveal what those were though. Your Weird Al is maybe much cooler.
I'd read all of that. I'm trying to process "for a friend who has never listened to them." I feel like you can't live in a society and escape them lol HOWEVER, I'm very interested to know what's on that Primer---share?!
It's a WIP, aiming to keep it under an hour. Trying to create a linear arc of songs that explain the history/evolution of the band/culture.
Maggie Mae
In Spite of All the Danger
I Saw Her Standing There
Norwegian Wood
Taxman
Tomorrow Never Knows
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hears Club Band
Lucy in the Sky of Diamonds
A Day in the Life
I Am the Walrus
Dear Prudence
Helter Skelter
You Never Give Me Your Money
One After 909
Might make a separate playlist of my favorite/underrated songs.
Love the return to music shops. Streaming music lacks that tangible feeling of putting the thing on the player, and then carefully taking out the sleeve and read whatever notes or takin in the images. My daughter and I have started a vinyl collection and we love flicking through the record crates in the shops. Thanks for sharing!
No way!! I love that so much, Laila. What artists do you have in your collection? This is so sweet.
Also, whose idea was it to start collecting vinyl, yours or hers?! :)
We found a second hand record player earlier in the year and decided to get it and start a collection. So we have all sorts from Billie Eilish, to Coldplay, to Melanie Martinez, to Queen :)
Amazing!! That sounds so fun---I wish someone would do this with me lol love the range in artists!
I think she has more vinyls than me lol... I am SO pleased I found the Cranberries on vinyl in a shop last month.
No way!!! That's so cool. I remember in college me and my roommates did a cover of "Zombie." I think we recorded it with the PhotoBooth video on my MacBook and I turned it into a really bad MP3. It must live on an iPod somewhere lol
Love how this turned out Sandra :) so so good
Awesome work! Feel kinda special to have helped
Thanks, Tommy!
It is appreciated. 🙂
This sentence ignited a record store smell when I read it: "The posters were mixed with Pink Floyd, psychedelic mushrooms, and anime."
is it a musty crusty dusty smell?
what kind of smelly smell?
95% musty, crusty, and dusty. 5% patchouli wafting through the air.
This is perfection.
Ahahahahahaha
Hey Sandra, I recently moved and got rid of most of my things. This included all of my CDs, except for two. My two Sixto Rodriquez CDs. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was because they were so hard to find. Maybe it’s because his story of being this talented musician that just never makes it big (but becomes this momentary hero in South Africa) was so appealing to me - I don’t know. But I wasn’t ready to let them go.
I think what I am getting at is that there was a time that I deeply connected to music. And it feels like the world replaced deep and slow and hard with convenience. But this was a reminder that I don’t have to.
So thanks for sharing this. And congrats on your great finds.
Henri, hi!! :)
I love that you specifically saved those two CDs. Reading this made me smile. I bet it would have made him smile to know a stranger picked two of his CDs to save amongst a sea of options too.
It made me wonder if you bought those for yourself or if someone gave them to you or if someone in particular introduced you to his music? So many questions! I want the whole story.
"I think what I am getting at is that there was a time that I deeply connected to music. And it feels like the world replaced deep and slow and hard with convenience. But this was a reminder that I don’t have to."
This is essentially how I feel too. I think I've been doing a lot of relearning and rediscovering and reinforcing all the parts of myself I want to keep with me still.
Thank YOU for reading!
Thanks for asking, I had to give it some thought and delve deep into that memory to remember.
So when I was liddle, I had access to university people's music. I had this one song on my phone (was it a Blackberry lol), it was called 'track 4' or something. Fast forward to when I was older and enjoyed going to see films at cinema nouveau.
That's when I saw the documentary about Rodriquez's life, Searching for Sugar Man. His story was really interesting, so much talent and no commercial success. And, most importantly, my 'track 4' was his single, Crucify Your Mind :)
I think me too, over the last couple of months and even starting the writing process. I think we will learn and discover gems by doing this too :)
This is a lovely liddle story.
I love that you had a Blackberry, by the way. That was my first phone!
Also, curious about what age "liddle" is lol university people's music as a youth??
P.S. I just listened to track 4--it's wonderful. Thank you for sharing!
I see what you did there. My pleasure!
:)