Another One Bites the Dust

High School Girl required my driving services this evening so, after I dropped her off at a far-flung high school musical (not the Disney one; "The Music Man"), I decided to fill the down time by visiting a nearby indie record store whose business card I'd been carrying in my car for a long time - Strange Land, in Annandale. But when I got there, and climbed the wrought iron steps to the shop on the second floor, I found a padlocked door and a pile of wet and yellowed mail on the doorstep.

Just looked it up online and found that the store closed last month. Sigh. Even today, as I was browsing in a FYE store at Fair Oaks Mall, I was mourning the empty space I drove past where Tower Records used to be. There are so few places left to shop for music!

Sounds like a good time for another edition of (drum roll....)
MY OWN CASH MONEY.

Took a bulging bag of CD rejects to the trade-in store last week and most of them were dismissed as too lame. But, with the $23 in credit from those that made the cut, I scored thusly:
From the $1.99 clearance section:
1.BIG DIPPER – Supercluster: The Sampler (Merge)
This 9-track single CD pulled from the 3-CD box set that came out last month may be all the Big Dipper I need for the moment. A chance to play catch-up.
2. STEPHANIE’S ID – Grus Americanus (Nine Mile Records)
I mentioned this band in passing in an old Post preview and liked what I heard about them doing the research. They’re playing a DC Artomatic show next month, so a 2-buck investment seemed in order.
3.PSYCH OUT! – Various Artists (MOJO magazine)
“15 nuggets from the scene that spawned Pink Floyd.” Donovan, Small faces, The Troggs, The Zombies and such.

In the growing vinyl section (I eagerly await my USB-turntable, coming next week), I found:
4. SWEET EMMA and the PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND (Preservation Hall)
This amazing find was just staring at me from the front of one of the rows; I wasn't even searching those bins (with all the vinyl I have at home, buying more seems madness - until that turntable arrives!). Having just seen the PHJB perform recently, I had to spend the mere $3 to own this lovely disc. Just looking at the cover makes me smile.

5. COUNTING CROWS – Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (DGC)
A yellow sticker means ever-so-lightly scratched (and I’ve never had a problem), so this was only $7. Why do the critics delight so in bashing Adam Duritz? One review of this album was titled “Saturday’s Trite and Sunday’s Boring,” and that’s just mean (albeit clever). So he sometimes whines about his life. Don't we all? At least he's got the sense - and sensitivity - to explore his feelings. When the band is on, it creates a sound that I once tried to convince my brother-in-law has the classic Americana rock beauty of The Band. He never replied.
6. PAUL WELLER – Bonus Tracks (V2)
Not sure why this six track bonus disc from 2004, was $3 but it includes interesting takes by the ex-Jam/Style Council’s leader on Sly Stone’s “Family Affair,” John Sebastian’s “Coconut Grove,” “Let it Be Me” and more.
7.STEP RIGHT UP: The SONGS OF TOM WAITS – Various Artists (Manifesto)
Violent Femmes, Frente!, Magnapop, Tim Buckley - and no Scarlett Johansson! $3.99

Other recent purchases...
8. NOW HEAR THIS – Various Artists (Word magazine)
15 tunes in line with the British magazine, including B-52’s, Supergrass, k.d. lang and some new blood.
9. FLIGHT of the CONCHORDS – S/T (SubPop)
HSG and I have tickets to see our New Zealand heroes at the Lisner Auditorium in two weeks! The tickets are single seats in different sections (best I could do) but I see on StubHub that tix in pairs are going for $300 and up each!
10. ELBOW – The Seldom Seen Kid (Geffen)
More live excitement - Hubby and I will see this wonderful band tomorrow night - the first time we'll get to see them together (he saw them open for the Doves; I saw two truncated sets at a CMJ years ago.) We are thoroughly psyched, and the new CD has an even more ambitious, epic quality than the previous ones. Let’s hope that this wonderful, intelligent, intense Manchester band finally gets the American break it deserves.
11. DEMETRI MARTIN – These Are Jokes (Comedy Central Records)
A CD and a DVD for $12, which is great since his charts are such a key part of the act. Comedy acts seem to be doing the paired audio/video thing more and more, and at good prices. Musicians, take note!

O/CD Year-to-Date Tally:74