Hoodlums Music and Movies

Things are moving along nicely.  The pictures are actually quite a ways behind the actual production at the store.  It looks like we will open September 20th.

The new sign pretty much spells out what we think we do best.  We figured it was going to attract our kind of music lovin’ people… which are very often the same people that love movies and art.  Once we get ‘em in the store, then we can hook ‘em.  The thing is like a beacon.  I think you can see it from space.

Oooh, new CD bins too.  Yeah, even though they aren’t as big as the albums, we wanted to bring the album art back into view.  That is one of our favorite parts about albums.

Oh yeah, the stage is done.  Once we get our P.A. - we’ll be ready for artists.

Stay tuned…

I’m not a real critic.

Well, that’s not exactly true.  In the sense that I evaluate things on a scale of “you really need this in your collection” to “don’t bother” - I guess I do critique for living.  But when it comes to being a real critic, I don’t really have the chops for it.  Hell, I’m not even a good record store elitist

Why?  Simple; because I love too many bands that aren’t critically-acclaimed.  I grew up in a small town in North Dakota, and as I mentioned somewhere on the site, there really were only three kinds of radio stations: Country, religious, and other.  We sorta got what we got.  So when I heard music, it didn’t matter if it was soul, R&B, bubble gum, rock -  I either liked it or I didn’t like it.  By the time I got to college, I started to become a lot more discerning, and of course, I was affected greatly by joining the music business in 1987, but when it comes to the artists of the sixties, seventies, and early eighties (I graduated HS in 1983), it was too late: I liked a ton of critically-trashed bands of old.

So I often debate the in-and-outs of artists and albums that make my fellow indie record store geeks tremble.  And because of this fact, I’d probably wouldn’t qualify as a real critic.

But we’ll see soon enough… because I get to compare notes with a real critic.  On September 24, a guy named Tom Moon, who used to be a critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, is coming to Changing Hands to peddle his new book 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die, and they have asked me to ask him some questions.  (Full details here)

Oh, I’ll ask him some questions alright.  Like “As a critic, are you legally allowed to tell me about some of the critically-bashed stuff in your collection?” If not… let’s hear it my friend.  Everybody has some.

That might actually be a question, but I have plenty of specific ones… about all the great titles in this book… what it is like to be a critic… how long does it take to compile a huge list, etc.  Check out the website, grab the book at Changing Hands (save your receipt for your Hoodlums’ discount) and see what you think…

… then send me, or post, any questions that you might have.  Better yet, come to the event and ask him yourself.

Record store geeks aren’t like normal music fans.  You probably knew that.  You may have even made a smart-ass comment about it at some point (I heard an old standup routine on HBO last week about record store clerks thinking they are rock stars… and it cracked me up).  It’s OK, we know we’re geeks.

Maybe you are one of us, and you think “geek” is too strong.  How about “obsessive collectors”?

Anyway, it’s midnight, and I am pulling CDs from my collection to contribute to the used stock at the new Hoodlums.  If you happened to read the post on “Gutting the Collection” (which I assume no one ever has… just like I assume no one will read this… yeah, I know it’s a paradox), you know this is my third time.

Just in case you are an obsessive collector, and you ever have to pull apart your collection for some tragic reason (not that opening a new Hoodlums is a tragic reason), here’s a tip or four on how to do it:

If the CD isn’t opened yet; chances are you can safely trade it in without remorse.  If every time you have looked at a CD you have said to yourself, “I’m going to listen to that someday”, but you still haven’t listened to it… you are having a pipe dream.  Pull it now.

Don’t forget to watch and listen for gems. Even though I just said pull the unopened stuff, you just never know, do ya?  Luckily, I put on the Eddie Harris/Les McCann Live at Montreaux CD when I was pulling in 1998, or I would have missed one of the greatest jazz CDs on Earth.  If you sense a potentially unlistened-to gem, throw it in and listen to it while you pull the rest.

Try to overcome your completionism with a small dose of reality. You don’t need 15 Jackie McLean CDs, Steve… you don’t need 15 Jackie McLeans.  Keep the ones you know are good, check the discography on AllMusic (it’s very trustworthy on the good stuff) for a five-star you might have not listened to yet, and let the other ones go.

If you have listened to an album three times through, it is in your collection for life. Three full listens is a lot if you have a big collection, so you’ve already invested a considerable amount of time on that sucker.  Besides, even the toughest-to-get albums have started to show their worth after three spins… so if you haven’t scrapped it by now, move to the next CD.

Of course, although these tips may help a little, they will not take away the pain of ripping through your collection, no matter how good the cause is.  But take heart, you can start building it up immediately (believe it or not, I bought about twelve CDs in Denver when I was there… even knowing I had to pull when I got home).

Note: If you are going to gut your own collection of used CDs, used records, or used DVDs - we recommend trading them in at Hoodlums.  If you are building the collection, and pulling nothing, we recommend Hoodlums for that as well.

… the new joint is shaping up.  When we first got here, it looked like this:

So we called our friend Tom the floor guy to come in and give the concrete a cool treatment.  Then we rolled up our sleeves, turned on the music, and we primed, painted, baseboarded, scraped, scoured, replaced and cleaned a bunch.

After that, it looked like this:

So we called our friend Neil the carpenter, and he came in and built us a stage so we can play host to all sorts of entertainers for our customers.

When he was done (he also patched some dry wall), it looked like this:

Kristian (that’s him in the picture cause the pic without him was blurry) got to work caulking and priming it while I took pictures, then went home and typed this blog about it.  That seems like a good division of duties for me, eh?  Hey, he’s younger than me and he doesn’t like to write emails, let alone blog.

But let’s not jump to conclusions folks: before and after I took this picture, I was busy going to government offices and getting licenses and that sort of fun stuff, so it wasn’t all blogs and roses for me either.

Between the two hoodlums, it all seems to get done.

We still have a long way to go, but it is coming along.  Stay tuned.

This the third time we have built a new Hoodlums (pics of each prior location here).  Each “building a record store” effort has been very different.. except for one nasty little project that remains the same:

Gutting my personal CD collection to help build up the store’s used CD Sections!!

The first time, when we opened Hoodlums in 1998, it ended up being 1,500 CDs - a little more than half my total collection (built since the mid-eighties, including eight years managing/working at Wherehouse and three more at Zia).  The second time, when we expanded the store in 2001, it wasn’t as drastic, about 500 CDs, but due to the improved nature of the overall collection, it was still a batch of beloved CDs.

This time it could get even uglier.

My collection has grown again… and (I dare say) improved in quality, so the damage could be more significant than the first two attacks.  This is particularly true because the new store is going to have bigger jazz, blues, and world music sections.  That means I have to go hard at three sections that I have worked hard to build over the seven years since I did this last (see geek in picture).

Oh yeah, we’ll have a ton of used rock CDs in our used section - so those’ll need to get hacked too.

Luckily, my buddy Paul at Twist and Shout told me how many times he’s had to pull from his collection - including a recent pull that doubled my entire collection but barely dented his - and made me feel better about what I am about to do (see the “Oracle Paul” post).

One more small note of comfort: Kristian has to pull too - so I at least have a partner to share my pain.

Anyway, if you are a customer - come in and take advantage.  In the meantime, I’ll probably whine my way through the process on the blog.

“I stand atop a spiral stair, an oracle confronts me there”

- Rush on 2112*

So if you need answers… if you need inspiration… you gotta go to the top of the mountain.

So I did it.  I went to Twist and Shout Records in Denver, to visit the Oracle: my friend and Denver quasi-celebrity, Paul Epstein (and his lovely wife and partner, Jill).

If you are a fan of music, video, and record stores in general - you have to see this store.  They have been in Denver forever - but the beautiful new location is less than two years old.  Pound for pound, it is simply as good as you can get.  With 11,000 square feet… that’s pretty damn good.  Plus, they are next to a great indie book store, just like us, so they know the value of good neighbors and shopping at the indies.

For somewhere around eight hours on Friday and Saturday, I wondered around… took notes… searched for CDs and DVDs on my personal list…and got excited about the ways that we could try to emulate this awesome store.   Hoodlums isn’t quite as big (1,600 square feet at the new store), but  we have the energy, passion, and talent to pack a lot of punch with a small space.  We’ll be stealing ideas from these guys for sure.

But as impressive as the store was - it was the time with Oracle Paul (upgraded from Senator) away from his mighty store that served to be the most energizing.  Sitting at his house, drinking and listening and watching as I picked the poor dog’s brain for hours… ’twas a fine thing.  His collection was massive, as expected - but it wasn’t the size that made it so cool - it was his passion for it.  As he said as I stood there in awe, “It’s who I am”.

Who is he?  Make no bones about it - and I told him so - to call him a collector doesn’t do the word justice (especially when you figure the store is essentially the biggest part of a store owners’ collection).  He’s the oracle… of record store geeks.

So what do you do when you hit the top of the mountain?  Ask a lot of questions… and take a lot of notes.  What is the best James Gang album?  Which Quicksilver Messenger Service is essential?  Do you have any video of Mick Taylor-era Rolling Stones?  Can I watch that Night Gallery DVD? Should I trust the government?

(Answers: Rides Again, Happy Trails, Ladies and Gentlemen… the Rolling Stones, Yes, NO)

This pleased my endlessly-curious 43-year old mind to no end.  You see - my fellow geek’s prime (but not only) area of passion is the unbelievable period between 1965 and 1975.  As it turns out, that’s my favorite era, and even though I feel I was more aggressive than most 0-10 year olds, North Dakota just didn’t provide deep enough AM radio for me, so I still have a lot to learn.

One thing that hasn’t changed since childhood: the more I learn about music; the more I want to know.  And as I jammed and learned - I realized, as I have so many times in the past few months, that a record store geek is who I am.

I hate dress codes.  I love fighting the corporatocracy.  I like sharing the art and gift of film and music.  Most importantly, I love the fact that everything I just wrote about is work… and even though my wife knows it to be true… she can’t bring herself to admit it.

Gotta go pull from my collection for the store…

* (Hoodlum parental note: Kids dig the story behind 2112 - and the moral holds true today).