Happy New Year to you and your family! We are looking forward to hanging out and talking music, art, and movies with you in 2012.
But first we wanted to thank you for your part in making 2011 such a great year for us. Your support feeds our families, and it puts more of your hard-earned spending money back into the community… and to say we appreciate it is beyond an understatement. Thanks.
What was so great about 2011? There were a huge amount of happy Hood-happenings in 2011, but these are our Top 10 (we love making lists):
Celebrating our 13th Birthday in October (10 at ASU, 3 at Tempe Square).
Rejoining our friends (and the best indie record stores in America) in the Coalition of Independent Music Stores.
Achieving our single biggest sales day ever on Record Store Day.
Shattering our weekend record for Black Friday (thanks to Indie Black Friday).
Raising $3,200 for the kids of Broadmor Elementary with our Hoodstock Festival (our second year over $3K).
Being awarded a New Times “Best of Phoenix” for our Hoodstock Festival.
Being voted “Best Record/Music Shop” in the East Valley Tribune’s Best of East Valley poll
Successfully hosting in-store performances with Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Abigail Washburn, and over 25 tremendous local artists.
Tripling our previous year’s sales record for local art sales (almost 300 pieces sold, including our biggest single-artist show with Jeff McDaniel).
Setting a new special order record with over 1,300 special orders filled in 2011 (and not one extra charge).
We hope your 2011 was equally awesome… and that both of our 2012s will be even better. Again, our thanks to you. Steve, Kristian, and the hoodlums at Hoodlums.
As usual, when I asked the kid for his Top 10, he came up big. Not only did he list his favorite albums, but we got his favorite songs, TV shows, and even a revised version of last year’s picks. Without further adieu, here they are…
Favorite Albums of 2011
1. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Here We Rest
2. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
3. The Horrible Crowes – Elsie
4. City & Colour – Little Hell
5. Nick 13 – Nick 13
6. Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire
7. Kasey Anderson + The Honkies – Heart Of A Dog
8. Frank Turner – England Keep My Bones
9. Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong
10. Kinch – The Incandenza
Top Songs of 2011
1. Jason Isbell – “Codeine”
2. Manchester Orchestra – “Simple Math”
3. Ryan Adams – “Lucky Now”
4. Jason Isbell + the 400 Unit- “Stopping By”
5. Moonshine Matinee – “Postcards From Salem”
6. Kasey Anderson + the Honkies – “Exit Ghost”
7. Nick 13 – “Carry My Body Down”
8. The Horrible Crowes – “Behold The Hurricane”
9. Ladylike – “Cinema Kiss”
10. Ryan Adams – “Invisible Riverside”
11. Dawes – “Fire Away”
12. Dead Man Winter – “Nicotine”
13. Less Than Jake – “Life Lived Out Loud”
14. My Morning Jacket – “Holding On To Black Metal”
15. David Bazan – “Wolves at The Door”
16. City & Colour – “Little Hell”
17. Kinch – “That’s Just The Mess That We’re In”
18. Abigail Washburn – “Burn Thru”
19. Big Talk – “Katzenjammer”
20. Ben Harper – “Don’t Give Up On Me Now”
21. Childish Gambino – “Firefly”
22. The Head & The Heart – “Down In The Valley”
23. City & Colour – “Weightless”
24. Dave Hause – “Melanin”
25. Frank Turner – “Redemption”
26. Decemberists – “January Hymn”
27. Blink-182 – “Up All Night”
28. Social Distortion – “Machine Gun Blues”
29. Dropkick Murphys – “Going Out In Style”
30. Death Cab For Cutie – “Underneath The Sycamore”
What do you know? Kristian has submitted his Top Ten the earliest of all the hoodlums at Hoodlums!
He won’t add a bunch of rambling like I do, but he’s as serious about his Top 10 as anyone, especially because 2011 had so much great music. The only thing he included beyond the list was the note that it was listed alphabetically.
RYAN ADAMS – ASHES & FIRE
DECEMBERISTS – KING IS DEAD
GOAT RODEO SESSION – THILE/MEYER/MA/DUNCAN
JASON ISBELL – HERE WE REST
SARAH JAROSZ – FOLLOW ME DOWN
LOW ANTHEM – SMART FLESH
NOAM PIKELNEY – BEAT THE DEVIL & CARRY A RAIL
CHRIS THILE & MICHAEL DAVES – SLEEP W/ ONE EYE OPEN
ABIGAIL WASHBURN – CITY OF REFUGE
GILLAIN WELCH/DAVID RAWLINGS – HARROW & HARVEST
Stay tuned for more Hoodlums lists soon. Happy Holidays
Hoodlums is having our 13th Birthday Party on Saturday, so New Times‘ Jason Woodbury asked me to provide some impressions on thirteen years of Record Store ownership for his Up On The Sun blog.
Wow, that’s a big task. But if you’ve followed Hoodlum’s social media sites, or my little Random Babblings of a Record Store Geek blog, you’ve probably read blogs or seen video explaining “why I own a record store”… and you know I’m constantly analyzing my whacky little world… so I’ll give it a shot.
Random observations and opinions from a Record Store Geek:
It takes more than one hoodlum to run an indie business in a corporatocracy. Luckily, my partner Kristian has been here for thirteen years to share the load. Because I write, tweet, post, and do the marketing, I tend to be the more-visible of the hoods, but anyone who really knows the store knows that Kristian is a music-lovin’ force-of-nature. I could do a whole article on his talents and hard work alone. I can never thank him enough. (Big thanks also to Joe, Andy, and the many other hoodlums who make up our Hood Hall of Fame.)
The rise of digital music has had a far-less negative affect on the music industry than the idiotic decision-making of the record labels. High-prices, customer lawsuits, substandard artist development, corporate-retail subsidies, and a continual overdose of hype have killed off a ton of indie record stores and an entire generation of potential customers. If the major labels would have embraced digital music, and found a way to monetize it, rather than waiting for Apple to change the rules of the game, the music business would be infinitely more healthy.
I personally think digital-only music is a rip-off. Although Kristian and I have never been on a crusade to stop illegal downloading, I don’t do it. So if I want to own a piece of music, I pay for it by buying the CD or the LP/mp3 combo. I’m a collector. If I like an album, I want to have it in my collection, and to me “owning” a file is like owning air. The music in my iTunes, iPhone, and iPod is an important part of my collection, but that part is about convenience. I still get the files with a CD, so to me it’s a win-win. When Hoodlums was on hiatus after the M.U. Fire, I went to the other indie stores to shop, because I need a record store. Kristian did too. That’s why we reopened… because we’re not the only ones that feel like this.
Not giving in to the fear of a digital future has allowed us to feed our families for thirteen years. Thanks, thanks, thanks to each and every person that has spent a cent in our store for making that possible. I still recall our Sony rep warning us about Napster before we started. Little did he know that Napster was just the tip of the digital iceberg… and yet we are still here.
I wish I could have another conversation with Brad Singer. Brad was my old boss at Zia; the guy who started it. As GM, I would go into his office daily and report on the stores, and then he and I would discuss/debate/argue about our ideas for the company. A lot of our debate centered around my opinion that some of the things he felt most strongly about applied to owning/running one store, but not eight. His unfortunate passing led to the formation of Hoodlums, and since then, as the co-owner of one store, I have come to understand his feelings a lot better. I wish I could tell him that, as well how thankful I am for saving me from corporate hell (and a thousand other things).
Downloading has weened the “lightweight” music fans out of record stores. You know, people that just want singles, the ones who “like the song but don’t know who sings it”… that sort of music fan. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t have anything against music lightweights (every good party needs lightweights), in fact we understand. The labels have falsely inflated album sales for years by not giving them the option to just buy the song, so the new digital world is perfect for them. If they get turned on and want the album (or they don’t want to download for whatever reason), we’re here to help them, but the majority of the people we serve these days are serious music fans. Junkies like us.
Most of my fellow record store geeks feel that at this point the economy is tougher to deal with than the industry and technology. We feel that way too. Ask almost any other type of shopkeeper, and they’ll tell you how much of a battle it is these days. The only good side of the sad economy is that the guys in the Ivory Towers (Label bean counters, errr, Presidents) have finally started dropping prices.
I still love music more than any non-human thing on this Earth. It is my passion. It is a part of my soul and my spirituality. I feel that spreading music to my fellow Earthlings is a very important job, because without it this would be a pretty sad place to live. I couldn’t sell you cars, or homes, or clothes… because although those things are important, I’m not passionate about them. But I can sell you music, because I believe in music. I spread it around when I was younger, so Hoodlums is just a “business continuation” of what I was already doing.
I’ll stop there, although I could give you impressions all day (buy me a drink after the birthday party and I’ll answer whatever questions you’ve got). Thanks again to everyone for your support.
Random Hood Facts:
Steve/Favorite In-store: Michael Franti and Spearhead (although I was radically hung over from the Bowie show the night before… I loved the album, my 6-year old son was in the front row, and Michael was a free-spirited champ.)
Kristian/Favorite in-store: Ben Kweller (playing piano in the store with Jason Schwartzmann of Phantom Planet, making up songs and goofing around)
Andy’s Favorite in-store: Greg Graffin of Bad Religion (hanging with Professor Graffin was super-cool, especially for the store’s biggest BR fan).
Most people in an autograph line at an in-store: Weezer (650 preorders was all we could do in their allotted time)
Biggest single-day sales on a record: Format – Dog Problems (500 copies, all we had, during a street-date in-store performance).
Nearly every mainstream media article we’ve ever read has attributed the past decade’s loss of over a thousand indie record stores to the rise in digital music. In our opinion, short-sighted, corporate-favoring, customer-be-damned decisions by the the major labels have been a far bigger factor in the demise.
Some things never change… and the poor major label decision-making continues with the new Kanye/Jay-Z release (in this case, exclusivity windows for corporate joints). As the video says, it’s not like we think things are going to change now… but we got a package in the mail this week that was just too stupid not to mock. I threw on the glasses and made it “Music 101″ because I’m a goof.
To those of you that have only shopped at our current location, and haven’t heard us speak out on industry issues, a small explanation:
We used to speak out all the time about crazy industry decisions and policies (some examples are still linked on our press page) . While our complaints and observations, and those of our fellow outspoken indie friends, often garnered attention and perhaps even slowed down the complete corporate takeover of our industry, they really didn’t stop any of the practices we opposed (inflated list prices, exclusive releases, multiple versions, suing customers, not monetizing file-trading, etc.)
At the time, we were a member of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS), so we were more involved in the industry. When our ASU store closed, we were no longer in CIMS, so when reopened as a “coalition-less” indie, we were sort of “not in the industry”. That was totally fine, because as I said, the industry hadn’t shown any signs of sanity, and we had thrown our hands up in terms of trying to change things. We figured we’d just do our thing and take care of the customers in the store.
Three years later, we’re back in the Coalition (see the blog for more info). That puts us back in the industry. As our industry “reps”, our leaders at CIMS made us aware of the Kanye/Jay-Z hilarity, or I’m not sure we’d have even known, to be honest. Of course, we instantly said we were in agreement with the indie-store letter to the label and artists… but we didn’t have any plans to speak out directly.
Then we got that silly banner in the mail… and I couldn’t contain myself.
Have a great day.
Steve, Kristian, and the hoodlums at Hoodlums
Music: “Move on Up” by Curtis Mayfield. Available at Hoodlums.
Here are the Top Ten of 2010 lists that we received from our wonderful, creative, opinionated customers. Just like our Hoodlums’ Staff Picks for 2010, if the list picker numbered ‘em, we left the numbers. If not, we used bullets. If our customer wrote comments, we left ‘em.
We hope you enjoy looking at ‘em as much as we do. We certainly do appreciate the participation from each and every one of you… and we absolutely appreciate the tremendous music that we had to choose from in 2010.
Congratulations to Ian Murphy, the winner of a $50 Hoodlums’ Gift Card in our Top 10′s of 2010 Contest. We’ll start with his Top 10 and then do ‘em in the order they were received. Please excuse the formatting “differences”, but just had to do a straight “cut and paste” to save time. As it is… it took long enough this way. Oh well, it’s great to get so many, and you live and learn (next year, they’ll ALL be Facebook comments).
Ian Murphy
1- Titus Andronicus: “The Monitor”
2- The National: “High Violet”
3- Sufjan Stevens: “All Delighted People EP”
4- Jonsi: “Go”
5- Mumford & Sons: “Sigh No More”
6- Gaslight Anthem: “American Slang”
7- Sufjan Stevens: “Age of Adz”
8- The Roots:”How I Got Over”
9- Gorillaz: “Plastic Beach”
10- Balkan Beat Box: “Blue Eyed Black Boy”
Kenneth Ballard
1. Ben Folds/Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue
2. Good Old War – Self Titled
3. Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s – Buzzard
4. Jonsi – Go
5. The Black Keys – Brothers
6. The Coral – Butterfly House
7. Circa Survie – Blue Sky Noise
8. Guster – Easy Wonderful
9. Aqualung – Magnetic North
10. The Dear Hunter – The Branches EP
Dean Ballard
1) Harlem River Blues — Justin Townes Earle
2) Come Around Sundown — Kings of Leon
3) The Big To-Do — Drive-By Truckers
4) You Get What You Give — Zac Brown Band
5) The Guitar Song — Jamey Johnson
6) Sea of Cowards — The Dead Weather
7) Heaven Is Whenever — The Hold Steady
Country Music — Willie Nelson
9) The Promise — Bruce Springsteen
10) The Suburbs — Arcade Fire
Kerry Ann
10. Gaslight Anthem “American Slang”, only thing I don’t like about this album is that I can’t listen to it all at once, it starts to sound poundy and monotonous. As singles, it’s great. They really remind me of the Replacements (but not as good).
9. Florence + the Machine, “Lungs”, I agree she sounds like Bjork (who I think is tolerable) and Kate Bush (who I like a lot) and overall, I really like this album. Fun mash up of Florence with Dizzee Rascal (
8 Avett Brothers I and Love and You makes me want to get in the car and drive for a long time by myself, makes me feel twenty years younger. Now I have to go back to the beginning and get Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions
7 Broken Bells: Broken Bells, electronic great beats, different from most other albums on this list. Just picked this up today after trying it out on Pandora ready to get to know it better.
6 Mavis Staples “You are not Alone” I don’t like to listen to it in it’s entirety, too much of the same thing but mixed up in playlists it is great. She performed with Jeff Tweedy at the Rally to Restore Sanity.
5 Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses “Junky Star” love the song Hallelujah the best. This is probably not his best album, but I want to learn more about this artist. He is talented and has qualities I love, country, spare, great lyrics, can’t put my finger on it with words but when I listen to Hallelujah the short story journey this song takes me on is unique, very cool and magical.
4. Glee 4: Love Gwyneth Paltrow’s cover of Cee Lo Green, Forget You, it’s still catchy and I can play it around my kids. Love “one love” love Glee
3. Kanye My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy listen to it from start to finish, love to hear an album as an album instead of a collection of singles
2. Vampire Weekend: Contra Love this group, love them, love the bits that remind me of Paul Simon, world beat and Talking Heads. Super group. Totally worth the hype.
1. Mumford and Sons “Sigh No More” this album has not gotten old. Love it. Play it all the time.
Garrett Neese
1. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
2. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot … The Son of Chico Dusty
3. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
4. Roc Marciano – Marcberg
5. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks
6. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
7. Ty Segall – Melted
8. Marnie Stern – s/t
9. Das Racist – Sit Down, Man
10. Ceo – White Magic
Gerald Schoenherr
1 – Grinderman “2″ LP
2 – Sparklehorse, etc “Dark Night of the Soul” LP
3 – Gospel Claws “C-L-A-W-S” (full disclosure, I was assistant engineer on this but that doesn’t stop it from being awesome) CD
4 – Neil Young “Le Noise” CD
5 – Budos Band “Cobra (III)” LP
6 – Sharon Jones & the Dapkings “I Learned the Hard Way” LP
7 – Various “Said I Had a Vision: Songs & Labels of David Lee 1960-1988″ LP
8 – Snake! Snake! Snakes! “self titled” (another full disclosure situation) CD
9 – LCD Soundsystem “This Is Happening” CD
10 – Boris & Ian Astbury – “BXI” CD
Zach Mitchell
10. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
9. Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame
8. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
7. Bad Books – Bad Books
6. Vampire Weekend – Contra
5. The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You
4. Blitzen Trapper Destroyer of the Void
3. Good Old War – Good Old War
2. Steel Train – Steel Train
1. fun. – Aim and Ignite (technically came out in 2009…but it’s my favorite album ever)
Trevor Green
Top 10 Catchy-Ass Albums
Sleigh Bells “Treats”
Kanye West “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”
Best Coast “Crazy For You”
Robyn “Body Talk”
Girl Talk “All Day”
The Roots “How I Got Over”
Black Keys “Brothers”
Erykah Badu “New Amerykah Part Two”
Bruno Mars “Doo-Wops and Hooligans”
Cee Lo Green “The Lady Killer”
Top 10 Worst Movies to Willingly Pay Money to See
Knight and Day
The Last Airbender
Jonah Hex
The Nutcracker 3D
Vampires Suck
Burlesque
Extraordinary Measures
Sex and the City 2
Prince of Persia
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
Laura Wooster-Leyva
Brothers- The Black Keys
Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager – Kid Cudi
Sigh No More- Mumford & Sons
Have One On Me- Joanna Newsom
The Suburbs- Arcade Fire
The Colossus- RJD2
Habits-Neon Trees
…Featuring Norah Jones- Many artists
To The Sea- Jack Johnson
Transference- Spoon
Chris (of toddandchris4)
10. Fistful of Mercy “Fistful of Mercy”
9. Drive By Truckers “The Big To-Do”
8. Black Crowes “Crowology”
7. Heart “Red Velvet Car”
6. Black Country Communion “Black Country Communion”
5. The Gracious Few “The Gracious Few”
4. Robert Plant “Band of Joy”
3. Rob Zombie “Hellbilly Deluxe II”
2. Dave Matthews Band “DMB Live in New York City”
1. Tom Petty “Mojo”
-
Jeremy P.
1. Punch Brothers – Antifogmatic
2. Pain of Salvation – Road Salt One
3. The Black Crowes – Croweology (despite it being a compilation, I count it because the tracks are reworked)
4. Josh Ritter – So Runs The World Away
5. Oceansize – Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up
6. Robert Plant – Band of Joy
7. Johnny Flynn – Been Listening
8. Blue Giant – Blue Giant
9. The Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
10. La Strada – New Home
-
Althea Pergakis
TOP TEN ALBUMS (Released in 2010):
10) My Best Friend Is You // Kate Nash
9) Fang Island // Fang Island
Something for Everybody // DEVO
7) B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray
6) I’m Having Fun Now // Jenny and Johnny
5) My Dinosaur Life // Motion City Soundtrack
4) Romance is Boring // Los Campesinos!
3) Contra // Vampire Weekend
2) Scott Pilgrim vs the World OST
1) Sidewalks // Matt and Kim
-
TOP TEN ALBUMS (older but new to me in 2010)
10) Grand // Matt and Kim
9) The Con // Tegan and Sara
Far // Regina Spektor
7) Voxtrot // Voxtrot
6) Say Anything // Say Anything
5) It’s Never Been Like That // Phoenix
4) Sticking Fingers into Sockets EP // Los Campesinos!
3) Aim and Ignite // fun.
2) Rockin’ the Suburbs // Ben Folds
1) Leaving Through the Window // Something Corporate
-
Mason Thompson
1. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest
2. LCD Soundsystem: This is Happening
3. The National: High Violet
4. Sleigh Bells: Treats
5. Beach House: Teen Dream
6. Twin Sister: Color Your Life
7. Morning Benders: Big Echo
8. Twin Shadow: Forget
9. Wild Nothing: Gemini
10. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
….Kanye wasn’t close, no matter what Pitchfork might have to say ….
-
Tammy H.
#1 Wolf Parade – Expo 86
#2 The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night
#3 Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
#4 LCD Soundsytem – This Is Happening
#5 Autolux – Transit Transit
#6 Deerhunter – Halycon Digest
#7 Weekend – Sports
#8 Lower Dens – Twin Hand Movement
#9 Beach House – Teen Dream
#10 Women – Public Strain
-
Teresa Burstyn
Movies
1. Welcome to the Riley’s
2. The Kids are All Right
Albums
3 Need You Now; Lady Antebellum
4. Sigh No More : Mumford and Sons
5.30 Years Live: Bad Religion
6. Final Frontier: Iron Maiden
7.A Christmas Cornucopia : Annie Lenox
8. Laws of Illusion : Sarah MacLachlan
9 :Valley Neptune : Jimi Hendrix
10 :God Willing and Creek Rising: Ray Lamontagne
-
James Karcher
1. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
2. Brothers – The Black Keys
3. OMNI – Minus the Bear
4. Dark Night of The Soul – Dangermouse and Sparklehorse
5. Come Around Sundown – Kings of Leon
6. Sigh No More – Mumford and Sons
7. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
8. This Is Happening – LCD Soundsystem
9. Treats – Sleigh Bells
10. High Violet – The National
-
Matt Rodgers
Menomena - Mines
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and The Cairo Gang – The Wonder Show of the World
Altar Eagle – Mechanical Gardens
Brian Eno – Small Craft on a Milk Sea
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Women – Public Strain
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock record
Neil Young – Le Noise
Carlton Metz
Inception (movie)
The Walkmen (show)
Gorillaz “Plastic Beach”
Sonic Youth (show)
Exit Through The Gift Shop (movie)
The Walkmen “Lisbon”
The Inbetweeners (tv show)
Arcade Fire “The Suburbs”
Broken Bells “Broken Bells”
The Black Keys “Brothers”
Shannon Hadley
1. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
2. Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest
3. Tame Impala, Innerspeaker
4. Best Coast, Crazy For You
5. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
6. Broken Social Scene, Forgiveness Rock Band
7. Abe Vigoda, Crush
8. Jonsi, Go
9. Foals, Total Life Forever
10. M.I.A., Maya
Matt Bradley
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Beach House – Teen Dream
Best Coast – Crazy For You
Wavves – King of the Beach
Zola Jesus – Stridulum II
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
Sleigh Bells – Treats
Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be
Beach Fossils – Beach Fossils
Tony Pellum
1. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2. Robyn – Body Talk
3. Belle and Sebastian – Write About Love
4. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
5. Wild Nothing – Gemini
6. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
7. Janelle Monáe – The ArchAndroid
8. Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be
9. Love Is All – Two Thousand and Ten Injuries
10. The Walkmen – Lisbon
Jake Calegari
1. Sea of Cowards – The Dead Weather
2. Congratulations – MGMT
3. Under Great White Northern Lights – The White Stripes
4. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
5. Dark Night of the Soul – Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse
6. Treats – Sleigh Bells
7. Survival Story – Flobots
8. Astro Coast – Surfer Blood
9. Brothers – The Black Keys
10. Contra – Vampire Weekend
Marisa Calegari
1. The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards
2. Sleigh Bells – Treats
3. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles II
4. The White Stripes – Under Great White Northern Lights
5. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
6. Robert Plant – Band of Joy
7. The Black Keys – Brothers
8. Kid Cudi – The Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
9. The Dirty Heads – Any Port in a Storm
10. Atmosphere – To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy
Mitch Goyette
1. Breed 77 – Insects
2. Kamelot – Poetry for the Poisoned
3. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
4. Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare
5. Circa Survive – Blue Sky Noise
6. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
7. Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here
8. Menomena – Mines
9. Turin Brakes – Outburst
10. The River Empires – Epilogue
And a handful of Honorable Mentions for good measure:
Black Country Communion – s/t
CloverSeeds – The Opening
Mutiny Within – s/t
Karen Elson – The Ghost Who Walks
Evelyn Evelyn – s/t
Michael Pang
Favorite New Albums of 2010
1. The Budos Band – The Budos Band III
2. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
3. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
4. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
5. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh
6. Das Racist – Sit Down, Man
7. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
8. Sharon Van Etten – Epic
9. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
10. MGMT – Congratulations
“Papa” Fred Hill
Justin Townes Earl – Harlem River Blues
Black Dub – (Daniel Lanois, Trixie Whitely, and Darryl Johnson)
Robert Randolph & the Family Band – We Walk This Road
Christian Scott – Yesterday You Said Tomorrow
John Hiatt – The Open Road
Jason Moran – Ten
Lee Scratch Perry – ‘Sipple Out Deh’ The Black Ark Years
The Uniques – Absolutely Rock Steady
Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
Bob Dylan – the Witmark Demos: 1962-1964
Jr. Murvin – Police and Thieves Deluxe Edition
Buce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town box set
How Sweet It Was – The Sights and Sounds of Gospel’s Golden Age CD plus DVD
Plus a great read was ‘Just Friends’ Patti Smith’s memoir about her life with Robert Mapplethorpe I haven/t heard Le Noise by Neil I have it on order on vinyl, also I should have put on the vinyl issue of Tom Petty & Heartbreakers Damn the Torpedoes – ahh it just goes on & on so much good music to upllift the spirit.
Emma Ringness
1) Write About Love, Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is such a reliably good band—they also craft some of the most timeless records I’ve ever heard. Write About Love is no exception and does not disappoint on any count.
2) Transference, Spoon
The album has a William Eggleston photograph on the cover. So, you know, if Spoon weren’t an amazing band they’d at least be really, really cool. Turns out they’re both. (If you couldn’t tell, this probably wins my vote for best album cover of the year.)
3) This Is Happening, LCD Soundsystem
On a whim I listened to this album on NPR as part of their exclusive first listen series. Then I had to hear it again. And again. By the third or fourth listen I was wondering why I hadn’t bought it already. James Murphy’s lyrics are unexpectedly smart and searing with honesty.
4) Record Collection, Mark Ronson and the Business Intl.
Once again, I heard this online first. I was instantly hooked and came to Hoodlums to buy it a few days later. It’s ridiculously catchy and vastly underrated.
5) The Boxer, Kele
Even more underrated than Record Collection, The Boxer is such a solid solo album from Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke—the power of his voice alone is enough to have me hooked.
6) Age of Adz, Sufjan Stevens
Though many weren’t fond of the departure from “Mr. Strummy-Strum,” I think the Age of Adz shows Stevens’ true strength as a songwriter.
7) Contra, Vampire Weekend
I was not a huge fan of Vampire Weekend until this year (my friends finally broke me…who am I kidding, I was broken of my own volition). Contra made me reconsider writing off their self-titled debut…and for that matter, the band overall.
Champ, Tokyo Police Club
Frenetic, energetic, concise, indie, post-punk…there are a ridiculous amount of adjectives journalists use to describe this Canadian band. Honestly, they just make really fun records that my young heart goes crazy for.
Top 5 albums new to me in 2010:
It’s a little embarrassing that these were new to me this year, but hey, it’s never too late to acknowledge exceptional albums.
1) Kid A, Radiohead
2) The Boy with the Arab Strap, Belle and Sebastian
3) Is Is (EP), Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4) Modern Guilt, Beck
5) Underachievers Please Try Harder, Camera Obscura
Top 5 songs of 2010 that aren’t off my top albums:
1) “Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; or, Letters From Me to Charlotte,” Los Campesinos!
2) “Walls,” Shout Out Louds
3) “First Date Kit” Tokyo Police Club feat. Luke LaLonde
4) “Boy From School (Hot Chip Cover),” Grizzly Bear
5) “Heirloom,” Sufjan Stevens
Top 5 Music Videos:
This is really subjective—I’m not a connoisseur of music videos or anything, I just really liked these five (plus the songs that go with)!
1) “Last Leaf,” OK Go
2) “VCR,” the XX
3) “The Bike Song,” Mark Ronson
4) “Giving Up the Gun,” Vampire Weekend
5) “Do Wah Doo,” Kate Nash
Best Concert of 2010: Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens’ show at the Mesa Arts Center was, hands down, the best concert I saw all year and one of the best concerts (if not the best) I have ever seen in my life. I could sit and detail every way it was awesome, but you’d be here all day if I did. Just trust me on this one.
Runner up concert: Phoenix
If Sufjan Stevens hadn’t been so amazing Phoenix would have won out. I did not expect this concert to have the energy that it did; this band can really connect with their audience.
Jason Franz
Here’s my very conventional list:
1. Sufjan Stevens, The Age of Adz/All Enlightened People
2. Vampire Weekend, Contra
3. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
4. LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening
5. Cee Lo Green, The Lady Killer
6. Junip, Fields
7. Spoon, Transference
8. The Black Keys, Brothers
9. The Dead Weather, Sea of Cowards
10. Daft Punk, Tron: Legacy Soundtrack
Kerry Howe
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Frazey Ford – Obadiah
Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here
Karen Elson – The Ghost Who Walks
Herbie Hancock – The Imagine Project
Laura Veirs – July Flame
Janelle Monae – Archandroid
The Black Keys – Brothers
LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
Rihanna – Loud (good gravy I know its pop, but that girl is taking over the world one single at a time!)
Russ Baurichter
State Champion – Stale Champagne
Cloudkicker – Beacons
Burzum – Belus
Max Richter – Infra
Matthew Dear – Black City
William Ryan Fritch – Music for Honey and Bile
Kammerflimmer Kollektief – Wildling
Maserati – Pyramid of the Sun
Olafur Arnalds – …And They Have Escaped The Weight of Darkness
Beach House – Teen Dream
Stefin Sun Hehman
Robyn – Body Talk
Sleigh Bells – Treats
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot The Son of Chico Dusty
MGMT – Congratulations
Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Marc Hansen
1. The National – High Violet
2. Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
3. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
4. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
5. Beach House – Teen Dream
6. The Walkmen – Lisbon
7. Spoon – Transference
8. Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme
9. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
10. Vampire Weekend – Contra
Cesar “Astro” Ruiz
No Age – Everything In Between
Infinite Body – Carve Out The Face Of My God
Taylor Swift – Speak Now
Owen Pallett – Heartland
Girl Talk – All Day
Grinderman – Grinderman 2
Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
Girls – Broken Dreams Club EP
Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
Various Local Musicians – The Chronicles of Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Bret Helm
10. Current 93 – Baalstorm, Sing Omega
09. Katy Perry – Teenage Dream
08. Beach House – Teen Dream
07. Best Coast – Crazy For You
06. Brandon Flowers – Flamingo
03. Of Montreal – False Priest
04. Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin
03. Robyn – Body Talk
02. The National – High Violet
01. James – The Morning After The Night Before
Joshua Buckley
Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Minus the Bear – Omni
Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
Wolf Parade – Expo 86
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings – I learned the Hard Way
Good Morning Magpie – Murder by Death
The Dark Leaves – Matt Pond PA
Los Campesinos! – Romance is Boring
Castevet – The Echo and the Light
The Extra Lens – Undercard
Joe Milanes
lcd soundsystem-this is happening
caribou-swim
gil scott heron-im new here
arcade fire-the suburbs
deerhunter-halcyon digest
menomena-mines
royksopp-senior
laettia sadier-the trip
sufjan stevens-age of adz
the black keys-brothers
Adam Studer
Band of Horses
Kings of Leon
The Roots
Ray LaMontagne
Black Keys
Widespread Panic
Tom Petty
Neil Young
She & Him
The Beatles Remasters
Keith Dellinger
1. Kirkwood Dellinger, Gold
2. Shakira, Sale el Sol
3. The Necronauts, Gauche et Droite
4. Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops and Hooligans
5. Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
6. Gin Blossoms, No Chocolate Cake
7. Juanes, P.A.R.C.E.
8. Dirty Filthy Mugs, All Yobs In
9. Elvis Costello, National Ransom
10. Devo, Something for Everybody
The following list contains Hoodlums’ Top 100 Selling CDs of 2010. We like to print up these sorts of lists and scrutinize on ‘em a bit. We figured just in case you like to see what you and your fellow Hoodcustomers were buying, we’d post ‘em for you as well. There’s some really great titles on the list… feel free to come down and grab some today.
Hoodlums’ Top CDs of 2010
Black Keys – Brothers
Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
Arcade Fire – Suburbs
Broken Bells – S/T
Jimi Hendrix – Valleys of Neptune
JJ Grey and Mofro – Georgia Warhorse (in-store performance)
National – High Violet
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Mojo
Ray LaMontagne – God Willin’ and the Creek Will Rise
Florence & The Machine – Lungs
Spoon – Transference
Bad Religion – Dissent of Man (in-store performance)
Dry River Yacht Club – Ugliest Princess (in-store performance)
LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
She & Him – Volume Two
Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues
Jack Johnson – To the Sea
What Laura Says – Bloom Cheek (in-store performance)
Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street (cover artist autographed)
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Vampire Weekend – Contra (special edition)
Vampire Weekend – Contra (not special edition)
Fun – Live at Fingerprints (Record Store Day)
Mgmt. – Congratulations
Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
Bruce Springsteen – Promise
Sufjan Stevens – Age of Adz
Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Johnny Cash – American VI
Sharon Jones and Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way
Norah Jones – Featuring Norah Jones
Edward Sharpe & Magnetic Zeroes – Up From Below
John Legend and The Roots – Wake Up
Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards
Ryan Bingham & The Mescaleros – Junky Star
Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown
Sade – Soldier of Love
Carolina Chocolate Drops – Genuine Negro Jig
Cee-Lo Green – Lady Killer
Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
Ray LaMontagne – Trouble (our highest charting catalog CD)
Drive-By Truckers – Big To-Do
Grace Potter and The Nocturnals – Live in Skowhegan (Record Store Day)
Robert Plant – Band of Joy
Jimmy Eat World – Invented
New Pornographers – Together
Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
Manchester Orchestra – Live at Park Avenue (Record Store Day)
Neil Young – Le Noise
Sleigh Bells – Treats
B. B. King – Indianola Mississippi (Blues Blog)
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals – S/T
Bob Dylan – Witmark Demos
Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
Roots – How I Got Over
Dr. Dog – Shame Shame
Devo – Something for Everybody
Massive Attack – Heligoland
Rolling Stones – Exile Deluxe (Cover artist autogaphed)
Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love
Metric – Fantasies
Big Mama Thornton – With the Muddy Waters Blues Band (Blues blog)
Roky Erickson/Okkervil River – True Love Cast Out All Evil
Beach House – Teen Dream
Peter Gabriel – Scratch My Back
Yeaslayer – Odd Blood
Budos Band – Budos Band III
Cage the Elephant – Cage the Elephant
Crazy Heart – O.S.T.
Jeff Beck – Emotion and Commotion
Jerry Garcia – Jerry Garcia Collection, Volume Two: Let it Rock
Lady Gaga – Fame Monster
Elton John/Leon Russell – Union
XX – XX
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Irm
Ray LaMontagne – Till the Sun Turns Black (big year for Ray on our charts!)
Derek Trucks – Roadsongs
Paul Butterfield Blues Band – Butterfield Blues Band (Blues blog)
They Might Be Giants – Here Comes the Science
Jenny & Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now
White Stripes – Under Great White North
Eric Clapton – Clapton
Hold Steady – Heaven is Whenever
National – Boxer
Ratatat – LP4
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
Los Campesinos – Romance is Boring
Mgmt. – Oracular Spectacular
Ozzy Osbourne – Scream (in-store autographs next door)
Gogol Bordello – Trans-Continental Hustle
Jakob Dylan – Women and Country
Preservation: Album To Benefit Preservation Hall
Susan Boyle- Dreamed a Dream
Cee-Lo Green – F**k You (Record Store Day)
Weezer – Weezer Ratitude (Record Store Day)
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
Frank Zappa – Hot Rats
Grinderman – Grinderman 2
I’d add a bunch of cool graphics and things like that, but I’ve got to go type the Top LP list. Happy New Year. Thanks for the biz.
As Kristian and I celebrate our 12th Anniversary with Hoodlums (it’s a loose celebration, we’re gonna milk it), and continue to navigate a ever-changing waters of record store ownership, I’ve been doing a little reflecting on just why exactly I do this. The first one was Goosebumps.
It was Tuesday morning, and I answered the phone, and the nice lady on the phone explained that she has some LPs she would like to bring down. I began to explain the procedures for used LP buying and selling, and she said “No, you don’t understand, I want to give them to you”. ”That’s great, I said… we appreciate it”.
She went on to explain that she was coming all the way down from Scottsdale because she had read the article in the Arizona Republic that morning. Now usually I read the newspaper every morning (that’s right, I listen to CDs and read books and newspapers… cause I’m old school, and I can only mainline so much digital info), but I hadn’t gotten a chance to do so that morning, thanks to some sort of kid-related morning excursion. Because I had sent out a press release about our free J.J. Grey show, which was the next day, I assumed she saw something about that.
“I didn’t see the Republic this morning, was it something about our show tomorrow?”
Cool. There had a been a story about Valley record stores using social media to reach customers on AzCentral about two weeks earlier, but we had no idea it was going to run Valley-wide. Anyway, she went on:
“There’s even a picture. Is it you?”
“I don’t think so… they didn’t take any pictures during the interview… but they could have some sort of shot on hand”.
“Are you a hippy?”
“Uh, yeah… sorta”
“Do you have a beard?”
“Hmmm. Not officially, but I don’t like to shave very much.”
At this point, I just figured it was Kristian (that’s his cartoon, although the boy has shaved off the beard recently) because, well, we are both kind of hippies. It wouldn’t be the first time. Kristian once had a customer tell him that he was referred to Hoodlums with the reference that both of the owners look “a little like Jesus” (who’s pretty much the most famous bearded hippy of all time).
A little later in the day, our friend Brandon from Changing Hands brought a copy of the paper in, so I was able to check out the picture.
It wasn’t Kristian or me. It was Dario from Stinkweeds, our central Phoenix indie colleagues, the other store featured in the article. I guess most (I say “most”, because we must remember Joe) of the remaining record store guys fit the profile (although Joe has a different record store guy profile).
Let’s face it: I am a bearded hippy. I have been ever since I was old enough to grow a beard and do the things that hippies do. Which is just another reason I own a record store. There’s just not many jobs where I can be my bearded hippy self. Kristian either.
We’ve decided to make September “Blues Month” here at Hoodlums. That’s because we can pretty much make up whatever we want – and we love the Blues. That means all Blues CDs, DVDs, and LPs are 10% off regular price.
Now, just like all the other genres, all the hoodlums at Hoodlums have different tastes and specialties within the genre. Kristian loves that Delta, acoustic-sounding stuff more than I do (although I have my share of Delta Blues). Joe and the pups (Andy, Becky, Mandel) don’t play the blues very much… so I’m not sure about where they stand (except if there is such thing as avant-garde blues, Joe probably has a big collection).
Which bring us to our blog author, yours geekly. I tend to play, love, and promote stuff that’s a little quicker, a little more electric. OK… that’s probably an understatement (I hear some of my former colleagues out there saying, “Steve played three kinds of music: Rock, Blues, and Blues/Rock”). Although over the past fifteen years I have been responsible for plenty of jazz, soul, and world in-store play, for the first ten years of my Record Store Geekdom that description was pretty close to being right on. Either way, for close to 25 years, I have been listening to the blues and peddling blues to customers.
Those are the qualifications I bring to this table: Love and experience. So using that love and experience, combined with my desire to spread the blues (in a good way), I have decided to make up a little guide entitled,Blues for Rockers. (NOTE: If you want to read another list, from a man who’s way more qualified than I am, check out “Essential Chicago Blues Albums” by Valley Blues legend and guest blogger Bob Corritore.)
Just like I did with the How to Build Your Jazz Collection blog, I’ll clarify a bit of the logic that went into the list of amazing albums you see below you. That way, I won’t get harassed by blues purists out there because there’s no Robert Johnson or Son House on the list (I can hear Kristian talking about Leadbelly now). You see, those artists are all in my collection, and I do like, understand, and appreciate their foundational contributions, this isn’t a blog on starting a well-rounded blues collection… it’s a blog to help rockers (like all the goofs I hung with in High School) diversify into another genre. The genre that gave rock and roll it’s start.
Here’s are the factors that contributed to the list:
Smokin’ Price. It’s a lot easier to turn someone on to something new if the price is right… and every one of these classic titles is under $10 on CD. I would like to make a list of ten great new blues releases too, but the damn things are all priced in the fifteen dollar zone. Do we stock them? Yes (or we can special order for nothin’). Am I going to use them to promote blues-conversion? No.
Tempo. Most of these CDs kick a little ass. You don’t get to be a blues/rock/blues junkie like me without craving the sound of a wailin’ guitar, and these are some of the greatest guitar players (I’m listening to Albert King as I write… the man just kicks) of all time. There’s more than a few tunes to which you can drink a glass of wine (see Simone, Nina), but don’t expect a ton of puppy stuff.
Love. Amazingly, considering the same idiots still run the music industry, there were so many great blues classics under $10 that I had to really narrow it down to stuff that I know and love the most. As it is, I wanted to at least get to twenty, but I couldn’t do it. If you click on the allmusic reviews (linked on each title) you’ll see that most of the albums are critical darlings, but a few aren’t. I pay that no matter… I love each and every one. Hell, I wrote down the titles before I started writing anything else.
So if you love the Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or Eric Clapton… if you dig the Black Keys or Kings of Leon… and you’re ready to take a step back on the chain of rock and roll evolution, here we go.
21 Blues Albums for Rockers (in no particular order)
Willie Dixon – I Am the Blues ($6.99) Why not start with Willie? The dude wrote a truckload of the songs on many of these blues albums, and literally every single song on this CD has been famously covered by rock bands. Don’t believe me? How ’bout “Back Door Man” (Doors); “I Can’t Quit You, Baby” (Led Zep), and “Little Red Rooster” (Stones)… just to cite three. He’s the one they call the seventh son.
Muddy Waters/Howlin’ Wolf – Muddy and the Wolf ($9.99). Blues meet rock as the rock stars (who helped revive the blues in the first place) team up with my two favorite blues artist of all time (First Wolf, then Muddy). This CD isn’t Wolf and Muddy together, it is a combo of the Muddy’s Fathers and Sons album, with Butterfield, Bloomfield, Sumlin and more, and Howlin’ Wolf London Sessions, featuring Clapton, Winwood, and the Stones rhythm section of Watts and Wyman. I would have recommended both albums separately, but the actual Muddy CD is closer to fifteen bucks (the Wolf is $9.99). I’d still truly recommend both.
Butterfield Blues Band – East-West ($7.99) I could listen to these stinkin’ Butterfield CDs once a week. They just never get old. Let’s face it, Mike Bloomfield was one hell of a guitar player, and his impact is long considering his short life. The self-titled album is my favorite thing he’s ever done, but East/West is a close second.
Albert Collins – Truckin’ with Albert Collins ($9.99) I love Collins’ blistering style and gritty voice, and I had been digging back through his catalog, and I found his first recording at a sweet price, and I was sold. He’s the master… of the telecaster (Don’t believe me? He’ll tell you himself. Over and over again).
Robert Cray Band – Strong Persuader ($9.99) Along with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Couldn’t Stand the Weather, this is the first blues album I ever owned. It helped me cross the bridge to the blues. I had to pick one, and Stevie is in the rock and soul section at the store, so Cray was the choice. This album is smooth and sweet and Robert is a talented dude. ”She was right next door… and I’m such a strong persuader”.
Lightin’ Hopkins – Lightnin’. Like many of my favorite albums, this album was traded in by a customer. That’s the great thing about used buying – you get to test all sorts of stuff you wouldn’t have thought to try otherwise. I tried this and loved it. Come down to the store and hear it in the listening post and see for yourself.
Howlin’ Wolf – Back Door Wolf ($6.99) Another “used buy find” for me (Michael, was that you?). Once I discovered the price, I brought it right in. When I play it; it sells. You need a lot more Howlin’ Wolf than this (Moanin’ in the Moonlight, etc.), but this is a cheap way to start. From the allmusic bio on Wolf: “no one could match him for the singular ability to rock the house down to the foundation while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its wits”. Wow. Watching Wolf in his prime in a juke joint would be time-machine journey for me.
Albert King – Born Under a Bad Sign ($9.99) Unquestionably, this is one of the greatest electric blues albums of all time. Featuring Booker T. and the MGs as a band, Albert’s Stax debut lays down some blistering guitar licks on some of the most recognizable songs in blues history. One of the most consistent “play it and sell it” albums in Hoodlums’ history. Great cover too.
T-Bone Walker – T-Bone Blues ($9.99) Even though I try to avoid greatest hits compilations when I’m recommending stuff… it’s hard to avoid comps when you are dealing with the Blues. This comp is amazing. The best way to get a dose of T-Bone, who is a blues-rockin’ fool, writing some of the most rock-covered blues songs ever (which this CD proudly sports).
Nina Simone – Nina Simone Sings the Blues ($9.99) This is an album that you might want to play if you are hanging out with a wonderful girl and you want the mood be right (that’s not the way I would have put it in high school). If it doesn’t do the trick, I’d say that wonderful girl may not be that into you. Smart, sassy, sultry, snappy… if there’s an cool adjective that starts with “S”… Nina probably fits the description with this album. It’s an Allmusic Album Pick – and the review is completely glowing. ”Do I Move You?” asks Nina on the very first song. You got that right, sister.
Muddy Waters – Hard Again ($9.99) From the opening growl of “Mannish Boy”, you know you are in the presence of awesome blues power. That testosterone-laced masterpiece alone is worth twenty bucks, and there’s not a bad song behind it. Johnny Winter leads a top-notch band as Muddy returns to form in all his cocky glory.
Freddie King – Burglar ($6.99) As I type, I am listening to Freddie just tear it up in the wicked “Texas Flyer”, off this fine, inexpensive little masterpiece by one of the three Kings of the Blues. Here’s a game to play: Try naming rock musicians that have made a living playing like Freddie King. There’s more than a few riffs on this album to give you a hint or two. By the way, saying Eric Clapton doesn’t count, since he’s playing on this album on “Sugar Sweet”. (Trivia: What song quotes this about Freddie: “I got to tell ya that poker’s his thing”?)
Johnny Winter - Second Winter ($9.99) Long before helping resurrect Muddy’s career, Johnny was tearin’ it up on his own. Not exactly alone, he has brother Edgar and a great rhythm section behind him. I still can’t believe all these unbelievable albums are so damn cheap. That’s why both Johnny and Edgar’s CD still sell so well (that, and they are great).
John Lee Hooker – Endless Boogie ($6.99) Even though allmusic beat this title up a bit, I don’t really care. The exact reason they didn’t like it, the contributions from guest guitarists like Jesse Ed Davis, Mel Brown, and Steve Miler, is the exact reason I do like it. Lotsa tasty guitar, lotsa that Hooker growl.
Taj Mahal – Taj Mahal ($9.99) This could possibly be my number one fave of this whole list. It’s like it just keeps getting better with age. From the first strains of harmonica on “Leaving Trunk”, you just know this album is gonna be good. Featuring Jesse Ed Davis and Ry Cooder on guitar, you absolutely need this CD. (I had its successor, the five-star Natch’l Blues, on the list as well… but I had to include Johnny Winters).
Etta James – At Last($9.99) Honestly, I listen to Tell Mama a bit more, but it’s still more than ten bucks. Oh well, including her Chess debut, At Last, wasn’t a tough task. You gotta have some Etta. Etta is a bad-ass. Chicks dig Etta too. High or low; fast or slow. Etta can do it all.
Rising Sons - Featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder ($6.99) ”Want to see me sell this album?”. I don’t revere High Infidelity or anything, but anyone who works in a record store knows that some CD just have power. Add an “it’s only 6.99″ to the conversation, and you’ve got a sale. This Rising Sons album just walks that walk. It jumps right on the customer and makes them walk up and ask. This is the only compilation from the Rising Sons brief career, and it is top notch.
Big Mama Thornton – With The Muddy Waters Blues Band ($9.99) The newest addition to the list. Like many of the great albums in my collection, Kristian found it and turned me on. The allmusic bio used phrases like “menacing growl” and “hefty belter”… and her name is Willie Mae… and this is Muddy’s band… so how can you not be curious?
BB King – Indianola Mississippi Seeds ($6.99) Let me see… Kristian found the LP and listened to it. Then we checked the CD, and it was only 6.99, so he bought it. Then I listened to it and bought it. Then we put it in a listening post and sold a bunch. Now we are telling you. You just gotta have some B.B. King, and although this album is hardly enough to represent such a master, it’s a good one to have.
Buddy Guy – I Was Walking Through the Woods ($9.99) Buddy is the new Muddy, the reigning king of the Chicago Blues. I saw him at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert, and he is still tearing up. This a comp of Buddy’s early Chess recordings… another in a long line of beautiful albums discovered through a customer trade-in.
There it is… a place to start. Come down to the store during September, and we can discuss it more. If these albums aren’t already in a listening post, I will pull them from my personal play list and let you listen to whatever you want. Thanks for reading. Long live the Blues.
Five CDs I probably would have included, except they cost more than $10:
Sonny Boy Williamson - Real Folk Blues/More Real Folks Blues
Bobby “Blue” Bland – Touch of the Blues
Collins, Cray, Copeland – Showdown!
Bluesbreakers (w/Mayall and Clapton)- S/T
John Lee Hooker – Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues
Five CDs that are damn good rock-blues, but just a bit too on the rock side to include in this:
Derek and the Dominoes – Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Couldn’t Stand the Weather
Rory Gallagher – Rory Gallagher
Allman Brothers - The Allman Brothers
North Mississippi Allstars – Shake Hands with Shorty
Happy New Year to you and your family! We are looking forward to hanging out and talking music, art, and movies with you in 2012.
Country Music — Willie Nelson
Smokin’ Price. It’s a lot easier to turn someone on to something new if the price is right… and every one of these classic titles is under $10 on CD. I would like to make a list of ten great new blues releases too, but the damn things are all priced in the fifteen dollar zone. Do we stock them? Yes (or we can special order for nothin’). Am I going to use them to promote blues-conversion? No.
Johnny Winter - 
Big Mama Thornton –