Archive for the ‘The Music’ Category

Top Tens of the Hoodlums’ Hall of Famers

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Ah yes, the hall of famers.

Hoodlums.  Each and every one of them.  Don’t let their new gigs as teachers, or bankers, or major label big shots, or whatever  “real job” they have now, fool ya.  They are still hoodlums.

(OK, there might be a suit or two.  We still haven’t heard from Martin, Justin, Marla, or Vinny, and we can’t find Ash or Alisa.  For all we know, they could be turning their backs on music.)

Anyway, when we put the call out (read: direct video harassment) to our old friends and fellow hoods, many of them reaffirmed our faith in society by actually showing us that they were still listening to new music way into their twenties (and thirties for a couple of the former little shits, eh?).

As you can see, they cover a lot of ground… and like I said in the call out… they all do their lists differently.  Sincere thanks to all of our Hall of Famers who took the time to participate.

Wanna know more about these goofballs?  There’s still some info on all the hoodlums, current and past, on the hoodlums at Hoodlums page.  And now, here’s their lists (except Maria, whose lists is with Joe’s, detailed in the Top Tens of a Diverse Household blog).

By the way… Vinny, you sorry dog, where are you?  C’mon now, you OWN a record store.

The Hoodlums Hall of Famers Top Tens

Amanda - Hall of Famer

Amanda the Hoodlum

No suprises from me! (except that I didn’t love the new Shakira)

Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
Sarah Jarosz- Song Up in Her Head
Mos Def- Ecstatic
Pete Yorn/Scarlette Johanson- Break Up
Regina Spektor- Far
Flo Rida- R.O.O.T.S
Paramore- Brand New Eyes
Norah Jones- The Fall
Mum- Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know
John Mayer- Battle Studies

Domenic the Hall of Famer

Dominec the Hoodlum

Music:

1.) Serengeti & Polyphonic – Terradactyl
2.) Converge – Axe To Fall
3.) Dan Deacon – Bromst
4.) Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
5.) The Xx – XX
6.) Burnt By The Sun – Heart of Darkness
7.) The Antlers – Hopsice
8.) Ulcerate – Everything Is Fire
9.) Gaza – He Is Never Coming Back
10.) Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue
Favorite Reissue: Company Flow – Funcrusher Plus

Movies (not exclusive to 2009):

1.) 3-Iron
2.) Walkabout
3.) The Elephant Man
4.) The Piano Teacher
5.) In The Mood For Love
6.) Persona
7.) Do The Right Thing
8.) Ikiru
9.) Ponyo
10.) Let The Right One In

Heath may or may not look like this today

Heath the Hoodlum

Top Eleven (no order):

Atlas Sound “Logos”
The Antlers “Hospice”
A Sunny Day in Glasgow “Ashes Grammar”
The XX “XX”
Drake “So Far Gone” Mixtape
Lightning Bolt “Earthly Delights”
Freddie Gibbs “Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs” Mixtape Baroness “Blue Record”
Japandroids “Post Nothing”
Animal Collective “Merriweather Post Pavilion”
Fuck Buttons “Tarot Sport”

Honorable Mention:

Miike Snow “S/T”
Real Estate “S/T”
Raekwon “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2″
Volcano Choir “Unmap”
Phoenix “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”
Neon Indian “Psychic Chasms”
Mayer Hawthorne “Strange Arrangement”

Re-discoverd:

Sonny Clark “Sonny Clark Trio”

Shameless Promotion:

Ribbons “Daytrotter Session 10/31/09″

Not with a Top Ten foot pole:

Girls “Album”
Fever Ray “S/T”
Dirty Projectors “Bitte Orca”

Lloyd (original co-owner and hoodlum)

Here’s what I enjoyed this past year:

U2 – No Line On The Horizon
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Up From Below
Miike Snow – Miike Snow
Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke
Harper Simon – Harper Simon
The Sounds – Crossing The Rubicon
Fun. – Aim & Ignite
Diamond District – In The Ruff
Kitty Daisy & Lewis – Kitty Daisy & Lewis
Imogen Heap – Ellipse

My 2009 Playlist…

1. Passion Pit – Little Things
2. Donkeyboy – Sometimes
3. Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing
4. La Roux – Bulletproof
5. Ryan Leslie – Never Gonna Break Up
6. Jack Penate – Pull My Heart Away
7. The XX – VCR
8. Phoenix – 1901
9. Taking Back Sunday – Sink Into Me
10. Fun. – All The Pretty Girls
11. Pearl Jam – The Fixer
12. Kitty Daisy & Lewis – I Got My Mojo Working
13. Throw Me The Statue – Hi-Fi Goon
14. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Janglin, Home
15. Harper Simon – Shooting Star
16. Tragically Hip – Morning Moon
17. Tinted Windows – Nothing To Me
18. Franz Ferdinand – No You Girls
19. Sam Roberts – Them Kids
20. Miike Snow – Animal, Burial
21. The Sounds – Underground
22. Iglu & Hartly – Jump Out Of Your Car
23. U2 – Unknown Caller
24. Luke Tierney – My New Best Friend
25. Katy Perry – Waking Up In Vegas
26. Neko Case – People Got A Lot Of Nerve
27. Wilco – Wilco (the song)
28. Green Day – 21 Guns
29. Ladyhawke – My Delirium
30. Diamond District – Streets Won’t Let Me Chill

Other Things…

Tom Petty Live Superhighway website
Hall & Oates Box Set
Big Star Box Set and Replacements reissues
My daughters’ interest in random Paul McCartney songs (No More Lonely Nights, Take It Away)
Weeds
30 Rock
Eastbound & Down
U2 at the Rose Bowl

30+ Favorite Albums of the 2000′s (in no particular order):

1. The Format – Interventions & Lullabyes
2. Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
3. U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
4. Kanye West – College Dropout, Late Registration
5. Supergrass – Supergrass
6. Rival Schools – United By Fate
7. Chromeo – Fancy Footwork
8. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
9. Ryan Adams – Gold, Easy Tiger
10. Pete Yorn – musicforthemorningafter
11. The Kooks – Inside In/Inside Out
12. Bruce Springsteen – Magic
13. No Doubt – Rock Steady
14. Matt Costa – Unfamiliar Faces
15. Shelby Lynne – I Am Shelby Lynne
16. Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s – The Dust Of Retreat
17. Kathleen Edwards – Failer, Back To Me
18. David Mead – Mine & Yours
19. Rooney – Rooney
20. Brendan Benson – Lapalco, Alternative To Love
21. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
22. Tom Petty – Highway Companion
23. Damone – Out Here All Night
24. The Roots – Game Theory
25. Tift Merritt – Tambourine
26. Van Hunt – Van Hunt
27. Radiohead – Kid A
28. Rhett Miller – The Instigator
29. Robin Thicke – The Evolution Of Robin Thicke
30. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Live Anthology, Runnin’ Down A Dream movie

30 Favorite Songs Of the 2000′s

1. All These Things I’ve Done – The Killers
2. Elevator Love Letter – Stars
3. The First Single – The Format
4. Square One – Tom Petty
5. I’m Dead – Instruction
6. No Tomorrow – Orson
7. Let’s Talk Turkey – Ima Robot
8. Down Here In Hell With You or Dust – Van Hunt
9. Closet – Pete Yorn
10. Good Things – Rival Schools
11. In The Music – The Roots
12. Fury – Little Big Town
13. California Waiting and Sex On Fire – Kings Of Leon
14. Out Here All Night – Damone
15. The People – Common
16. 99 Problems – Jay-Z
17. Idioteque – Radiohead
18. Walk On, City Of Blinding Lights, Unknown Caller- U2
19. St. Petersburg – Supergrass
20. Longest Days -John Mellencamp
21. Big Brat or Do The Panic – Phantom Planet
22. Too Young – Phoenix
23. Wait It Out – Tift Merritt
24. Daft Punk Is Playing At My House – LCD Soundsystem
25. Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
26. Golden Age – TV On The Radio
27. The Way We Get By – Spoon
28. New Slang or Phantom Limb – The Shins
29. If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys
30. Pop Goes My Heart – Hugh Grant

Top Lists of a Diverse Household: Joe and Maria

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Meet Joe and Maria, Hoodlums’ most diverse musical couple, and one of the most diverse music-loving households in America.

A cartoon of Joe just does not capture all the magic.Of course, any household that includes the tastes of the Hoodlums’ store manager is automatically in the running for this title.  If you’ve been around the store awhile, you probably know that Joe is the most “eccentric” listener of the Hoodlums’ hoodlums.

What do I mean by eccentric?  Have you heard of Pink Floyd’s song “Several Species of Small Furry Animals  Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict”?  Well, Joe probably doesn’t like that song (because it is a Pink Floyd song and Joe doesn’t do groups that have sold eight gazillion albums), but for sure if there was an actual field recording of those small animals in that cave, it would probably make Joe’s list (it might actually be on the list below).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying (although I have wondered) that Joe listens to certain types of music just to be contrary to popular opinion (I have asked “why” occasionally, and he always has solid explanations).  I am saying that he doesn’t just walk his own path… he’s in an entirely different forest.

Am I kidding?  Yes and no.  I love to give Joe a hard time in general (and he gives it right back, while taking it like a champ), so the angle of this blog is amusing me, but he would be the first to acknowledge that we don’t necessarily subscribe to the same musical philosophy.  That’s one of things, in my opinion, that makes Hoodlums a good place to shop: Lots of diversity in staff tastes.

Maria finally gets her long overdue cartoonWhich brings us to the other half of this equation, his girlfriend, roommate, and Hoodlums’ Hall of Famer, Ms. Maria.  While equally opinionated, Maria’s list can be counted on to be a little more “accessible” than that of her hubby (as are yours, mine, Andy’s, Becky’s, and the entire Hoodlums’ Hall of Fame) .

What do I mean by more “accessible”?  Uh, there’s a melody.

(OK, that was a bit over-the-top on poor Joe.  I’m sure some of the stuff I can’t pronounce is melodic.)

Anyway, Maria, like many of our Hall of Famers, was cool enough to submit a list, which is included below Joe’s lists, so you can see what I mean.

Doubting my claims?  Here’s what you do: Put together a playlist, alternating from Joe’s list to Maria’s, and put it on.  Then buy, adopt, or inherit double digit pets, and you’ll see what we mean about a diverse musical household.  It’s a veritable cornucopia of sensory stimulation.  We’ll expect a report.

Welcome… to Joe and Maria’s lists.

Joe the Hoodlum

Top Releases of the Year (in no order and a couple might be from late last year actually but I couldn’t bear to narrow it down any further so…)

1. Philip Jeck – “Suite – Live in Liverpool”
2. SND – “Atavism”
3. Skepticism – “Alloy”
4. Mika Vainio – “Aineen Musta Puhelin”
5. Phill Niblock – “Touch Strings”
6. Alva Noto – “Xerrox Vol. 2″
7. Fever Ray – S/T
8. Mika Vainio / Lucio Capece – “Trahnie”
9. Dawid Szczesny – “Luxated Symmetry”
10. Luigi Archetti / Bo Wiget – “Low Tide Digitals Vol. 3″
11. Stephen Steinbrink – “Ugly Unknowns”
12. Yoshio Machida – “Steelpan Improvisations”
13. Evan Parker – “The Moment’s Energy”
14. KK Null – “Oxygen Flash”
15. Tegan & Sara – “Sainthood”

Note: For all the shit I give my colleague, we wouldn’t trade him for nothin’.  Joe has been our alltime champion employee, and he represents a wealth of knowledge about the stuff he digs, as well as a ton of the stuff you dig.  This place wouldn’t be the same without his unique talents and contributions, and I could do a separate Top 10 list of all the great stuff he has turned me on to in the last nine years.  Thanks Joe!

Top Reissues / Archival Releases

1. BBC Radiophonic Workshop – “John Baker Tapes Vol. 2″
2. VA – “Japan: Noh – Biwa – Shakuhachi 1941″
3. Stockhausen – “Spiral – Pole – Etc…” EMI Classics
4. Oren Ambarchi – “Persona”
5. Edward Williams – “Music from the 1979 BBC Series Life On Earth”

Top records that I have been listening to this year that aren’t new:

1. Derek Bailey – “Pieces for Guitar”
2. Oval – “Dok”
3, Barton Workshop – Performs Morton Feldman 3-CD Set
4. Voivod – “Negatron”
5. Buffy Sainte-Marie – “Illuminations”

Top Ten Records of the Decade.  In no order!

1. Keith Fullerton Whitman – “Playthroughs”
2. Six Organs of Admittance – “Dark Noontide”
3. Gas – “Pop”
4. Steve Tibbetts – “A Man About a Horse”
5. Immortal – “Sons of Northern Darkness”
6. Radiohead – “Kid A”
7. Wilco – “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”
8. Boredoms – “Vision Creation Newsun”
9. Boards of Canada – “In a Beautiful Place Out In the Country”
10. Andrew WK – “I Get Wet”

Maria the Hoodlums Hall of Famer

Here’s my top 10 of 2009:

1.Florence + the Machine -LUNGS
2.Chris Isaak- Mr. Lucky
3. Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus
4.Orenda Fink- Ask the Night
5.Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
6.Tegan and Sara- Sainthood
7. Amerie-In Love and War
8.Band of Skulls- Baby Darling Dollface Honey
9. Camera Obscura- My Maudlin Career
10. Fanfarlo-Reservoir

Note: In our experience, Maria has tended to favor female vocalists (Read: she never actually played a male vocalist in her history at the store).  Amazingly, there a multiple singin’ dudes on this list.  Joe is apparently having some influence?

5 things I hate about the Entertainment Industry/ Media at the moment:

1. Reality TV and the people reality shows make famous.
2. the need to continue to keep Lindsey Lohan’s name floating around. Seriously, wasn’t her last movie like 4 years ago?
3. the decision to create a new ‘Girls Next Door’…extremely bad. This is also tied with continuing to let Britney Spears release music.
4. They cancelled ‘Dollhouse’, one of the few original pieces of TV worth watching. Bastards!
5. Remaking/ ‘Updating’ classic movies. Just stop it!

5 things I am not minding about the Entertainment Industry/ Media at the moment.

1. the continued work towards preservation and release of classic films.
2. the rare release of music that is not only great but written, produced, and sung, and performed live not lyp-synched by the actual artist/group.
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox. This movie is awesome! My favorite 2009 release.
4. Finally starting to admit more and more that female actresses/singers with some curves is okay and curviness is *gasp* kind of the norm.
5. The shunning of Kanye West.

Top Tens of 2009, by Becky the Hoodlum

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Becky is the girl.  The girl that works at the store.  She isn’t the first girl (Hall of Famer’s Maria and Amanda have submitted top tens, and I’m sure we would have gotten them from Mza, Ashlea, and Alisa if I knew how to contact the toads), but she is the only current female Hoodlum.

Becky cartoon for webThank goodness.   In addition to rolling their eyes when the BS gets too deep, the girls usually play different and often interesting stuff, which means the old guys (read: me) get to hear even more diverse selection of music (than strictly guy junk..which I also love).

Like the girls that have ventured into Guyville previously (record stores have always been lopsided on male geeks), Becky is one of us.  An actual hoodlum and a true record store geek.  Like the rest of us, Becky is here because she is a music nut.  She hung around the ASU store for years, while taking on about nine different jobs in the ASU and Tempe “music biz” (kind of like our friend Ash, who should have sent us top ten lists, but didn’t).  She finally got hired in 2009 (the interview was in 2006, truly), so she’s not a rookie anymore.  That’s her very first Hood cartoon, revealed in this blog for the first time.

Becky can be found in the store on various nights and weekends.  She helps us set up the bands that you see on the Hoodstage.

Check out her Top Tens of 2009 and then come down and have her play some cool stuff for you.

Becky the Hoodlum

Top 10 Albums of 2009

1.    Fever Ray – Fever Ray
2.    Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
3.    Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy
4.    The Big Pink – A Brief History of Love
5.    Screaming Females – Power Move
6.    Music Go Music – Expressions
7.    David Bazan – Curse Your Branches
8.    Lightning Dust – Infinite Light
9.    Built To Spill – There Is No Enemy
10.    Real Estate – Real Estate

Top 5 albums I enjoyed in 2009 that were not made in 2009

1.    Lydia Lunch – Queen of Siam
2.    Red Lorry Yellow Lorry – Nothing Wrong
3.    Wanda Jackson – Wanda Jackson
4.    Mike McGear – McGear
5.    Blondie – Quarters to Dollars

Top 10 local acts of 2009

1.    Bangarang
2.    Soft Drink
3.    Stephen Steinbrink
4.    Chandails
5.    Earthmen & Strangers
6.    Becky Lee & Drunkfoot
7.    The Whisperlights
8.    Back Ted N-Ted
9.    Gospel Claws
10.    Owl Out

Top 5 albums I wish I’d spent more time with in 2009 and will in 2010

1.    Jim O’Rourke – The Visitor
2.    Turbo Fruits – Echo Kid
3.    Baroness – Blue Record
4.    Jemina Pearl – Break It Up
5.    Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band – Between My Head and the Sky

Top 10 concerts of 2009

1.    Jeff Tweedy – The Orpheum
2.    Davila 666 – The Trunkspace
3.    The Donkeys – Yucca Tap Room
4.    Metric – Martini Ranch
5.    The Grates – Modified Arts
6.    Yo La Tengo – Marquee Theatre
7.    Wilco and Grizzly Bear – Centennial Hall
8.    Bruce Springsteen – Jobing Arena
9.    Flight of The Conchords – Dodge Theatre
10.    Blondie – Dodge Theatre

Top 10 lists are fun! We’re here to help you try one.

Friday, January 8th, 2010

I realize we aren’t exactly the first ones to hit you with a Top 10 list.  But hey, it’s the end of the year, and for the matter, the end of the decade… so lists were bound to happen

Being record store geeks, we really have to do them.  It is in our blood.

Steve - the Record Store Geek in cartoonOK, that might not be entirely true.  I’ll never really know, because the truth is that I “ask” (read: make?) all of the hoodlums to send me some lists, which they do… except for Kristian, the store’s co-owner and ultimate rebel, who can and does refuse to do them (You can see my “Want good music?  Ask Kristian” video blog here).

Don’t worry, they are all rebels to some degree.  We hire ‘em that way.  If I ask for top fives, they send top ten or twenty.  If I want two, they send ten; If I want ten, they send two.  If I ask for specific categories… they may or may not give them to me.  I will post them as they were sent to me, so you can see what I mean.  Last, but certainly, they send them late.

But one thing I do know for sure is: They don’t put things on their lists lightly.  Neither do I.

And they all know what I know: If you are a real music fan, doing top ten lists can be a lot of fun.  Really.  Once you get going, you can get out of control (see Andy the Hoodlums’ list for an example).

Would you like to try?  We’ll provide some incentive.  You send us you top five, or your top ten, or whatever music and movie rated list you want… and we’ll enter you in a contest to win $50 worth of good ol’ Hoodlums merchandise (otherwise known as a gift card).  Only two rules:

1) We gotta have ‘em by January 15th (that gives you roughly a week); and

2) You need to be prepared for us to possibly post them online.

Wanna play?  Email your name and lists to us by clicking here.  Send ‘em in text form if possible.

In the meantime, we’ll be posting our separately.

How do you do it?  Here’s how I do it:

  • Start drinking wine or beer.  Whatever you are in the mood for…
  • Put all of your CDs back in their proper alphabetized section (you have them alpha’d, right?).
  • Peruse your CDs and start writing down stuff.  Make sure music is playing to inspire you.  Drink more booze, or change albums, if it isn’t working.
  • Check other top ten lists to see if there is something that you forgot or misplaced.  Here’s some links for some good ones: NPR, Allmusic.comPitchfork, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, and Aquarium Drunkard.
  • You have a whole decade to work with, so this shouldn’t be tough… but if it is, make just make up some categories (magazines do it all the time for their “best of” issues).
  • Type ‘em up and send ‘em to the Record Store Geek.

Sounds easy enough, eh?  You’ve got a week to enter the contest, so send those picks in.  Some of us are doing ours this week as well, so we’ll compare notes.

Video Recommendations from Record Store Geek

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Hey there gang,

Steve Wiley here, co-owner of Hoodlums, and official Record Store Geek.

Steve - the Record Store Geek in cartoonFor a long time now, I’ve been sending videos to my friends in lieu of email.  I don’ t profess to be cute enough for video (yes, it pains me to have to look my goofy hair, etc), and the lighting isn’t exactly studio-quality, but it allows me to inject a bit more personality than when I am strictly writing (which I like to do as well).

In these videos, the topic often moved to music, which is natural… since I’m a rambling toad and talking about music and movies is what I do.  So a while back I thought “Wow geekboy, maybe you should put these things on the Hoodlums’ Facebook page, since you do recommend and sell music for a living” (the actual thought was longer… that’s a recap).

So that’s what I did.  If you are a fan on Facebook, you can stop here.

If you’re not, I’m adding the vids to the website/blog… in case you need some new music (and because we just can’t “social network” enough).   Hopefully they aren’t too annoying, because after twenty-two years in this wacky industry, I have thousands of albums that I can passionately recommend.

Some of the videos are directly to the clowns I grew up with (Nodak cats with names like Slo, Ratch, Seif, Lenny, and Rubberhead).  Some are to family members.  Some are just to the customers in general.  They all have a bit more of a written description on the Facebook video page (along with links, etc.), in case you want the full impact.  They are all one takes , so there are plenty of gaffes.  Wanna talk more about the album?  Comment here or on our Facebook page… or better yet, come down to the store.

And now, the Record Store Geek recommends…

Bebel Gilberto.  “Tanto Tempo” &  “All in One”

This is about the supreme Brazilian wondergirl.  I still listen to “Tanto Tempo” twice a month… from beginning to end (which isn’t the case with lots of albums).

Big John Patton.  “Let ‘Em Roll”.

Amazing Blue note album of smokin’ hardbop jazz with an organ/guitar/vibe/drum combo that really moves.  I was listening to it on the ‘pod while walking, and I had to spew posi for someone to hear.

Michael Franti “Everyone Deserves Music”

This one is for Ratch’s kids.  They’ve been listening to T-Pain, and I felt the need to intervene with some positive hip hop recommendations.  It all starts with the mighty Franti… but the Facebook recap on this one has a bunch of links to other hip-hop.

Whiskeytown “Stranger’s Almanac”

Ryan Adams way back when he was David Ryan Adams.  This album, somehow, just keeps getting better for me.  Just typing this makes me want to listen to it.

Frank Zappa.  Making of Apostrophe/Overnite Sensation DVD.

This one is for Seif, the Nodak boy who turned me on to Zappa.  This Zappa DVD is amazing… simply loaded with all those closest to the man and the process.



Allman Brothers “Brothers and Sisters”

The one and only Allman Brothers… a pure rock and roll recommendation for my fellow “early 80′s” HS grads who may have missed it.

The Faces “Ooh La La”

This one is for my sister, to help her understand why I dog Rod Stewart about recording four albums full of standards.  This band is rock at it’s cocky best.

That’s everything.  Any new video recommendations will be posted first on our Facebook Page (it’s a great place for recommendations… because the non-video hoodlums weigh in there as well)

Music Biz observations from our first year

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

The following blog is actually an email that was sent to our “Music Biz Bigshots” (which is how we lovingly refer to all of the record label and distributor people that we have done business with for twenty years now) email list. We always made it a point to let the industry know what we think of their hilarious decision-making while we were at ASU, and we are still doing it out here.  This time, we figured we’d at least leave it out there for the customers. After all, you guys are affected by their short-sightedness as well.

Hello fellow music biz geeks,

Are we still in this crazy business?  Man, it seems like forever since we talked.  Back in the old days, back in the time when we thought we understood the phrase “uncharted waters”, we used to send charts out every week.

Steve Wiley - Professional HoodlumAnyway, down there you will find a chart.  It’s our top 99 of our first full year at the new store.  Although the old store has a totally new personality, mine is still the same (insert smart-ass comment here), so I figured I’d comment on some of the industry-related things we noticed in our 1st year at the new joint.  If you want to scroll down and skip the babble… we’ll never know.

So what’s been going on at Hoodlums, you ask?  How’s biz and all that?

Well, we are officially a year old.  If you remember, we soft-opened on Saturday, September 20th, and our grand opening was in early October.  Two days later the stock market dove, officially signaling the start of the freakshow economy.

Since then we’ve had our first real holiday season, six art shows, and Hoodstock.  We’ve stirred up conservative radio hosts, interacted with our community, learned how to buy used vinyl, and watched another unbelievable year’s worth of changes in the music industry.  Joey Kramer used our bathroom.  So did Peter Yarrow.

We haven’t sent you charts because we’ve been focused on the customers and building up the store.  It isn’t cause we haven’t been paying attention to this crazy $#%& (I haven’t turned anti-vulgarity, I have to do that in case customers are on the list) industry.  As usual, we can’t speak for other stores, or any of you cats, but we can tell you how the music biz looks from our tiny little vantage point.

1. Prices are getting better on catalog.

Let’s start positive.  Those WEA 7.99 titles (Talking Heads, ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, Faith No More, etc.) and those Sony 6.99 (Ten Years After, Mike Bloomfield, Milt Jackson, etc) titles have been huge sellers.  We brought a bunch in around February and they have been moving along better than we had hoped.  For 6.99 new, people will buy that David Bromberg album they used to love.  Now, with most of those great Sony 11.99 titles selling at 9.99 (don’t give me that “we don’t have a list price” bullshit, we still base price on cost, not the margin Sony decides we should lose), we are sporting a pretty mean selection of classic CDs at ten or less.  That’s what we’ve been talking about for eleven years: Cheaper prices = More sales.

2. Prices are still too high on catalog.

In the meantime, I shudder to think of how many CSN, Radiohead, or Led Zeppelin CDs we could sell at a realistic list.  18.98?  17.98?  In this day and age?  I can’t even believe those are still a price points.  Is there an economist in the house over in those Ivory Towers?  There must be someone who understands supply and demand.  Call me crazy, but since I’ve been lobbying lower prices to the industry for years to little avail, I’ve decided to make a plea to the artist.  Read the “Robert Plant – A Story and Video Plea” blog here.

3. High list prices more or less kill plans to develop and sell newer jazz, blues, and world.

While the catalog pricing offers some reasonable options in these genres, when it comes to new releases, who can afford it?  Note to the Ivory Tower: After years of watching the way you market these genres, we assume that you don’t ever want to target any young adults at all… but we should at least mention that baby boomers are price conscious too, and pricing every artist on every adult genre at 17.98 or 18.98 list is a bad idea.  I’d love to turn someone, young or old, on to a new Joe Lovano or Roy Hargrove CD, but why bother trying when you can turn them on to a classic Jackie McLean, John Coltrane, or Sonny Rollins CD for under ten bucks?

4. Hang on to your obscure, and not so obscure, CDs.

We are starting to see a lot of CDs go out of print.  Speaking of supply and demand, you want LeRoy Hutson’s Greatest Hits?  It’s gonna cost you no less than $150 on Amazon (pretty much the same price they wanted for the Beatles boxes, isn’t it?).  That plays right into our little hands, because when it comes to finding special orders… a scrappy little joint like ours is the place to go.

5. Label reps that set up records are a dying breed.

It may be because we are just a little joint – but we rarely see a label rep set up new releases any more.  There’s still a few out there that can be counted on to consistently do so (Jay from Sony/now Nettwerk, Melissa from Epitaph/Anti, and the gang at Fearless come to mind), and some that are starting to come on board, but for the most part it feels like we are on our own when it comes to deciding what it worthy of promoting or not.

That’s not all bad, and we aren’t necessarily upset.  After all, we are more than capable of finding stuff for the posts.  But for sure on the right releases a great set-up makes a huge difference… and for sure a great rep that know what to push at your store (or in this day and age, one that pushes at all) can make all the difference.  Look at all the Sony and Epitaph stuff that made the chart.  There’s no way that NASA makes this chart without support.  Would we have brought it in?  Sure.  One copy.  Would we have put it in the post?  Probably not.

How does the lack of set-up hurt?  If someone would have worked with us on the recent Noisettes or Raveonettes CDs, we probably would have quadrupled sales so far.  Do we react once we see demand?  Sure, but it hurts at first, when it matters most.  In this economy, in this industry, we do our new release buying with caution.  Often, we aren’t quite sure what customers are going to want (since the internet has given every customer the ability to find out their own street dates, we don’t quite get the “pre-buzz” like the old days).  People just sorta show up on street date and buy.  It’s easy with proven champs like Flaming Lips or Built to Spill, but since we don’t listen to the radio or monitor internet activity, its tough to judge whether those mid-level groups still have interested fans.  If we don’t hear from anyone at the label, we assume the label isn’t really behind them anymore.  If we buy the CD at all, we buy one.

Like I said, our little store may not rate the coverage… and we can live with that, but I don’t think that’s it.  We seem to be on the radar still.  We still get visits from out-of-town Music Biz Bigshots.  We still get stuff in the mail.  It seems more likely that either: a) there aren’t enough label reps (Phoenix doesn’t have a WEA, Sony, or EMD sales rep – and our UNI sales rep is covering like 32 states or something);  b) many of the labels out there aren’t focused on on physical product at the indie stores; or c) lack of accountability and direction are at an all time high.  Probably a little of everything.

6. Everything is still free on the Internet.

Somehow in spite of those FBI stickers… in spite of the lawsuits… in spite of the “switched” street dates, the branded play copies, and the Congressional testimony… every release is still out there for a grand total of nothing.   I know because we have to get a lot of our play copies, the ones we need to help sell your CDs, the same way that a huge portion of the rest of the world has been getting their music for twelve years now.

Can you guys finally relent and monetize the file-sharing?  Maybe that way CD prices will continue to fall and those who want to collect and peddle the hard copies can do so – while those that are content with files can do their thing legally.  While we are on the subject: A buck a song is still too much.

7. Labels, in true form, are already stifling the vinyl resurgence with ridiculous prices.

It was totally predictable.  Customers find value in LPs… so labels jack prices until the value goes away.  It’s the same Ivory Tower game plan that has helped kill CDs sales over the past twelve years.

It’s simple, anything over $20 is TOO MUCH for an LP.  Even if the digital file in included.  Each week, as we decide what to bring in… we simply look at the list price. These days, instead of 18.98, which is fine (with the digital info), we see lots of 24.98.  If the price is over twenty, unless it is something we can’t live without (like the Wilco releases), we don’t bring it in.  The biggest recent example is the Muse reissues.  Four releases from a very powerful band at Hoodlums, yet only one (Black Holes..) is priced under twenty.  We brought in Black Holes, and it is nearing double digit sales.  The other three have become special orders.

There is it: Our take on how the music biz decision-making is looking at this little store.  As always, we appreciate your support… and your taking the time to read our opinions.  Have a great day.

Steve, Kristian, and the hoodlums at Hoodlums.

The Top 99 of Hoodlums’ 1st year (September 2008 – September 2009)

The album is the latest release by the artist, unless specified.

  1. Kings of Leon
  2. Neko Case
  3. Animal Collective
  4. Black Carl
  5. Darren Mahoney
  6. Fleet Foxes
  7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  8. Phoenix
  9. Wilco
  10. Bon Iver
  11. What Laura Says
  12. Andrew Bird
  13. Dead Weather
  14. Green Day
  15. Ray Lamontagne
  16. Neil Young
  17. TV on the Radio
  18. Bruce Springsteen
  19. Catfish Groove Farm
  20. Calexico
  21. Regina Spektor
  22. U2
  23. Kinch
  24. Iron and Wine
  25. Ben Harper & Relentless 7
  26. Leonard Cohen
  27. Bob Dylan
  28. VA – Thank You, Goodnight
  29. Fleet Foxes – EP
  30. Iron & Wine
  31. Decemberists
  32. Lucinda Williams
  33. Grizzly Bear
  34. Silversun Pickups
  35. Manchester Orchestra
  36. She & Him
  37. Sonic Youth
  38. Jack Johnson/D. Frankenreiter/G. Love
  39. Steve Earle
  40. Vampire Weekend
  41. Camera Obscura
  42. St. Vincent
  43. Adele
  44. Kanye West
  45. Fun
  46. Dan Auerbach
  47. Bloc Party
  48. Beatles – Abbey
  49. Of Montreal
  50. Dinosaur Jr.
  51. Arctic Monkeys
  52. Ben Folds
  53. Bob Dylan – Telltale Signs/Boot 8
  54. Dave Matthews
  55. Elvis Costello
  56. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
  57. Abba – Gold
  58. Jolie Holland
  59. Jenny Lewis
  60. Beatles – Sgt. Peppers
  61. Ryan Adams and Cardinals
  62. Jeff Beck
  63. Q-Tip
  64. Death Cab for Cutie
  65. Damien Rice – Live at Fingerprints
  66. NASA
  67. Bonnie Raitt – Give it Up
  68. Mars Volta – Octahedron
  69. Killers
  70. Radiohead
  71. Mgmt
  72. Franz Ferdinand
  73. Derek Trucks – Already Live
  74. Milt Jackson – Sunflower
  75. Ben Harper – Live at Twist and Shout
  76. Interpol – Live
  77. Son Volt
  78. Peter Bjorn and John
  79. Bob Marley & Wailers – Legend
  80. Taj Mahal – Taj Mahal
  81. Slumdog Millionaire OST
  82. Byrne/Eno
  83. Eminem
  84. Robert Plant/Allison Krauss
  85. Michael Franti
  86. Black Keys
  87. Talking Heads – Remain in Light
  88. Clapton/Winwood – Madison Square
  89. Coldplay
  90. Lily Allen
  91. Mark Olson/Gary Louris
  92. Uncle Tupelo – No Depression
  93. Kings of Leon – Youth and Young Manhood
  94. John Mayer – Village Sessions
  95. Chet Atkins/Les Paul – Chester and Lester
  96. Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
  97. Pearl Jam – Live at Easy Street
  98. VA – Vintage Verve (I love this, as I was on the panel that selected it)
  99. Alejandro Escovedo

How to Build a Jazz Collection, by Steve the hoodlum

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

Changing Hands has asked me to come over and teach a class called “Jazz for Beginners”.  I’ve decided to rename it “How to Build Your Jazz Collection”.

Let me say first off that while I am a huge jazz fan, and while I have built a pretty decent collection over my twenty plus years in record stores, there are undoubtedly thousands of people that know more about the genre.  What I am saying is that I am not an expert.  However, I do know a little… and I know what I like.

So essentially, if you are looking for a history of jazz, this isn’t the place.  If you want to hear some pointers from a record store geek about getting into jazz and building a collection, read on.

As I was thinking about how to do this little seminar (which, by the way, takes place in about four hours), I decided that it would be best to follow the same logical progression as I would in the store when someone says “I want to get into jazz… what do you recommend?”.

Here we go.

Ask basic questions. The first thing to do is figure out what you do know by asking yourself some questions:

  • What sort of jazz, if any, have you heard?
  • Have you heard any specific jazz CDs or artists that you really liked?
  • Are there certain instruments that you really like?
  • Is there a tempo or style that you prefer?
  • Is there any jazz you have heard that you don’t like?
  • Do you like instrumental, or vocal, or both?

Follow the answers for a basic plan. So, you think you are a bebop fan and you really like the trumpet?  That’s easy. Try some Dizzy.  You don’t like it when jazz gets all “crazy”? Me neither… so free jazz may not be the place for you.  Anyway, you get my point.  You might think you don’t know much, but by taking an inventory of what you do know… you can get started down the right path.

Look for affordable classics. If you’ve spent twelve seconds with me in the store, you know I love those getting a lot of bang for my buck with music.  Luckily, there are lots of ways to do that in the jazz genre.

First off, ask your local record store geek about cheap new classic jazz CDs. At the end of my rambling, I am going to list a few of my favorite classic jazz CDs that you can buy new for twelve bucks or less (and some stuff I am going to play today at CH).  There are an amazing amount of deals.  In fact, there are so many cheap classics out there, it becomes hard to recommend the more expensive contemporary jazz artists.

Second, buy used jazz.  Thanks to the cool neighborhood we live in, and our penchant for the music, we have lots of used jazz CDs.  They are cheap and guaranteed.  Oh yeah, when you buy a used CD at Hoodlums… and you don’t like it… you have two weeks to exchange it. So try, try, try some jazz.

Finally, think about investing in a turntable. If you want to talk about getting affordable classics in any genre, you can always find some great deals on vinyl.  This is especially true if you don’t mind looking through our “bargain basement” used stuff.

Start with the heavyweight champions of jazz. Coltrane, Miles, Bird, Louie, Billie.  If you have heard of them, there’s probably a reason.  So ask your questions, figure out what you like, do your homework, and then start obvious.  You can get cooler and more diverse as you go.  As it is, the classics are usually about as cool as cool comes anyway (I still listen to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue as much as anything in my collection), and in most cases, they are cheap.

Follow the artists that show up as sidemen. I always start people with Kind of Blue, because the guys who play on it are all heavyweight champs in their own right.  Coltrane on tenor; Cannonball Adderley on Alto; Bill Evans on piano… even jazz rookies have heard of those guys.  Once hear the sax boys soloing on that album, and you read the liner notes (which is essential on Kind of Blue), you are going to want to get Cannonball’s Somethin’ Else or Everybody Loves Bill Evans.  The next thing you know – you’ve got a collection.

Talk about jazz with geeks like me. The saying goes “Don’t get Steve started”.  Unless, of course… you want to talk about it.  Then, I can be a decent asset.  I will play stuff for you… and ask tons of questions… and get to the bottom of your jazz needs.  Then I will set you up.  But I’m not the only one who can do it.  Talk to Kristian, who is massively diverse in the ways of jazz.  Talk to Joe, who can take you to the fringes of the jazz world (and probably teach a class in jazz history).  Can’t make it to Hoodlums?  Find the indie record store in your area

Dig deeper into the types of jazz you like best. Once you know you like something… get into it.  I love that swingin’, hard-bop sound, so once I started listening to albums on the Blue Note label, I was hooked.  I wrote another article about Blue Note (The Blue Note That Will Always Stay), so I won’t go into it… but my point is that when building a jazz collection, you should go with the flow.

Use KJZZ and the Internet to help expand your pallet. We love Blaze and the gang at 91.5 KJZZ.  They play great jazz, including tons of new stuff and classics, and they do it every night.  It’s a great place for enjoying jazz, as well as learning about it.

When it comes to music on the internet, the first place I turn is allmusic.com.  I get to the artist page, which includes bio, as well as links to similar artists, band members, and influences, and then I go to the discography for recommendations.  Go ahead, try it for Herbie Hancock.  While you won’t agree with everything their critics say, in my opinion they are usually right on (and generally positive).

Trade in some of your unused stuff for some new jazz. Bring in your old CDs, DVDs, or vinyl.  We’ll give you trade credit while you browse the jazz section, or look at the Penguin Guide to Jazz, or listen to some stuff on the used turntable or CD player.

Have some fun. Wow, that’s the same thing I tell my Little Leaguers.  C’mon… we’re talking about listening to music here, so it can’t be hard to do.  Once you get into jazz – it can be pretty addicting.

Anyway, that’s a start.  Good luck.

Steve’s List of Albums for Your New Jazz Collection

Since I have already talked about Kind of Blue, and I wrote a full list of Blue Note titles in the blog, I’ll skip those on the list (but it is an amazing list of albums… so please check it out).  Like the Blue Note titles, these are all twelve bucks or less on CD.

John Coltrane. Giant Steps. (Atlantic).  A long time ago when I was asking the questions, I asked one of my old jazz customers at the Wherehouse.  I had enjoyed David Sanborn and some of the “rock” saxophone guys, and I wanted some “real jazz”, as I put it.  He told me to start with Kind of Blue and this album.  He was right on.

John Coltrane. Love Supreme. (Impulse)  Coltrane is good enough to warrant two picks.  He pushed the envelope all the time, so different labels have different types of stuff.  This one is his tribute to the creator.

Miles Davis. Workin‘ (Prestige).  If Coltrane deserves two; so does Miles.  This is the famous Miles quintet, which includes Coltrane anyway.

Dave Brubeck. Time Out. (Columbia).  You’ve probably heard this… especially the classic song “Take Five”.  While obvious to jazz nuts, it’s essential to beginners.

Eddie McCann and Les Harris. Live at Montreaux.  (Atlantic)  Wicked, swingin’ jazz from a great band in a neutral country.  Also mentioned in the Fine Art of Gutting Your Collection article.  Read the great story on this album in 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (which we sell at the store).

Charles Mingus. Ah Um. (Columbia).  His first album for Columbia is full of modern jazz classics, and has inspired countless jazz musicians.  Better Git it in Your Soul.

Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Best of Louie and Ella.  (Verve)  Speaking of inspiring generations, when it comes to jazz, Louis Armstrong might be the all-time great, and Ella Fitzgerald isn’t far behind.  There are tons of albums I could recommend for these two, but this little compilation is a place to start… and a good representation of their three albums together.

Various Artists. Blue Breakbeats Volume 1. (Blue Note)  Yeah, I know I said I wasn’t going to re-cover Blue Note.  But just in case you don’t want to go to the other blog, I wanted to say that if you want jammin’, movin’ jazz, Blue Note is the place.  This is a fantastic compilation of artists from the label dubbed the “most sampled” of any in the land.

Wes Montgomery. Talkin’ Verve: The Roots of Acid Jazz (Verve)  I love jazz guitar (see Grant Green ramblings on the Blue Note blog).  I love Wes (who Grant emulated).  This compilation (and other Talkin’ Verve comps) brings together his fast-paced, groovin’ best.  Plus at 9.99, it is super affordable.  Try his older stuff as well.

Charlie Parker. The Essential Charlie Parker. (Verve). Bird is one of those dudes that revolutionized the genre.  There’s so many great compilations and albums that it is hard to know where to start.  This one is cheap and good, so let’s start here.

Thelonious, my old friend, step on in and let me shake your hand.Thelonious Monk. Monk’s Music. (Fantasy).  Great lineup.  Amazing musician and composer.  Killer album.  Like all the artists on the list, it’s one of those “where do you start” situations when recommending.

I’d like to  include Oscar Peterson, Oliver Nelson, or Diana Krall, but their CDs are more than twelve bucks.  I realize that I’m missing free jazzers like Sun Ra or Ornette Coleman, but that’s not really my specialty (again, try Joe and Kristian at the store), so while I own some titles, they aren’t “favorite” enough to include.

Like I said, it’s just the affordable stuff I love… and even then I could keep going for quite a while.  But I have to stop now, and get ready to teach a class.  Have a great day.

Feel free to hit me with questions in the store.  Enjoy your collecting.

I am not a conductor, but I play one on the treadmill.

Sunday, March 8th, 2009

Record store guys don’t normally hang out on treadmills.

However, last month I got a stent put in my heart.  I know, it’s pretty strange considering I am only 44, but my dad died young, and some routine checks led to the discovery of 90% blockage… so it seemed like a good alternative to a heart attack.

This little “procedure” has led me to the treadmills and bikes at the Desert Sam Cardio Rehab room.  As you might imagine, in that room, at 44, I’m pretty much the youngest pup in the pound.  Consequently, many of my fellow patients come up and ask me why I am there.

Well, they ask me when they can.  But that isn’t while I’m working out… because like most things I do, my workout involves music.  And when you are trying to get your heartbeat up, you better be playing some upbeat stuff.  So I dial up my iPod, and I find some music that will get me going.  But I’m not a normal person, and when I say music gets me going, I mean I my body and mind get into it thoroughly and totally.

So last week, a nice lady came up to me at the beginning of my session, when I was hooking on my heart monitor, and she said “Excuse me, but I was wondering, are you a conductor?”.

Huh?  Thanks to my Nodak accent (still here after twenty years in AZ), I’m used to questions like “Are you from Canada?”, but that isn’t one I’ve heard before.  Then I figured out what she was talking about: My behavior on the treadmills the session before.

The previous session, I had decided to go for uplifting and upbeat, so I picked out two of my favorite albums of all time:

Two albums from two very gifted men who’s music literally fills my soul whether they are singing against the superficial and unjust bullshit this world dishes out or in favor of the amazing gifts we all have been given.

Anyway, when I put on the headphones, I GET INTO it.  It doesn’t matter what type of music it is, I don’t really care who sees me, and I’m not sure I could stop it if I did.  I’m probably not a fun guy to sit next to on a plane, as I spazz out and jam my way through the entire flight (oh please let this clown go to sleep).  It results in many different types of gyrations and actions, varying from genre to genre.

Mainly, I am an air guitarist, which my actions reflect.  But, I can pretty much air-play anything.  However, when you are listening to the upbeat R and B stuff, trying to walk at a brisk pace on a treadmill… the ol’ air guitar just doesn’t apply.  So once I got on track, I just knew what my new friend was talking about in reference to my “conducting”.

My final treadmill session had included one of the greatest “two songs that were meant to be together” combos of all time: “As” and “Another Star” off of the Stevie album.

Beth and Steve agree on Stevie.  This CD is uplifting.Lyrically and musically, if these two songs don’t lift your soul… you probably need to do some soul-searchin’.  For me, the beat, the vocals, the music, and the message of Stevie and his fine group of musicians (including George Benson, Bobbi Humphries, and others) is so amazing, so overwhelming… that I literally find myself lifting my hands to the sky… flooded with love and the a feeling that only love can provide.  Love of music, love of my family, love of all the things that I appreciate about being alive.  I don’t know what the spirit is for sure – but it sure fills me when I hear these two songs (I’m listening to them again right now for inspiration, and it’s happening again).

So I explained to the lady what I was listening to, why it was causing me to close my eyes and rhythmically wave my hands out around – she understood.  We talked about what I do for a living, and obviously why, and she said she was going to visit the store later this week.

And then I went back to the treadmill.  Session playlist: Blazing guitar with Pat Traver’s “Makin’ Magic” and Michael Schenker Band’s “Built to Destroy“.  Hello again, air guitar.

My Top Five Lists, by Andy the hoodlum

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Andy’s top five:

“You don’t have this?” albums (like Jack Black’s comment on Blonde on Blonde).

Bruce Springsteen – Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ
Whiskeytown – Strangers Almanac
Neil Young – Harvest
Beatles – Rubber Soul
Counting Crows – Recovering The Satellites

“Watch me sell this” albums (like Cusack about Beta Band).
House Of Fools – Live And Learn
Hanson – The Walk
Eric Hutchinson – Sounds Like This
Dr. Dog – We All Belong
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – 100 Days 100 Nights

Albums for your hippie-chick sister.
Steel Train – For You My Dear
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Cold Roses
Rosewood Thieves – From The Decker House
Allman Bros. Band – Eat a Peach
Sparklehorse – It’s A Wonderful Life

Groups you didn’t like at first – but love now.
Nada Surf
Wilco
Old 97s
The Replacements
Ray LaMontagne
Groups that critics hate – but you love.
The Wallflowers
Midtown
John Mayer
Hanson
Jimmy Eat World

Albums critics love – but you just don’t get.
Radiohead – Ok Computer
Bright Eyes – Lifted…
Arcade Fire – Funeral
Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come
Say Anything – In Defense of the Genre

Albums to listen to on the road
Limbeck – Hi, Everything’s Great
Limbeck – Let Me Come Home
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Cold Roses (Disc 1 in Tennessee, Disc 2 in New Mexico)
Brand New – Your Favorite Weapon
Old Crow Medicine Show – OCMS

Songs about the Music Industry
NOFX – Dinosaurs Will Die
Allister – Overrated
Jimmy Eat World – Your New Aesthetic
Reel Big Fish – Sell Out
The Format – The Compromise

Punk albums  (90’s-now)
Osker – Idle Will Kill
Alkaline Trio – Goddamnit
Descendents – Everything Sucks
Vandals – Hitler Bad, Vandals Good
Millencolin – Pennybridge Pioneers

Jamming Guitar Albums
House Of Fools – Live And Learn
Bruce Springsteen – Darkness On The Edge of Town
The Living End – Roll On
Midtown – Save The World, Lose The Girl
Refreshments – Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy

Albums you found at the ASU Hoodlums
Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Cold Roses
The Replacements – Tim
Manu Chao – La Radiolina
Galactic – From the Corner to the Block

Albums you have discovered at the new Hoodlums
Rocky Votolato – Makers
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You  Experienced?
Tom Petty – Wildflowers
Old 97s – Alive & Wired
Muddy Waters – The London Muddy Waters Sessions

Older albums that you have discovered recently
Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A.
Ben Harper – Fight For Your Mind
Grateful Dead – Skull & Roses
The Jayhawks – Tomorrow The Green Grass
Nas – Illmatic

Newer artists for middle-aged cats who still explore music
Jakob Dylan
The Gaslight Anthem
Ryan Adams
Wilco
Josh Ritter

Sunday-morning albums
Limbeck – Limbeck
Jakob Dylan – Seeing Things
Grateful Dead – American Beauty
Tom Petty – Wildflowers
Ben Harper – Lifeline

Concert Videos
Gin Blossoms – Chicago 1993
Ryan Adams – Live in Jamaica
John Mayer – Where The Light Is
Alkaline Trio – The Show Must Go Off
The Format – Live at the Mayan Theater

Reasons CD is better than vinyl
Because I don’t have a record player.
I can listen to it in my car.
They weigh less.
You can blind people with a CD if the sun is hitting it correctly.
Better availability

Concerts you have attended
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band – June 2006, Tinley Park, IL
Steel Train/House of Fools -  November 2005, at Club Congress, Tucson, AZ
Limbeck/House of Fools – March 2008,  at Modified
Counting Crows – June 2006 – Las Vegas, NV
Midtown/The Movielife/Face to Face/Thrice – Cajun House, 2002

My Top Five Lists, by Maria the hoodlum

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

You don’t have this?

1.At Last!-Etta James
2.Street Songs-Rick James
3.Doolittle-The Pixies
4.Celia y Johnny-Celia Cruz
5.The Score-Fugees

Watch me Sell this.

1.El Cantante the Originals-Hector Lavoe
2.Strawberry weed-Caesars
3.ultimate collection-the Temptations
4.mediocre-Ximena Sarinana
5.self titled-Ceu

Albums no one who works at Hoodlums understands but Maria

1. Gozo Poderoso-Aterciopelados
2. Mi Sangre-Juanes
3. Tanto Tempo-Bebel Gilberto
4. Si-Julieta Venegas
5.Cronicas de un Laberinto-Jaguares

Pop albums Maria loves but get made fun of for liking

1.The Emanicipation of Mimi-Mariah Carey
2.Nuestro Amor- RBD
3.Gold Greatest Hits-ABBA
4.Chemistry-Girls Aloud
5. Faith-George Michael

Albums angry girls should listen to instead of Alanis Morrisette

1. Bad Reputation-Joan Jett
2. Dig Me Out-Sleater-Kinney
3. Easter-Patti Smith
4. Fever to Tell-Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. Pussy Whipped-Bikini Kill

Top albums I listened to all the time while I was in high school

1. Live Through This-Hole
2. self titled-Garbage
3.To Bring you My love-PJ Harvey
4. Post-Bjork
5. Lovelife-LUSH

Favorite musical sequences

1. “Shall We Dance”-with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr from the Kind and I
2. “Don’t Rain on my Parade”-with Barbra Streisand from FUNNY GIRL
3. “Rose’s Turn”-with Rosalind Russell from GYPSY
4. “Singin in the Rain”-with Gene Kelly from Singin in the Rain
5. “Acid Queen”- with Tina Turner from The Who’s TOMMY

Favorite Kid movies that I still like watching today even though I don’t have kids

1. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1970′s movie with Gene Wilder)
2. Mary Poppins
3. The Last Unicorn
4. Return to OZ
5. The Sandlot