If you haven’t heard, records are making a strong comeback. Actually, vinyl never went away, but renewed interest in the LP format in recent years has breathed new life into this medium. A new generation of music fans are discovering records. More and more new releases are consistently issued on vinyl, often with a free digital download of the album included. Classic and obscure albums are being re-issued on LP. Happy days are here again for vinyl lovers, and there are plenty of local businesses that offer opportunities to seek out hidden treasures!
Not only are independent record stores seeing an increase in new LP sales, more patrons are digging through the used vinyl bins. Searching for used LPs allows the music fan the opportunity to find familiar titles and out of print gems at affordable prices. Even if a used LP copy of Black Sabbath’s Volume 4 is priced at $5.99, it’s still cheaper than a CD, and I guarantee it’ll sound better too. Used records are also a way to experiment. You see a record that looks intriguing – why not pay a dollar or two and see what happens? I’ve struck out doing this but I’ve also discovered bands I never would have such as Lucifer’s Friend (crazy early 70s German proto-metal), The Visitors (early 80s Scottish post-punk), The Surfmen (very strange exotica) and Bruce Haack (oddball early electronic music).
There are a number of places in greater Champaign-Urbana to score used records. The independent music shops in C-U: Exile on Main, Record Swap and Parasol each have extensive used sections. In fact, Record Swap stocks primarily used LPs and Exile’s used bins are steadily growing. For those new to the game, there are a number of places outside of traditional record stores where one can score records. Thrift stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army typically have records, but finding decent records at thrift stores can be really hit or miss. For me it’s been primarily miss. Thrift store records tend to be on the beat-up side, and you typically have to grub through hundreds of Herb Alpert, Jazzercise and creepy religious records before finding anything remotely worthwhile. In this article, I’ll detail three other shops that have used LPs for sale.
First up is Furniture Lounge, located at 9 East University in downtown Champaign. Among the modern furniture, contemporary prints and vintage clothes are close to a thousand records to choose from, all priced at $2 each. Recent arrivals are located in the crate regularly located outside of the entrance to the store. The remainder of the records are downstairs in a side room. Taking a random sampling this past weekend, I spied Billy Crystal’s Mahvelous, Martin Denny’s The Best Of…, Blondie’s Parallel Lines, Buck Owens and His Buckaroos’ Your Tender Loving Care and Bill Black’s Combo’s Goes West.
Furniture Lounge co-owner Scott Schaub shared that the record bin outside of the store helps bring customers into the store, who then often find out about modern design and vintage clothes for the first time. Pricing is not a high priority according to Scott, which opens the potential for serious scores. Ultimately, the universal $2 price tag is ideal for beginning vinyl collectors. The bins were filled with a lot of rock, 70s R & B and country standards. For the veteran collector, I recommend checking in every couple months to see what’s new. Previous finds include: Tuxedo Moon’s Desire, The Who – Live at Leeds, Ohio Players – Honey (mint condition), and Bootsy’s Rubber Band’s Ahh…The Name Is Bootsy, Baby. The hours of business for Furniture Lounge are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday.
The next stop is Old Main Bookshoppe, located just around the corner from Furniture Lounge at 116 North Walnut Street. Nestled between the Blind Pig and Cakes on Walnut, Old Main offers quite a selection of records including rock, jazz, classical, world, and folk genres. The store can be a little overwhelming at first due the narrow aisles and tall shelves. The latest LP arrivals can be found in the bins about 15 feet into the store. Chances are you’ll get distracted by the books on your way back to the records. The prices range from $2.99 on up, with the bulk of the records priced between $6 and $15. Rarities are priced accordingly. I saw two Stockhausen LPs for $25 each – not exactly everyday finds. Dollar records are located below the jazz section and the store cats dig camping out on top of the jazz section. I guess they’re hip “cats”. Umm…..
Anyway, on closer inspection, one notices that the records are organized by genres, and the genres are split into sub-categories such as “20th Century” and “Electronic” in the classical section and “Surf/Hot Rod” in the rock sections. That makes navigating through the records a little easier. My companions were impressed with the selection offered by Old Main and felt the prices were appropriate. They pointed out that the lack of space was definitely an issue for comfortable browsing. Michael, the clerk working, concurred. He mentioned that the owner, Steve Kaiser, has been exploring opportunities to expand both the books and record sections of the store. The new arrival bin is regularly restocked.
Old Main is ideal for new and veteran crate diggers. All the big names of rock, jazz and classical are covered as well as numerous lesser-known artists. I eyeballed records by Terry Riley, John’s Children and Cecil Taylor that would fit nicely into my personal stacks. My recent purchases from here include: Guitar Vol. 4 by John Fahey, a collection of Rhodesian music titled The Soul of Mbira, an LP of Balinese gamelan music called Golden Rain and a piano recording by Herbert Rogers performing the works of modern composers. It’s important to mention that Old Main regularly has quality, refurbished turntables for sale. Old Main Bookshoppe is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
My companions and I also went up to Backbeats in Rantoul on the vinyl hunt. There’s not much that I can add to Doug Hoepker’s excellent article on Backbeats except reiterate that it’s worth the trip. My companions expressed enthusiasm regarding the healthy mix of styles, affordable prices, the selective presentation of quality records, the overall pleasant vibe and the “Turn Off Your Cell Phone” sign on the door. We talked eagerly about returning soon. Backbeats was definitely the highlight of our record-seeking venture. Backbeats’ store hours are Thursday 4 to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday noon to 4 p.m.