This Time It's Personal: The November 2023 Record Challenge Thread

November 18

What’s your favorite/most surprising find that you’ve purchased from your favorite record store (local to you or not). Give the store a shout out! What do you love about this shop?

Yo La Tengo - Painful

I worked for several years at a record store in Vancouver called Scratch Records. If I wasn’t working I was just hanging out there. With my employee discount I bought a ton of records at Scratch. The store was crowded with staff an hangers-on on Fridays as that was new record delivery day, and we got first dibs. This record is one of my all time favourites and I played the hell out of the promo cd when I worked there.
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November 17
“So I was looking at our credit card bill... It says you spent $(redacted)?! That was for just ONE record?!”
What record takes the prize for most money spent on a single album? State your case, justifying why this was necessary but we won’t judge. You’re safe here.

Charles Mingus – Mingus at Antibes

I've paid more for box sets (Electric Miles is en route, for example, and would be the most expensive item I have bought) – but as for a standalone album (granted, 2xLP), this would be it. I paid retail price, which was maybe $55, but I have zero regrets. One of my favorite Mingus releases.

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November 18
What’s your favorite/most surprising find that you’ve purchased from your favorite record store (local to you or not). Give the store a shout out! What do you love about this shop?

Cat Power – Sings Dylan [The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert]

I'll pick this one, because I bought it earlier today and it is already climbing up the ranks of my favorites. It literally sounds amazing, the records flat and silent, and it's as though Cat Power is performing live in my living room. I had bad luck with the white vinyl (warped, pressed off-center), but the black vinyl is *chef's kiss*. This will be in heavy rotation until March, when I will be seeing her perform this concert live at Revolution Hall here in Portland. The LP was bought at 2nd Ave Records, one of two favorite local shops (Mississippi Records being the other). It's old school, with a solid collection and no fuss, and their prices are some of the best in town.

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Day 18: (Enters record shop, owner behind counter looks up and immediately gives out a sigh of frustration upon seeing who has just walked through the door. The smell of aged vinyl fills your nostrils and your eyes are already burning from the dust and cigarette-smoke infused record covers)

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

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Listen Records has been one of my go-to stores for about 5 years now, especially since falling down the Daptone/Colemine rabbit holes. I don’t check their used section very often, but my dad does & he found this good looking original Canadian pressing in there a couple years ago.
 
November 18
(Enters record shop, owner behind counter looks up and immediately gives out a sigh of frustration upon seeing who has just walked through the door. The smell of aged vinyl fills your nostrils and your eyes are already burning from the dust and cigarette-smoke infused record covers)
What’s your favorite/most surprising find that you’ve purchased from your favorite record store (local to you or not). Give the store a shout out! What do you love about this shop?

The Cult "Love" (1985 Vertigo, canadian pressing)
My favorite spot is Aux 33 Tours on Mont-Royal avenue in Montreal. Love returning there whenever I get the chance. I usually pick-up new releases, but there are always a bunch of excellent original pressings all around. In particular, they have this choice used bin right next to the cash with all these great used audiophile and desirable records. I picked up some used Sabbath 2011 Chris Bellman's there. A great original pressing of Leonard Cohen's Various Positions. That excellent 1968 Quebecois classic I played in the challenge earlier this month. When I was last there, I also found a KPG pressing of Built To Spill's You In Reverse for a relatively great price, which was unfortunately still a bit to high to take a chance on because of a hairline in one track. This fantastic original pressing of The Cult I found this last summer.

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November 18
(Enters record shop, owner behind counter looks up and immediately gives out a sigh of frustration upon seeing who has just walked through the door. The smell of aged vinyl fills your nostrils and your eyes are already burning from the dust and cigarette-smoke infused record covers)
What’s your favorite/most surprising find that you’ve purchased from your favorite record store (local to you or not). Give the store a shout out! What do you love about this shop?

Once upon a time, I had a spectacular local record store - Selecter Records.

Selecter was owned by Brian and Susan Haynes. Brian is the brother of Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule / Allman Brothers fame. I shopped there from the mid 80s thru the early 90s. At that point, Brian's dad was in poor health, and they decided to sell the shop and move back to Asheville to be close. I kid you not - the guy who bought it employed a douche who the character of Barry in High Fidelity had to be modeled after. They managed to run a once cool store into the ground rather quickly.

Susan was routinely turning me on to cool stuff. Here's one from 1985. Playing the copy I bought there 38 years ago...



The Long Ryders - State Of Our Union

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November 19
Them: “You’ve got to listen to this. It’ll change your life!” (watches for reaction, smile slowly grows)
You: (puts other headphone on): “… uhh, yeah, I’ve heard this. It’s... it's just the ‘Happy Birthday Song?”
The Needles & Grooves forum (and the VMP forums before it) have introduced me to numerous new artists that I certainly would have never heard of without it. Play a record that you own only because you heard of it from N&G.

@eatdogs has turned me on to some great stuff. Thanks, friendo.

Here's one...





Cosmicdust - Snow Noise Assemblage

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November 17
“So I was looking at our credit card bill... It says you spent $(redacted)?! That was for just ONE record?!”

What record takes the prize for most money spent on a single album? State your case, justifying why this was necessary but we won’t judge. You’re safe here.

This was the only one of his solo albums I didn't have on vinyl. And you gotta catch'em all, right?

Gruff Rhys - Yr Atal Genhedlaeth

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November 19
Them: “You’ve got to listen to this. It’ll change your life!” (watches for reaction, smile slowly grows)
You: (puts other headphone on): “… uhh, yeah, I’ve heard this. It’s... it's just the ‘Happy Birthday Song?”

The Needles & Grooves forum (and the VMP forums before it) have introduced me to numerous new artists that I certainly would have never heard of without it. Play a record that you own only because you heard of it from N&G.

There is no way this record would have arrived to my house yesterday prior to the winter of 2015 (Nils Frahm – Spaces was my first VMP record). But as I've mentioned here, I joined VMP to expand my musical listening and give things a try by getting random shit mailed to my house, as I just wouldn't buy them myself.

And while the record club fulfilled some of this curating, I think this community has done more to introduce me to new music and to show me more music in genres I already like.

I knew of this artist prior to the purchase - and I thought she was great in her TV/Movie roles, but I'm not sure I've heard one song she's made - or at least known it was her song playing....so I'm going into this listen totally blind.

I think I'll stick to this theme for things I spin in the spinnin' thread, too. At least things I got directly because of the forums (Secret Santa stuff or free records for flattening records) or highly suggested records.

Janelle Monáe – The Age Of Pleasure
Wondaland /Atlantic – 075678626838, 2023

Orange Crush variant

Pressed at MRP/GZ

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November 18
(Enters record shop, owner behind counter looks up and immediately gives out a sigh of frustration upon seeing who has just walked through the door. The smell of aged vinyl fills your nostrils and your eyes are already burning from the dust and cigarette-smoke infused record covers)

What’s your favorite/most surprising find that you’ve purchased from your favorite record store (local to you or not). Give the store a shout out! What do you love about this shop?

I've known my dealer record store owner for almost 30 years, cool dude, really into West African and Middle Eastern music.
I find it almost impossible to hit Sonic Discos and leave empty handed.
This is one of my most recent finds, Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Flea and whole lot of guests.

Rocket Juice & The Moon - S/T

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November 19
Them: “You’ve got to listen to this. It’ll change your life!” (watches for reaction, smile slowly grows)
You: (puts other headphone on): “… uhh, yeah, I’ve heard this. It’s... it's just the ‘Happy Birthday Song?”

The Needles & Grooves forum (and the VMP forums before it) have introduced me to numerous new artists that I certainly would have never heard of without it. Play a record that you own only because you heard of it from N&G.

One of my favorite N&G AotM picks, this would have never been in my collection without this place.
@Joe Mac 's fantastic selection:

The Gloaming - 3

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November 18
(Enters record shop, owner behind counter looks up and immediately gives out a sigh of frustration upon seeing who has just walked through the door. The smell of aged vinyl fills your nostrils and your eyes are already burning from the dust and cigarette-smoke infused record covers)

What’s your favorite/most surprising find that you’ve purchased from your favorite record store (local to you or not). Give the store a shout out! What do you love about this shop?

Velvet Underground - s/t and The Verve/MGM Albums

2nd Ave records in Portland is probably my favorite store in town. Fantastic staff, great prices, good selection with a ton of shirts too. Found this one for around $100 a couple years ago as prices started climbing quickly.

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November 19
Them: “You’ve got to listen to this. It’ll change your life!” (watches for reaction, smile slowly grows)
You: (puts other headphone on): “… uhh, yeah, I’ve heard this. It’s... it's just the ‘Happy Birthday Song?”

The Needles & Grooves forum (and the VMP forums before it) have introduced me to numerous new artists that I certainly would have never heard of without it. Play a record that you own only because you heard of it from N&G.

The Sea and Cake - one bedroom

I already played Tortoise, or it would be that. But through that and the love for Jeff Parker, I think it was @TenderLovingKiller® that turned me on to The Sea and Cake & Gastr Del Sol. These are a tiny amount of bands this fine place has turned me on to. It’s been nice to go through the era’s and always have something like this. I used to get a lot of recommendations from the users at Rdio and Lala before they shut down.

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Matt M said:
November 19
Them: “You’ve got to listen to this. It’ll change your life!” (watches for reaction, smile slowly grows)
You: (puts other headphone on): “… uhh, yeah, I’ve heard this. It’s... it's just the ‘Happy Birthday Song?”

The Needles & Grooves forum (and the VMP forums before it) have introduced me to numerous new artists that I certainly would have never heard of without it. Play a record that you own only because you heard of it from N&G.

The Sea and Cake - one bedroom

I already played Tortoise, or it would be that. But through that and the love for Jeff Parker, I think it was @TenderLovingKiller® that turned me on to The Sea and Cake & Gastr Del Sol. These are a tiny amount of bands this fine place has turned me on to. It’s been nice to go through the era’s and always have something like this. I used to get a lot of recommendations from the users at Rdio and Lala before they shut down.

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I really need to get around to checking these guys out!
 
November 19
Them: “You’ve got to listen to this. It’ll change your life!” (watches for reaction, smile slowly grows)
You: (puts other headphone on): “… uhh, yeah, I’ve heard this. It’s... it's just the ‘Happy Birthday Song?”
The Needles & Grooves forum (and the VMP forums before it) have introduced me to numerous new artists that I certainly would have never heard of without it. Play a record that you own only because you heard of it from N&G.

Irreversible Entanglements "Open The Gates" (2021 International Anthem Recording Company / Don Giovani Records)
So. Many. Artists. Have been introduced to me because of this site over the years. I can't even think of them all. Off the top of my head and scanning through the ROTM lists - Caliope Musicals, Nicole Atkins, Mark De Clive Lowe, Ruen Brothers, 15-60-75, WH Lung, Nation of Language, Birds of Chicago, Blonde Redhead, Caroline Rose, Bright Light Social Hour, The Faint, Tash Sultana, Big Joe Patton, Colemine records in general, Charlotte Adigery & Boris Pupul, Amyl & The Sniffers, Orville Peck, Paul Cauthen... I decided to play some Irreversible Entanglements for the prompt. I believe I checked this out because @avecigrec was excited about this record coming out. It's excellent.

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Matt M said:
November 19
Them: “You’ve got to listen to this. It’ll change your life!” (watches for reaction, smile slowly grows)
You: (puts other headphone on): “… uhh, yeah, I’ve heard this. It’s... it's just the ‘Happy Birthday Song?”

The Needles & Grooves forum (and the VMP forums before it) have introduced me to numerous new artists that I certainly would have never heard of without it. Play a record that you own only because you heard of it from N&G.

The Sea and Cake - one bedroom

I already played Tortoise, or it would be that. But through that and the love for Jeff Parker, I think it was @TenderLovingKiller® that turned me on to The Sea and Cake & Gastr Del Sol. These are a tiny amount of bands this fine place has turned me on to. It’s been nice to go through the era’s and always have something like this. I used to get a lot of recommendations from the users at Rdio and Lala before they shut down.

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Click to expand...

Nassau is better! 😉
 
November 19
The Needles & Grooves forum (and the VMP forums before it) have introduced me to numerous new artists that I certainly would have never heard of without it. Play a record that you own only because you heard of it from N&G.

Mark De Clive-Lowe – Heritage I

So much great music it is hard to pick out just one. That said, it is somewhat unlikely this would have been added to my collection were it not for @Skalap and his inaugural pick of the Needles + Grooves AoTM series. I picked up Heritage II as well. Both are recommended.

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