Thursday, December 31, 2009

2010 SALE!

For the month of January we have a coupon in the Illinois Entertainer.

20% OFF ALL BUDGET ITEMS
10% OFF ALL USED ITEMS
BUY 20 AND GET AN ADDITIONAL 10% OFF.

2010 SALE, GET IT?????????????

PRINT THIS OUT AND YOU CAN USE IT AS A COUPON.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Survival of the Small Business

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MOM AND POP SHOPS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
Without shops like ours, life is a cold hard machine that doesn't know your name.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

As Published in The Forest Park Post

THE OLD SCHOOL REPORT CARD V. 11 p.1
By Peter J. Gianakopoulos

WHITE DENIM “Fits” double CD/double LP (Downtown)

This power trio from ....Austin.., ..Texas.... came out a few years ago with a couple of import EPs and one full length LP. On their second record “Fits”, they include the debut “Exposion” as a bonus in this double CD and/or double LP domestic release. Borrowing heavy bass garage blues riffs from the ....school.. of ..Captain Beefheart.... and the punk bombastic energy of the Minutemen, White Denim deliver weird time signature changes and pure pop bliss in under 40 minutes.

“Radio Milk: How Can You Stand It” opens the record with driving bass in the garage rock Nuggets style with Amboy Dukes type vocals moving into weird time signatures of “All Consolation” while giving the melodic sensibilities of a My Morning Jacket vibe. “I Start To Run” will make a great catchy single with its bass boogie Minutemen vibe and the groovy organ on “Sex Prayer” sounds like a lost Madlib track that’ll please the hip-hop jazz-funk fans.

“Paint Yourself” has a great shuffle beat with a catchy melody recalling the ghost of Jeff Buckley trying to do a Devendra Banhart impersonation. “Everybody Somebody” takes it back to the boogie shuffle Texas garage blues rock that sounds like some very early west coast psychedelic Grateful Dead song that could have been on their first record.
“Regina Holding Hands” takes the cake as the prettiest song on the record reminding me of the Fleet Foxes or My Morning Jacket with some great southern rock harmonies. White Denim may look like the beer-drinking type but they engage and excite throughout this record that’d please even the oldest of punk rockers.

GRADE: A-
U2 “The Unforgettable Fire” CD/DBL CD/DBL CD-DVD/DBL LP (..Island..)

U2 created a new transition with the dark sonic landscape on their fourth release “The Unforgettable Fire”. Newly remastered and available as a single disc, a double CD with b-sides, EP tracks and rarities, a double CD/DVD version with videos or as a double LP straight reissue.

Working with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, U2 touched upon the territory previously visited by Eno with David Bowie on “Low” utilizing the recording studio as an instrument itself. They created tracks in the studio in an improvisational manner while adding lyrics later to construct songs from the ground up to brilliant success. Exploring the guitar effects of The Edge, the band layered parts into sonic shimmering textures to great effect on the Martin Luther King tribute “Pride” and the two-chord driving elegy to an addict on “Bad”.

U2 used these new experimental methods even better in song structure on theie follow-up masterpiece “The Joshua Tree” but is interesting to hear this record and its history as that transition before it developed and became fully realized.

Although the remastering on the original release doesn’t improve upon itself much, the bonus CD has some great remastered rarities and remixes plus an inclusion of the tracks from the “A Sort Of Homecoming” EP which will please the most diehard fans.

GRADE: B+
TINARIWEN “Imidiwan:Companions” CD/DVD (....World.. ..Village....)

The blues has had quite the influence and impact on the world over since the late fifties as evident in ..Africa.. on this group Tinariwen and their release “Imidiwan:Companions”. Hailing from the ..Sahara.. region, Tinariwen combine acoustic instruments with electric guitar and African percussion to be hailed the Rolling Stones of Africa. Think of the track “I Just Want To See His Face” from the Rolling Stones “Exile On Main Street” album and you’ll hear the vibe.

Tinariwen’s moody guitar riffs remind one of the boogie of tracks by John Lee Hooker and Lightnin’ Hopkins combined with African percussion sung in their native tongue which makes it a blues all their own. The DVD includes a 30-minute documentary of interviews and performances with the members to give the viewer an exclusive insight into the Tuareg scene. The Tuaregs are found mostly in West Africa and were nomads who roamed south from ..Northern Africa.. over the last 2000 years combining Middle Eastern and African styles in their music. World music enthusiasts will dig deep in this new release as well as the adventurous blues fan.

GRADE: B+

Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Old School Records
7446 W. Madison
Forest Park, IL
708-366-7588
www.theoldschoolrecords.com
Food Pantry Discount Program
50 cents will be discounted
for EACH non perishable food item donated
to the Forest Park Food Pantry
now until New Years Eve
We know you’re hungry for music, movies, magazines and t-shirts.
Others are just hungry.

Friday, October 9, 2009

love this!

Get your vinyl fix »
4.0 Stars
I cherish any record stores that still remain nowadays, and I feel no different about this one. Old School Records is a nice, friendly place where doggies roam free and the vinyl is plentiful! What more could you ask for??
On Tue May 19, 2009

from wherescool.com

QRD interview with Peter

Record Store Owner interview with Peter Gianakopoulos of The Old School Records June 2008
Store Name: The Old School Records Slogan/Motto: Keeping Heads Spinning Around The World Year Established: 2003 Address: 7446 W Madison, Forest Park, IL 60130 Store Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 11am-6pm, Sunday 12-5pm, closed Mondays Phone Number: 708 366 7588 Website: www.theoldschoolrecords.com Email: yeoldeschool@aol.com Do You Have a Listening Station: Yes (4) Musical Styles You Specialize in: Jazz/soul/world/house Musical Styles You Exclude: Polka Other Items You Sell: DVDs/videos/cassettes/music books/magazines Do you do special orders: Yes Do you do mail order: Yes Do you do web orders: Yes Number of Employees: Five How often do you have in-store performances: Rarely Number of New CDs in stock: 8000 Number of Used CDs in stock: 22000 Number of New LPs in stock: 10000 Number of Used LPs in stock: 30000 Number of New 7”s in stock: 100 Number of Used 7”s in stock: 5000
QRD – Why did you start your store?
Peter – Because we wanted to be the best.
QRD – How does your store particularly appeal to your city?
Peter – Deejays & grandpas can both feel at home.
QRD – What’s a mistake you’ve made with your store that you’d warn others against?
Peter – Don’t have one.
QRD – What do you think indie record labels could do to best help both themselves & indie stores?
Peter – Make more exclusives.
QRD – How was the representation of indie storeowners & customers in the movie High Fidelity accurate & inaccurate to your experience?
Peter – Not too accurate. A documentary would have been better.
QRD – What type of research do you do to decide what to put on the shelves?
Peter – A little reading & ingenuity of experience.
QRD – Is it ever difficult to find the right distributors to get something you want to stock?
Peter – Sometimes.
QRD – What do you wish labels or bands or distributors did more of to work with you?
Peter – Be less elitist.
QRD – What do you think is your store’s all time best seller?
Peter – Miles Davis – A Kind of Blue.
QRD – What do you think most leads to a particular record being a good seller in your store?
Peter – Word of mouth.
QRD – How does one get an independent release into your store such that it’s recommended to the clientele instead of just sitting on the shelf?
Peter – Sending a play copy.
QRD – How do you feel about so many stores closing & how does it affect you if at all?
Peter – It makes new product harder to find & limited.
QRD – What type of competition do you get from the big box stores (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc.) & is it difficult to compete price-wise - i.e., do you find that potential customers will shop at the chain because they can afford to charge less for the same discs or do they support you if the disc is a dollar higher in price?
Peter – They do both. We stock more catalog.
QRD – With portable MP3 players & iTunes, is the concept of the album (in any form) dying?
Peter – The concept of the CD single is dying.
QRD – How has the downloading scene impacted your sales - do you find that people buy less CDs now because they can download them for less or do you or do you think illegal downloads are more of a culprit?
Peter – Both.
QRD – Record & CD buyers tend to be of a certain age (21-34), as the upcoming people who will be of that age group are mostly download-buyers, would you like stores to eventually have “iPod filling stations” hooked up to an indie network that stores can be part of?
Peter – NO.
QRD – With the increase in digital downloads, low prices in mega-chains, & so many online specialty stores; what is the job of the local indie shop now compared to in the 1990s?
Peter – More VINYL.
QRD – What are the biggest misconceptions people have of record stores in general & yours in particular?
Peter – Snotty attitudes & elitist approach.
QRD – What is the most frustrating &/or frequent question you get from customers?
Peter – “Do people still buy records?”
QRD – How do you decide who to hire as an employee & when you need one?
Peter – People who actually shop when they apply.
QRD – If you weren’t in the music business, what would you do?
Peter – Run for president.
QRD – How did your schooling & previous work experience prepare (or not prepare) you for your store?
Peter – Business classes helped. Working at a store didn’t hurt either.
QRD – Have you ever refused to sell something purely because you disliked the music, even if it was popular & would sell?
Peter – No.
QRD – What is your personal “holy grail”? (i.e. the one rarity you’ve been looking for forever.)
Peter – Sun Ra – Song Of The Star Gazers.
QRD – What makes you feel like you had a good day at the store?
Peter – Big sales.
QRD – Anything else?
Peter – Nice people.
Official Website - www.theoldschoolrecords.com

From Our Good Friend Stephie Kuehnert Lewis

Life, Words, & Rock 'n' Roll
Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Women Who Rock Wednesday: Jodi Gianakopoulos of The Old School Records
Welcome to Women Who Rock Wednesday! This is the last WWRW before the big cyber party, so I wanted to make it an extra special one. I decided to feature a woman who I'm proud to call a friend, who owns my favorite record store ever, Jodi Gianakopoulos of The Old School Records in Forest Park, IL!
Before we meet Jodi, I've got a couple things to mention. First, the winner of Jennie DeVoe's CDs is stephanieburgis from LiveJournal. Stephanie please email me at stephanie at stephaniekuehnert dot com to claim your prize!
And also, Amber from Just Your Typical Book Blog has decided to feature lil ol me as her Author of the Month for July! I'm incredibly honored! She's got some very cool stuff going on. She did a super fun interview with me that you can read here. She also has a contest running through July 21st where you can win a copy of Ballads of Suburbia, so go enter! And tomorrow, she'll have another short interview with me for her Rock This! feature, so be sure to visit her blog again then to get some music recommendations for me.But now I would like to turn the blog over to a woman who knows a hell of a lot more about music than me, Jodi Gianakopoulos. So read up and comment away because Jodi has agreed to give away an Old School Records t-shirt to one lucky winner chosen at random from the comments. All the cool kids have Old School t-shirts.... well, um, I have one at least!
Anyway, here's Jodi:Q: Welcome to Women Who Rock Wednesday, Jodi! I thought you were a great person to feature because you are the co-owner of my favorite record store on the planet, The Old School Records in Forest Park. When I was in high school, I thought the ultimate job to get would be record store clerk. Unfortunately, a lot of other people felt the same way and had better connections than me, so I ended up bagging groceries instead. Can you tell us a little bit about your path to record store owner?
Jodi: My sister worked at a head shop/record store in high school. One of my best friends also worked at a record store in the mall. I would hang around there so much that when I turned 16 they gave me a job. After I had that experience, the store my sis had worked for hired me. I moved to go to university and found a good local record shop, called REAL! Records.I had been reading a lot of Jack Kerouac, so I went in and asked for Bebop recommendations. From there I became a regular shopper and one day basically told them that they should hire me. They did and I worked there for the next five years.
When I moved to Chicago, Borders was just putting in their stores. Getting a job there was a breeze, so I went into management. Later, I worked for a Music House where I made no money, so I went back to management with Rizzoli Bookstore and was in charge of their international music and everything in the store that wasn't a book. I wanted to get into the distribution or promotion side of the biz. I was making connections with industry people and thinking I was getting "in". Too bad the shop was on the way out, so I took a job with a local independent chain called 2nd Hand Tunes. I would work for cash on Sundays. It was cool and I quickly developed a secret crush on the manager, Pete. Then I dove in full time. It was totally depressing. I went from attending conferences and being treated with respect to being the lowest on the totem poll. That was when I decided to open my own shop. The chain was later sold to an internet company and Peter and I started seeing each other at meetings. Then we were both store managers and started dating. We started to plan our own shop and one year after we married we opened The Old School Records. We have been in biz for six years, have a little house, two dogs and a five month old baby girl. Life is funny.
(Here's Jodi with her husband Peter at their store!)
Q: Was it something you always wanted to do?Jodi: No, I really just thought it was a good idea in 1998. It took five years of planning.
Q: For those who haven't had an opportunity to drop in yet, tell us a bit about the store, what makes you guys unique and so much more fun than shopping at Best Buy or on iTunes?
Jodi: We offer tons of vinyl and cds. We sell lots of movies and have about 20 magazines. We even sell tapes, mostly r&b, punk, jazz and rap. You find really different stock here, because our knowledge and tastes are quite broad and varied. We strive to be respectful, helpful and friendly. Often our clientele is older, but you will find any age group shopping here. Our regular customers are friends and our new customers are potential friends! I NEVER went with the snotty approach and having a largely older crowd as customers for so many years, there would never have been any room for a bad attitude. I am a salesperson and honey works better than vinegar. Peter and I come from families with strong work ethics and we always get the job done. When we first opened, the shop was really clean and organized, now it feels more lived in!I strongly believe that it's important for us to patronize shops in our own communities. Maybe not everyone can come in to The Old School Records, but this can serve as a good reminder as to why they should visit their local indie record store! What do you love best about owning your own store and what are some of the challenges?
Jodi: Being in charge and making the customers happy for both!Q: Not all of my readers can pop in and visit you at Old School, but they all can listen to your radio show! Can you give us a link to it, tell us when it airs, what kind of stuff you play and how you got the radio gig?
Jodi: The Old School Playground airs every other Tuesday from nine 'til midnight. (And here is the MySpace page.) Peter and I are both the DJs and it is an entirely world music show. Right now Peter is doing the show while the baby and I listen from home! However, I will be DJing the next show in two weeks, hopefully. I usually play new releases for part of it and then explore a theme. I play reggae,african, brazilian, asian/pacific, gypsy, balkan, persian/arab, turkish, french, italian and other rhythmic stuff. I've never heard a show like ours.
We play some pretty far out stuff! Peter DJ'd professionally for years and we started by guesting with the show that is on opposite ours, Prognosis.Q: Between the record store and the radio show, no doubt you are a music expert.Since our focus is on women who rock today, can you tell us about the female musicians you grew up loving, who made you passionate enough to go into this business?
Jodi: When I was in sixth grade Joan Jett "I love rock and roll" and the Go-Go's"We got the beat" showed me the way. Later it was Anabella Lwin, Kate Bush, Debbie Harry, Bjork, Billie Holiday, Maria Callas, Evelyn Glennie, Poly Styrene, Sandy Denny, Brigitte Fontaine, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott, to name a few, who would display their gifts and inspire me. I guess that I admire women who can stand toe to toe with men. The music biz is often a man's world, but it really is better off with women in the mix!Q: Also tell us about any new discoveries, female artists or bands we may not have heard of but we should absolutely check out!
Jodi: St. Vincent is the best thing I've heard in a while. The Japanese group Mono is also great.Q: Now for my standard Women Who Rock Wednesday questions. The first is a two-parter and I think it's perfect for a record store owner. What was the first album you purchased for yourself and what was the first concert you attended?
Jodi: Early as a child it was Kiss "Rock and Roll Over". Later, it was "The Indestructible Beat of Soweto". My first concert was Kiss in 1978.Q: And I'm excited to hear your response to the other standard question too because I know your husband Peter has some great tales and I can't wait to hear yours. Please dish about your biggest rock star moment. It could be a big moment of success in your career, a time where you met someone famous and had the Wayne's World "I'm not worthy" experience, or where you got the total rock star treatment?
Jodi: At Borders on Michigan Avenue there were lots of famous people coming through. Spending the afternoon with Los Lobos and meeting Elvis Costello were two nice moments. I don't want to know or meet musicians/artists, the ones I idolize are dead.The more I know about "stars", the less interested I become. None are worth mention. My biggest moment was maybe getting the keys to our shop. My biggest success is definitely yet to come!

I hope you guys enjoyed this interview as much as I do and I encourage you to visit the Old School Records website and blog. As I mentioned mid-interview supporting indie record stores is very important to me. Comment away, maybe tell us about your favorite local stores, your record store job fantasies, or anything else you gleaned from the interview and be entered to win your very own The Old School Records t-shirt. I'll announce the winner next Wednesday during the blog party! And if you are in Forest Park, do stop into the store!
Posted by Stephanie Kuehnert at 12:35 PM

Sunday, October 4, 2009

yelp me if you can!

7446 Madison St Ste 1
(between Beloit Ave & Burkhardt Ct)
Forest Park, IL 60130
(708) 366-7588
Old School Records, Forest Park, IL

12 reviews for Old School Records

9/30/2009

This little shop is what dreams are made of. After a few years of relying on Ebay to nab albums that I couldn't find in other music stores, I stumbled upon Old School Records. In a matter of minutes I was able to locate the very three CDs I'd most recently been searching for and the great price sealed the deal for me.

Old School Records specializes in, of course, records, but they also have a good selection of CDs, which are what I usually go for. The prices are reasonable, especially considering the array of music they supply and the people who own the place are just as nice as can be. If you're on the hunt for a hard-to-find album then I'd recommend you give this place a try. They also carry lots of discounted DVDs and VHS tapes that are worth checking out.


6/1/2009

A great local record/CD store. The owners are super friendly and knowledgeable. Check out their record display in the window and see if you can guess the theme!

Old School Records is just that....old school. This place is a wonderful throwback. You can flip through records, which just feels good. The owners of the shop are extremely knowledgeable about music, which proved to be a huge help for me. I don't buy records for myself anymore, but my dad still collects them. I went in there to buy a gift for my dad and gave the owner two bands that my dad liked. He was able to make about 5 recommendations for me. I picked one, and my dad absolutely loved it! He was right on the money with his recs. They also have a great CD collection and a nice used DVD selection.


2/22/2009

Holy Crap - taken out of the film "High Fidelity". Obscure records, excellent quality/condition, and no smarmy, "Too Cool" bullshit from the employees. The prices are excellent on new and used music and they are very hip to turning you onto new artists. Really great collection of LPs and CDs and cassette tapes.

9/28/2008

I happen to stumble on this play on accident and I was blown away. I can spend hours and hours running my grubby little fingers through records...I did the last time I went.

I noticed that they had a much larger selection of records than some of the other places I've been to. They had several of the Bob Dylan, Parliament records that were not available at the other places. Also, I found a copy of Slint by surprise...still sealed. Like all other places, they still have the bargain bin records for .99 cents. Everything was moderately prices and included hard to find items. Great selection of Jazz and Blues albums also!

They do have CDs there, however I don't buy CDs and couldn't tell you anything about them.


3/27/2009

Probably the best old school record store left in the Chicagoland area. Jodi and Peter always have excellent recommendations for me now that they know what I like after a few visits. You get personal service from real music aficionados. No 'high fidelity' attitude. Just real people who love music as much as you do. Plenty of new releases on CD along with an awesome selection of used vinyl, cassettes, vhs and dvds too. If you want it and they don't have it, just ask and they will get it for you. You can't go wrong visiting this store, but you might leave with a little less $$ in your wallet 'cause there's so much cool stuff to be had!


4/1/2008

Another good record shop with a collection about as extensive as they can fit into their space. A lot of the LP's are crammed underneath and are very hard to get to. Good selection of used CD's, and I love the fact that they still have a display case full of cassette tapes.


5/26/2008

Made my first trip here last week. Pete played great stuff during my visit. Found lots of great stuff here. Great selection across the board. weekly stop for me!


4/25/2008

I bought my first LPs here from the 99c bin. Here's what I got:

Peter Gabriel- the one w/ 'sledgehammer'
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Ministry - With Sympathy

Then I also bought Bad Brains and Talking Heads. Both were under $6.

So what, all of this for around 15 bucks. How about that for record store finds? Go to this store, search through their cheapo bin and you're bound to find some great stuff.


3/27/2009

with a record store, you pretty much know what you're looking for.

'i'm going to get the new springsteen. i'll get in, get out, pop it into the cd player in the car, and jam out.'

well, with OSR, when you step up to the counter you meet jodi or peter. "so you like springsteen?" they ask as they punch the register.

"yeah."

"have you heard the hold steady? or gaslight anthem?"

"huh, what?"

"yes, you might even like the national."

and then they hook you at the counter with a cd player, headphones and a pile of cds. it's like a brick and mortar http://pandora.com.

it's an awesome record store clearly based in an old school philosophy. rock on!


9/15/2005

This place is really cool. I stop in here periodically to check out their jazz albums. They carry tons of vinyl records -- something I can't seem to find in too many places these days. They also carry lots of the contemporary music in all different forms -- cassette tapes, cds, and vinyl. This family owned place is great and has wonderful, friendly serivce.


10/22/2005

I've never seen this place but I was walking by and decided to see what the store was all about. It doesn't have a huge selection of CD's but if you are still buying vinyl, this is the place for you. More than half of the store is records. And not just old stuff, although there is some of that, but new stuff too. I found a single of "Don't Phunk with My Heart" from the Black Eyed Peas. They also have a good selection of used DVDs for $4-10 dollars. Some might be more but all the ones I was interetsed in buying were in that price range.


Thursday, September 24, 2009

Friday Night Art Fest Exclusive Coupons

Anyone purchasing during the Art on Madison event this Friday from 5 - 9 p.m.
will receive a special Forest Park Arts Fest COUPON for use during this weekend!

ART ON MADISON THIS FRIDAY SEPT 25

'ART ON MADISON' THIS FRIDAY NIGHT
As a kick-off to Forest Park Arts Fest, merchants will be hosting 'Art on Madison' Friday, September 25 from 5 to 9 p.m. Madison merchants will feature artist openings, exhibits, wine tasting, entertainment, trunks shows, refreshments and more. The Arts Fest will be held Saturday and Sunday, September 26 & 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(Photo: Art by Steve Fisher who appears at Old School Records Friday night)

Art on Madison Flyer

PRESS RELEASE

Sunday, September 27, 2 pm, Old School Records, 7446 W. Madison, Forest Park, IL 60130, 708-366-7588, readings with Billy Lombardo (How to Hold A Woman), Stephanie Kuehnert (Ballads of Suburbia), Don Evans (Good Money After Bad.) as part of Forest Park Arts Fest Weekend. Book sales courtesy of Centuries & Sleuths.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Beatles

Yes, we have The Beatles reissues.
Additionally we have really sweet Beatles T-shirts and onesies!
Come in and have a look!!!!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

big sale coming!!

Keep an eye out for our coupon on
www.shopoakpark.com
and in the August issue of
The Illinois Entertainer.
We are having a "coupon" sale
for our 6 year anniversary!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

DJ Jodi G at Forest Park's Famous Liquors 7714 W. Madison St.

Our annual Grill Fest is this Saturday! Join us from 1:00 - 4:00 at our Madison Street location for Beer tastings, Wine tastings, Spirit tastings and tastings from the Famous Cheese Shop. Jodi from The Old School Records will be crankin' tunes. And for a special treat, Forest Park's own Ted Hosty will be roasting a pig "Hawaiian Style!"
While you're here, make sure to check out our improved and expanded selection of microbrews and imported beer!
And if that's not enough, we've also got some super hot deals, such as Sam Adams 12-packs for $9.99 (when you buy two), Seagram's Gin for $10.99/1.75 liter bottle and 1.5 liter bottles of Yellow Tail wine for only $8.99!
See you on Saturday!!!

MAGAZINES!

Yeah, why not?
We are carrying magazines now.
BILLBOARD
TIME OUT CHICAGO
GRAMOPHONE
BBC MUSIC
FUTURE MUSIC
MOJO
RECORD COLLECTOR
THE SOURCE
MIXMAG
DJ
Q
JAZZWISE
RHYTHM
WIRE
DAZED AND CONFUSED
KERRANG!
ALARM
ROCTOBER
AND OF COURSE THE FREEBIES
THE READER
N'DIGO
JAZZTIMES
ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER

Sunday, May 24, 2009

SUMMERFEST IN FOREST PARK
JUNE 5 FROM 5 - 10
JUNE 6 FROM 10-10
We will have our annual
SIDEWALK TENT SALE
in front of the shop.
Also, we'll be having our
DJ EXTRAVAGANZA
being held outside during both
days of the festival.
Check back for details on what
is going down.
So far we have 8 DJs
lined up to appear.
Friday night will be just music,
Saturday will be kid oriented live entertainment
with DJs spinning between appearances.
is the official link!!!
It really is a fun time and our sale is great.
Lots of other retailers will have sidewalk sales.
COME OUT AND SEE WHY SO MANY PEOPLE
LOVE FOREST PARK!!!

toot toot my own horn!

this is the second post we put on this blog.....but what the hell, i'll put it up top!

Here are some nice things about us from the internet. We appreciate all of this very much!Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
yelp
Time Out
Metromix Chicago
gapersblock.com
centerstagechicago.com
silbermedia.com
Chicago Magazine
asunnythought.blogspot.com

Saturday, April 18, 2009

RECORD STORE DAY

well well well.
i'm willing to say that this year is the first since we've been open
that the recording industry has done us any favor.
the fact that Record Store Day and vinyl records have been pushed by the media
has really made a difference in our world.
THANK YOU MUSIC INDUSTRY!
THANK YOU RECORD STORE DAY!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Rolling out our Tops

THE TOP 30 RECORDS OF 2008
BY PETER GIANAKOPOULOS

GOLDFRAPP “SEVENTH TREE”

THE WEEK THAT WAS “S/T”

THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS “THE AGE OF THE UNDERSTATEMENT”

HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR “S/T”

FUCKED UP “THE CHEMISTRY OF COMMON LIFE”

THE HELIO SEQUENCE “KEEP YOUR EYES AHEAD”

GRACE JONES “HURRICANE”

ERYKAH BADU “NEW AMERYKAH P.1”

BABY DEE “SAFE INSIDE THE DAY”

BECK “MODERN GUILT”

PORTISHEAD “THIRD”

DUKE SPIRIT “NEPTUNE”

DAVID BYRNE/BRIAN ENO “EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS WILL HAPPEN TODAY”

AMADOU & MARIAM “WELCOME TO MALI”

BRAZILIAN GIRLS “NEW YORK CITY”

MRR-ADM “UNTITLED” 10” LP

LINDSTROM “WHERE YOU GO”

FLYING LOTUS “LOS ANGELES”

WIRE “OBJECT 47”

TED AUSTERLITZ “JOURNEY”

THE FIREMAN “ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS”

ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO “REAL ANIMAL”

Q-TIP “THE RENAISSANCE”

NOMO “GHOST ROCK”

MGMT “ORACULAR SPECTACULAR”

V.A. 1970’S ALGERIAN PROTO-RAI UNDERGROUND (LP)

V.A. NIGERIA ROCK SPECIAL

MOTORPSYCHO “LITTLE LUCID MOMENTS”

NURSE WITH WOUND “HUFFIN’ RAG BLUES”

V.A. ELASTE-V.2 SPACE DISCO


BEST REISSUE: DENNIS WILSON “PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE”

SONG OF THE YEAR: MGMT “ELECTRIC FEEL”

BEST OLD TITLE NEWLY DISCOVERED: MICHAEL CHAPMAN “RAINMAKER /FULLY QUALIFIED SURVIVOR” (2-FER CD)





Geoff’s Tops for 2008

1.Valerio Cosi - Collected Works
2. Leila - Blood, Looms and Blooms
3. Woven Hand - Ten Stones
4. Lulu Rouge - Bless You
5. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Pt. 1
6. Nurse with Wound - Bacteria Magnet/Huffin' Rag Blues
7. Nomo - Ghost Rock
8. VA: Elaste - Space Disco Vol. 2
9. Wire - Object 41/Read & Burn 3
10. Portishead - Third
11. Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
12. The Week That Was - s/t
13. Sam Ragga Band - In Dub
14. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
15. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
16. Motorpsycho - Little Lucid Moments
17. Osunlade - Passage
18. Appleblim - Dubstep Allstars Vol. 6
19. Beck - Modern Guilt
20. Daniel Baldelli & Marco Donji: Cosmic Disco? Cosmic Rock!

Top 5 Unmixed Comps:
1. 1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground
2. Wackie's - Black World
3. BIPPP: French Synth Wave 1979-85
4. Nigeria Rock Special
5. African Scream Contest

Best Old/New DiscoveryCultural Amnesia - Press My Hungry Button


Robert’s Tops for 2008

Earles & Jensen - Just Farr a Laugh v. 1 & 2
John Zorn - Lucifer
Thoth Trio -Thoth Speaks
Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar - Go Marko Go!
Secret Chiefs 3 - Xaphan
Anthony Braxton 12+1 - Live at Victoriaville
Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
Kocani Orkestar - The Ravished Bride
Fanfara Tirana - Albanian Wedding
Melvins - Nude with Boots
v.a. - Sprigs of Time
v.a. – 1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground


Stefani's List

1 blind pilot - three rounds and a sound
2 quiet village - silent movie
3 low motion disco - keep it slow
4 milosh - III
5 human highway - moody motorcycle
6 michna - magic monday
7 benoit pioulard - temper
8 sun kil moon - april
9 eliot lipp - the outside
10 galactic dice - alleatoric grooves
11 pacific - reveries
12 anthony hamilton - the point of it all
13 populous with short stories - drawn in basic
14 leon ware - moon ride
15 elbow - the seldom seen kid
16 flying lotus - los angeles
17 french kicks - swimming
18 department of eagles - in ear park
19 nightmares on wax - thought so
20 anthiliawaters - the miles without you


Jodi's Top Records (In No Order) for 2008
1-Motorhead "Motorizer"
2-Beck "Modern Guilt"
3-Last Shadow Puppets "Age of Understatement"
4-Grace Jones "Hurricane"
5-Paul Austerlitz "Journey"7
6-Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds "Dig Lazarus Dig"
7-Nomo "Ghost Rock"
8-Amadou & Miriam "Welcome To Mali"
9-"Benjamin Button" soundtrack
10-Brazilian Girls "NYC"
11-George Clinton & His Gangsters of Love
12-Abiyou Solomon "In Search of My Roots"
13-Lee Perry "Scratch Came...."

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Results are in, PUPS WIN!


The results are in, PUPS WIN by a large margin. 77% of those who polled voted for 'em!
Thanks for voting, those of you who did.....
Be on the look out at the bottom of our blog for the next poll!