I worked at Rhino Records in West L.A. from around 1976 to 1985. This was the time when little record stores such as (in the Los Angeles area) Rhino, Aron's, Poo Bah, Rene's, et al thrived by selling used records, cutouts, and BOOTLEGS. Other record stores like Jem Records specialized in imports, and we would make pilgrimages to The Valley to buy the latest ECM records, weird prog rock records, and cutting edge/obscuro improv on Incus and FMP, etc.
Like free-form radio programming, my heart always "zings" a bit when I experience a barely socialized underground record store somewhere. I recognize the atmosphere of wariness, the alienation mixed with inspiration, the passion for sound and culture, the desire to permeate one's life wholly with the certain singular stench of whatever one is obsessed with that week. Whether it's Rhino (long gone), Poo Bah (still sort of there in a different location), Atomic, or late lamented stores elsewhere like Hoboken's Rather Ripped, or newer (monster) stores like Amoeba, Waterloo (in Austin), Twist & Shout (Denver), or the numerous little hole-in-the-wall stores I stroll into across the globe whose names I have forgotten, I salute you all.
from Nels Cline.com
Can You Name This Record Store?
b-side in madison
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