The Stroumboulopouli

The Stroumboulopouli

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Friday, April 17, 2009

Finding your music mojo

I have a confession to make. I have a gift certificate for iTunes that I can't spend... and it's driving me crazy. I've tried hitting the "buy" button many times, and I just can't do it. My music mojo is gone! Usually I go through iTunes gift certificates like they are going out of style... but lately, I just can't. Maybe I'm going through album withdrawl. I recently got a CD copy of The Tragically Hip's new album "We are the Same" and I felt like a kid in a candy store. There's just something about holding that album in your hands that the immediate gratification of iTunes doesn't have.

And I've missed that. So I'm happy to say that tomorrow, April 18th, is Record Store Day. I've already decided that I'm going to check out a few of the places listed below. I'm not a big vinyl person, but this little voice in my head has starting saying lately that it's time to change that. So tomorrow I'll embark on an adventure and who knows what I'll find. Maybe after a few albums, I'll find my music mojo again.

Record Store Day celebrates vinyl and the many independent music stores all over the world. Hopefully it will remind people that there's more to music than iTunes. It's more than a blast from the past, we're seeing more and more new releases coming out on vinyl along with their CD and online counterparts. Record Store Day celebrates the independent shop and that feeling you can't find anywhere else when it comes to finding new music.

These are the participating stores across Canada (according to recordstoreday.com/canada):

Atomix Records St.Catharines
Argy's Collectables Winnipeg
Audiopile Vancouver
Aux 33 Tours Montreal, QC
Backstreet Records Fredericton, NB
Backstreet Records Saint John, NB
The Beatmerchant Richmond
Beatnick Music MONTREAL
Blackbyrd (myoozik) Edmonton
Aux 33 Tours Montreal, QC
bluestreak records peterborough
Blueprint Lethbridge, Alberta
Compact Music Ottawa, Ontario
CD Warehouse Nepean, Ontario
Cosmic Dave's Vinyl Emporium Sudbury
Criminal Records Toronto
Ditch Records & CDs Victoria, BC
Dandelion Records Vancouver
Dixie Records Mississauga
Dr. Disc Hamilton, ON
Encore Records Ottawa
End Hits Hamilton, ON
Encore Records Kitchener, Ontario
Freecloud Records Edmonton
FrÈquences Le Disquaire Saint-Hyacinthe
Grooves London, Ontario
Into The Music Winnipeg
Le Pick Up Montreal
Listen Records & CDs Edmonton
Melodiya Records Calgary, Ab
Meow Records Prince George, BC
Neptoon Records Vancouver
Penguin Music Toronto
Phonopolis Montreal
Planet of Sound Winnipeg
Records on Wheels Sudbury
Records on Wheels Dundas
Ric's Recollections Vancouver
Red Cat Records Mississauga
Salt Spring Sound Salt Spring Island
Scratch Records Vancouver, BC
Secondspin Saint John , New Brunswick
Sloth Records Calgary, Alberta
Sonic Boom Records Toronto
Sound Connection Edmonton
Soundscapes Toronto
Speed City Records London
Spinners Sound Centre Kamloops
Spin-It Records Moncton NB
Star Records Oshawa,ONTARIO
Sunrise Records Scarborough
Taz Records Halifax
The Danger Room Regina
The Inner Sleeve Calgary, Alberta
The Record Works Woodstock
Vinyl Encore Records Mill Bay
Vertigo Records Ottawa
Vinyl Records Vancouver

So how's your music mojo? What song's kills you every time you hear it? Are you an iTunes person or do you still check out the local (and quickly disappearing) music shops for the latest and greatest? Post a comment and let us know!

Cheers!

4 comments:

Meredith said...

Good post Mich!

I agree with you! I like holding the new CD and checking the pictures, lyrics and comments by the bands....and sometimes, you can find the CD album for the same price as Itunes....and you can hold it in your hands, and have it autograph.... as for itunes.....hummmm!?

Mich said...

I like iTunes... a lot. It's a great service for finding that one song you want or need, but I've missed going into a store and browsing...

When I got that Hip CD (which is fantastic by the way) I remembered how much I love that concrete feeling of the album... and tomorrow's event just cements that for me. Looking forward to it!

Barbara said...

What did you buy on Record Store Day?

goodyearnow said...

I miss my record collection. I was so proud of it. Each album with its special inner sleeve protecting the precious grooves and the loose plastic cover looking after the artwork on the outside. Every piece had its history, from hanging at the record store with my $5.00 listening to the new releases each week, making my selection. Then when I made my way into the music biz, visiting the stores, promoting the new artists, getting them racked up front, putting up the displays, bringing artists into the stores to visit the staff. I still savoured each edition to my collection. It was special to me, an experience like I felt I was doing a service to the world bringing the good tunes to the people. Alas, an evil ex-husband stole my collection and sold it. Somehow replacing them with CDs was not only impossible, the feeling was gone.

The music that still brings it all back to me, that speaks to me is Simple Minds. I have heard some of the new tunes from their upcoming album "Graffiti Soul" and it is everything you want from a Minds album-the guitars, the voice, the beat, the words that truly do touch your soul. Check out www.simpleminds.com and YouTube for a listen. May 25 release-I can hardly wait.