Air conditioning, kick ass new releases, and used items on sale are just a few of the things we have going on this week at Exile on Main Street. Seriously, what better way is there to cool off during the hot humid early summer days than to stop by the local record store and wax nostalgic about that Kraftwerk LP that changed your life?
Soooo…tell me about your new releases:
Lots of sweet releases have rolled into the store the last couple weeks. Omar Rodriguez Lopez finally decided to take a break from releasing solo albums every month to help put out Octahedron, the fifth studio release from The Mars Volta. Speaking of solo albums, Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers fame just released his second album, Murdering Oscar, this week. The biggest release though has to be another incredible record from Dinosaur Jr., again featuring Lou Barlow and the original lineup. Come check out our Dino Jr. skateboard display (thanks Dustin from Board Boutique)! Other great new albums to cure what ails you can be found from Placebo, Deerhunter, Sunset Rubdown, Todd Snider, Regina Spektor, Tortoise, God Help the Girl (Belle & Sebastian musical anyone?), and we’re not kidding here … Spinal Tap.
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Re-issues worth re-buying:
R.E.M.’s second album, Reckoning, has been remastered and now comes with a second disc featuring a live show from the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago circa 1984. Anybody out there remember ’90s lo-fi gurus The Grifters? We sure as hell do and are happy to have copies of several of their long out-of-print releases. Discounts on these if you have any old Blind Pig ticket stubs!
Tons of other great re-issues from the likes of Isaac Hayes, Miles Davis, The Who, Timothy Leary, Gloria Scott (produced by Barry White!!!), Charles Mingus, Morrissey, and last but not least … finally remastered … the first two Big Star albums, still together on one disc. If you don’t know both of those then you, ladies and gents, are no music scholar. Also, Exile is always getting in LP re-issues to make you drool. This week, look for titles from Roxy Music, Mr. Bungle, Beastie Boys, Tom Waits just to name a few.
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What the hell were they listening to anyway?
Jeff: Monks — Early Years & Black Monk Time, Demon Fuzz — Afreaka!
Amelia: Conor Oberst — Outer South; Camera Obscura — My Maudlin Career
Jordan: Kickball — Abcdefghijkickball; The Vasalines — Enter the Vasalines
Tim: Nomo — Invisible Cities; Headdress — Lunes
Adam: Grizzly Bear — Veckatimest; Pisces — A Lovely Sight
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Top 10 albums according to our fine customers:
1. Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
3. Sonic Youth – The Eternal
4. Wilco – You Never Know 7″
5. Mos Def – The Ecstatic
6. St. Vincent – Actor
7. J. Dilla – Jay Stay Paid
8. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amedeus Phoenix
9. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Ocra
10. Big Star – #1 Record/Radio City
Be sure to look for the Exile on Main Street tent at Blues, Brews and BBQ this weekend in downtown Urbana. Just look for the tent rocking the Guitar Hero contest.