Thursday, April 16, 2009

Record Stores in the Movies


It's Record Store Day Eve, I'm *so* excited :-)

Here's a quick list of some of my favorite record store moments from the Silver Screen






High Fidelity: Jack Black as a snarky record store clerk... John Cusack as the store owner... more great lines than I have time to recount. I still need to read the book by Nick Hornsby. The Cusack character is who I aspire to be (minus the relationship issues)





Empire Records: Plot isn't this film's strong suit, but the main setting is the coolest imaginary record store ever! Liv Tyler and Renee Zellweger don't hurt either.




- - - Honorable mentions - - -


Love Jones: Dr. Wax from Hyde Park is name-checked, although the record store scene occurs in some other store. As an aside, if you want to see some sexy black folks (of either gender) this is good choice.. Nia Long & Lawrenz Tate star... it's a pretty good love story. The soundtrack is killer, highly recommended.






Mo Betta Blues: The scene where Wesley Snipes' character tries to kick-it to Cynda Williams' character is cool. I'd cut my record shopping short if Cynda Williams was waiting on me.




I am Legend: Huh? You heard me... This movie proves that like cockroaches, record stores will still be around even in a post-apocalyptic nightmare vision of NYC.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

All Time Top 5 Albums (for now)

Record Store Day is this saturday, and I like to celebrate it kwanzaa-style, lighting a candle of record-love for a few days before the big event.

So... my all-time top 5 albums (in no particular order)

- Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder
- A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
- Remedy, Basement Jaxx
- Fear of a Black Planet, Public Enemy
- Kind of Blue, Miles Davis

Now, if I were stranded on a desert island, I'd probably wish for a solar powered iPod... but if I only had a solar powered record player and 5 records, these would be the ones.

Caveats: Top 5 lists are ridiculous... Limiting to only 5 forces me to ignore vast swaths of the musical landscape... no Rock? No classical? No "world" music? ridiculous.

I engage in the top 5 ritual in honor of Record Store Day (and the film High Fidelity) ...and Comic Book Guy.