Tuesday = Record Shop Day

I love heading to the local record shops on Tuesdays. Why you ask? Well, because it's New Release day of course. This week wasn't spectacularly note-worthy, but you can pick up the new Beck album Modern Guilt, as previously mentioned.

Nowadays it's easy to go in endless virtual-circles, hunting around, listening to music clips and purchasing from online retailers. But don't forget your local music merchants, first of all if you are into vinyl these guys have got your back. My local favs End of an Ear and Waterloo Records both stock new and used vinyl. Personally I don't own a record player but it's still cool to see the new Wolf Parade LP in all of it's giant cover art glory. Also, many labels are offering packaging that you can only find at your local record merchant. For instance, I noticed that you can buy the latest EP from the National packaged with a behind-the-scenes DVD for less than $20...but more than $10.

The inside back page of every Rolling Stone offers a few different charts to compare. They always list the Billboard top 40 albums but my favorite chart is the one that samples a local record shop. After the jump I've borrowed that idea and offered up some local charts vs. the Billboard chart.

Here's an Mp3 offering from one of the albums I picked up today at End of an Ear which, incidentally, isn't a new release per se. It's from the newest {{{Sunset}}} LP The Glowing City.

{{{Sunset}}} - When Perfect Flames Expire

Charts after the jump...

So, what's funny to me about this chart thing is how the Billboard chart seems to represent the casual music listeners. People who buy radio hits at their local Wal-Mart...not that there's anything wrong with that. I think the charts from independent record retailers reflects the tastes of hardcore indie-nerds who probably also shop at Whole Foods...not that there's anything wrong with that either.

So here's the Billboard Top 10 albums from Issue Date 7/12/2008...that's weird that's four days from now...whatever that's what it says so that's what I'm going with.

1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
2. Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
3. Soundtrack - Camp Rock
4. Motley Crue(sic) - Saints of Los Angeles
5. Three 6 Mafia - Last 2 Walk
6. Various Artists - Now 28 (28?!?! Damn I'm old)
7. Usher - Here I Stand
8. Shinedown - The Sound of Madness
9. Disturbed - Indestructable
10. Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad

Now let's compare that to the top sellers at, local-favorite, Waterloo Records for the week ending June 21st, 2008.

1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
2. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
3. Grupo Fantasma - Sonidos Gold
   
4. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
6. James McMurtry - Just Us Kids
   
7. Emmylou Harris - All I Intended to Be
   
8. Eliza Gilkyson - Beautiful World
   
9. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
   
10. Robert Plant & Allison Krauss - Raising Sand

Compare that one to the legendary Amoeba Music out of San Franciso, reported on June 30th, 2008.

1. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid
2. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
3. Portishead - Third
4. Immortal Technique - 3rd World
5. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
6. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
7. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
8. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
9. Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
10. Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair

Let's head North to a favorite of mine from my Boston days, Newbury Comics. I'm not sure of the date and they don't really have them numbered it's just a page of their top 25 so I will list what I assume to be their top 10...get with it Newbury Comics.

1. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
2. Night Ranger - Hole in the Sun (Night Ranger?!?! What is wrong with you people?)
3. Tech N9ne - Killer
4. Motley Crue(sic) - Saints of Los Angeles
5. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
6. Immortal Technique - The 3rd World
7. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
8. RZA - Digisnacks
9. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
10. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Let's head to NYC and see what's selling at Other Music as of June 29th, 2008.

1. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
2. Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
3. Jay Reatard - Singles Collection
4. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
6. Gas - Nah Und Fern Box Set
7. The Feelies - Only Life
8. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
9. Buddha Machine - Soundbox
10. Endless Boogie - Focus Level

How about the hipsters in Louisville? Kentucky gets a bad rap in the rest of the U.S. but I've been there and it's cooler than you might think. Check out what they're buying at ear X-tacy, who only offer up their top 5 whatev.

1. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
2. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death & All His Friends
3. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
4. Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
5. Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal

The last record shop I want to stop by on our journey is in hipster/artist/musician-mecca Portland, OR. Representing Portlandia will be Music Millenium, who were more than happy to chat on the phone with a guy in Texas about their top 30 albums haha.

1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
2. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
3. Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
4. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
5. Ry Cooder - I, Flathead
   
6. Various Artists - PDX Pop Now Compilation 2008
7. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
8. Duffy - Rockferry
   
9. Emmylou Harris - All I Intended to Be
10. Dr. John - City That Care Forgot