Album of the Day: Nina Simone Jazz As Played In An Exclusive Side Street Club

Nina Simone isn't a new discovery but this album is just hitting the spot after a long Monday. Lots of standard tunes that any Nina Simone fan will recognize. The B side opens with the instrumental above. Just beautiful, and worth another listen if it has been awhile.

PCC Flea Market - Lot's of Records!!!

I finally got around to going to the Pasadena City College (PCC) flea market last weekend. It was a great success. I love the Rosebowl Flea Market but I think I actually like PCC better, especially for records.

There were more record vendors than I had ever seen at one flea market and everything was pretty well priced. It's definitely a little bit of a grueling morning if you want to do it right (we got up at 8am) but well worth it. We walked away with alot of jazz and blues, but there is definitely something for everyone. If you go, prepare to be a little chilled since most of the flea market is in a parking garage and I'd bring a big tote bag or backpack so you have something to haul all of your purchases in.

For more details check out there website; http://www.pasadena.edu/fleamarket/

Elvis' Christmas Album

Sometimes its hard to get in the Christmas spirit when you live in southern California. It's just so sunny all the time, it doesn't feel like December. If you are having a hard time getting into the spirit, Elvis might just help you get there.

Record Hunting Tips

We do alot of record shopping to keep our collection fresh and exciting. Here are some tips and tricks that we've learned along the way.

Where to Start - Since I'm almost never searching for the newest release of anything there are alot of options.
     
Record Stores - The best selection and variety of genres can usually be found at your local record    store. You will probably pay more here than anywhere else but there is generally a level of quality to be expected where scratching and warping is concerned.

In addition, alot of record stores will buy records that you no longer want in exchange for store credit. This is a great way to refine your record collection.


Goodwill/ Thrift Store - As with anything else at a Goodwill or similar thrift stores, records can be really hit or miss. The good news is that records here are usually priced at $.50 cents to $1.00.

Often they appear to be your grandma's castoffs (Christmas music, lots of classical, musical theater). The selection is largely dependent on the neighborhood surrounding the store so keep that in mind. There is the opportunity to find something great here, our copy of J.J. Cale Troubador came from a Goodwill.

Flea Market - Flea markets are pretty big here in LA, the Rose Bowl and Melrose Trading Post both have quite alot of records. The selection at these flea markets is pretty hip, obviously the type of music likely depends quite a bit on the other types of things being sold at the market.

At the flea markets here they stock alot of the usual suspects (Beatles, Rolling Stones, Zepplin), often at prices above what they would be asking at your local record store. The good thing about flea markets however is your ability to haggle, and you can buy so many other fun things while you are there!

Ebay - Ebay is best when you really know what you are looking for. Sometimes I use it as a method to price check something before I buy it. I have been burned before ending up with records that are so warped or scratched that they would barely play. As with all things on Ebay it's fun to browse but I generally only buy if it is something that I cannot find anywhere else or if I kind find it for cheap enough that I'm willing to take a chance.

Craigslist - Craigslist may sound like an odd place to look for records but it is very useful for two reasons. We keep an eye on our local Craigslist for people giving away or selling big collections of records. If you are just starting your record collection this is a great place to start.

The second great use for Craigslist is to check the listings for local yard sales that are selling records.


Yard Sales - Last but certainly not least, the yard sale. The best way to search for records this way is to set aside an entire day of your weekend. We make a list, trying to stay within a neighborhood or a few nearby neighborhoods.

You really never know what you will find at a yard sale but sometimes what people are selling will surprise you and it will generally only run you about $1.00 a record. Alot of times if you grab a big stack you can get a really good deal and it gives you the opportunity to take a chance on an unknown album. We've discovered that yard sales are also a pretty great way to meet other vinyl enthusiasts.



Where do you find your records?

B.B. King A Heart Full of Blues - Record of the Day

So I'm listening to this album right now actually and I was just going to tweet it and be done with it but I kept on listening and decided that it merited it's very own blog post.

Everybody knows B.B. King, no big deal really, but sometimes it is worth revisiting the old standbys. I came home from work today defeated and tired and feeling really bad about the state of everything. So I made a cup of tea and searched our admittedly disorganized library of records for Nina Simone.... thinking that only a woman could understand exactly what I am feeling.

Well, I didn't find Nina, I stumbled across Mr. King and thought to myself, "now what I really have here is a case of the blues" and anyone can understand that right? I put it on. I sipped my tea. I don't really feel much better but I do feel less alone. Isn't that the magic of good music?

These Records are in Every Store and at Every Yard Sale.

Occasionally now that I have let the world know what a record collecting freak I am I will receive a donation from someone trying to get rid of mom's or dad's or grandma and grandpa's record collection (see above).

It's really fun to dig through hundreds of records in search of gems in the comfort of your own home. In addition to the donations a still spend quite a bit of time sifting through the records at shops, yard sales, and goodwill. Wherever I am there is always at least one copy of the following albums.......

1. Linda Ronstadt - Simple Dreams
2. Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson - A Star is Born
3. Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good
4. Some variety of 1950's era Christmas music
5. Something by Sergio Mendes

I'm sure there are more but these are the heavy hitters. Why is this?

You too can Wear Bob Dylan

Friday nights at our house are our time to unwind. We tend to sit around with a few good friends, a bottle of wine, maybe a game of Uno, and a big stack of records.

Towards the end of the night things tend to get a little silly. Recently we discovered that with a little creativity you can be part of your favorite album covers. This look courtesy of Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. Halloween costume?

Newest Sarah's Records! Mulatu Astatke :)

Record of the Day - Glen Gray's Greatest!!

When you have a rather large record collection you tend to forget exactly what is there. Records are big and a little cumbersome, it's not like your ipod where you're constantly scrolling through reviewing everything in your collection.

This weekend we discovered, or more re-discovered Glen Gray. It's classic big band stuff and perfect for making dinner, having a little wine, and sharing a slow dance with that special someone. If you're a Mad Men fan you may remember the "Song of India" from an episode a season or so back. So grab a glass of wine, have a listen, and drift back to simpler times. As for me, I'll be organizing some records...

Glen Gray's Greatest!
Capitol Records
http://www.discogs.com/Glen-Gray-Glen-Grays-Greatest/release/3061416

And what did I buy......

Bands Featured

 

We tried to use all local bands from Spokane, WA in our 4000 holes spot. If you liked the music, here is the info.

Above; “It’s from the sky” Spokane

http://www.amazon.com/Spokane/dp/B001GYXNEY
http://www.myspace.com/video/it-s-from-the-sky/spokane/46744561

“I need electricity” Sweet Madness
http://www.myspace.com/sweetmadness/music/songs/i-need-electricity-83325286
http://www.amazon.com/I-Need-Electricity/dp/B005EY4YOA

Too Slim & the Tail Draggers “One More Gallon of Gasoline”
http://www.amazon.com/One-More-Gallon-Of-Gasoline/dp/B001DXFDXC
http://www.myspace.com/tooslimandthetaildraggers/music/songs/one-more-gallon-of-gasoline-70942894

Will Brasch “This Time Around”


BBB Bandits “Interuption”

The Fatty Acids
http://thefattyacidsmusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thefattyacidsmusic

The Blue Jeans “Moon Mist”

4000 Holes!

We had so much fun on our trip to Spokane! Hopefully we will be doing more record store visits like this in the future. I will be posting pictures of what we bought soon!

Blues Theme Davie Allen and the Arrows

This song makes me want to rev up a motorcycle and drive up the coast....It's no wonder because these guys did the soundtrack to the biker movie The Wild Angels.

Waylon & Willie

Studio One Rude Boy

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Inspired by.....

 Being a very visual person, I always turn to images from the past for inspiration. I definitely took some literal hairspiration for The Animals Animalism review from the lovely Brigitte Bardot.

 My too cool for school dance moves in the video were inspired by old Warhol videos of Edie Sedgwick.

The Animals Animalism

I posted a few behind the scenes pictures from the making of this review of The Animals Animalism awhile back. This was the most fun we have had on a video shoot yet. I hope you like it :)

Food Truck Derby?!

This Saturday we headed into Hollywood for the Food Truck Derby at Siren Studios. You never know how a sponsored event will turn out but this event was pretty great. We got to try free items from five great food trucks (Great Balls on Tires, Takosher, Lardon, The Hungry Nomad, Naan Stop), drink alot of free Newcastle, and dance the afternoon away all the while checking out what was essentially the Urban Outfitters spring catalog courtesy of hundreds of hip hungry food truck fans.

 

If I could I would do it all over again this weekend.

The Donation

This weekend we stumbled upon a great collection of jazz. Thanks Robert from Toluca Lake, CA!
There are alot of classic titles and a great deal of amazing compilations that I hadn't even heard of. We spent a few nights going through the box and I can't wait to give them all a thorough listen.

The Big Reveal!

Here it is...... the moment no one has really been waiting for. The desk that we flipped last weekend is in it's rightful home, ready to take on more projects than it can possibly imagine. I feel more productive already!

Inspiration

We filmed two episodes of Sarah's Records last night, both with a bit of 50's flavor. I have been looking at images on the web for inspiration. I love the 1950's hourglass silhouette. Pretty much impossible to pull off without the proper, and very uncomfortable, undergarments.

We've got the Blues

This weekend we found maybe the best blues haul ever at a local garage sale.....

 As you can imagine, we spent most of the weekend around the house listening to our new finds.

I wouldn't be surprised if one of these makes it into a future episode of Sarah's Records.

Home Improvement

Here at Sarah's Records we have an affinity for all things old ....er....vintage? This weekend we turned a desk from trash to treasure with a little stain and elbow grease.

 I love the Art Deco lines of this piece. It's definitely a little more exciting than something you would find at Ikea. Stay tuned to see the finished product!

J.J. Cale is Cooler than Cigarettes?

We just posted the newest installment of Sarah's Records on Friday. Check it out!

Lazy Sunday

We spent this Sunday at the Melrose Trading Post and Amoeba Records.

We walked away from the trading post without any records but scored a little Psychedelic gem at Amoeba. Stay tuned for an episode of Sarah's Records featuring "Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968."

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