Good Time To Support A Local Record Store

With so many local artists unable to play shows, it's a good time to call your record store and place an order to pick up a release or two from one of the many Columbus bands and musicians hurting during this, as well as supporting a local business. Here's some places to a check out:

Lost Weekend Records

Elizabeth's Records

Used Kids Records

Magnolia Thunderpussy Records

Records Per Minute

New Additions: This Is Not A Christmas Album by Oswald And The Herringbones (1987)

One of my favorite things while crate-digging at local record stores is stumbling upon albums or singles that I had no idea existed. In this instance, I was well aware of the 1992 album Time Doesn't Matter by Oswald And The Herringbones. However, the 1987 album This Is Not A Christmas Album was not on my radar when I stumbled upon it at Elizabeth Records here in Columbus. This, of course, is the album that would produce the single and video for Be By Yourself that ended up on MTV, a nice slice of catchy 80s synth-pop.

New Additions: Mesmerization by The Burners

This isn't, strictly speaking, a "new addition" in that I acquired it a few months back at Elizabeth Records here in Columbus. While it was sitting in the local section for a few prior visits, I did a little research as I was completely unfamiliar with the band, and dug up enough info to figure it was worth grabbing, and I'm glad I did. Turns out Happy Chichester, in a later discussion, cites The Burners as an important early influence, and specifically bassist Michael Gene.

New Additions: Beetkeepers s/t Album

Some bands have multiple releases and tracking them down can be quite the quest, especially when self-released or released on long out of business local labels. Luckily, though the Beetkeepers only released one self-titled album in 1987 on Curt Schieber's No Other Records, a few copies have been floating around Columbus record stores, and I was able to grab a pristine copy recently at Elizabeth Records on Indianola. Based on a few descriptions, I was expecting a take on alternative country, but this less alternative and more straightforward, with a strong 70s singer/songwriter vibe.