(Ed. Note: This entry in our "Still Digging" Record Store Day series was penned by Patrick Simons, Editorial Assistant for Block Club magazine. Photo Credit: P. Simons, with a look at some of the goods discussed below.)
The first record I ever bought was Less Than Jake’s Hello Rockview on 12” picture disc. “Pezcore” and “Losing Streak” were pretty good, and despite being a total ska nut growing up, Less Than Jake never really did it for me. I just bought it because it looked cool.
That was at Sit and Spin Records, the now-defunct punk and hardcore record store that made its home on Transit Road in Depew. My visits there probably began in 2001. Maybe 2000. I used to nag my father to drive me the 15 minutes because I was only 12 or 13 years old.
Until then, I remember having to special order CDs from Media Play because they never had what I wanted. That all changed when I discovered Sit and Spin. Aus-Rotten’s Not One Single Fucking Hit Discography: check. A Taang! Records music video compilation on VHS, complete with Negative FX fight scene: you bet. Reagan Youth, Bright Eyes, Conflict, Waxwing, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Saves the Day: they had me covered.
After nearly eight years, a couple bumps in the road forced Sit and Spin to vacate their home in Depew. Shortly before the move, I remember landing myself a decent chunk of someone’s old emo collection. The City of Caterpillar self-titled 12” and their split 7” with Pg. 99; an Orchid/Red Scare split 7”; Yaphet Kotto and Bread and Circuits LPs; Angel Hair’s Pregnant with the Senior Class on CD. A righteous bounty indeed.
I never made it to Sit and Spin’s new location after the store relocated to North Buffalo in 2007. Rest in peace. I did, however, end up moving in to the building next door to Spiral Scratch just a few months before Dave opened it. It should come as no surprise that this new living arrangement would prove to be both a blessing and a curse.
My first real lasting memory at Spiral Scratch came when I decided I needed a copy of Tommy James & the Shondell’s “I’m Alive.” I walked over, slightly optimistic but mostly doubtful, to dig through towers of loose 45s. I told Dave what I’d come for and asked if he knew if there was a copy laying around. My best bet was to search the stacks of wax. You already know your boy jumped like a little girl when I saw that “I’m Alive” was the very top record on the very first pile I looked at. I went upstairs and listened to that track probably 10 times in a row.
I even met Scott Mancuso for the first time at Spiral Scratch on Record Store Day in 2010. I brought him a donut. We’ve been bros ever since.
My last visit to the old Spiral Scratch location is a vivid one, for some reason. Although rather uneventful, it sticks out quite a bit. I stopped by in passing, just to browse. My search ended abruptly, in the “A” section. Adam & the Ants’ Kings of the Wild Frontier was screaming at me.
Two days later, a fire forced Spiral Scratch to close its doors on Delaware. Thanks to a massive outcry of support, Dave was able to reopen only a few months later, in August, 2010.
Since then, there have been two visits that left a pretty lasting impression. The first came early in 2011 when I received a paycheck from the Buffalo News. It was the first time that I’d been paid to write something. It felt good, and it felt like I needed to treat myself. You know - spend it on something I’d remember. At that point in my life, my compensation could have, at any given time, gone toward any combination of shitty food, 40s and half-eighths, so I had to make that stop at Spiral Scratch count.
As luck would have it, a copy of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s Xtra-Acme was stocked earlier that day. So now every time I dig through my crates and I see that Blues Explosion album, I remember how I paid for it: with the first stack the kid made as a writer. That’s forever, man.
The second [impression] came a few months later, on my birthday in the summer of 2011. Took a stroll over to the Bryant Street location from the old Block Club offices on Elmwood, with no agenda in mind. Left shortly after entering with a first pressing of Pedro the Lion’s Winners Never Quit for $25. I’d been browsing eBay at the time, and considered paying nearly $100 for that album. Happy birthday to me.
So, with all this being said, it’s clear that I can rant and ramble. It just so happens that I think I do it best when it involves music.
This is what I collect. This is what I search for. These items, these albums, these songs - all have a story. I remember when and where I got them, and most of them mean something special. So days like Record Store Day and places like Spiral Scratch: these are important to me.
To quote the old homie, Peanut Butter Wolf: “My vinyl weighs a ton.”
I’m getting there.
Other notable records that strike an in-store chord:
J Dilla’s Donuts on double LP, Raekwon’s “Glaciers of Ice” 12” single and Prince’s Purple Rain for $6 from Book Outlet and More on Main Street near Lafayette. I think it was before the store came under new ownership. I dropped in on a whim and the records were barely organized. I had some time to kill, so I started digging. A couple hours later I came out with those gems. The digging is almost always worth it.
Juelz Santana’s From Me 2 U on double LP from some vendor at the old Super Flea. $0.50 for that beaut.
The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper on double LP from Record Baron on Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. My dad used to play me Mike Bloomfield records all the time when I was growing up. If it wasn’t for my pops, music wouldn’t be the same.
Upcoming Record Store Day anticipations:
I’ve never gone super crazy on Record Store Day in the past, and don’t foresee it happening this year, but these are the releases I’m most excited about this year:
Codeine – What About the Lonely
Hanni El Khatib – Skinny Little Girl / Pay No Mind 7”
GZA – Liquid Swords Vinyl / Chess box set
Pussy Galore – Groovy Hate Fuck
Ty Segall - Ty Rex 2 7”
~ Patrick Simons
