Record Stores: The Movie

We're always marveling about how every time we leave the house we meet some fascinating CT celebrity or other. Last night Fitzscenic and I checked out live band karaoke with Dean Falcone and friends at reopened and beautifully renovated Cafe Nine, which was every bit as awesome as you'd expect. I was so intrigued by (hot for) a duo of enthusiastic repeat performers, I had to go talk to them. As it turned out, these young men weren't just budding alcoholic BFFs with rock n' roll fantasies, they're rising scene stars - the guy that built the lovely new bar at Cafe Nine ("It's going to look even better in ten years" said he; "So are you," said she), and the guy who was dressed like he raided my closet who created a low budget documentary, I Need that Record: The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store, Brendan Toller.



Toller hit up some (now defunct) CT businesses for his film, including independent record store Trash American Style and Record Express (the West Hartford store was once the destination for my allowance/babysitting money, and where I bought my first menacing looking t-shirt). He also talked to famous people like Thurstan Moore, Ian MacKaye and Noam Chomsky.

The Scenics love record stores and lament their endangered status. We love physical music product, and supporting independent businesses, and listening to music far too morally questionable to be found at Walmart. If you're looking for physical records in CT today, you can still find them at Redscroll and The Telegraph. My favorite record store was Phoenix Records, which doesn't quite exist anymore, but "Phoenix Carl" still has some vinyl and CDs at his audio equipment shop, Puretone Audio, in Litchfield, and there's a Phoenix eBay store. Brass City Records has apparently taken the "diversify" approach as well; check out Brass City Records and Old Tools. We know a lot of old tools in CT, but had no idea we could turn a profit on them!

IDEA! You know what would be a neat event? A screening of Toller's film combined with a market by surviving local music vendors. And drinking. Real Art Ways?