360 Vinyl: Goodbye, I hardly knew yee

 I began working in the US Bancorp Tower (otherwise known as Big Pink) last August 2013 in downtown Portland on 6th & Burnside.

If you walked across 6th & 7th street, and around the side of Mary's....

 You would find THEE place to buy hip-hop vinyl in Portland...

 ...along with a nicely curated collection of electronic, funk and jazz.

 I woke up on July 6, my birthday,  to read the following:

We can’t believe we’re saying this…but here goes:

After 16 years, we’re closing our doors for the last time on Aug. 2nd.

We are fortunate in that we’re not being forced out of business by a greedy landlord or by a lack of sales or a lack of ability to pay the bills. Business has been good as of late. We even recently had our best month in over 6 years.

360’s owner, Aaron or KEZ (however you may know him), started a job with another company in the music industry a few months ago. 360’s lease runs out soon, and he can’t continue to pull double duty any longer. He needs time for things like sleep.

We can’t even begin to express our gratitude for the thousands of people from around the world who have allowed us to make a living doing what we love for the past 16 years. Thank you.

Thank you.

Bummer. For the last year, 360 had been my lunchtime  detour from the work day. On average I'd say I went in there 1-2 times a week depending on the used stock and my budget. Just flippin' through those racks and crates provided me with mid-afternoon zen and focus to kill it the remainder of the day. I feel fortunate to have spent time and money there.

I'll spare the hyperbole and get right to the meat. In death, it is far better to celebrate the departed than to mourn them. In that spirit, below are some of my favorite records I scored at 360 the past year.

 

Crossroads Diggin'

The record hunt was hot and heavy these last couple weeks. I’ve had some great luck and some sweet scores.

First up are some recent high-lites from a bit of rummaging I did at Crossroads here in Portland. These first two I found buried in a box on the floor in the back of the store…$2 each. Unbelievable.

Out Hud/!!! – Lab Series Vol. 2 (1999, Gold Standard Laboratories)

“Dance Punk” is not a term that gets used too much anymore, particularly in indie circles. CAN, A Certain Ratio, Liquid Liquid, and ESG will always be cool. We just forgot for awhile in the wake of late 90′s rape rock and Brit rock. And after awesome, turn-of-the-century Williamsburg bands reminded us to get into the groove, shitty mall punk groups co-opted the idea in the mid 00′s and killed the term for good.
I think one other contributing factor is the fact that the influence of EDM, and dance music in general, has become so thoroughly pervasive and accepted it is now the norm. Its not novelty for guitar based bands to incorporate these elements anymore. It comes standard. In 1999 though, it didn’t.

This is the first wider available release from !!! (chk chk chk) and Out Hud, a split 12″ showcasing both bands, who shared more than a couple members. The Out Hud tracks (3) are subdued and spacey. Nice enough, but nothing mind blowing. However,  the !!! side is RAW. “Instinct” is what you love about !!!: extended jams, heavy on rhythm, slicing trebled out funky guitars, buried attitude filled breathy vocals….a lot of folks will prolly say the band perfected their sound on their 2003 single “Me and Gulliani (Down By The School Yard)”, and they might have a point…cuz that’s a classic track. However, I would make the case that with “Instinct,” the !!! blueprint was firmly laid down in all its liquid liquidy lock groove majesty.

Mix Master Mike – Eye Of The Cyklops (2000, Asphodel)

Mix Master Mike might just be the greatest turntablist of all time.  DMC DJ Champion 3 years in a row. Co-founder of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz. And probably most famously, he served as the Beastie Boys studio/touring DJ since 1998.
“Hey yo Adam…,”
Mike also makes original albums. Eye of the Cyklops was the first recording I ever owned of his, on CD no less. I must have stumbled across it originally around late 2000…I remember it dropping like a bomb on my ear drums. I must have worn this out at every party we had at the house me and my band lived in at the time. This album is a guaranteed up-tempo neck breaker. Honestly though, I kinda moved on from it after awhile. It happens. Today’s favorite new jam gets wore the fuck out and the next thing you know its gathering dust. And then you need money for rent. And then 10 years go by. And then you happen to be thumbing through some records in a busted cardboard box on the floor of a flea market record shop and you make eye contact with this genius relic and it all comes screaming back to you like a pitch shifted wah-wah tweak scratch and you smile a smile crazy wide and say “MINE.”

And man does it hold up. Here’s the thing: when you work with old samples to begin with, especially old drum samples, your tracks will always sound good…even 13 years after the fact. If you make beats with the latest gear, they will sound dated. Everything about this instrumental EP sounds timeless. I have been jamming this record almost everyday since I got it. Not just because it takes me back, but also because it feels like its still propelling me forward.

David Bowie – Scary Monsters ( 1980, RCA Victor)

Finally, I snagged this slightly chewy copy of Scary Monsters by David Bowie for $6. The vinyl is surprisingly clean, save for one slight gash on side B. No skipping though. The one glaring issue, and the reason it was so cheap probably, is that apparently, “early issues included a limited edition insert of 36 stamps designed by Bowie, on a one-sheet 6×6 array.”
No dice on that precious. Damn. I can deal though…anything for David.
This record is generally regarded as his last really significant record before the 80′s decline…although I suppose a definite  argument could be made for Let’s Dance since it was his biggest selling album. Nile Rogers produced the shit out of it after all. But even Bowie attributes the massive success of the album as a long term failure, artistically and career-wise.
Anyhoo, Scary Monsters rules up and down. Of course, you already know that…don’t you?

Craigslist Killer...Deals

There are plenty of record stores in Portland. Crossroads is my favorite at the moment.They have vast oceans of used records...and thats where I go swimming. Mississippi Records is really great too. Music Millinium has the best new selection. 360 Vinyl is a small shop downtown and its the best place to get hip-hop and electronic in Portland. I'll plead the 5th on Jackpot. And there are a lot of other shops too (Record Room, Everyday Music, 2nd Avenue).

As a result of all these shops and the general music lovin vibe that exists in Portlandia, there exists a public with a long history of vinyl collecting here....decades upon decades of deep crates.

These records eventually filter back through the shops in a variety of ways: you need drug money, rent, bail, diapers...dad died. When they get bought the store buyer usually pays half the price (or usually less) of what the record will be sold for. If you buy a copy of Ziggy Stardust for $8, generally the buyer paid $3-$4 to the seller. And that's if the buyer is being totally legit.

The key as a collector then, ideally, is to cut out the stores as the middle man and go straight to the source, the people. It ensures first pick and negotiable prices. And, in some cases there is an element of surprise to the picking because you never know what could be available. This is the adventure I have been on lately and I have had some great scores.

Here is my latest score, a collection of mostly 80's metal and hard rock. I got all of these from a guy named Jason who lives in Southeast. Real nice guy...a musician and DJ.

This was my crown jewel of the score...$7....My appreciation for Iron Maiden has developed steadily over the last few years. Steve Harris has become quite an inspiration, not only as bass player but as a songwriter. When I price records I use discogs.com for a general guideline. This one could easily go for $20 online (plus shipping and handling) or for about the same in a store. Its Near Mint and an original U.S. pressing.

This one is in pretty good shape too, though the cover has some wear. I don't see a lot of early 80's Maiden albums out there, I was quick to scoop this one up as well. $4.

 

This is one of my all time faves. I once let my teenage girlfriend go hungry becasue I used our lunch money to buy this cassette. Yeah. Pretty swell. This is a first pressing Canadian version, Near Mint. I paid $7. Once again this one could go $16-$20 in store. My delight in owning this record cannot be overstated. As cliched as it is to heap praise on this album, its impact upon me was deep.

I scored this copy of Purple Rain for $2...no big deal, but I loved this insert that came with the copy.

 

I'm not a huge DIO fan, but I recognize the importance of this record. $4, great shape and a chance to own a classic. As a bonus I was surprised at much I enjoyed the track "Caught In The Middle." The bridge and chorus especially.

I really love that Ronnie James Dio gets credit for "All Lyrics and Melodies." Impressive.

Now I was not planning on diving head first into some Randy Rhoads era Ozzy but thats what happened. I absolutely loved Tribute when I was a kid. A kid named Benji stole this tape from me when I was a freshman in high school and he always denied it, but I knew the truth. $5, 2xLP, vinyl is clean...cover has some wear on top. Despite that though, the album is in great shape...and when you add in my own sentimental attachement, you have a pretty sweet score. I basically bought this to hear Randy Rhoads say "Oops" on vinyl during the"Dee" outtake. I've always liked this cover a lot too. Randy looks so fucking awesome and free with the polka dot flying V...Ozzy couldn't be prouder to hoist up this guitar god to the sky. The look on Randy's face says it all.

This Blizzard if Ozz copy is a little chewy...especially the cover. But the Tribute score got me in the mood for more Randy Rhoads. I already have Diary of a Madman, so with Tribute and this I have the whole Randy Rhoads era Ozzy. Which is really as deep as I wanna get with solo Ozzy. Plus, I like Blizzard a lot more than Diary...$3 sold.

This is my favorite Hendrix album. My wife and I basically fell in love while this album played. Its a 1968 2nd edition...I paid $5. It skips twice. Damn. You can eyeball them all you want, but sometimes you miss a nick.

I dunno bout this one...haha...Stay Hungry is just one of those albums from 80's hard rock era. My son likes Twisted Sister, particularly this album. $3...gimme.

And finally, I scored a couple Queen albums. I'm going through a whole Queen thing right now anyway so this was perfect timing. This Greatest Hits is not in good shape. Seriously. But it plays fine. $2...I rolled the dice. So glad I did. The tracklist is pretty wonderful.

 Sheer Heart Attack has one of my favorite Queen songs of all time, "Stone Cold Crazy." $3.

And the adventure continues.....