Crooked Beat Records is open

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by econo:
  I always thought they were playing hide and seek with Pollard.  One of the clerks was hiding behind the classic rock shelf... I could see his shoes.  Pollard was all like, "Hey Jim."  Jim was all like, "Hey man, we've got the new GBV ep in."
 

ooooooooooh, there is a new GBV ep?
 
 unfortunately there is no space behind the shelves in Crooked Beat so no games for me now, and no Classic Rock shelf!

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

The stuff they brought in by bike
 
 

Originally posted by pollard:
   

Originally posted by chimbly sweep:
  i was there and impressed about the low prices on rareties and imports-- it seems that while their prices on the usual stuff were nothing special, their import prices were somewhat amazing.

Their import copy of The Zombie's Odessey and Oracle certainly wasnt that cheap, or else I would have bought it.  What did you see that was cheap? [/b]

[Guiny]

I can see this place isn't gonna last long.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Kind of like you when you're boning your girl?
 
 

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
  I can see this place isn't gonna last long.

[snailhook]

this store makes me very happy. DC has needed a record store of this quality for ages. it carries new and used CDs and new and used vinyl. the selection isn't that large, but it's quality over quantity.
 
 the owners are a couple of older ("older" being upper 30s/lower 40s) guys that know their shit, and don't seem like the "hipper-than-thou" usual post-collegiate, indie record store clerks. apparently, they've been selling online for years, and i think have (or had) a store in north carolina.
 
 i found some extremely rare free jazz and psych records, which doesn't happen too often for somebody who has well over 2,000 records. i scored an archie shepp record for $20 that i'd been looking for for about seven years.
 
 so yeah, i like crooked beat. i'll be stopping in regularly.
 
 as for selling warehouse tickets, we're working out the details. hopefully, a system will be in place in a few weeks.

[Bags]

Originally posted by snailhook:
  the selection isn't that large, but it's quality over quantity.

My fingers are crossed, but I've been trying to give all my business to Revolution Records, and their inventory is just too thin.  Even with some obvious newer albums, they sell out quickly and I rarely find what I went in for....  
 
 Maybe Crooked will serve me better.  I hope; I'd love to stop ordering online.

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by Bags:
  My fingers are crossed, but I've been trying to give all my business to Revolution Records, and their inventory is just too thin.  Even with some obvious newer albums, they sell out quickly and I rarely find what I went in for....  
 
 Maybe Crooked will serve me better.  I hope; I'd love to stop ordering online.

I have not been buying a whole lot (compared to what I used to buy anyway) the last few months, but I think Melody is the way to go as far as selection and having a pretty good shot at finding what you want, prices are not necessarily always very nice

[bellenseb]

The combination of Melody and Olsson's Dupont, within a few blocks of each other, is a good way to find most new releases and decent back catalogue.
 
 I'm hoping Crooked Beat fills the void for the more obscure releases that those two don't carry, and a good used selection.

[snailhook]

to be fair, the CD selection wasn't the best i've seen by a long shot. however, i don't really care too much about CD selections anyway, as you can always order CDs, get them at shows, and find them in various other stores.
 
 i have to put the emphasis here on  used records ; before this store opened, the only places for used -- and rare -- records were smash, joe's record paradise in rockville, and orpheus in arlington (whose prices are abysmal). the consistency with which crooked beat will sell obscure vinyl remains to be seen, but it looks promising.

[bellenseb]

Finally made it to Crooked Beat, and was impressed. They're still getting in stock (there's a sign saying "if you don't see what you want, wait a day" or something to that effect). The CD stock is decent, definitely punk-heavy for those into it.
 The used CDs and vinyl were great. I found the new 2-CD reissue of the Velvet Underground Live at Max's for $7.99. Lots of interesting vinyl to flip through including a big "weird" section.
 I also got a rare Phil Ochs CD I'd been looking for for a while and talked to one of the owners about Ochs, the type of thing that never happened at DCCD. All in all, a good place to have in the city.

[snailhook]

bellenseb, which ochs did you find there?
 
 i've pretty much got everything he recorded (that african 7", gunfight at carnegie hall, the folkways records), plus a couple of rare bootlegs. PM me if you're interested in some dubs.
 
 a good store is one where the clerks can talk about phil ochs.

[bellenseb]

It was his final album "Greatest Hits"...never seen it on CD before, it was a UK import on Daemon (and only $15). The Crooked Beat guy said he got a deal on it since it was going out of print. He also said there's a movie in the works with Sean Penn playing Ochs but that it's been in limbo for years. Would love to see the Carnegie Hall show dramatized.

[snailhook]

good deal. that ochs biopic with sean penn has been in the works for years now. his life would make a tremendous story, but i doubt that many people would care.
 
 for example, look at that nick drake biopic that came out last year, which had an extremely limited run in a few art houses. nick drake is considerably more hip than phil ochs, yet it didn't seem like there really was that much interest in a documentary on him.
 
 do you have "gunfight at carnegie hall?" it's actually a pretty decent record.