I've been thinking lately about the beauty of free records. I mean, right now anybody can read an indie music magazine or look at Pitchfork, get an idea of what they should like, download it, and now that programs like Serato are dropping below the 500$ dollar mark, anyone with two turntables and a mixer can transmit those mp3s to encoded wax and and spin those records that same night. It's kind of great, intuitive, and moves everything foward quicker. But there is still something magical about FINDING records that you love where you might not expect to find them, sometimes without even trying. There is an amazing establishment in my town called the Truro Swap Shack, which is located at the Truro Town Dump. It's a depository for anything that people want to get rid of, but really shouldn't throw away. At the the Swap Shack you can usually find small appliances, stereo equipment, musty old clothes, plates cups and flatwear, beat-up paperbacks and tons of other random items FOR FREE. Technically you are supposed to bring stuff if you are going to take anything away, but for the most part, they just want to move everything. There is so much junk coming through there (and suprising amounts of working, saleable items brought there by the wealthier seasonal citizens of Truro) that they can't get rid of it fast enough. I've found 1st editions of books, strange old punk t-shirts, many many coffee makers, speakers, computer moniters, lamps, winter coats, etc.
I once found a collection of mix tapes made troughout the late 80s and early 90s by someone name Elizabeth. Many of them were made for other people, but all remained together in one box, which was later left at the Swap. Some were labeled with titles like "Swiss Trip 91!" or "Back to School for Andy 89". All were marked with dates and many had hand-made liner notes with magazine clippings and little collages. The music on them brought you through the years they were made, from Boy George to the Pretenders to Elvis Costello, Sinead O'Connor, into De La Soul, Ace of Bass, Midnight Oil to Public Enemy. You could even get a sense of Elizabeth's moods, from partying in '89 in high school (Prince), to some kind of break-up melodrama in the early 90s in a Boston liberal arts school (she gets into Patti Smith ). You wonder why they were eventually thrown out. Probably by Elizabeths' parents after she had moved out and long since switched to digital.
You can also find records at the swap shack, bu they are usually so boring and dusty as to be a bummer to look at. They generally are separated into three catagories: Classical, Christmas music and Show tunes. Occasionally there are some curveballs, but not being a fan of Ferrante and Tiecher (actually, who are they? and why are they in every thrift store in the world? they are like the Clive Cussler [or maybe "Future Shock" by Dr Alan Toffler] of thrift store records) and having already collected every Herb Alpert and the Tiajuana Brass album, I usually dont bother to look. The other day, though, I gave it a shot. What did I find?
Beastie Boys- Licensed to Ill (No Sleeve and a little scratched, but, hey)
Shannon- Let the Music Play (12" single with a "Dub" version of the B side. You know the one "LET THE MUSIC PLAY< IT'S TIME TO GET AWAY...")
A hot early 80 collection of Slow Jams and Black Disco called "Winners" featuring "Shake Your Body Down" by the 5, SHALAMAR, and Teddy Pendergrass etc, all "specially mixed for dancing" which means BLENDS.
How about a Jazzercise 12"?
OK, so maybe this isn't shit you would download, or even dig too much if it didn't fall in your lap. But it did, and that's the point. There's something about these record that almost find YOU- like jump on your record player.
It's not just free records either. I've also got a crate of records from thrift stores, yard sales etc. that are bananas (If anyone can tell me what this Chinese record in the graphic is I'll send you cash). My cap is around 3 dollars for one record, but if you can filter out all the good records that are more expensive than that, you can occasionally find hot shit. Genevieve may not be down, but I think the "Switched on Bach" 12" is well worth 50 cents (unlike 50 Cent, who is worth a download at best), and the Black Flag "TV Party" 7" is even worth 1.99$ even if it's a repress.
There's something nice when it's been raining for 4 days, we're going stir crazy and G and I can have a 2-person bad-music dance-party with "Rythm of the NIght", "All Night Long" (Lionel Richie), "Susudio" (you now), and "Somebody's Watching Me" for under the price of an Extra Value Meal. Ya Heard?