It ain't even about me. That's just how y'all see it because I don't walk lockstep the soulstrut-way every second of my life.
Oliver did a fluff piece on GM...which is great for all involved.
But even apart from funk considerations, I just find it queer to see someone going so gagga over a retail store.
So should be going over gaga over bullshit like Project Blowed then? Seriously man, even I'm tired of your antics around here.
GM is a lot things to a lot of people KIND OF LIKE YOUR PROJECT BLOWED DAY CARE CENTER (record store, hang-out spot, a place where close friends work, make-shift art gallery, nice place to put your feat up and read the new Vice while eating a salad from the Grind up-the-street...) so just chills-nills.
I love the GM, I really don't hit-up the thrifts or other spots as much as I would like but I always know that GM will give me my fix on old joints anyday of the week (except monday). Vinnie's ordering of new stuff is pretty good as well (another reason why I pop-in).
See, I also write articles for newspapers and magazines...and I think it's lame when feedback only comes in the form of "props, dude, way to go". I welcome it when people see things in a piece that I possibly didn't intend to put across, especially when they are negative
Fair enough....your contribution to this thread sucked.
And the fact is that there are 100's of Record Stores in this country, and I've been to most of them, and Chris/GM is a shining light in a sea of mediocrity.
I don't see how pointing that out or even celebrating it warrants a negative counterpoint about record stores in general.
But I'd be all for a "Why The Record Store(s) In MY Town Sucks" thread....let's start with Austin H/C.
what's wild is that Chris first started digging for Jamaican then got into hip-hop, funk, soul etc BITD.
I can't believe people are throwing shade on Cool Chris and the GM. What the fuck!
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
Y'all are such friggin babies.
It ain't even about me. That's just how y'all see it because I don't walk lockstep the soulstrut-way every second of my life.
Oliver did a fluff piece on GM...which is great for all involved.
But even apart from funk considerations, I just find it queer to see someone going so gagga over a retail store.
So should be going over gaga over bullshit like Project Blowed then? Seriously man, even I'm tired of your antics around here.
GM is a lot things to a lot of people KIND OF LIKE YOUR PROJECT BLOWED DAY CARE CENTER (record store, hang-out spot, a place where close friends work, make-shift art gallery, nice place to put your feat up and read the new Vice while eating a salad from the Grind up-the-street...) so just chills-nills.
I love the GM, I really don't hit-up the thrifts or other spots as much as I would like but I always know that GM will give me my fix on old joints anyday of the week (except monday). Vinnie's ordering of new stuff is pretty good as well (another reason why I pop-in).
I too love GM. It's got great records, albeit at prices that I've never really been willing to get with. I've certainly bought stuff there and from jump noticed that its community is up on a lot of great inside information. But I always got more of a cultural experience from Rookie Ricardo's down the street...the difference being that the people who run that shop are actual members of the scene that they pushing through their store. That surely doesn't invalidate GM for all of the obviously good stuff that they do. It's just strange to me to see so much put on basically going through a mediator like that. Of course that's the capitalist way - props to anyone able to pull together rare resources like that, whoever they are - but it still doesn't sit 100% perfectly well to me. But don't worry, soon I will shut the fuck up, or at least wonder out loud if any of y'all are interested in discussing the new Ellay Khule album.
I've been in GM once or twice, but I never spent too much time in there because 1) i was not knowin' and 2) i was a bit scared. I always heard about how much good shit they had in there and I felt I was maybe a bit too novice to be digging in a spot like that. I ain't been to frisco in a few years now but I will make it a point to stop by again next time I get out there. It's cool to hear that there's still good people out there in the world.
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
But I'd be all for a "Why The Record Store(s) In MY Town Sucks" thread....let's start with Austin H/C.
All would have to face the same scrutiny that I brought up for GM, but I'm currently quite happy with the combination of Friends of Sound/Backspin/Antone's/Cheapo's/End of an Ear/Sound on Sound plus all of the thrifts and Half Price Books in town...as well as the various Screw shops.
Then again, I'd take Sound Exchange back in a heartbeat.
nice article. i like GM and dude has mad records. he could step up his jamaican music game... you would be hard pressed to walk out of there with any rocksteady, ska (caltone, amalgamated, coxsone) or anything else jamaican for that matter. great store for the funk, jazz, hip hop digger though.
Curious...Is the bay area just not that great a spot for jamaican music? i've seen jinx post on here that he's not interested in reggae finds posts, b/c he just never sees it out there.
The fact of the matter is that the Bay Area has a very small West Indian population. There are Jamaicans and Trinis here, but not at all like in other parts of the US (FL, Houston, etc.) and the community is non-existent in comparion to a place like Toronto.
And picoandsepulveda, no one at Groove Merchant would mind at all if you name-dropped Wisdom Records, another GREAT independent SF store with a very focused stock, as GM and WR don't carry any of the same stuff (but please feel free to start a new thread praising those dudes, as they deserve it).
But I always got more of a cultural experience from Rookie Ricardo's down the street...the difference being that the people who run that shop are actual members of the scene that they pushing through their store.
"Scene"? "Authenticity"? Man, it's a just damn record store/hang-out spot. I'm not sure what you're looking for in a record buying experience or more importantly to youtdrlg what you hope to get from buying some LP's but damn man, just stop.
Dick at Rooky's could give a shit about some "scene" that doesn't even exist . If you really want to get all caught-up about the "scene" the dudes at GM are one of the few, if only, deejays in S.F. doing all "rare groove" nights. (I'm not talking about throwing some Roy Ayers or Stevie in the mix before you switch into Outkast or Pitbull).
Why go to a record store, there's plenty of DIGGING going on right here in this thread
So does Wisdom carry vintage JA records? I was under the impression they stocked primarily new records.
The Merch does get some great rare reggae records through, but as with many of the hotter and more scarce genres there (disco, sweet soul, etc) they come and go very quickly.
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
By definition, the rare groove scene is elitist.
Not that that means that one shouldn't enjoy hearing some younger dude playing old records...but younger dude should at least be able to realize that what he's engaging in is elitist.
Plus I can point to an artist in my own town like Gary Clark Jr. who suffers at least slightly from potential fans of his hitting up throwback dj nights instead of cathcing him play live.
And that's another point without the intent of sending the whole rare groove scene tumbling to the ground...it's just something that is real within the dynamic that should be readily recognized without any paranoidly-perceived threat clouding or obscuring it.
Dick at Rooky's could give a shit about some "scene" that doesn't even exist.
Dick is the muhfuckin' man, no doubt. And going to kick it at Rooky's for a while is pretty much the beauty of the Record Store Experience encapsulated (though, in its own way, so is hanging at Groove Merchant). But yeah, the only scene Dick seems to care about (aside from, ya know, the "I want to sell records so I can stay in business" scene) is the golden oldies scene, which, obviously, ain't much of a scene these days.
Have you seen the Rooky's pins they made? One says "Funk, Schmunk!" and the other says, "I'm a Dick head!" Awesome.
So does Wisdom carry vintage JA records? I was under the impression they stocked primarily new records.
Wisdom's strength is definitely the brand new straight-from-Yard records that are pretty much impossible to get anywhere else locally, although they do carry some reissues of classic stuff.
And like GM, the dudes there (I-Vier, Irie Dole and dudette I-Lexus) are knowledgeable, sincere and friendly.
And that's another point without the intent of sending the whole rare groove scene tumbling to the ground...it's just something that is real within the dynamic that should be readily recognized without any paranoidly-perceived threat clouding or obscuring it.
Cotdamn, I wanted to give some props and it's bizarre what's happened since.
Look - I wrote my column on the GM this month because I left the Bay. And that's a big fucking deal to me because I spent my entire adult life there, I got my start in everything I do now (writing, music, DJing, scholarship, etc.) there and I wanted to somehow find a way to pay tribute to what the Bay has given me upon leaving it. However, I didn't want to force the Oakland Trib readers to read over a 16 year biography, nor recount for them every major/minor thing of musical import that relates to my time in the Bay. I could have talked about a lot of things: KMEL in the early '90s, my time at KALX, becoming a music writer in the '90s, blah blah blah but honestly, what resonated the most to me emotionally was really the time I've spent at the GM.
I can understand why people consider it a fluff piece but I didn't want to write a "fare thee well, the Bay" column from some hyper-analytical/critical p.o.v. I wanted to write something that was real to me, felt real to me. And writing about the G.M. is what resonated for me. God forbid we should ever write about something passionately and personally. Maybe next time, I should mention, "it's a great store but GM would benefit from better plumbing" just so I can include a critical angle.
The thing that offends/annoys me is that I didn't say I "discovered" funk at the GM. Or that my love for "funk" [or insert whatever genre you like] is based strictly on what records Chris has sold me or shit I learned about there. What I wrote and let me quote myself is that: "There is a delight and wonder in learning the back stories behind music and, sharing that knowledge only amplifies the pleasure you take in it. I've always credited hip-hop as what pulled me into music ??? as a hobby, vocation, obsession ??? but it was those afternoons at the Groove Merchant that enhanced, elevated and constantly reinvigorated that ardor."
I wasn't crediting it as the SOLE place in which this happens. Interviewing artists "enhances, elevates and reinvigorates" also. Visting new places, getting my hands dirty in moldy basements, waking up at unseemly hours to go digging, blah blah blah, also "enhance, elevate and reinvigorate." But I didn't think it was necessary to make that qualification in the column since I'm not writing a "guide to digging". I'm writing about a personal experience and why it was meaningful to me.
I feel stupid to even have to articulate this because it should be self-evident that we (meaning all of us here) have mentors and friends who are important to us, from whom we've learned a lot. For me, in terms of my music appreciation, kicking it with Chris has been very influential. Would it have been more acceptible, more authentic, had I, instead, credited a blues-loving grandfather, who used to play me crackly 78s in the living room when I went to visit him as a child?
What works about the "grandfather story" is the absence of the specter of commerce. Because the GM is a store and not, you know, an elder family member, it doesn't have the same halcyon qualities but at the risk of sounding naive, to me, the GM was always more than a store (I actually say this in the piece) and I never thought of Chris as strictly a seller and myself as a buyer. He's a friend. A mentor. A colleague.
Is he the only person I've ever learned about funk from? Hardly. Has he had an important influence my musical appreciation?
much much love for the groove merchant and cool motherfu#@n chris!!! man, i cant say enough good things about that place. i want to build a loft in there and have a crash pad for one i roll through the bay. best recomendations, most patience, no roaches ( i think), ali babas cave is ten feet away,etc etc etc
this place was legendary to the people who taught me about digging. first time i walked through the doors i was holding my breath, not really sure what to expect. but it was humble, relaxed, fun. and i always walk out with a record ive never heard of before.
thanks chris! good seeing you last month. your boy c----s was mad cool and his cd definitely had some JOINTS on it!!!
nice article odub
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
Cotdamn, I wanted to give some props and it's bizarre what's happened since.
Look - I wrote my column on the GM this month because I left the Bay. And that's a big fucking deal to me because I spent my entire adult life there, I got my start in everything I do now (writing, music, DJing, scholarship, etc.) there and I wanted to somehow find a way to pay tribute to what the Bay has given me upon leaving it. However, I didn't want to force the Oakland Trib readers to read over a 16 year biography, nor recount for them every major/minor thing of musical import that relates to my time in the Bay. I could have talked about a lot of things: KMEL in the early '90s, my time at KALX, becoming a music writer in the '90s, blah blah blah but honestly, what resonated the most to me emotionally was really the time I've spent at the GM.
I can understand why people consider it a fluff piece but I didn't want to write a "fare thee well, the Bay" column from some hyper-analytical/critical p.o.v. I wanted to write something that was real to me, felt real to me. And writing about the G.M. is what resonated for me. God forbid we should ever write about something passionately and personally. Maybe next time, I should mention, "it's a great store but GM would benefit from better plumbing" just so I can include a critical angle.
The thing that offends/annoys me is that I didn't say I "discovered" funk at the GM. Or that my love for "funk" [or insert whatever genre you like] is based strictly on what records Chris has sold me or shit I learned about there. What I wrote and let me quote myself is that: "There is a delight and wonder in learning the back stories behind music and, sharing that knowledge only amplifies the pleasure you take in it. I've always credited hip-hop as what pulled me into music ??? as a hobby, vocation, obsession ??? but it was those afternoons at the Groove Merchant that enhanced, elevated and constantly reinvigorated that ardor."
I wasn't crediting it as the SOLE place in which this happens. Interviewing artists "enhances, elevates and reinvigorates" also. Visting new places, getting my hands dirty in moldy basements, waking up at unseemly hours to go digging, blah blah blah, also "enhance, elevate and reinvigorate." But I didn't think it was necessary to make that qualification in the column since I'm not writing a "guide to digging". I'm writing about a personal experience and why it was meaningful to me.
I feel stupid to even have to articulate this because it should be self-evident that we (meaning all of us here) have mentors and friends who are important to us, from whom we've learned a lot. For me, in terms of my music appreciation, kicking it with Chris has been very influential. Would it have been more acceptible, more authentic, had I, instead, credited a blues-loving grandfather, who used to play me crackly 78s in the living room when I went to visit him as a child?
What works about the "grandfather story" is the absence of the specter of commerce. Because the GM is a store and not, you know, an elder family member, it doesn't have the same halcyon qualities but at the risk of sounding naive, to me, the GM was always more than a store (I actually say this in the piece) and I never thought of Chris as strictly a seller and myself as a buyer. He's a friend. A mentor. A colleague.
Is he the only person I've ever learned about funk from? Hardly. Has he had an important influence my musical appreciation?
So what is the problem again?
Your article is fine. It's obvioulsy your personal experience and thus it shouldn't have been written any other way.
But still, it points to issues of disconnectedness, where little dudes can acquire the scoop on black culture without having to interact with any actual members of that culture.
I'll leave it at that for now, for I'm really not trying to diss your academic, ivory tower steez yet again, but I would really think that a writer with your credentials could stomach my between-the-lines analysis without getting all boo-hoo about it.
It's not like my rants are being distributed alongside your article with every issue of the Tribune.
nice article. i like GM and dude has mad records. he could step up his jamaican music game... you would be hard pressed to walk out of there with any rocksteady, ska (caltone, amalgamated, coxsone) or anything else jamaican for that matter. great store for the funk, jazz, hip hop digger though.
Curious...Is the bay area just not that great a spot for jamaican music? i've seen jinx post on here that he's not interested in reggae finds posts, b/c he just never sees it out there.
The fact of the matter is that the Bay Area has a very small West Indian population. There are Jamaicans and Trinis here, but not at all like in other parts of the US (FL, Houston, etc.) and the community is non-existent in comparion to a place like Toronto.
And picoandsepulveda, no one at Groove Merchant would mind at all if you name-dropped Wisdom Records, another GREAT independent SF store with a very focused stock, as GM and WR don't carry any of the same stuff (but please feel free to start a new thread praising those dudes, as they deserve it).
You'd be hard-pressed to find Caltone, Almagamated and Coxsone 45's lying around stores here in Toronto. They just don't last (in addition to Caltone singles being very rare). I look for records 4-5 days a week and buy about a collecion every week and half and I own 2 Caltone records (the "Soul and Sound" trumpet instrumental and Phill Pratt's "Reach Out"). You're expectations are unrealistic.
But still, it points to issues of disconnectedness, where little dudes can acquire the scoop on black culture without having to interact with any actual members of that culture.
I'm as sensitive and paranoid as the next brown dude, but i've never ever thought there was any type of culutural appropriation happening at the GM. The shop has been around before the shit was ever cool and "brain freeze" made it's way onto college napster folders.
for the record: 1).you're a white guy, and in actuality you sound riddled with some sort of white guilt while looking for authenticity and validation IN YOUR RECORD BUYING EXPERIENCE *rolling eyes*. 2). the "authentic experience of rooky's" that makes you feel so good is brought to you by Dick, a middled aged white guy who could care less.
I don't need to, I bump into them every week during my hustles. If you want West Indian records int he States (or in the world, for that matter), note the sleeve;
I like how I'm the one being accused of being "boo boo" here. That's rich.
Cotdamn, I wanted to give some props and it's bizarre what's happened since.
Look - I wrote my column on the GM this month because I left the Bay. And that's a big fucking deal to me because I spent my entire adult life there, I got my start in everything I do now (writing, music, DJing, scholarship, etc.) there and I wanted to somehow find a way to pay tribute to what the Bay has given me upon leaving it. However, I didn't want to force the Oakland Trib readers to read over a 16 year biography, nor recount for them every major/minor thing of musical import that relates to my time in the Bay. I could have talked about a lot of things: KMEL in the early '90s, my time at KALX, becoming a music writer in the '90s, blah blah blah but honestly, what resonated the most to me emotionally was really the time I've spent at the GM.
I can understand why people consider it a fluff piece but I didn't want to write a "fare thee well, the Bay" column from some hyper-analytical/critical p.o.v. I wanted to write something that was real to me, felt real to me. And writing about the G.M. is what resonated for me. God forbid we should ever write about something passionately and personally. Maybe next time, I should mention, "it's a great store but GM would benefit from better plumbing" just so I can include a critical angle.
The thing that offends/annoys me is that I didn't say I "discovered" funk at the GM. Or that my love for "funk" [or insert whatever genre you like] is based strictly on what records Chris has sold me or shit I learned about there. What I wrote and let me quote myself is that: "There is a delight and wonder in learning the back stories behind music and, sharing that knowledge only amplifies the pleasure you take in it. I've always credited hip-hop as what pulled me into music
But still, it points to issues of disconnectedness, where little dudes can acquire the scoop on black culture without having to interact with any actual members of that culture.
I'm as sensitive and paranoid as the next brown dude, but i've never ever thought there was any type of culutural appropriation happening at the GM. The shop has been around before the shit was ever cool and "brain freeze" made it's way onto college napster folders.
for the record: 1).you're a white guy, and in actuality you sound riddled with some sort of white guilt while looking for authenticity and validation IN YOUR RECORD BUYING EXPERIENCE *rolling eyes*. 2). the "authentic experience of rooky's" that makes you feel so good is brought to you by Dick, a middled aged white guy who could care less.
3) Extreme attempts to be "non-elitist" can in itself, be elitist.
true indeed, but you say "expectations are unrealistic", this is not true. i could point to several amalgamated, coxsone, and caltone 7" available on ebay right now
oh and don't sleep on st. louis... the was a huge emergence of reggae music there too. tons of stuff laying around that town.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,915 Posts
I too love GM. It's got great records, albeit at prices that I've never really been willing to get with
I've only been to GM twice, but both times I was struck by how reasonable the prices were, especially compared to other "boutique"/digger stores.
I'd agree with that. Some of the pieces I copped there would have cost two or three times as much had I found them in equivalent condition at, say, Camden Market or Reckless.
Comments
YOU MAD DOGGY??? ha!
... anyway, between this post and the "Weekend Finds" post I'm seriously fiending to do some digging.
So should be going over gaga over bullshit like Project Blowed then? Seriously man, even I'm tired of your antics around here.
GM is a lot things to a lot of people KIND OF LIKE YOUR PROJECT BLOWED DAY CARE CENTER (record store, hang-out spot, a place where close friends work, make-shift art gallery, nice place to put your feat up and read the new Vice while eating a salad from the Grind up-the-street...) so just chills-nills.
I love the GM, I really don't hit-up the thrifts or other spots as much as I would like but I always know that GM will give me my fix on old joints anyday of the week (except monday). Vinnie's ordering of new stuff is pretty good as well (another reason why I pop-in).
Fair enough....your contribution to this thread sucked.
And the fact is that there are 100's of Record Stores in this country, and I've been to most of them, and Chris/GM is a shining light in a sea of mediocrity.
I don't see how pointing that out or even celebrating it warrants a negative counterpoint about record stores in general.
But I'd be all for a "Why The Record Store(s) In MY Town Sucks" thread....let's start with Austin H/C.
tell dude to order some jamaican rare and not none of that techno reggae bullshit thats blaring in the clubs nowadays.
what's wild is that Chris first started digging for Jamaican then got into hip-hop, funk, soul etc BITD.
I can't believe people are throwing shade on Cool Chris and the GM. What the fuck!
I too love GM. It's got great records, albeit at prices that I've never really been willing to get with. I've certainly bought stuff there and from jump noticed that its community is up on a lot of great inside information. But I always got more of a cultural experience from Rookie Ricardo's down the street...the difference being that the people who run that shop are actual members of the scene that they pushing through their store. That surely doesn't invalidate GM for all of the obviously good stuff that they do. It's just strange to me to see so much put on basically going through a mediator like that. Of course that's the capitalist way - props to anyone able to pull together rare resources like that, whoever they are - but it still doesn't sit 100% perfectly well to me. But don't worry, soon I will shut the fuck up, or at least wonder out loud if any of y'all are interested in discussing the new Ellay Khule album.
All would have to face the same scrutiny that I brought up for GM, but I'm currently quite happy with the combination of Friends of Sound/Backspin/Antone's/Cheapo's/End of an Ear/Sound on Sound plus all of the thrifts and Half Price Books in town...as well as the various Screw shops.
Then again, I'd take Sound Exchange back in a heartbeat.
The fact of the matter is that the Bay Area has a very small West Indian population. There are Jamaicans and Trinis here, but not at all like in other parts of the US (FL, Houston, etc.) and the community is non-existent in comparion to a place like Toronto.
And picoandsepulveda, no one at Groove Merchant would mind at all if you name-dropped Wisdom Records, another GREAT independent SF store with a very focused stock, as GM and WR don't carry any of the same stuff (but please feel free to start a new thread praising those dudes, as they deserve it).
"Scene"? "Authenticity"? Man, it's a just damn record store/hang-out spot. I'm not sure what you're looking for in a record buying experience or more importantly to youtdrlg what you hope to get from buying some LP's but damn man, just stop.
Dick at Rooky's could give a shit about some "scene" that doesn't even exist . If you really want to get all caught-up about the "scene" the dudes at GM are one of the few, if only, deejays in S.F. doing all "rare groove" nights. (I'm not talking about throwing some Roy Ayers or Stevie in the mix before you switch into Outkast or Pitbull).
or
Are you talking about Race?
So does Wisdom carry vintage JA records? I was under the impression they stocked primarily new records.
The Merch does get some great rare reggae records through, but as with many of the hotter and more scarce genres there (disco, sweet soul, etc) they come and go very quickly.
Not that that means that one shouldn't enjoy hearing some younger dude playing old records...but younger dude should at least be able to realize that what he's engaging in is elitist.
Plus I can point to an artist in my own town like Gary Clark Jr. who suffers at least slightly from potential fans of his hitting up throwback dj nights instead of cathcing him play live.
And that's another point without the intent of sending the whole rare groove scene tumbling to the ground...it's just something that is real within the dynamic that should be readily recognized without any paranoidly-perceived threat clouding or obscuring it.
Dick is the muhfuckin' man, no doubt. And going to kick it at Rooky's for a while is pretty much the beauty of the Record Store Experience encapsulated (though, in its own way, so is hanging at Groove Merchant). But yeah, the only scene Dick seems to care about (aside from, ya know, the "I want to sell records so I can stay in business" scene) is the golden oldies scene, which, obviously, ain't much of a scene these days.
Have you seen the Rooky's pins they made? One says "Funk, Schmunk!" and the other says, "I'm a Dick head!" Awesome.
Wisdom's strength is definitely the brand new straight-from-Yard records that are pretty much impossible to get anywhere else locally, although they do carry some reissues of classic stuff.
And like GM, the dudes there (I-Vier, Irie Dole and dudette I-Lexus) are knowledgeable, sincere and friendly.
They are also not located in the Fillmore.
English, please?
Look - I wrote my column on the GM this month because I left the Bay. And that's a big fucking deal to me because I spent my entire adult life there, I got my start in everything I do now (writing, music, DJing, scholarship, etc.) there and I wanted to somehow find a way to pay tribute to what the Bay has given me upon leaving it. However, I didn't want to force the Oakland Trib readers to read over a 16 year biography, nor recount for them every major/minor thing of musical import that relates to my time in the Bay. I could have talked about a lot of things: KMEL in the early '90s, my time at KALX, becoming a music writer in the '90s, blah blah blah but honestly, what resonated the most to me emotionally was really the time I've spent at the GM.
I can understand why people consider it a fluff piece but I didn't want to write a "fare thee well, the Bay" column from some hyper-analytical/critical p.o.v. I wanted to write something that was real to me, felt real to me. And writing about the G.M. is what resonated for me. God forbid we should ever write about something passionately and personally. Maybe next time, I should mention, "it's a great store but GM would benefit from better plumbing" just so I can include a critical angle.
The thing that offends/annoys me is that I didn't say I "discovered" funk at the GM. Or that my love for "funk" [or insert whatever genre you like] is based strictly on what records Chris has sold me or shit I learned about there. What I wrote and let me quote myself is that: "There is a delight and wonder in learning the back stories behind music and, sharing that knowledge only amplifies the pleasure you take in it. I've always credited hip-hop as what pulled me into music ??? as a hobby, vocation, obsession ??? but it was those afternoons at the Groove Merchant that enhanced, elevated and constantly reinvigorated that ardor."
I wasn't crediting it as the SOLE place in which this happens. Interviewing artists "enhances, elevates and reinvigorates" also. Visting new places, getting my hands dirty in moldy basements, waking up at unseemly hours to go digging, blah blah blah, also "enhance, elevate and reinvigorate." But I didn't think it was necessary to make that qualification in the column since I'm not writing a "guide to digging". I'm writing about a personal experience and why it was meaningful to me.
I feel stupid to even have to articulate this because it should be self-evident that we (meaning all of us here) have mentors and friends who are important to us, from whom we've learned a lot. For me, in terms of my music appreciation, kicking it with Chris has been very influential. Would it have been more acceptible, more authentic, had I, instead, credited a blues-loving grandfather, who used to play me crackly 78s in the living room when I went to visit him as a child?
What works about the "grandfather story" is the absence of the specter of commerce. Because the GM is a store and not, you know, an elder family member, it doesn't have the same halcyon qualities but at the risk of sounding naive, to me, the GM was always more than a store (I actually say this in the piece) and I never thought of Chris as strictly a seller and myself as a buyer. He's a friend. A mentor. A colleague.
Is he the only person I've ever learned about funk from? Hardly. Has he had an important influence my musical appreciation?
So what is the problem again?
man, i cant say enough good things about that place. i want to build a loft in there and have a crash pad for one i roll through the bay. best recomendations, most patience, no roaches ( i think), ali babas cave is ten feet away,etc etc etc
this place was legendary to the people who taught me about digging. first time i walked through the doors i was holding my breath, not really sure what to expect. but it was humble, relaxed, fun. and i always walk out with a record ive never heard of before.
thanks chris! good seeing you last month. your boy c----s was mad cool and his cd definitely had some JOINTS on it!!!
nice article odub
Your article is fine. It's obvioulsy your personal experience and thus it shouldn't have been written any other way.
But still, it points to issues of disconnectedness, where little dudes can acquire the scoop on black culture without having to interact with any actual members of that culture.
I'll leave it at that for now, for I'm really not trying to diss your academic, ivory tower steez yet again, but I would really think that a writer with your credentials could stomach my between-the-lines analysis without getting all boo-hoo about it.
It's not like my rants are being distributed alongside your article with every issue of the Tribune.
You'd be hard-pressed to find Caltone, Almagamated and Coxsone 45's lying around stores here in Toronto. They just don't last (in addition to Caltone singles being very rare). I look for records 4-5 days a week and buy about a collecion every week and half and I own 2 Caltone records (the "Soul and Sound" trumpet instrumental and Phill Pratt's "Reach Out"). You're expectations are unrealistic.
Kevin in Toronto.
I've only been to GM twice, but both times I was struck by how reasonable the prices were, especially compared to other "boutique"/digger stores.
I'm as sensitive and paranoid as the next brown dude, but i've never ever thought there was any type of culutural appropriation happening at the GM. The shop has been around before the shit was ever cool and "brain freeze" made it's way onto college napster folders.
for the record:
1).you're a white guy, and in actuality you sound riddled with some sort of white guilt while looking for authenticity and validation IN YOUR RECORD BUYING EXPERIENCE *rolling eyes*.
2). the "authentic experience of rooky's" that makes you feel so good is brought to you by Dick, a middled aged white guy who could care less.
I don't need to, I bump into them every week during my hustles. If you want West Indian records int he States (or in the world, for that matter), note the sleeve;
k in Canada.
3) Extreme attempts to be "non-elitist" can in itself, be elitist.
I'd agree with that. Some of the pieces I copped there would have cost two or three times as much had I found them in equivalent condition at, say, Camden Market or Reckless.