My Mind’s Eye. Charles Abou-Chebl has a thorough understanding of rock and all its manifestations throughout the decades. He seems to specialize in rock of the a**-kicking kind, though don’t count him out on pretty much anything.
Phonographic Arts. Local boho capital Tremont now has a small and tidy record store right down from indie bookseller Visible Voice. Texas expat Clifton Shumaker liked Cleveland so much, he ditched Houston to open up his own spot, full of punk and hardcore, especially from the classic 90s DIY era.
Bent Crayon. Located on the corner of West 116th and Detroit, a CD’s toss from the Cleveland/Lakewood border, Bent Crayon stocks a smorgasbord of stuff from the fringes of the rock genre. We’re not so much talking old-school rarities, as much as sounds from within the deep underground heart of music, especially if it’s of the electronic kind.
Record Revolution. Players in the music-selling game come and go, but the long-standing Record Revolution, first opened in ‘68, holds sway with CDs and a basement full of vinyl on Coventry Road, in Cleveland Heights. For rock die-hards, famed signatures and grafitti still line the walls, just like you’d find in a rock club that’d been open for 30 years.
A few semi-independent chains still exist in the area, like CD Game/Exchange and Half-Price Books. Sweet deals and surprises can be had–if one’s willing to hunt and sift. But that’s part of the fun, right? –ES
Door at Music Saves (credit KFCrisafi)
The great band X once sang “This was supposed to be the new world” on their aptly titled tune, “The New World”. The current era of downloadble digital music was supposed to shower us with endless streams of music, all without ever leaving our comfy chairs. It was going to be like Star Trek’s food replicators or Woody Allen’s Orgasmatron from “Sleeper”. No fuss, no muss, no contact.
But while many fiddle with music-on-demand, others supplement their listening through the ‘antiquated’ act of getting off one’s dupa and physically shopping for music. Shock of shocks–there might even be actual vinyl records involved! Cleveland boasts several spots where such quests have never ended.
Music Saves. One of the premier indie-rock shops in town, located next to music venue The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern. Owners Kevin and Melanie keep their CDs and vinyl racks stocked with the latest and hippest releases from throughout the world.
