eBooks are cool, but. . .

. . .they can't hold a candle to good ol' long-playing records.

LPs, slabs of wax, or whatever you still call them are the medium of choice again these days for both serious music buffs and the uninitiated hipster alike; and Green Apple Books and Music has both factions covered. Not only have we been increasing our stock of newly released albums - yes, there are still many fresh releases a month - but we just shook on a deal that will leave collectors of the classics drooling. Yes, drooling.

Green Apple has just introduced the first few hundred 33 1/3 Long Playing Records into our inventory from the respectable folks of Open Mind Music. Sadly, the Open Mind storefront closed its doors a couple of years ago, but Green Apple and Open Mind are joining forces to bring you the finest used vinyl in the Bay. OK, maybe the second finest used vinyl selection in the Bay, but we're working on it!

Green Mind? Open Apple? (OK, I guess we're still working on that, too.)

Check in with us regularly as we will be indroducing batches of hundred of records at a time.

Ahhhh, the good life. . .

A rainy Saturday

On Tuesday, amid news that other bookstores were closing, we began a new era at Green Apple with the installation of an entirely new (to us) point of sales system. While there are sure to be some frazzled nerves and confusion, we're certain you'll be pleased with all of the features we've added to help you find whatever it is you're looking for.

Now I'm off to shelve some books. In the spirit of Roman's post from long ago, here are some songs about books.

VideoTime: Run DMC on Reading Rainbow

YES!

"Shelf Life": Songs About Books n' Reading

So we've been cooking this up for awhile-- and though we're definitely not the first to tackle this, we did try and make this one as original as possible. Of course we couldn't avoid some obvious choices (Elvis Costello, but c'mon, that song is fantastic). We also didn't want this to look like we just went into our iTunes and searched for "book." It's definitely an eclectic mix, but hey, so are we. It's a generalist's mix. How about them apples?

Here's the tracklist. Click below to download in Zip file format (from zShare.net 55.23MB).

1. Bo Diddley, "You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover"
A classic. Not exactly related to reading, but you gotta admit this is kind of clever.

2. Scholastic Deth, "Bookstore Core"
I needed help finding obscure songs, so I turned to my greatest resource-- my fellow Green Applers. I asked Appler Jeff M. for assistance, and within seconds he recommended now-defunct hardcore group Scholastic Deth. The ending says it all: "Even if I had / All the time in the world / I doubt I could / Read all the books / That I should / Bookstore Core!"

3. Talking Heads, "The Book I Read"
4. Belle & Sebastian, "Wrapped Up In Books"
5. Echo & the Bunnymen, "Read It In Books"

6. Elvis Costello, "Everyday I Write the Book"
If this song comes on when I'm drinking, it gets pretty embarrassing. Same with the Misfits' "When Eagles Dare". Bad dance moves and fist pumping.

7. Last Emperor, "Secret Wars (Prince Paul Remix)"
The only hip-hop track in the bunch, "Secret Wars" takes its title from the Marvel Comics saga of the same name. But here rapper Last Emperor reimagines his favorite superheroes taking on legendary lyricists, and an epic war ensues. A must hear for Last Emperor's dead-on impressions. Comic books are books, too.

8. Bloodhag, "Iain M. Banks"
This one's from fellow Appler EH. Apparently this band screams about science fiction writers, they play shows in libraries, and pummel their fans with paperbacks during shows. HOW DID I MISS THESE GUYS? Good luck deciphering their lyrics.

9. Modest Mouse, "Bukowski"
I know, obvious. A good song, even if it does make us look like hipsters. I think it's too late for that.

10. Camera Obscura, "Books Written For Girls"
11. X, "Adult Books"
12. Magnetic Fields, "The Book of Love"
13. Seabear, "Libraries"

ENJOY! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD! (there are ads all over this site. we don't take responsibility for them.)

Happy Record Store Day!

Today marks the 2nd annual Record Store Day, where independent music retailers across the country encourage music lovers to step away from the computer, face the sunshine, and walk into your favorite neighborhood record shop. With corporate heavyweights like Virgin Megastore liquidating their inventories, now is the time for the little guy to shine.

Here at our Green Apple Annex (520 Clement St.) we feature new, used, and rare vinyl, all lovingly handpicked by our two music professors Scotty B. and Johnny P. (but please don't tell them I called them that). Our CDs range from buzz bands to something off the beaten path and pretty much everything in-between, again all selected by us.

So whether you're venturing into our 'hood or not, support your local record store (and here in this city, we've gone tons). And when you do come by, we promise you we won't treat you like this: