|
This links page is still under construction. If you have a link for a midwest-US record store or of any of the
bands listed in my collection, let me know via email message. Please use the words "CD's My Drug of Choice" somewhere
on the subject line. Thanks!!
It seems that everyone is looking to have more of an on-line
presence. As a result of my own music-making activities, as well as my interest in so many other bands, I've created
a MySpace.com page. Check it out and if you want to be an e-friend, send me an invite, and I promise to get back to
you quickly. This page focuses more on my playing than my collecting, however.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MY MYSPACE PAGE
FAVORITE ONLINE SITES FOR ACQUIRING MUSIC AND MUSIC
RELATED PRODUCTS
CD BABY is one of the neatest websites for finding independent artists and albums. All
albums are listened to before entry, and doing a "Sounds Like" search will get you a list of albums from a list of (un)known bands
you might like. The company shows great patience and a sense of humor; and you almost take pride in doing business
with a company like this. Prices are a little more than what you might pay at a concert or a consignment shop,
but it's a very small price to pay to keeping an online community like this active and vital. It's also one
of the few ways independent artists actually see money from cd sales.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO CD BABY
FAVORITE WEBSITES FOR MIDWESTERN RECORD STORES
Impulse records is located in Roselle, Illinois. They specialize in imported hard rock/heavy
metal titles in compact discs and dvds. Their prices and selection for hard rock titles is unrivaled in the area.
If you want to know what became of bands like Leatherwolf, Von Groove, or TNT this is a prime place to look.
They have used titles and have begun a premium section of out-of-print and impossible to find titles. Good site,
good place.
CLICK FOR IMPULSE'S WEBSITE
ROLLING STONES records has been a fixture on the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, located in
Norridge, IL (Just west of Harlem Irving Plaza) since the early '70's. As a kid, we'd plan for months for our quarterly
trips to the "Stone" to decide which artists and albums we'd be looking for. Because of the "Stone", I was able to get
into artists like Motorhead, Saxon, The Rods, Raven, and odd solo albums from members of Yes, ELP, and the Moody Blues.
When I started collecting cds in 1987, Rolling Stones was one of the first stores to bring the prices below the $18.99 barrier.
This is one of my favorite places, and now that I can, I try to make a stop at least once a week. They are still competitive
in price and availability, but have slipped a little in the "rare and hard-to-find" area. They also stock dvd's of concerts,
music videos, movies, tv shows, and extreme material, as well as accessories for the digital age. If you're ever in
Chicago, grab an IE magazine, open to the Stones ad (which almost always appears at "centerfold" location in the magazine),
clip your coupon and go. Rolling Stones honors the coupon for all purchases that qualify. (So that is $2 off of
each $12.99 cd, or that is $5 off of each $29.99 cd package, not just one).
It is a music mecca, and the city snobs that say the suburbs have nothing to offer must have missed this.
CLICK HERE FOR THE ROLLING STONES WEBSITE
RECORD BREAKERS opened in 1989 to focus primarily on the burgeoning CD technology. The
decorative motif featured a number of broken vinyl LP's and 45's, and labels. (Their logo is a record "blowing up").
Their first couple of years were battling with price and room. The store moved in the early 1990's into its present
space. These days, BREAKERS specializes in indie, punk, and jam band music. Much of its business revolves around
used cd's as well. These days, Breakers offers music via cd, dvd, or vinyl. Breakers also has a fair amount of
accessories and gifts (t-shirts, books, incense, pins, photos, bandannas, wall tapestries, posters, et al). I like making
the rounds to view their used selection as they put the new arrivals in cardboard boxes right on the side counter. Prices
are incredibly fair, both live and online.
CLICK HERE FOR RECORD BREAKERS' WEBSITE
FAVORITE ARTIST/BAND HOMEPAGES
Ken Snyder is a guitarist (guit-artist?) who solos with the speed and power of the most
aggressive players while possessing the taste and melodicism of the most talented. With influences including Uli
Jon Roth, Steve Vai, Pantera, Eric Johnson, and Al DiMeola his instrumental recordings are highly recommended
to all fans of shred and intense-instrumental music.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO KEN SNYDER'S WEBSITE
N.W.O.B.H.M. legends Raven have been recording and performing for more than 25 years.
Though known to most people for being the headliner on Metallica's first national tour (known to many as 'The Kill 'em
All for One' tour); there is so much more to this band. They merit more than being a mere footnote in "rock history".
To see why click below.
CLICK HERE FOR THE RAVEN FAN SITE
Despite my upbringing of heavy metal, Lutheranism, and Republican ideology, I found a
lot to like in R.E.M. Though not directly responsible for any changes (growth) from this upbringing, their music continues
to help me keep an open mind without keeping an empty one. They have a song for nearly every emotion, and their
music has accompanied me through every major life change and event since stumbling across their DOCUMENT
album in the late '80's. There is also great respect for the band, its organization, and its commercial attitude.
Few enterprises are as charitable, ethical, and enlightened.
CLICK HERE TO LINK TO THE OFFICIAL R.E.M. WEBSITE.
|
