Does anyone else here find it amusing when...

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

...hipster-ish kids make transparent excuses to the record store worker when buying albums long deemed essential by the rock cognescenti?

Like:

"Don't you just love London Calling? I've had it forever--burnt. I finally decided that I need to own me a real copy."

"I can't believe I lost my copy of friggin' Exile on Main Street!"

"Man, some fucker broke into my car and stole all my CDs! Now, I have to rebuy everything by the Velvets, Pixies, Pavement, and Sonic Youth! Cause, you know, I mean, they're totally my favorite artists ever!"

Anyways, it always cracks me up a little when I see it.

― Josh Timmermann (Josh Timmermann), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 09:47 (twenty-one years ago)

DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with these artists, people who like them, nor that they are necessarily as great as some people consider them to be. I just think it's funny when people appear so clearly embarrassed for not already owning such records.

― Josh Timmermann (Josh Timmermann), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 09:51 (twenty-one years ago)

You know, I still dont own:

Exile on main street (got the flexidisc somewhere tho.)
Any Neil Young
Any elliot smith
errm, who else?

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 10:00 (twenty-one years ago)

It is a tad pathetic. I've stumbled upon weird excuse making before. I guess they (the excuse makers) are afraid of a rock canonist backlash. My philosophy has always amounted to "fuck the canon," so I can't really relate. I take things a niche at a time.

Spinning: Kayo Dot

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 13:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Sometimes I've pontificated on the circumstances under which I am buying an album, but generally only if it's A) one I already own, B) one I bought whilst the same record store clerk was working, and C) he/she asking "dude, don't you already own this?". Of course, the last album this occurred with was Jill Scott's Who Is Jill Scott? (which I've own 4 friggin' times now god damnit), hardly part of any "canon".

So yeah, ignore me.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 14:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I have never owned...and probably will never own any of the following: Exile on Main Street, Trout Mask Replica, After The Gold Rush, What's Goin' On, Slanted & Enchanted and absolutely anything/everything by Bob Dylan.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I have two of that list, and some dylan.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes. "My tape is destroyed/vinyl is scratched/it's time to upgrade to CD" are the most embarrassing things you can overhear in a record store.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

especially when it's some, like 16-yr-old who couldn't be expected to half amassed everything cool ever recorded by now anyway. i think this is yet another reason why big chain outlets and internet shopping are killing small music retailers.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

my philosophy is this.. dear record store employee.. less talkie and more hurry the fuck up and check me out. I could care less what a record store worker thinks about what Im buying or why.

― nothingleft (nothingleft), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

hahahaha.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

depends on the record store worker. in my case, a big "thank you" to most of my regular record store employees for talking me out of buying more things than were ever made up for with those other records that they've reliably and sincerely turned me onto over the years.

as for young people getting excited about music and it's supposedly transcendentant qualities, i don't think it's funny, i think it's sad.

― george gosset (gegoss), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm just embarrassed for loser record store employees who want to make fun of some kid for trying to be open-mind and get into different kinds of music. I think the "hipster-ish" one is BEHIND the counter more often than not.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

JB is right, its usually the one behind the counter that is trying to be a hipster.

― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

The one behind the counter has usually gone mad and only listens to Russian pop "because it's the only real music left."

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 16:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm glad there's still some real people out there.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Who amongst us has not been one of those kids buying a classic album to see what it sounds like? I remember when I was 18 (I'm 21 now) I was at the local independent music store and one of my selections was My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, an album I had not heard and wanted to hear. When the clerk at the counter saw it, he said "That's a really important album you got there," in a really snide and condescending tone. He sounded as if someone my age couldn't possibly have any buisiness buying that album. It made me feel like shit. The thing is, though, after I listened to the album it quickly became one of my favorites, and after buying Isn't Anything as well, MBV became one of my favorite bands ever. Discovering what you like or don't like is an essential part of any young music lover's experience. It's pointless and elitist to make fun of kids who are just trying to find their identity, as all young people are.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I was lucky enough to grow up in suburban America, where the clerks topped out at The Cure and Jane's Addicition. Rather than snide comments, I received cool-fortifying blank stares when buying Codeine, MBV, etc.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

This only happened to me once, when I got the Volume "Trance Europe Express" 3lp thing, and the "knowledgeable" assistant tried to get me to buy a "much better" 1lp comp instead. I gave him a look like paddington bear might...

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

That's weird, I never get any comment on anything unless the price is ridiculous, like £75 for Journey outtakes or something, and even then it's usually just a conspiratorial 'psst, I actually like that too'. Maybe it's because I just stare intensely and menacingly at cashiers to discourage interaction whenever I buy anything, a habit I developed in porno shops. Also, I'm so spastic that whenever I sign a charge slip the signature never looks like anything on the card and acting like a psycho makes them less reluctant to call security. Except in Sainsbury's where they've done it 5 times now.

― dave q, Tuesday, 2 December 2003 16:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think I've ever received any such comments, certainly not any "euh, you don't have thaaaat yet?"
I think I'm a horrible customer though, as I always end up listening to a ton of stuff before leaving the store; ie sort of high-maintenance. I love it when clerks give recommendations though.

Only silliness that comes to mind is A) "Uhm, that's a METAL album" (oh? I mustn't want THAT then!) and "Pop Group? *snigger*" (which was kinda funny, as it was some "indie"-type who reacted to the name)

Big chain-stores tend to be most consistent in having fairly nice clerks, as it's just teenagers on their first jobs. Mom'n'Pop stores tend to have the nicest ones, but also the absolute worst of the worst. "Friend of the owner"-clerks who can't wait for you to get the hell out so they can eat the rest of their forkin' taco etc.

― Øystein H-O (Øystein H-O), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Heh heh, I actually HAVE had Never Mind the Bollocks stolen from my house... haven't replaced it. Yet!

(Ten years later)

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)

It's probably far more embarrassing for a cash-strapped student to go to one of the mom-and-pop stores that have used CDs and sell some of these Great Canonical Records. A while back I had to unload stuff like Marquee Moon and The Man-Machine and Modern Lovers and Tubeway Army's Replicas (which I still own on LP) and all three '69-'72 Stones albums, and my excuse for selling them ("I'm really short on cash, and I ripped them to my hard drive, so I can still listen to them, because, uh, they're great") probably didn't do too much to convince the clerk I wasn't some sort of cretinous infidel.

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I would probably go into angry-Donald-Duck-mode if some record store clerk asked me "dude, don't you already own this?" What? Oh, I'm so sorry...I didn't realize I was supposed to buy this shit IN ORDER!

I don't think I've had a clerk say anything about one of my purchases in close to twenty years.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Record store employees around my house seem pleasantly surprised when I dump my picks on the counter and go "is any of this a waste of my money?" and let them suggest something better. But boy, surprise being the key word there, since the exchange usually begins with their glares of contempt. Any service job will drive you nuts, and throw in hipsterism... my god, can you blame 'em? Not that I don't envy the free record-contact, but my job's a lot less crazymaking, if more claustrophobically present-releases-focused, way to get it...

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Record clerks don't know anything any more, so it doesn't matter.

Me, the other day: "Hey, do you have any more copies of that new Joe Strummer record?"

The hipstered-out girl at the store: "Joe...Strummer?"

Actually I was more suprised that the guy (my age) working there hadn't heard of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, but that's okay.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 17:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I honestly don't know why anyone wd get bothered abt this. rekkids = a commodity. Sell 'em when you need money, then buy the ones you want to get again when you have more money. Fuck what the store clerk thinks, I was one of those and I wasn't so fukcing hot for all that.

(x-post daddino = otm as well)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

"Record clerks don't know anything any more, so it doesn't matter."

Damn I live in a good neighborhood. Mine are dandy.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

'"Friend of the owner"-clerks who can't wait for you to get the hell out so they can eat the rest of their forkin' taco etc.'

Not that I was a friend of the owner, but I got fired from MVE because I couldn't wait to have a beer. Well shit, they're open until 8!

― dave q, Tuesday, 2 December 2003 17:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I used to be intimidated when I was in my 20s because there was always something cool playing in the record store, and I felt so inadequate for not knowing what it was. But last time I was in Reckless, they were listening to the Eagles or Journey or some shit.. So now I look down my nose at them because oh man they are such losers.

And if they spot what I'm buying and say, "Oh that's cool - you should also try listening to (let's just say) Lupine Howl.." I say, "Oh fuck Lupine Howl.. Uninspired shit." --Regardless of whether I've actually heard of them or whether or not I actually like them.

Because nothing makes you want to be difficult more than a Journey fan who also likes indie.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Y'all need to move to a more civilized place. The clerks at my highly-valued CD store are all extra peachy; helpful and non-condescending.

TO continue another theme, when I was in said store last weekend, they were listening to Best of 10cc. Mmm mmm, Life is a Minestrone.

― Dave Vinson (Gaughin), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought the whole point of the humor was when people make up excuses for buying records they're "not supposed to" buy.

Either way, I freaked out one of my best friends/record store employees by buying used Stacey Q, Black Flag, and Steely Dan CDs the other day in the same purchase. But it was a good mutual freak.
And this was my friend. Otherwise, Seattle's pretty damn good about employees not caring what you buy.

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:05 (twenty-one years ago)

i was just always happy that people were buying anything besides Norah Jones.

― possible m (mandinina), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I've always had pretty good luck with employees at indie stores. I was impressed the other day when I was in the store and the guy at the counter, in a totally non-condescending and very helpful manner, looked through catalogs and the back room to see if he could find a copy of the Prince proteges Mazarati on CD for a middle-aged professional looking guy who had apparently wandered into the store at random. He did find the vinyl, but the guy's record player wasn't working anymore.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm the long-acknowledged sole arbiter of taste in my town. Once a year, I set up a throne in Town Square and aspiring hipsters stand in line to have me mock their hairdos.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

hipster hairdos are to be mocked.

I guess I'm an exception in this thread. I only get stupid comments at book stores. You'd figure you go to amoeba in LA and the people there would be opinionated. Usually the tattoo'd young man/woman is all business.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Damn, I too have every album Alex will never own, and a good bit of Dylan too.

As for the question, yes, I find it amusing. As for it happening to me, I guess I've been lucky, because usually people tell me "Cool album!", or "You're gonna love this!", or "I wish I had one!"

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I've actually been looking for a lot of Hawaiian and Kids music lately, and since this isn't stuff anyone generally has on the shelves, I generally have to ask some twerp in a two-sizes too small Hot Hot Heat shirt about the Spongebob Squarepants Christmas record.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Sometimes the people behind the counter ask me about albums im buying. "Whats it sound like?" etc...

― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Quite some time ago I went into a record store here in Montreal and asked for a Dynamic Syncopation record. The response: "That's so two weeks ago. You know, they have a great selection of Ninja Tune on CD at the HMV downtown."

I've had arguments with numerous record clerks, but that one takes the cake. No bloody way would I EVER purchase a damn thing from that store.

― cybele (cybele), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Clerk: "That's so two weeks ago."
You: "I've been sick."

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Cybele, I hope you told the clerk that it's a good thing they know where the HMV is downtown, because once the store they're working at goes under they should take their resume over to the HuhMuhVe.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 19:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Damn, I too have every album Alex will never own, and a good bit of Dylan too.

Me too!

The only time I ever remember making an excuse for buying a record was sometime in high school, when I carried to the counter for purchase a copy of Sonic Youth's recent Master=Dik 12" and an import CD of Whitesnake's Greatest Hits. This was a compilation of the pre-Slide It In greatest hits, you see. I was very excited to have recently learned that Ian Paice - one of my favorite drummers of all time (I was already a huge Deep Purple fan) - had carried on with David Coverdale in the initial incarnation of Whitesnake. The college-age female at the counter sneered at the Whitesnake CD but said something like "Well, since you're buying the Sonic Youth single I'll let you get away with this." I remember sheepishly replying "the CD is for my brother, he's a big fan" (yes, I actually used this timeworn excuse!)

I still to this day regret that. I mean, the early Whitesnake stuff ended up sounding pretty tame compared to prime-era Purple, but fuck her if she doesn't know how great Ian Paice is!

― Broheems (diamond), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember one time at band camp... seriously though. About a year ago, I picked up a copy of Gang of Four 'Mall' on cassette - for 49 cents or something..and the record clerk said something to the effect of "Oh yeah I was going to check that out, but I was scared (given that it follows up [i] Hard [/i]?)" of course the only answer I could give was.. "Um, but it's 49 cents!?"

― nothingleft (nothingleft), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

if any record store clerk/owner dumb enough to get disparaging over someones purchases deserves the moment they will eventually go out of business. (sooner than later, these days.)

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

i once had to make an excuse for NOT buying a record.. was listening to illmatic at the listening post and the clerk told me that this was a good record and on sale and i should buy it, but i mumbled something, i think maybe about not having enough money. the truth was i wasn't really feeling it. ( of course, not half a year later, i would purchase and adore this very album hurrah ).

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I live in a small tourist resort so our one record store is sooooo hip. Little twits think they have a right to judge my music. The latest kick is how hot the latest Metallica tour was as you see them scurrying to buy the back catalog. I hate walking up to the counter with an old Beck cd or something. "Oh, I thought you would already own this..." I'd rather burn a copy than give them my $$.

― Speedy Gonzalas (Speedy Gonzalas), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

One of the benefits of living in NYC was that Virgin, Tower, etc has acres of listening posts...and don't give a damn if you listen to the whole thing. Only way to increase your muso knowledge if you're a skint college student: saving yourself from single-mania: the radio single is/was great, but the rest is filler shite. (At $17.95 or whatever for an album, who can afford it?)

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 22:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, but there's an arms-length list of stuff I never would have bought if I had listened to it at the listening station first, and I would have missed out.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex, you're not alone.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:17 (twenty-one years ago)

A couple of years ago I went to a hipster record store wearing an Insane Clown Posse shirt and purchased a Low and Labardford album. The clerk said "That's very different from ICP" and I just quickly said "Yep". I wasn't being ironic or anything, I did use to really like them and I still had the t-shirt and didn't even think about it when I put it on.

I used to enjoy getting responses from store clerks, but I don't really care now. I try to underplay any conversation, because it feels embaressing and I just want to get out.

― James Morris (HorrayJames), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:59 (twenty-one years ago)

At the end of the day, ya gotta remember.....the guy behind the counter may look down his nose at you for buyin' a ______ disc while you're wearing a t-shirt that extolls the merits of ______, but HE'S ULTIMATELY JUST A SALES CLERK!. He might as well be asking you if you want fries with that. Take solace, take your change, walk out the door, feel good about yourself.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:12 (twenty-one years ago)

But why fucking lie? Sure, it's lame to act like a fucking elitist behind the counter. But why lie about your collection? Just buy the fucking CD and leave- my philosophy is the same as the expedient record buyer. Don't present an excuse, just buy the CD and enjoy it.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I have to say, if the sales clerk expresses a preference, its generally "oh that's a great album/video/book" and never has been "snirk"

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

ha! i became friends with a girl who worked at my favorite record store after this exchange-

claire, "nice choices, emily" (being sincere)
me, "i didn't ask for your fucking opinion, claire" (in a foul mood)

later at a bar, she approached me and said that she appreciated my honesty and realized that everyone thought she was a pretentious bitch. she added that since i was almost as snobbish as she, we should be friends. it was very strange.

― Emilymv (Emilymv), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.