Calling my taste in music obscure and abstruse would be an understatement. Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys captured my sentiments perfectly with this sardonic spoken word interlude from "Paninaro," an infectious Euro/Italo Disco tune from 1986: "I don't like country-and-western. I don't like rock music. I don't like, I don't like rockabilly or rock 'n' roll particularly. Don't like much really, do I? But what I do like I love passionately." I usually leave brick-and-mortar music stores empty handed, but I always enjoy the hunt, the off chance I'll stumble upon a long-out-of-print Scott Walker album or an Italo Disco compilation featuring B-grade European TV stars speak-singing garbled English lyrics. This particular CD Exchange, located in The Colonnade at I10 and Wurzbach, has come through for me more than once, no small feat given my eccentric tastes.
The staff deserve credit for utilizing every square inch of floor space; the store is stacked to the hilt with CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, and video games. The music sections are categorized by genre and alphabetized by artist, an obsessive-compulsive's dream come true. The same holds true for the DVD/Blu-ray section, which occupies at least half of the store. I only wish the staff would treat the video games with as much respect as the other media; on a recent visit, I was taken aback by a cluttered locked cabinet chock full of dusty, yellowed consoles (everything from SNES to Wii U) stacked atop one another with wild abandon.
I've been known to spend hours pouring through the CD and vinyl selections, but my patience has paid off on several occasions. Many years ago, I stumbled upon an import copy of Gary Numan's amazing live album "Living Ornaments '79" at a price comparable to what I would have paid on eBay. Last night, I was surprised to find several near-mint vinyl albums to satisfy my proclivity for post-punk, new wave, and art rock, including selections from Be-Bop Deluxe ("Sunburst Finish"), ABC ("The Lexicon of Love"), Thompson Twins ("Into the Gap"), Jean-Michel Jarre ("Magnetic Fields"), and The Comsat Angels ("7-Day Weekend"). The latter album saw a limited release in the US over thirty years ago, so I was thrilled to find a copy on vinyl.
I was pleased to discover that CD Exchange has begun accepting and selling vintage video game consoles and software. Last night, I picked up several great games for the Atari 2600, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and SNES. The pricing was all over the place, though, with many items overpriced and many offered at a fraction of their current value. I possess an encyclopedic knowledge of video games (a dubious talent), so I chose wisely and paid less than $20 for a lot of games worth approximately $50 online. Exercise caution and restraint, however, lest you blow $60 on a practically worthless AtGames SEGA Genesis clone console.
As physical media gives way to digital distribution, I appreciate the few remaining brick-and-mortar outlets that cater to old souls like me. Your mileage may vary depending on your tastes, but search long enough and you'll surely find at least one CD, vinyl record, movie, or game to suit your style. read more