Something to do today: Whelan's record fair

I went to the first Whelan's record fair way back in August. It was raining, freezing, it was supposed to be summer. The records I was flicking through didn't interest me and I was ready to condemn the venture and go off in search of warming drinks. Then I found a gem of a record, not one I had ever heard of but one I knew I had to have. Suddenly everything was better and braving the wind and rain and the walk from the dart station seemed worth it. That's the beauty of a good record find, its like discovering buried treasure. That day the record sellers said they'd be back if it was a success. It's good to know that it was. In fact, it went so well that they moved it downstairs to the main venue. A city can never have too many decent second hand record sellers, or second hand book sellers (book fair anyone?). Hone your flicking skills as there are stacks of vinyl to get through, but it's worth it for that one unbeatable album.

The record I found, for €4

Whelan's record fair, Whelan's, Wexford St - today - 1pm - 5pm

First published here

A Dublin Saturday

(via we heart it)

I'm back! Well, I haven't exactly been away. Just lazy. I mean, seriously working hard on various variousnesses. So thank you to Sam for sort of holding the virtual fort in my absence. Tomorrow we Buzzcats get to spend a Saturday in Dublin, something we haven't done all summer and we're very excited. We plan to visit the inaugral record fair in Whelans - it starts at 2pm, has cheap booze and hopefully LOADS of classic tunes for not so much money. I'm in the market for some Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan and maybe even some Doc Watson if they have it, thanks very much. After that, or maybe before, we're going to venture to excellent sounding new vintage store Shotsy Vintage, on Temple Lane South, for their Norwegian cardigans and €5 men's plaid shirts. After that, who knows... though I hear worrying rumours among friends of a karaoke expedition.

Third Man Records and their magic vinyl.

Just a quick post about Third Man Records. Jack White's new label is making music that counts and giving listeners a product that you'll want to buy in the way of limited edition vinyl. For those who still want hard copies, vinyl is the way to go, it means you get something special for your buck. At Third Man Records they appear to understand that and have taken that something special to a whole new level. I can't really explain so watch this video. Also enjoy Jack White as the music buyer's Willy Wonka.

The R.A.G.E Record Store.

We recently discovered this excellent little record store on Fade St. (it's funny how I can't take the name of that street seriously anymore thanks to that awful RTE show). It is everything you expect a second hand record store to be; well stocked with quality old vinyl all in good condition. For those with a taste for vintage video games they have old consoles and games for sale (SNES, N64, Segas etc). Everything is also reasonable, the kind of price one pays in Berlin or London. I picked up Let's Dance by David Bowie and Born To Run by Bruce Springteen for under a tenner each. Not something I'm used to doing in Dublin, where on the rare occasion I have found old records I have been expected to pay through the nose for them. This place is just what the city needs. So if you're a fan of vinyl or old computer games or thinking starting a colection of either, get to the street forever tainted by the fools at RTE and check out this shop. Here are some pictures Alex took.

Rocco's Weird Stuff: The One Of The First Ever Bootleg Records.

So I was looking through Rocco's record collection for something to listen to. As I flicked I came across a white sleeve with a stamped title on it, that read GWW Talkin' Bear Mountain Massacre Picnic Blues. Rocco had mentioned this record to me before and as a Bob Dylan fanatic I knew what this was, a legendary early bootleg. In fact one of a run of the first bootleg records ever made. "Dub" Taylor and Ken Douglas were quality-conscious perfectionists who pressed all their albums on coloured, virgin vinyl. They infamously released a series of Bob Dylan bootlegs in the 1960's called Great White Wonder, these bootlegs were made up of songs which Dylan had recorded at his label but had never released. The songs on these records are only surfacing now on Columbia's Bootleg Series. The fifth of this GWW series was the one I found. This one is printed on green virgin vinyl with the simple stamp in ink on the cover. It's got some great songs on it and as a piece of musical history it's a pretty special thing. I don't know how much it's worth, I went trawling and the nearest I found was a later release worth 200 US dollars. Here are some pictures.