Used: Bombadil & R.E.M.

There is no better way to kill some time on a lazy afternoon than browsing through your local used record store. I used to spend hours (and hundreds of dollars) going through stacks of used discs when I was in college. My time (and budget) are a little more limited these days, but I still love to check out the local shop when I get a chance.

Luckily, Knoxville has several great places to find new old music. My first stop is always The Disc Exchange, the store that always lands on the top of any local "best of" polls. If I don't find anything there, I can always move on to McKay's. This place is essentially a giant warehouse filled with used junk, and a few gems. Books, CD's, video games, movies, iPods... you name it, they sell it. I've also told you before about the $1 bin at the local Cat's Music. There are more than a few places to find some pre-loved music in this town.

Now that I have a record player set up in the house, I've also been discovering some of the local shops that actually sell "records." Lost & Found Records and Basement Records are the two I've stumbled upon so far, but if anyone knows of any others please let me know.

The purpose of all of that is to say that I had some time to kill this past Thursday and was able to unearth a couple of worthy additions to my collection.

First was A Buzz, A Buzz, the first full-length effort from the North Carolina collective known as Bombadil. Like their new album, Tarpits and Canyonlands (reviewed here), this record is full of musically whimsical and often lyrically dark compositions. This band is stylistically unique and instantly captivating. Both of their albums come with high recommendations.

Here's one from A Buzz, A Buzz that showcases the light/dark dynamic that they pull off so well. It's a lighthearted tune about self-mutilation called "Johnny."

Bombadil: Johnny (Buy Album)

I also came one step closer to completing my R.E.M. vinyl collection when I found a copy of their debut album Murmur. R.E.M. is my all time favorite band, but I was still just a child when they started releasing albums. I didn't discover them until much later. Consequently, my entire R.E.M. library has always been on CD.

Now that I have the means to play them, I have made it my personal mission to own the band's entire catalogue (especially the early, IRS recordings) on vinyl. That's how most fans first experienced their music, and that's how I want to experience it now. Of course, Murmur is an all time classic and a record that I'm glad to hear again for the first time.

R.E.M.: Radio Free Europe (Buy Album)