Prior to the days of the Internet (what I can imagine it to be) it must of been a pain to live far away from a record store. You wouldn’t purchase records very much, would you? The closest record store to where I live requires a thirty-minute drive into Milwaukee and the store only carries a small range of new vinyl, so options are limited. So I don’t go that route very often. How awesome would it be to live in San Francisco home to Ameoba Records - largest selection of records I’ve ever seen. 

But now, thanks to the Internet, I can purchase records from almost anywhere (depending on how long I want to wait for them). Places like Insound.com offer a wide variety of vinyl, everything from obscure indie music to classic musicians like Lou Reed. It’s where I get all of my vinyl - prices are reasonable and they are reliable. So I’m always eager when UPS delivers the records to my doorstep. In the old days you had to get your records, now they bring it to you!!! 

Yesterday, the UPS man delivered my latest purchase: Volume 2 by She & Him. I’ve always been a fan of Zooey Deschannel’s movies, but when I discovered she was also in a band with Matt Ward, I was ecstatic. Her voice recalls the country-twang of female crooners like Patsy Cline, but also sounds like the American version of Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura. It’s her blend of these contemporaries that makes her vocally appealing and paired with Matt Ward’s  guitar, the two make music that is both nostalgic of 1960s pop and laden with summery imagery. Volume 2 is a far greater record than the previous, mostly because there are more pop hooks (i.e. “In The Sun, “Don’t Look Back”) and slower-tempo songs that highlight Zooey’s range (i.e. “Thieves). It was the perfect end to my day, listening to my new record feeling satisfied with the new addition to my ever-growing record collection. The record is definitely going to be played frequently, hopefully it will remain scratch free - one can only hope.