WPL.A. graphic by Vivian Martinez
“Waxing Philosophical, L.A.” is DUM DUM’s monthly column written by Christina Gubala, co-founder of L.A.’s premier cassette-tape label, Complicated Dance Steps. A die-hard vinyl collector, you can find her spinning records at local bars near you.
Our city has a continuing history thick with vinyl love, now more than ever with record shops opening their doors instead of shuttering. Each week, Gubala breaks down a fresh new wax purchase, and writes about the record store as well, mapping it as part of L.A.’s history in the making.
Atwater Village, the charming town just east of Silver Lake, is home to a bevy of delightful retail spaces, and after three visits to Jacknife Records and Tapes this month, I can say one of them is particularly special. After opening last year, the shop made a name as a reliable spot to find mint-condition collectable records at appropriate prices. Being a DJ, I run the risk of damaging records regularly, so I’m not often shopping for stock of that nature. I perused the store once shortly after it opened and marveled at the breathtaking array of flawless Krautrock albums and Arthur Lee projects. It was a “one of these days” kind of place, where you call silent dibs on everything you’ve always wanted, awaiting an unexpectedly hefty paycheck to come in and collect. While a space like this is precious, its narrow client base makes it difficult to sustain–so when news broke that it had changed ownership, I was unsurprised. What did surprise me, however, was the metamorphosis of the space under the new owner, Trevor Baade.
Trevor’s energy and eagerness to engage the customer in musical discussion is infectious, and the store has become a smorgasbord of genres, formats, stereo equipment and vintage clothing. Rows of cassettes line the walls, eras intermingled, creating a sense of timelessness and continuity amongst Erasure, Tim Harden, Secret Circuit, and whatever else someone committed to tape and brought Trevor’s way. The vinyl collection was sorted and sub-sorted with thorough genre coverage. One of the few stores in town to boast a healthy classical section and a proud offering of vintage radio show boxsets, Jacknife seems to harbor an appreciation for it merits everything, especially the community of the store’s patrons.
I made my way to Jacknife at the beginning of April, in the wake of my cassette label’s two most recent releases, Keepbullfighting’s It Never Ends and Ryan McGregor’s Orange Confusion’s Leaping Off & On. We’d received the tapes from our manufacturer just before our trip to SXSW, so I had admittedly been a little slow with local distribution. Ryan McGregor himself had visited the store and spoken with Trevor about, among other things, the Grateful Dead and his cassette. He encouraged Ryan to bring in a few tapes, and Ryan encouraged me to do the same. I was thrilled at the prospect of another record store ready to stock new cassettes, so I packed my cassette briefcase and visited the shop on business.
Upon entering the store, I was promptly reminded why the business of music is fun–the bright green shop was packed to the gills with stacks, rows, bins and shelves of music and its accoutrements. I spotted wall records I recognized from the original incarnation of Jacknife, and the new ownership provided the store with a solid selection of affordable used records, hand-selected new and reissued wax, and CD versions of essential albums and cassettes you never knew you always wanted. It was exciting to see the amalgamation of an industry’s production, decades of constant change confined to one playful, inviting room. I introduced myself to the owner himself, behind the counter he mans Tuesday through Sunday, and we started talking music. The room filled with discussion and a sense of involvement was fostered amongst the present customers. Opinions were exchanged over Eric Satie and Ornette Coleman, records and tapes were bought and sold, and I walked out with a stunning 90’s reissue of Diga Rhythm Band’s Diga and a limited edition of Ojo’s Gymnopedie No.1 7”, recorded live on KXLU in 2006. Both had been Trevor’s recommendations.
The following evening, local label Sonoptik was hosting their monthly night at Mahasukha Meditation Center in Culver City. They’d graciously asked me to play records and I was looking forward to unleashing my new finds in the serene space. Sonoptik’s monthly night typically consists of four ambient or drone musicians playing to a blissfully comfortable audience of peace-seekers and fellow musicians, always an open-minded crowd. I was, needless to say, grateful for the opportunity to stretch the capabilities of my record collection and set the scene at Mahasukha. I dropped the needle on the Diga Rhythm Band record, and as the peels of Hawaiian guitar, scoops of tablas and talking drums saturated the room, my gratitude extended to Jacknife Records as well. It was as if the track was recorded for the express purpose of being played between Spheres and Derek Rogers that night (though its express purpose had been to ignite the crowd with tantalizing percussion tracks before the Grateful Dead took the stage circa 1976). I also played Ojo’s elegant electric guitar working of Satie’s patient masterpiece, and a few audience members came up to the DJ booth, fascinated. Both of my Jacknife acquisitions sparkled that evening before an appreciative group of listeners, and really, what more can a DJ ask for? Trevor’s recommendations had been spot on, and I was thankful to have broadened the scope of my collection.
Jacknife Records and Tapes in Atwater Village provides a lively selection of music spanning generations and formats, genres and geography. Enjoy the conversation and appreciate that we live in this city right now, where places like this are open just down the street all over the city. We’re living in the midst of a renaissance.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012