Hi, my name is Caitlin and my first LP was Harry styles self-titled.

Hi, my name is Selen and my first LP was A Reputation by Taylor Swift.

My first record was a Pointer Sisters, and I played it all the time, and I about Burn It to the ground because I played it so much.

My real first one probably is Peter Gabriel.

That's what I'm here for today.

I've been all over the world to see him, so.

Hi, my name is Sydney and my first LP was Trenched by 21 Pilots.

Hi, my name is Chris and my first LP was a breakaway by Kelly Clarkson.

So about 250 miles south of Nashville, Tennessee is one of the most vibrant cities in the USA one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

Since about 1990, its music industry has grown amazingly and it is truly a center of the southeast.

So right now we're going to go check some, performers.

We're going to check some record stores.

We're going to go to Atlanta.

We're going to Hotlanta.

We're in the section of Atlanta, Georgia known as Little Five Points.

And we're here at the flagship record store, Criminal Records, with my man Eric Levin.

Hey.

Always good to see you, my man.

Good to see you.

And, both of us have bee doing this for quite some time.

How long has criminal records been, giving, criminalization to music in this town?

In this town, 34 years.

We, I moved from my small store in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Lock, stock and barrel.

My teenage bedroom.

My teenage record store.

All the way up to little five points.

Talk to us about some of the more, notable in stores that you've had a criminal.

If we go so far back.

For me, a personal highlight and favorite was the Meat Puppets.

It was a magical day with, they were playing in front of the store instead of inside, and, the, they were on what was known as the hord tour, and they had an early slot and got to play for like 45 minutes, and they were just getting bombed and the like, their label guy asked if the could blame for an A criminal.

So it was all impromptu.

And, Curt Kirkwood asked of the band asked, well, can we play longer?

It's like you guys can just play.

That' still probably the most special.

What would you say, about the music scene in Atlanta these days?

It's very diverse.

So many different things going on.

I mean, the subgenres just keep on getting more and more subgenres.

There's got to be like 15 different types of metal right now, currently, that are thriving in the city with bands that are putting out individual releases and playing shows all the time, like.

And that's just one small little niche, you know, di you want to go down the rabbit hole of electronic music and experimental music?

There's a bunch of that stuff going on.

It's like it's just so much Atlanta.

That's one of the draws.

Move Me to Atlanta was the fact that the seniors so diverse.

There's so many different things happening in the city.

What was your first record?

I bought two records.

Star Wars John Williams soundtrack and Rick Dees Disco Duck 12 inch.

I'm not proud of it, but I had a crush on a girl that, like disco.

Duh.

Well, shoot, she was in a, variety show with a lot of other young seven year olds.

But she broke her arm.

She.

It was in a sling, and she was on the end, and she slapped her little duck arm, so I, I was in love, and I bought the record.

So she was doing the duck duck dance.

Yep.

Well, I know you're one of the founding fathers of Record Store Day, along with, some other gentlemen we know.

How did the idea come about?

Criminal records, as a comic shop, has always participated in Free Comic Book Day, which, exactly as it said, it was free comic books.

And my idea was to do this for record stores, never thinking about products being sold.

It just it was more of a, hey, we got to tell everyone that the party's still over here.

The first meeting of Record Store Day.

That was the day that tower announced tha they were going out of business.

So there was an incredible gloom and doom that was already compacted by media.

You know, people doing stories about Black Friday crash sales, and nobody ever talked about record stores.

And we're like, it's cool over here.

You know, we're going to have a party.

And that's what the notion was at the very start.

And, the first year was a party, Janelle Monae played probably her second or third in store with me.

The second record store day was in, was here in this location.

Janelle Monae played again and then opening for Rodriguez.

So that was that year.

I own what it's become because I'm proud of it.

Who could have imagined lines around the block to go into record stores?

And every year the lines get longer?

It's an amazing phenomenon.

And I'm, most proud.

Not of it, but of the people, the record stores who have said, you know, I was going to go out of business and this has given life, the vinyl manufacturers who are like, let's build more vinyl plants, you know, let's hire more people.

Label.

Now, granted, most label distributors have let go of their staff, but there are still people that have said, like, you saved my job.

And that's like, know, far out.

But, you know, the one thing that all those, national, record store chains and places like tower and all, what was the one thing they all had in common?

Those that went out of business, they quit carrying vinyl stores like criminal.

That's true.

And other stores around never quit.

We always had it in stock and we always kept the faith.

Well, I want to thank you for your time and, for your insights and the fact that, I can say that you're my friend.

Thank you.

Sir.

Hi.

My name is Laurel, and my first LP was Taylor Swift's Midnights on lavender vinyl from my best friends in the world.

Hi, my name is Teal, and my first record was folklore.

Taylor Swift one conversion.

Hi, my name is Caitlin, and my first, record was Billi Eilish's EP Don't Smile at Me.

First LP ever bought was, Kiss Destroyer at seven years old in 1976.

All right now here in Atlanta, we'r in a store that started in 1976.

That's right, 1976, called Wax and Facts.

And we're here with the proprietor.

And your name, sir?

My name is Danny Beard.

When we started, we had books as well.

So that's that's what the title references.

We started with that, but the books went away pretty quickly.

But the musical facts remain.

We're at Fort Worth.

All the facts.

When speaking to you earlier, I found out you and I are pretty much of the same generation.

Which means, we experienced a lot of the same music.

And, here we are in the 21st century, right?

You're still selling physical music?

We were brought up in the same state.

Apparently, which is Georgia.

And, I was, I was born here in Atlanta, which is why I don't have a southern accent so much.

Well you know, land is cosmopolitan.

Totally.

We're fellow hicks.

So.

Well, you know, some of the hicks makes some of the best music.

That's true, because they had the hardest stories to tell.

Looks to me like, maybe hundred thousand Elkins in here.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were me.

Well, I know you haven't had time to Count Basie taking care of business.

Yes, exactly.

I see here you have the very first Jimmy Reed album I bought Jimmy Reed Live at Carnegie Hall.

That when the first album you bought.

But it was the first Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy Reed album, right.

Okay.

So was it stereophonic?

It was mono okay on the Vee-Jay label, but it was a double album.

It was.

Yes, it is one record was, Greatest Hits.

The other album, was supposed to be Live at Carnegie Hall.

But if you read the fine print, it says due to technical problems, we have had to recreate our show at the Carnegie Hall.

And can you.

Okay, well, I'll take two records, so we faked it.

In other words, probably the union had their hand in their.

How long have you been in this, treasure trove of vinyl?

6 or 7 years.

Have you learned anything about music?

Well, I'd like to say I already knew it all, but, yeah, I've learned a lot.

Yeah, that's one thing abou being in this kind of situation.

You never know everything.

No, you don't, you really don't.

And especially here, because I sometimes don't even know where the records are.

They keep getting relocated.

Sometimes he'll put them in the wrong in a not the wrong spot in a different spot.

Well, he may know a connection with somebody else.

May not know maybe.

So.

Would you say your typical customer is of a particular age or background, or do you get all kinds of folks in here?

We get all kinds of folks.

We get all kinds of ages and people from all over the worl that come in here and, you know, people really who like to dig this is a haven for them.

Well, this is the definition of a crate digger.

Seven oh, yeah.

Because you have so many crates.

And I used to have to make crates at the record store I worked at in 1975.

And did you use nails for years or little screws?

We had to nail them together.

Right.

It was peaches.

Yeah.

I always wondered why they didn't use little screws because that, like, he's always getting the hammer out and trying to repair the ones we've got.

But people want to buy these.

They love the peaches crate.

Especially the peaches crate.

I hated because I was always hitting my thumb when we having to make them.

So I understand that there's a connection of B-52s, to the store.

Yeah, Danny had a record label back in the day and gave the B-52s and Pylon and, some local bands there.

Start by helping put out, like, first singles and, or albums and promoting them.

Yeah.

So it's something that the independent record stores often do.

You know, there's a local artis and, nobody else is interested in them as far as putting out their record or tape or CD or whatever.

And suddenly you're putting something out with somebody who started out as a custome and it's now your artist, right?

How did you, Danny how did you hear him at a club or to hear him play?

And then you thought that they were.

I heard a play at a party.

Yeah.

And then after that he was like, we did the Rock lobster single.

The first thing was a Rock lobster single.

We're talking about primeval New wave, that it was 1978 on DB records.

Yeah, yeah, it's kind of cool.

You obviously never quit carrying vinyl.

You don't carry CDs, do you?

We do.

We've got, got, the decent collection of CDs.

CDs, probabl more than we need to have, but, they're coming back, so we sell them cheap.

Yeah.

It seems to me that, Well I just recall that one time in about 2014, me telling somebod with, one of the major labels, don't quit making CDs.

You've made all your money on selling these CDs for 20 or 25 years.

Just put them out in budget packages.

There's a lot of people our age is not going to go ou and buy a new turntable, right?

Well, they tried to kill the albums in the 90s, and they tried to kill the CDs in the last ten years.

So neither is going to work, I don't think very first LP or 45 you ever bought for yourself?

To Kmart.

I bought a, Peter and Gordo where with that love, which was, I was about ten and, it was, it was a not a great record, but it was a good one.

Had some good stuff on it.

And you've had the store continuously since 1976?

Yes.

Almost 50 years.

Not quite.

It would be June, June 6th, 1976.

So we're coming up on 49 years and then, I don't know if we're going to have any kind of celebration for 50, but we might.

I started I have a partner, Harry de Mille, who's he?

And I started it together with maybe ten crates, and it kept growing.

Thank you for your time, sir.

Thanks.

Thanks for your time.

Respect.

Hi my name is Valerie, and my first vinyl I remember getting is The Stranger by Billy Joel, gifted to me by my dad.

And I think my dad an my brother are really the people that got me into older music like Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, all those kind of people.

Hi, my name is Ben.

My first LP was a beta copy of Pink Floyd's The Wall that I still have and listen to today.

Hi, my name is now.

My first LP I ever bought for myself was daf Punk's Random Access Memories.

I don't remember the exact year about it but I think I was around Covid.

I really want to start a new hobby.

DJing, Covid and vinyl collecting and hunting was kind of my new hobby I really wanted to, get into, and that was one of my favorite artists of all time.

So I had to pick up my favorite album from them.

Beautiful day in this Atlanta neighborhood.

We are at JB's Records Lounge with, Jamal Lindsey, and we're going to find out what's going on in Atlanta.

We're going to talk about the scene in this city and the fact that it is so dynamic and so filled with contemporary music, and it' being felt all around the world.

Welcome to the West End.

Best kept secret.

It's JB's record lounge.

We're glad to be sitting here in historic West End.

This is probably the oldest neighborhood in the Atlanta metro area.

And we are affixed here purposely to be a part of this community and, hopefully, you know, be a part of the growing foundation that is the music scene here in Atlanta.

Well, I can see that, healing feeling and music is in this room, but, I also see great artwork.

I see the fact that it's laid out so people can relax.

Perhaps, you know, be looking through the records.

They're they're thinking about buying, looking at the artwork on the walls.

Yes, indeed.

A music store.

That's another safe place for humanity.

The, this is also aka the artist incubator.

We call it also aka music Lovers Paradise.

And, yeah, this is also the place to catch all the vibes, as the kids say, you can just kind of just come hang out.

Don't go to Starbucks.

You guys can come here.

We got Wi-Fi.

The couches were intentiona for you to be able to be relaxed and feel like you're seeing your home.

So, you are though employed here, and, I would think that this might be for you grad school when it comes to music.

Very much so.

Very much so.

I won't say I'm employed here.

But I am a part of.

I'm kind of built in.

I just kind of.

Our relationship has got.

It is you have kind of built into JB's.

You know, Jonathan is is my brother, and I was there when he did his his first record event, in his basement, in his home.

I've supported, you know, we've we've supported each other.

We actually went to college together.

And that's why I say we were brothers.

Not by blood, but we've been in the trenches together.

But.

Yeah.

JB's, started in his basement.

He had his record his personal record collection, and he was selling pieces to friends and family who came.

And so when the first location opened up, of course, I was there to help paint the walls and build the the the crates and, you know all the stuff, the shelves and and then when we moved here, my son and I, we, we were there saying that we built a stage, we had hands in, in all of this.

So I'm kind of built in, and I made sure that I use my skills and my talents to, to support JB's in the same way that he' supporting me and the same way he supports this, this whole community, the West End and Atlanta, holds high regard for JB's.

The Record Lounge is a staple here.

So when you're going through, shall we say, the stock of records in the store, how much do you find by going out and seeking it?

And how much comes through the front door from people who say, maybe, maybe an older relative has passed and they've got an armload of records that was in the basement.

I'm going to tell you, every scenario happens is often is the other.

It is super random with us, super random, we find ourselves quite busy, with events that we hold here just manning the store.

And we do a hell of a lot of events outwardly.

So you know us, we're always out, doing vending and pop ups, expanding the brand taking our music, other places.

And also it became a fodder for an income for us, particularly because that's what we had to do, like during the pandemic, we kind of made we saw to i that we could still find a way to sell records that started online.

And, you know, once we closed down the old location, we're able to come here, in that between tim to kind of build up the capital.

We did festivals.

We did anything where there was art being allowed to be sold, we would be there.

So one of the things, though, that I remind my hip hop customers of, and I would say 999 times out of a thousand, when I tell them there wouldn't be any hip hop if it wasn't for Latin music and for Caribbean music.

Oh, that's funny you say that.

I am.

I am a second generation Jamaican.

I am third generation Beijing.

So West Indian culture is in my blood.

Now, if you were to ask me, where does hip hop come from?

I would tell you, yes, certainly.

We crafted it in the Bronx for sure.

However, the identity of it, the structure of it, all of the bones come from Jamaica, for sure.

And the West Indian culture, Jamaica gets the bulk of the credit for it.

But they were doing sound systems in these other islands as well.

But man, the battling of the deejays, whoever had the biggest sound, the biggest speakers.

I mean, that's what deejay Kool Herc, the godfather of hip hop, was known for.

He'd drive around the Bronx and his drop top Cadillac, and he had these big, huge stage speakers in the back just booming a loud sound.

And no offense to the guy but he wasn't even the best DJ.

But he had a big sound and that just brought people together.

Jamaica was tapped into that early kind of like he was saying about, pain and music, so to speak.

You know, my first record I was the little kid, you know, I grew up in the household.

Everybody, all the adults had record players in their own little record collection.

And every single, adult member being an aunt, being my grandmother or my old man and my mother.

The rule was, don't touch these records.

Do not touch these records.

Of course, on the kid, anytime they weren't home that's exactly what I was doing.

So to answer your question, my first record, I adopted all of them.

However, the ones I vividly remember, I can remember my mother buying a funky four plus one more record.

I just love the Sugar Hill logo for us.

Look for us at that time, seeing the Sugar Hill logo and also knowing that, Sylvia, who was also like from New York, whatever she was logo, this is, you know, this is a black woman starting a label, whatever.

And at the time, I didn't know the politics of the record industry and its artists.

I didn't know any of that storyline knew was some of our local heroes, who you can only hear at the fever skating rink or the rooftop.

Much?

I wasn't old enough to go to these places, but they were legendary to m because I heard that, you know, the fat boys played there or this group was there.

And so the funky four plus one one might even been a single.

But I love just the logo on the record.

And, you know when the the parents went home, I put that record on one of our biggest events.

And this is kind of culturally in in news relevant, I guess, because he was just, adjudicated from his case.

Young thug had, a listening party here, and we were one of, like, maybe three record stores in the country that then certainly the only one in Atlanta.

And, you know, at the time he was, you know, detained maybe five minutes from here while the case was going on.

This is, you know, very well known in hip hop and all of that, whatever the case may be.

And just to see the reach and I don't know if that had anything to do with, with the case, I'm sure that it did.

He released an album while he was detained.

This is like maybe two years now.

Or at least a year or so ago.

Whatever his last album was, it came out so he wasn't even physically in the store.

But it's the most people we've had in the store for that listening party.

It was packed.

We gained like maybe 2000 followers in a week just off of this event.

And again, a lot of it likel tied to the news of that event.

And like people were clamoring to get whatever anything related with him.

And all we did was play it.

We streamed it because the, his group sent us the music.

And also they sent some, unreleased stuff that wasn't going to be on the album for us to play here at the listening party.

This has been a fun moment of conversation.

I want to thank you for the insights and the recollect sessions.

And, I want to thank you for being a part of the roadshow, and I know you're going to have a musical day.

Whatever happens, you're not wrong about that.

And, thank you for blessing our, humble home here.

And, you're always welcome back.

And, I hope I didn't talk your ear off too much, because, yeah, music gets me going.

Hi.

My name is Lisa Kent, and my first LP was Chicago Hot Streets.

Hi, my name is Nina.

The first record I ever bough was Midnights by Taylor Swift.

I went around everywhere trying to find the exact when I bought, but once I did, I got it.

And I've been buying records ever since.

Hi, my name is Jalen Smith.

My first vinyl was high B3 from Linkin Park.

Hi, my name is Shannon and I think the first album I ever owned was the BGS.

Hi, my name is Ali and I don't remember the first record I got, but the first one I got here wa Slippery When Wet by Bon Jovi.