Independent Rocks
Support independent bookshops and record stores
This coming Saturday is Record Store Day – the second in as many months (I don’t really get it either). To celebrate, I’ve decided to release Independent – a fun way to support independent bookshops and record stores.
How it works:
Admittedly, with no permanent residence, I have a unique relationship with records and books and the stores that sell them. I still buy both, but at a much lower rate than I would / could / someday will when I have the place to store them. Less unique, however, is my appreciation for bookshops and record stores, which I always try to visit in new cities.
On a recent beautiful summer night in June, Rachel and I decided to walk a few miles home from dinner and stumbled upon The Chess Forum, which I recognized from a recent Instagram series between NYC-Superhero New York Nico and his lesser-known sidekick Humans of New York. Nick (NY Nico) and Brandon (HONY) have been highlighting small businesses and the people behind them that make up the fabric of the city. We walked in and ended up spending close to an hour chatting with Imad. One thing he told us was that in France, to keep the many bookstores alive and preserve the vibe of the city, booksellers may not discount books more than 5% below the publisher’s list price. This is how bookstores like Shakespeare and Company in Paris have been able to thrive long enough to appear in Before Sunset, Julie and Julia, and Midnight in Paris.
Phrased slightly differently is this modern wisdom from Blackbird Spyplane via Perfectly Imperfect.
✌️🚫 Cancel yr Amazon
You don’t actually need whatever s**t is in yr cart, and at the very least you don’t need it boxed up and rush delivered in <24 hours by workers whose quotas mean they can’t take bathroom breaks baby!! (Also Amazon stole millions of dollars in driver tips — true slimeball s**t, look it up!!) The “it’s so convenient” argument is weak, you’re not that busy, player, go for a walk, bet you there’s a store in yr hood that sells that same s**t — cop it there, even if it costs a few dollars more. If there *isn’t* a good store in yr hood, it’s because Amazon helped kill it, making your neighborhood less VIBRANT, so f**k ‘em for doing that, don’t reward them with more $$... And if it’s about wanting to watch movies and shows, pfffft get Criterion like a grown-up ; )
Political commentary aside, there is no doubt that shopping small and supporting independent businesses is better for the soul and the makeup of your neighborhood. This project was born out of passion—and maybe profit will follow—but I’ve been sitting on it for too long and finally decided to finish it, because there’s no time like R̶e̶c̶o̶r̶d̶ ̶S̶t̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶D̶a̶y̶ ̶P̶t̶.̶ ̶2̶ the present.
Note: Independent is still a work in progress – there may be some bugs, but it mostly works and it would mean a lot to me if you’d check it out, use it if you’d like, and share it!
“Last Train Home” – John Mayer
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a John Mayer stan. For the most part however, the reasons for that are not Mayer’s solo music. I like the Grateful Dead and appreciate the energy that Mayer has brought to Dead & Company (although they could stand to pick up the pace a bit). I like Visvim and other jawns (I always feel weird using that word) and appreciate Mayer’s connoisseur mindset on those topics. I don’t really like “Your Body Is A Wonderland.” But I am excited for the release of Mayer’s new album Sob Rock. The 80s references abound (the “Available on Columbia records and tapes” line makes me smile every time I see it.) And while it’s a little bit too tongue-in-cheek for my liking, there is an irresistible catchiness for songs like, “Last Train Home.” As one who is old enough to remember the reference materials for tracks like this, it’s easy to catch the vibe. But I don’t think that has to do with age. I think it has to do with quality. In keeping with the theme of this newsletter, be sure to cop the new Mayer album at a local record store.
—Justin
High Fidelity
As someone who prefers short episodes and not too many seasons (which is why I haven’t watched The Sopranos or The Wire), High Fidelity, starring Zoe Kravitz on Hulu, joins the elite company of shows I love that were canceled early. We probably could have used another season, but instead we got a strong, low-commitment, 300 minutes of great television. There’s an obvious reason I’m sharing this show that’s just over a year old now. Bonus points for the soundtrack.
—Andrew
Just a Thought is a weekly newsletter from Justin Tejada and Andrew Ettinger to share lukewarm takes and stuff we’re into on the off chance that you might be into it too. Our promises to you: we’ll only write when we feel like we have something to share, we’ll write primarily for ourselves, and we won’t be offended if it’s not for you.