Thursday, September 6, 2012

Crate Digging at The Groove, Nashville, TN




Ready to dig at The Groove, Nashville, TN
Related to Elements: Crate Digging, DJ


So today after a long day of work, I made a quick trip to go crate digging at one of my favorite record stores, Nashville’s own, The Groove.  There isn't really much of a story to tell as far as this particular trip goes, but I gotta drop a few words about this local record store.  When you first walk in, you might think that this is a small store.


 
The Groove's Unassuming Store Front


However, as you start to flip through the records, you’ll soon figure out why.  There is little to no filler in the shelves.  While the vast majority of filler in the store lives in the dollar bin, there are still some diggers’ treasures to be found in those bins too.  None of the different genre sections are very big, but the amount of great music in them is overwhelming.



Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again LP.  Copped some laid back new soul, got a free 7"

I literally have to have a game plan before I walk in, or I would go broke in no time.  I can walk out of a lot of shops empty-handed, but this isn't one of them.   These guys have to spend a lot of time weeding out the garbage, because I never see any.  The best part of digging through their stacks is that they have great prices on their records.  They are usually comparable to anything online, and lower than most of the other local shops.


The Meat and Potato Stacks of Must-Have Wax


Another highlight about this shop that should be stressed is the nice atmosphere.  It is in a great old house in an awesome area in East Nashville.  Yeah, I may be a little biased about this area because I grew up a few blocks away, but there are a lot of (sometimes hidden) charms in that neck of the woods.  Inside the store is very cozy, which can make digging a little tight on a busy day, but I have yet to really see this as an inconvenience.    
You are always greeted as you come through the door, by whoever is working the register (usually by John or Louis the owners).  There is always some good music playing on the decks, and because of that I have found a lot of good records that were off my radar by simply by asking what was on at the time.  I also really appreciate the fact that every time I have a question about vinyl, or music in general, they always have the answer.  They seem to genuinely enjoy discussing anything music related.

Co-Owner John Moore Knows Wassup


To sum up, I really enjoy this spot, and I almost hate to put the word out (don't want any other suckas that didn't know about this place to put their greasy paws all over my future records!), but the Groove deserves props.  So, if you are in Nashville, stop by The Groove located at 1103 Calvin Avenue, Nashville ,TN.  See their website for directions or further information.
-Written by Jay Brown

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