Ah, the summer song. The song that transports you onto the beach even in the middle of winter. The song that whisks you off to a certain moment of a certain summer, no matter how long ago it was.
The song that helps you cling to the last shreds of your sanity while parked on I-15 at 2:30 p.m. on a record-breaking, 117-degree day.
You know the sort of songs I'm talking about. And by the end of this column, you'll know where to purchase them.
It's not terribly hard to find the work of popular artists in iTunes or at a large store like Best Buy, but for those harder-to-find recordings, the UNLV area offers a couple of gems in the form of HipHopSite (www.hiphopsite.com) 4700 S. Maryland Parkway, and Big B's CDs & Records, 4761 S. Maryland Parkway.
At HipHopSite, the average vinyl single goes for about $5.99 and LPs ring in at about $15, while CDs run the usual gamut (around $10-$20). The store also carries used records and CDs. Among the rarities at HipHopSite are DVDs like "Graffiti Verite" volumes 1 through 5 ($20 each), a documentary series about graffiti artists, and a Teriyaki Boys CD ($40), an import from Japan featuring DJ Premier, ADROCK, Dan the Automator, Mark Ronson and the Neptunes as producers working with the Teriyaki Boys.
The store keeps box sets of LP records on hand, including Public Enemy's "Power to the People" and the Beats' "Public Enemy Singles" ($50) and variety of T-shirts (all $20).
Big B's is another great spot for hard-to-find music by artists who didn't begin their careers on "American Idol." It has a wide selection of vinyl records and CDs, and carries punk, alternative, metal, hard rock, pop, electronica, jazz, blues, classic rock, sound tracks and comedy. B.B. King's "The Blues" ($17.99), A Perfect Circle's "Emotive" ($17.99) and Rancid's "Rancid" ($5.99) are all available on vinyl, as well as The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine."
Big B's also stocks posters, and wall decor featuring Elvis, Weezer, Bob Dylan, Green Day, Miles Davis, The Clash, John Coltrane and The White Stripes could all be found for about $4.99-$6.99.
Big B's will also special order any recording still in print, and the store's used CDs and records are a good place to look for out-of-print and older recordings. The staff occasionally orders shipments of various works by a single, lesser known artist. This week, they'll get a bunch of music by Germany's self-described "robot pop" duo Kraftwerk.
Big B's also carries a small section of new and used DVDs for around $6-$25.
If a larger selection is what you're looking for, Tower Records, 4580 W. Sahara Ave. in Las Vegas, or 611 Mall Ring Circle in Henderson, is a good place to start.
The Tower Records Web site (www.towerrecords.com) has an online UK Collection of titles imported from, yes, the UK. The collection includes titles like Busta Rhymes' "Turn It Up (The Very Best of Busta Rhymes)" ($25.99), Max Roach, His Chorus and Orchestra's "It's Time" ($16.49), Eric Dolphy's "The Illinois Concert" ($13.99), and Humble Pie's "Rockin' the Fillmore," ($16.49), and lots more. Particularly for jazz fans, the UK Collection contains some treats. The store and its Web site also carry books, DVDs, video games, toys and electronics, making it a good place to stock up for all of your summer entertainment needs.
So go get some tunes and get your summer groove on. And when road rage threatens to take over during the stifling desert days, kick back with your summer songs and go to your happy summer place.
Maria Phelan is a reporter for the Green Valley and Henderson Views. Retail information appropriate for mention can be sent to mphelan@viewnews.com.
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