“This is a joke right?” “BARFING FOREVER.” “You should be embarrassed that you even thought this was acceptable.” Just few choice responses to the news up north: Seattle Weekly posted its Best of Seattle issue this week, and the winner for Best CD/Record Store? That would be Starbucks.
Granted, the massive coffee chain (yes coffee, not music) did technically start in the city, so I suppose it’s sort of local there. Sort of. But regardless, those few recorded offerings by the register are meant as an after-thought to your supersweet morning scone. Starbucks will never offer deep cuts, rare vinyl, or non-signed local bands to the public. And calling it “Best CD/Record Store” does a disservice to the great people of that city.
As Seattle Weekly posts on the subject, “Hey, why the hell not! They stock all the records you love. They’ve got the Fleet Foxes, the Spoon, the Fiona Apple, and the Jack White.” Um, what about the bands that actually won in their poll, such as Best Hip-Hop Artist THEESatisfaction, or Best Pop Band Deep Sea Diver?
For reference, Seattle does of course have actual record shops, including Sonic Boom, Jive Time Records, Easy Street, and more.
(And in case you were wondering, Amoeba Music won Best Record Store here in the Guardian’s Best of the Bay issue)