Local Highlight is a new column dedicated to sharing and supporting local experiences and small businesses. This is the first entry.
I got my first (and only) record turntable for my 35th birthday as a gift from my in-laws. I'd been talking about wanting one for years to my wife, along with the itch to buy some vinyl. We had two young kids, no good place to put my stereo that included a receiver, $25 5-disc Sony CD player from Craigslist and a pair of Bose 201 bookshelf speakers that I bought when I was 16 with my first stereo (all other components had been previously sold or died). The stereo at this time lived in my garage (where Rock Club regularly took place), but it told me often how it craved a turntable to complete itself. I can only assume it became sentient around the same time that Alexa devices rapidly overtook my house and nearly every room.
So after nearly six years in our first house, two kids later, and a 35th birthday upon me, my incredible wife conspired with her parents to get me a turntable and my first records as gifts. The records were Nirvana's Nevermind and The Shin's Wincing The Night Away.
Thanks to her and my in-laws incredible gift, I have now developed an unhealthy addition to buying records - as of this writing, 585 days have passed since I got my turntable and I now own 84 records. I've discovered that a subscription to Vinyl Me, Please is awesome and yields some very cool exclusives. I've also enjoyed the chance to explore different record stores.
That brings me to Rock Paper Scissors Goods (RPSG) - my first record store to visit after moving to Minneapolis in 2019.
The concept of Local Highlight is particularly influenced by recent events in Minneapolis. Between the COVID-19 quarantine and the protests over the murder of George Floyd, Minneapolis has seen an insane few challenging months of independent, small business and owner-operated stores struggling. So, even if this gets viewed by 3 people, I hope that by sharing a bit about a really cool store is enough to inspire a visit (which you can currently do safely).
I actually found out about RPSG before even moving to Minneapolis. My wife and I were in the process of planning our move to Minneapolis and were about to fly out for one weekend to look at houses. That same weekend also happened to overlap with Record Store Day. I looked up record stores in the Kingfield, Linden Hills, and Fulton neighborhoods where we planned to look at homes. RPSG, which as since moved, was in Kingfield and I hoped to make a visit for Record Store Day amidst our home search. My plans were a bit ambitious, but I still remembered my desire to visit the store.
After moving and settling in, I made my first visit. I was obsessed. Owners, Jason Hughes and his wife Tes de Luna have created a unique shared space of part record store and part art/ boutique store. Jason holds legit record store cred, he was part owner and founder of Seattle's Sonic Boom Records. Given his musical tastes and background, it holds true that the offerings in RPSG include many indie favorites, rock, some electronic and a nice selection of jazz. Jason and Tes also purchased used collections and you can find very reasonably priced (and fantastic condition) used vinyl.
The store is small when compared to many other well-known Minneapolis stores like Electric Fetus or Cheapo, but what it lacks in size it gains in selection. And because they're in touch with the modern approach, they're active on and regularly update their Discogs page where you can purchase items directly. Next time you're in the neighborhood, or in need of a great addition of indie rock, check them out. Jason and Tes are also both incredibly kind, approachable and down for a fun conversation about music, the city, neighborhood or even Seattle.