Michigan, Ann Arbor my fall getaway

First time in Michigan. Spent my days and nights in Ann Arbor mostly.

I found three really great record stores in Ann Arbor:

Encore Records
417 East Liberty St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2207

A great small space record store stuff to the brim. This trip I had no interest in buying vinyl because I find it's far too difficult and fragile to bring on the plane, but if I was this is the place I would spend my time in. There seemed to be an infinite supply that I couldn't keep up with. I really dug their CD collection too - displayed by the spines of empty CD cases. I found it a little difficult to look at at times with thousands of titles displayed from the ceiling to the floor. Rolling Stone called this store one of the top twenty five record stores in the US. The guys working there were both nice and very knowledgable.

Wazoo
336 1/2 S State St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2868

I have these moments every so often where I go completely crazy over a store because it looks identical to one in Toronto. This one reminded me so much of Vortex at Yonge and Sheppard in Toronto. It was located upstairs in the heart of UMich's campus and had a good supply of CDs with some records and fewer DVDs. I managed to drop a good $60 in this store over two trips there. They carried both new and used goods - but suprisingly a good used selection. The let down was that their base price is $7.99, which I found was more than most places in Ann Arbor.

Underground Sounds
255 E Liberty Suite# 249
Ann Arbor, MI, 48104

This store was the most genre specific store catered to the indie nerds out there. I found their selection and price to be incredible because they were fairly cheap - CDs averaging for six bucks. Their selection was great because their buyers were picking crap that i'd like. Not what i'd do for my record store. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't carry the bad Canadian band that has a lead singer named Chad that I don't want to be affiliated with my blog in any way. I just wouldn't be so specific. In this case it worked for me, I got an Explosions album for six bucks! Gold.

I was recommended PJ's (617 Packard St # B, Ann Arbor, MI) but I never made it out there.

Dawn Treader (514 E. LibertyAnn Arbor, MI48104) was the finest book shop I've been to in a while. Cheap, below half price book rates that made my trip a very pleasant one. The only draw back of this store is that it's almost impossible to navagate in, so all my finds were more or less pleasant surprises! I will most certainly be back to this store to take in the wonderful old smell of books and to support local businesses. Best find.

Songs to do with Michigan or Ann Arbor, off the top of my head:

This video of Beirut's two second take on the following song: