Scraps

I want one

Cool and Crazy Right Down the Street....

In the midst of running errands today, I managed to find time to pop into Cool and Crazy - a record store within relatively close proximity to my apartment. The store itself seems a bit out of place, but once you walk in, you're greeted by a musty yet pleasant atmosphere. Cool and Crazy, owned by Tim Warren - who many may know for his work in the 80's cult-garage genre - is exactly the type of store you expect to be in Brooklyn, offering a very diverse mix of several very specific genres. Tim, a master of so many genres of American music from decades past (50's and 60's primarily) helped me pick out some pretty stellar R&B collections. The guy's great, quirky and so very knowledgeable. Oh, and they have an open listening policy and really comfy couch.

Check it out: 72 Manhattan Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11206

Makes me want to listen to Nina Simone and watch Ray

So, Zune Me!

photo courtesy of stereogum

I'm not crazy about the name (read: I absolutely hate the name. Zune?? Whose idea was that?), but I'm willing to give Microsoft a shot.

Today, Microsoft unveiled the intimate details about their new MP3 player, Zune, which is expected to compete with Apple's iPod. I'm going to try to be an educated consumer and wait it out until I can actually use one, but thus far, while the Zune offers some pretty amazing features which Apple (and other MP3 producers) have failed to produce in the past. Personally, I'm drawn to the verticle/horizontal full color screen and Wireless Technology.

Stereogum gives us a great rundown of pros and cons.

Rumor has it that Zune will be released on November 14th of this year - just in time for the holiday rush. Oh, Microsoft, you're so predictable.