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| - I can't stress enough how important it is to go into Lunchbox and browse around, especially if you have a hunger (like I do) for hearing the new, interesting and eclectic. The owner, Scott, has poured his heart and soul into giving music fanatics a place in the Charlotte metro where we can go and dick around, dig through the stacks, and find something new and exciting. Record stores like this are hard to come by, you're lucky if your city has one - I know I've seen many good independent record stores hang on and eventually close due to poor sales or community interest. From what I've gathered, Scott has a strong customer base (myself definitely included) and I hope that Lunchbox sticks around for a very long, long time.
But enough soapboxing about the state of really good record stores, you want to know what you're going to find there. Ok. So.
When your eyes adjust to dim but cozy lighting indoors, you'll probably have a few adjectives spring to mind:
1) Small;
2) Cluttered; and
3) Vinyl.
Ok, so Vinyl's not really an adjective in this context. But it's an integral part of what makes Lunchbox so great - Scott collects a wide range of records in every genre imaginable: rock, pop, electronic, jazz, rap, soul, dubstep, IDM, punk, noise, classical, avant-garde, alternative, spoken-word, metal, I don't think I really need to go on. If you want it, they probably have it. If they don't, Scott will order it. The vinyl racks line the walls from front to back and are jam-packed with 12"s, 10"s and 7"s. There's a crate of box sets in the back. There's overstock Record Store Day in the corner. There's a section of new arrivals used vinyl halfway down the left wall and there's a decent stock of used records that you can dig through to your heart's content. The middle section of the store is CD racks - a strong selection of the afore mentioned genres and a decent selection of used CDs as well. It's not a huge used section and it's definitely an eclectic mix - if you're in for a really big used music selection, you should probably check out Manifest - but the stuff I do find there is well worth the time.
Prices are really quite good for what you get, especially on the new music. Scott's goal is to sell just enough over cost to make it worthwhile. There's no crazy $6.99 Best-Buy-esque specials on new music but he is able to put some reduced price stuff up from time to time. Your standard-issue CD is going to cost $10-15. Vinyl prices are (as usual) slightly higher than CDs but generally range $15-20 for most releases.
What really clinches the deal for me is Scott and his staff - they are great people, they know their stuff, and Scott has never once told me that an album is great just because he wants to sell it. Scott has led me to some absolutely incredible finds and I trust him completely on knowing something new and interesting for me to check out.
So please, to get back up on the box, please visit Lunchbox whenever you want to hear something new. Buy it, don't download it, support your local record store and don't be afraid to hear something new. Lunchbox is another absolutely integral piece of the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood, and I'll be distraught if it ever goes away.
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