Lots of big news this week, so let’s jump in!

• I am now officially another year older. Wiser? To be determined. Really though, 2018 has already had some highlights and there are some amazing plans in the works. Thanks for celebrating with me!

• As you may have noticed, I am able to host video on the site now! This means for all of the wonderful IG followers of @cratesandcrowns that you will soon be able to see video in both locations. As we move further into 2018, the plan is to more exclusively update the blog. Not all videos will immediately leave IG, but hosting this on our own site is the next step in this journey, so make sure you don’t miss out!

• With the video on the site, you may also notice that we have dropped the .wordpress from the web address. Same great content, same great hosting. But you might need to re bookmark the address in your browser.

• The changes that are mentioned above are made in part of a donation to cover the monthly fees of hosting the site. The added functionality of the site is a wonderful portion I truly hope you enjoy. Moving forward, you may periodically notice donation tabs on posts. My promise to you is that the money donated will go to the upkeep of the blog, that all costs will be part of transparent budgeting, and that each donation, no matter how great or small will further this work. I bring up transparency to also address that in the event that a sponsor approaches to fund the work outright; I stand by companies and products that I use and believe in. Nothing you will see here endorsed by this blog will be a misrepresentation of my allegiance. Settle for nothing less.

Finally, (and thank you for reading this far), Record Store Day 2018 is this Saturday, April 21st and not only am I writing about Cactus Music this week, I will be in line this weekend at Cactus to buy no less than one really special release. If you are in town and have never experienced the goodness of a Record Store Day, you are welcome to join up!

-Ryan

Cactus Music is arguably Houston’s largest Record Store. As such, they have constantly been my go to for some harder to find titles that other stores might not stock. The biggest example of this for me is Record Store Day. A limited number of copies of special pressings are disbursed across the country. While if there are bigger titles (Space Jam Soundtrack) most smaller stores will also have a copy or two, the really limited runs are carried by Cactus. As someone who enjoys a wide variety of music, I am reliant on either the independent labels who produce their own distribution options (Shoutout to; Rhymesayers, Doomtree, SoSouth, and Dualtone) or face the odds that a larger production has made it’s way to Houston (Shoutout to: Third Man Records).

In years past, there was a Texas Shaped Record from UGK that I was pretty stoked about buying. I sat in line (yes, there is a line, and the early bird gets the worm). A gentleman 2 customers ahead of me secured the last one that was stocked that day. However, the Cactus Team had a waitlist to restock the piece. A week later, I was able to pick up a copy of the vinyl.

Each year, the store has a BowIElvis birthday celebration for the Rock Stars of Elvis Presley and David Bowie, hence my selection of Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel”. When I was a kid, there was another more “big box” music store near where Cactus is now located. At the time, Cactus was located next to Whole Earth Provision Company and the Alabama Theatre. As Whole Earth Expanded, and the box store went belly up, Cactus was the clear  winner for sticking (in my opinion) with caring for folks. Check ’em out if you are in town!