In today's world of streaming platforms, the process of unearthing new music has lost a lot of the thrill of the hunt — you just search, click, and there it is. Even buying vinyl now, as satisfying as it can be, is usually about nostalgia or collection-building. But what's missing is that moment of discovery — the elation of walking into a record store and walking out with music you didn't even know you needed. Back then, buying a used CD wasn't just a frugal move — it was a gamble with a high payout. Eight bucks could change your musical life.
The single greatest record store experience I ever had started with a sure thing: I'd gone in to pick up "Siamese Dream" right after it came out. But while flipping through the used bins, I struck gold. I walked away with "Nothing's Shocking" by Jane's Addiction, and "Doolittle" by the Pixies. Three albums — all in one trip — that are now on my personal all-time list. But of them, Doolittle stands out as the true revelation.
I knew almost nothing about the Pixies when I bought that CD. From the first listen, I was stunned. The weirdness. The urgency. The jagged beauty. That moment launched a fandom that led me to own everything they ever released and to eventually see them live four times (and counting?). Would I have eventually found them without that used bin? For sure. But I would've missed out on the high of that accidental discovery from a little bet that paid off big.
The tracks from Doolittle are all over my top songs of 1989, and the full list can be found at the link in my bio.