Best of Tucson 1996: Best Record Store For Obscure Experimental Music

Best Record Store For Obscure Experimental Music

STAFF PICK: Let's face it--music sucks. It's the same basic set of tones and timbres endlessly recombined in a tiresome commitment to such outdated notions as melody, harmony, chorus and verse. Well, when you're sick of all that and you want to get really alternative, head over to Jeff's Classical Record Shop, 2556 N. Campbell Ave.

The bulk of the store is dedicated to new and used classical music on vinyl, and there's also a good selection of soundtracks, the currently popular '60s lounge music, and other esoterica. But it's the only place in town to find original, vinyl LPs by the likes of luminaries such as Stockhausen, Webern, Varese and Morton Feldman, composers who see beyond standard instrumentation and the overworked mainstays of rhythm and scale. If you want to hear found noises re-processed through a computer, random notes played on a tricked-up toy piano, or percussion played underwater, Jeff's is the place to go. They don't have all of this stuff every day, but if you come by regularly you'll discover Jeff's is constantly finding new sources of unopened experimental vinyl from the '50s to the '80s. Just ask the friendly staff (none of whom are named Jeff) to point you towards the latest acquisitions, then be prepared to toss out all of your Smashing Pumpkins and Oasis records to make room on your shelves for a truly happening sound.