Vinyl has been experiencing a resurgence nationally and locally, it is no different. A.J. Arellano, owner of the city’s newest record store Garageland Records, located in Five Points West in Central El Paso, said, “people are interested in vinyl because they want something tangible.” In the era of MP3s and streaming media, A.J. stated, “nothing beats the actual physical product in its original format and you can’t get a stream signed by the artist and you can’t pull out the lyric sheet and follow along.” He said that “people in the 20s might likely never experienced vinyl in its original form, and those in their 30s may be interested in it for either nostalgic purposes or they never stopped listening to it.” He said he received a lot of satisfaction by getting music into people’s hands via a brick and mortar shop as opposed to them ordering records and CD’s online.
A.J. said the name of his record store comes from the final track of The Clash’s debut LP titled “Garageland.” In addition, the space the store currently occupies used to be a garage for the building which currently houses Neon Rose Bar at 2430 Wyoming Apt. A, so their name is apropos. Garageland Records opened in October 2017 and at first it started out in a small room, but since then, it has expanded in the back end of the building. On Friday, April 27, 2018 at 8 p.m., the shop will celebrate by throwing an expansion party. Garageland Records is open Thursday through Saturdays from 2 to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 2 to 6 p.m. A.J. said the support they have received from the community for the shop has been overwhelming supportive.
In addition to selling records, the store supports the local music scene in El Paso by hosting punk and metal shows with touring acts and local bands. A.J. himself has experience touring with bands, so he knows the difficulty of booking tours or finding a place to stay. Garageland Records carries records which are usually out-of-print or hard to find, which are currently experiencing a resurgence in El Paso. The store specializes in punk and hardcore music and they also sell rare and out-of-print titles in any genre. Aside from punk and hardcore music, the shop carries new wave, rock and other genres. A.J. stated: “We stock records which no other shops in El Paso carry, and we try to offer them at the best prices possible.” Their clientele is largely word-of-mouth. They also sell accessories, music books, t-shirts, stickers, etc. Garageland Records also does special orders and they work with various labels, as well as with bands.
When asked how Garageland Records acquires their inventory, A.J. stated “I never kiss and tell,” but they are always on the lookout for vinyl collections to add to their offerings. They offer better prices than other stores in town, do house calls and are available 24/7 online, in the store or via phone. As per looking for the Holy Grail of records, Arellano said he is on the lookout for GI by the Germs or any CRASS album and that his best-selling records are between Cock Sparrer and The Damned, which are coincidentally, are two of his favorites.
As for how people can support the local music scene A.J. recommends people buy punk music from punks, support the music scene and if people aren’t hearing the music they like, they need to start a band to develop the appreciation of what local bands are up against.
Garageland Records, 2430 Wyoming Ave., Apt. C, El Paso, TX 79902
(915) 730-0553
facebook.com/garagelandrecords| instagram.com/garagelandrecords
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Words: Miguel Juárez | Images: Garageland Records