Store Name: Bull City Records
Slogan/Motto: (haven’t really thought one up yet)
Year Established: 2005.  November 12th to be exact.
Address: 1916 Perry St., Durham, NC.  27705
Store Hours: Tues-Fri: 11-8, Sat:12-8, Sun: 12-6, Mon: CLOSED
Phone Number: (919)286-9640
Website: www.bullcityrecords.com
Email: bullcityrocks@gmail.com
Do You Have a Listening Station: nope, not yet.  hopefully soon.  something.
Musical Styles You Specialize in: punk/indie/garage
Musical Styles You Exclude: probably too many.  gotta work on that.
Other Items You Sell: some posters, dvds, t-shirts, zines/books.
Do you do special orders: of course!!
Do you do mail order: yes please!!
Do you do web orders: of course!!  more geared towards punk & garage vinyl.
Number of Employees: 1.  Just me.
How often do you have in-store performances: can’t do ‘em anymore.  broke the floor.
Number of New CDs in stock: approx. 3850
Number of Used CDs in stock: approx. 1000
Number of New LPs in stock: approx. 400
Number of Used LPs in stock: approx. 850
Number of New 7”s in stock: approx. 600
Number of Used 7”s in stock: approx. 150

QRD – Why did you start your store?

Chaz – It was time for a move & a change of scenery.  I’d spent the previous 5 years or so working in record stores & I’d known that’s exactly what I wanted to go out & do.  I wanted to open a record shop for some reason in the midst of everything closing down & selling to corporate chains.  I just love music & since I can’t write a song to save my life, it’s the next best way of being in the business.  My girlfriend had moved to Durham & had settled in, so I followed after she enticed me with a cheap space for rent.  I visited Durham & fell in love with it.  Maxed out some credit cards I applied for online & pulled the shop together.  I always loved the idea of not having a boss, even if it meant not taking a paycheck.
Also, the fact that new releases hit the shelves every Tuesday is exciting.  It’s the only job I’ve ever come across that stays fresh & exciting.  Music is never going to just stop being made & Tuesdays are never going to decide they no longer want to release new albums unto the world.

QRD – How does your store particularly appeal to your city?

Chaz – Not too sure, guess you gotta ask my customers.  I guess the fact that I’m an independent shop run by one guy who just likes music helps.  Durham has a great music base & I just happened into a great city with great music.  There’s a rich history here!

QRD – What’s a mistake you’ve made with your store that you’d warn others against?

Chaz – Maxing out credit cards that I applied for online.  Ouch.  I’ll be paying that interest back for a while now & it keeps the shop from new orders a little too often.  I wish I had not gone into debt.  If I could have just started small with a distro run out of my house or online & then used that to steadily grow a stock, I would have.  I hate sending so much money to the banks each month.  But hell, if it means I have a store now, it can’t be too bad.

QRD – What do you think indie record labels could do to best help both themselves & indie stores?

Chaz – Honestly, I think the relationship they have right now is amazing.  & getting better.  They’re both paying more attention to each other & deepening their relationships as major labels & chains flounder.  It’s a great bond to see strengthen.  I’m lucky here because I have one of the best labels in the country in my backyard - Merge Records.  It’s been great having them around when I get a little jaded by the whole system.  It’s great watching them do what they do.  & it’s inspiring.  I have a great relationship with my label reps, even if it’s just over email, you still feel a sense of camaraderie between ya.

QRD – How was the representation of indie storeowners & customers in the movie High Fidelity accurate & inaccurate to your experience?

Chaz – Heh.  Again, I guess ask my customers - at this shop or any of the ones I’ve worked at.  It’s honestly pretty accurate in my opinion; someone definitely did their research.  Even down to the small part where Rob has the fantasy flashes of scenarios for beating up Ian (Ray) while he’s in the shop with that smirk on his face.  I get those flashes more than I should.  But then you just smile & say, “Thanks for coming in.”  The customers are pretty dead on.
I’d say the only inaccuracy is Rob’s massive record collection at home.  C’mon, no record storeowner that young has that good & large a record collection yet.  We’ve all sold all our records in our shops.
The year I opened my shop, my brother gave me the coolest gift for my birthday that I’ve ever gotten.  For obvious reasons High Fidelity has been one of my favorite movies for a long time.  He went to a book signing for Nick Hornby’s new book (A Long Way Down) in Seattle & picked up a hard copy of High Fidelity instead & got it signed instead of the new one.  The inscription reads - “To Charles, Good luck with your new enterprise.  (You’ll need it).” My real name is Charles.
How rad is that?!

QRD – What type of research do you do to decide what to put on the shelves?

Chaz – Just base it off what people are asking for & what labels sell the most.  It’s hard to stay on top of things as so many people have different tastes.  That’s the fun of the game though.  Since I run such a small operation, it’s hard to have exactly what everyone wants when they want it, so I end up doing a lot of special orders.  I’m pretty thankful & lucky that people don’t get more frustrated with me when I consistently don’t have exactly what they’re looking for.

Chaz – I like music, so I read about it all day anyway.  Pitchfork, Razorcake, MaximumRock’n’Roll (yup, it’s still around), webzines, friends, & lots of bloggin’.  You can be on top of every trend, but you’re still not gonna have everything everyone wants.  It takes a while to get comfortable with that when you’re a new shop owner.  I still take it personally when I’m lacking something in the shop.
I just got a subscription to Rolling Stone too.  But I don’t think that’s helping.

QRD – Is it ever difficult to find the right distributors to get something you want to stock?

Chaz – Not really.  I try to order from a lot of different places to keep new stuff moving through the shop.  This week I’ll place a garage order with Norton & Crypt & then next week I’ll place a punk/hardcore order with No Idea or Ebullition.  I order directly from all the big indie labels too & a lot of them keep distros on the side.  The only stuff that’s impossible to get is the self-released stuff & the out of print stuff.  Everything else is accessible if you need it & have the time.  A lot of smaller DIY labels are happy if you order directly from them, as long as you pull in a few copies instead of just one.  Every now & then though I’ll hit dead end after dead end & just give up.  Hmm.

QRD – What do you wish labels or bands or distributors did more of to work with you?

Chaz – I think it works well how it is.  They’re very interested in indie shops, even ones as small as mine, ‘cause we’re in it for the same reason.  We just love music.  At this point in time the music business is correcting itself.  No one in the music business strictly for the money can make it in the game anymore.  We’re all just foolish people who love music too much.  The business is weeding itself out.
I could always use more promos though!  That’s my payment for being in the business.  I do wish I was on more promo lists.  Free records still give me a thrill.

QRD – What do you think is your store’s all time best seller?

Chaz – I don’t know if I have one.  That’s a tough question.  Too small of a store & I only keep track with pen & paper.  I guess a good one would be Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea; I haven’t sold a ton, but it’s one of the most consistent sellers.  Usually sells within a couple weeks of me restocking it.  That’s a pretty awesome sign.  Velvet Underground always sells.  Beirut does real well.  Just Gulag Orchestra though.  I’m sure I’m forgetting lots of obvious ones.  They’re all pretty much indie releases though.

QRD – What do you think most leads to a particular record being a good seller in your store?

Chaz – A little hype.  Also if it’s a record I really like, I’m more inclined to push it on someone or list it when someone asks, “What’s new & good?” I tend to force my friends to buy records I like a little too often.  Local bands sell really well because they’re always playing out.  Plus, I guess the band has a lot to do with it too.  I am peddling their art after all.

QRD – How does one get an independent release into your store such that it’s recommended to the clientele instead of just sitting on the shelf?

Chaz – Good follow up question.  That’s a tough one.  I think it’s kind of random, especially if there’s only one person working at said record shop.  If I really like something, I’m gonna recommend it a lot.  It’s also easy for stuff to get lost on the shelves because I forget to listen to everything.  Wow, yeah, I guess it depends on if the employees like it or not, they’re your best arsenal.  You can’t force it though, ‘cause then they’ll badmouth your band.
Write a record geared toward your favorite record store clerk’s style of choice.  Ha-ha.

QRD – How do you feel about so many stores closing & how does it affect you if at all?

Chaz – Man.  It sucks.  It’s an interesting time.  Shops with heavy overheads for running their stores are really hurting.  I don’t know if them closing affects me too much at all, aside from me just being sad for them.  I’m a small shop in a small town.  Once Best Buy & Wal-Mart finally decide to stop carrying records, I’ll be extremely psyched.  I’ll have a huge sale.  I’m too worried about keeping my own shop treading water that I can’t really put too much thought on other shops closing.  Otherwise you focus too much on the negative.

QRD – What type of competition do you get from the big box stores (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc.) & is it difficult to compete price-wise - i.e., do you find that potential customers will shop at the chain because they can afford to charge less for the same discs or do they support you if the disc is a dollar higher in price?

Chaz – The competition sucks.  But it’s a part of owning a record store these days, so you can’t dwell on it.  You just have to beat them in other places.  Like customer service & actually knowing your product.  I don’t mind hearing what people like & then trying to match them to a new record they’ve never heard.  I get a thrill out of it.  The employees at the chain stores, though they’re nice people, aren’t there because they have a passion for music.
It’s plain & simple.  I just can’t compete with them as far as the dollar goes.  I just gotta stand there & take it if a customer puts one of my CDs back on the shelf & tells me they can get it for 5 dollars cheaper at Best Buy.  So be it.  I can’t ask that someone shop at my store, they do if they want to & it’s awesome when they do.  When it comes to back stock, I’m actually amazed how similar our prices are.
I’ve had roommates & friends buy CDs at Best Buy because they’re low on cash, that’s just how it goes.  Though, people are finally starting to come around to the whole thought of keeping the economy local.  Which is great.  Just remember, the more you shop at chain stores, the more your money is sent out of your local economy.

QRD – With portable MP3 players & iTunes, is the concept of the album (in any form) dying?

Chaz – It was.  But I think it’s correcting itself now.  People love convenience at first, but then they start getting sick of it sometimes.  I think in the indie, punk, & garage world; it’s actually having a positive effect.  Bands are trying to create more reasons for you to get their full albums.  That means better packaging & more focus on songwriting & concepts.  It’s great.  If you asked me that question two years ago, I’d have had a totally different view.

QRD – How has the downloading scene impacted your sales - do you find that people buy less CDs now because they can download them for less or do you or do you think illegal downloads are more of a culprit?

Chaz – Luckily I opened on this side of the downloading revolution, so I haven’t seen any direct effect.  I opened up after it had taken its toll.  Shops are adapting & evolving as they open up on this side of what happened.  We open up expecting the lower sales, so any sale is a good sale.
People are starting to get tired of only owning MP3s anyway.  It’s not tangible.  You never feel like you actually own it.  Your computer crashes & your collection is totally gone.  Used to be that only a fire or flood would do that, which happens way less often.

QRD – Record & CD buyers tend to be of a certain age (21-34), as the upcoming people who will be of that age group are mostly download-buyers, would you like stores to eventually have “iPod filling stations” hooked up to an indie network that stores can be part of?

Chaz – No way.  What’s the point of the record store then?  Why would someone fill their iPod there if they could do it at home while surfing the internet?  Doing what they do on there.  I think it’s a waste of time & money.  Record stores are meant to deal in the interaction of music.  The buying of a piece of wax & talking with the clerk.  That’s their job.  I don’t think those stations are gonna happen, but leave it to Wal-Mart & Costco if they do.  The music buying experience has become sterile at that point & doesn’t belong in record stores.  I think it was an idea hatched a couple years ago that has missed its chance.  It’s too late, people are already getting back into physical copies again.

QRD – With the increase in digital downloads, low prices in mega-chains, & so many online specialty stores; what is the job of the local indie shop now compared to in the 1990s?

Chaz – Same as it’s always been.  We’re just seeing a return to how it was in the 60s & 70s... & 90s for that matter!!  Smaller mom & pops with knowledgeable clerks.  We might not have exactly what you came in for, but we’ll recommend ya something you’ll like if you don’t want to leave empty-handed.
It’s still to put something new & good in your hands if you want it.  It’s still there as a gathering spot for those of us of geeky stature & unsure of normal or grown-up life outside the doors.  It’s there to put the flyers for the upcoming gigs in your face.  It’s a music spot for music kids & people like us will always exist.  So, the shops will always exist if they need to & they’re smart.
Record stores weren’t designed to make a killing as far as money goes; they’re designed to offer an alternative to your everyday routine.  Same as it’s always been.

QRD – What are the biggest misconceptions people have of record stores in general & yours in particular?

Chaz – That we’re all mean, opinionated people who will laugh at your request.  I really do want to know what you’re looking for so I can grow the shop.  Even if you think it’s silly, I’m not in a position to judge, I have my guilty pleasure records in highly accessible spots at home next to my record player.

QRD – What is the most frustrating &/or frequent question you get from customers?

Chaz – Ha!  The obvious & worst one of all - “What’s new & good?”  If you’re in a bad mood, that question is like fingernails on a chalkboard.  You want to throw something at the customer.  If you’re in a good mood, it gives ya a thrill.  It’s strange that such a short & common question can carry so much weight for a record store clerk.
The customer is asking you that because they trust your judgment, it should be a flattering question.  I have no idea why it turned negative.  I’m really working to get over that though.  It boggles my mind why I have a hard time with that question!  It’s a packed one.  In thirty seconds I have to come up with a $16 album that’s gonna blow this person’s mind who I know nothing about.  It’s a daunting question!  I don’t want to sell them something for that much money that they’re going to hate.

QRD – How do you decide who to hire as an employee & when you need one?

Chaz – Man, I’d love to hire one right now!  Just can’t afford it.  Gotta pay the bills first.  When you start getting burned out is a good time to decide you need one.  I passed that point a little too long ago.  Luckily I have a handful of friends that are willing to watch the shop for a couple records if I need to go outta town.

QRD – If you weren’t in the music business, what would you do?

Chaz – Be in a crummy job making a paycheck that I complain about & making excuses to the boss why I didn’t get whatever I needed to get done done.  Pretty simple.  Right back where I started.  I’m glad to be at where I’m at.

QRD – How did your schooling & previous work experience prepare (or not prepare) you for your store?

Chaz – Ha-ha.  I graduated college with an Art History degree from William & Mary in Virginia.  This is where I am now.  I guess while I was getting that degree, I was working in a Barnes & Noble music department, I guess that got me motivated.  I studied business books at the library while I was writing my business plan a few years later, that was kind of schooling.  I also helped manage a record shop - Bart’s CD Cellar - out in Boulder, CO & that gave me more experience than I needed for doing what I do.  I took a lot of distributor contacts with me from that job.  I also helped out at ACRAT (Atlantic City Records & Tapes) in Cape May, NJ & that gave me the confidence to order.

QRD – Have you ever refused to sell something purely because you disliked the music, even if it was popular & would sell?

Chaz – Ouch.  Can I pass?  I’m stubbornly opinionated, more than I should be.

QRD – What is your personal “holy grail”?  (i.e.  the one rarity you’ve been looking for forever.)

Chaz – Changes from day to day.  Whichever out of print LP influenced my favorite band at the moment.  I’d love to get back a copy of the Flesh Eaters - Minute to Pray, Second to Die on vinyl.  & maybe that Plugz record.  That’d be cool.  I think I only have one more Replacements’ album to go on LP & then I’ll be complete with that.  But none of that stuff is really super duper rare.  It would not be good for me to dwell on hard to get records.

QRD – What makes you feel like you had a good day at the store?

Chaz – Good conversation, good sales, no stress, the majority of my customers finding what they’re looking for, minimal phone calls & a soda.  If I leave with a smile on my face & I’m still happy that I own a record store, it’s been a real good day.  Luckily, that’s the majority of the days.

QRD – Anything else?

Chaz – I don’t think so.  Thanks for letting me do this!  It was quite therapeutic.  & thanks for being patient with my lazy ass too!!!  Time to go to sleep!!!

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