They Call Me Elephant Man Because I Got Elephant Ears And An Elephant Trunk. It’s Green Full Of Snot, Watch Out It’s Long, Never Been Shrunk. Oh Yeah, I’m Elephant Man

Posted on by
Reply

Oh there is a Heck Load of stuff going on this week. Starting off with this Food Not Bombs Karaoke beneift show, TONIGHT at our Downtown store. Plus Pinball League happening just a block away at Vault 66.

Then Friday we have an avant garde Free Jazz show happening, brought to you by UIS music. (Free Jazz, but it’s still $10 cover)

Then on Saturday our downtown next door neighbor Drew is opening his new bookstore. I hope there are still tattoos as I had a good heart gift certificate to use up still.

To celebrate the new bookstore, they’re putting on a very loud hardcore show in the alley. This seems contradictory to reading books, if you ask me.

Then just the very next next day on Sunday night, there’s gonna be another loud hardcore show inside Dumb downtown.

OH yea I almost forgot, we have new records coming out too this Friday!
– “Beneath Painted Skies: The Music Of Studio Ghibli” from London Music Works, seems pretty cool! On blue colored vinyl.
– KORN with a reissue of their 1996 studio album “Life Is Peachy.”
– FONTAINES D.C. is an Irish rock band and they have their fifth studio album “Dopamine Chamber” coming out, on black and also blue vinyl.
– A reissue of sorts from American pop artist SLAYYYTER, her album from 2023 “Starf***er” is being reissued on black and blue vinyl.

This week Pepperoni picked Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall

“My pick this week is Michael Jackson’s 1979 album “Off The Wall.” His fifth studio album overall, but this is really the album Michael really found his footing with his adult solo career, working with Quincy Jones as producer for the first time and also released by major label Epic Records. Disco was hitting big in the U.S.A., and the world needed “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” which is the opening track on this album. It goes into the pop hit “Rock With You” and by that time you know that you are listening to an all time classic here. Pick up a copy at Dumb or Dumber records today!”

The Record Store Day Black Friday list has dropped. We will be getting our order in very soon. We will be ordering everything and splitting them up between Dumb and Dumber on that special day, with turkey still stuck in our teeth.

We also brought in 10 more record bins to Dumber Records in the mall. Thanks to Brian Lee from Gold Pan records for making these for us.

Even If You Are Cringe For Not Liking Elton John

Posted on by
Reply

It’s a new week and new shows and stuff happening! This loud hardcore show is Thursday night downtown.

Tonight (Wednesday) is the 2nd night of Pinball League at Vault 66 Pinball. We had 26 people last time. It’s certainly not too late to join.

Here are the new drops this Friday!

– GRETA VAN FLEET are here with their fifth studio album “Palace For The People.” We will have a couple of different colored variants.
– ELLA LANGLEY with a reissue of her 2024 studio album “Hungover” on fruit punch vinyl! Yum.
– The third studio album from American singer / songwriter REMI WOLF called “Mud” is here, on smoke colored vinyl.
– A new one from Scottish alternative rock band TEENAGE FANCLUB called “Do Not Dare To Dream”.
– A reissue, or 50th anniversary pressing of the JUDAS PRIEST 1976 album “Sad Wings Of Destiny.”
– CAMERON WINTER of the band “Geese” has a live album coming out – “Live At Carnegie Hall” out on red and also black vinyl. 

This week Pepperoni picked another Sabbath album. I think Pep has picked just about all of em by now.

“Greetings and happy spooky season all you vinyl lovers out there… I’ve kept a good October pick saved up to release today. This album cover is pretty fall itself – a woman dressed in all black standing in front of a haunted barn in England somewhere as the sun sets and trees changing color in the background. That is Black Sabbath’s debut album from 1970. You all know when intro to the title track hits – you hear the eerie bells in the background, then the thunder, then the rain… (I’m getting shivers just thinking about it). Then the guitar hits you HARD along with those church bells. “Whhaaat is thissss that standssss beFORE meeee!? I am TOO scared now, turn it off!”

We recently hosted an advanced listening party for the new Greta Van Fleet album. All of their fans in the entire world came out for it.

We also recently added this arcade game to Vault 66 for all you non-pinball freaks.

You Don’t Have To Be Good Or Bad

Posted on by
Reply

We’ve only just started recovering from the Big Car Show weekend, when all of the mother and father cars come back to the mother road right outside our store to spawn. But we can’t rest now as we have an action packed week with the biggest show happening this fall on Thursday! Tickets are still available, or pay at the door.

Tonight we’re kicking off our first pinball league at Vault 66. If you’re interested, checkout all the details on the facebook event page.

Then coming up Monday next week we’re holding an advanced listening party at the mall for Greta Fan Fleet’s new album. Prizes, giveaways, and preorders will be available.

Oh who could forget, we also have hot new vinyls coming out on Friday!

– First of all we have the 10th anniversary of MAC MILLER’s 2016 album “The Divine Feminine”. Looks like some alternative cover art, I see three different records there of different fancy colors.
– THE BEATLES with their psychedelic masterpiece “Rubber Soul” is being reissued with a new half-speed re-master, we will have copies on vinyl and CD.
– GOO GOO DOLLS 1998 album “Dizzy Up The Girl” has an anniversary re-press… what would that be, the 28th anniversary? On a swirly blue color.
– TOM WAITS has a 50th anniversary pressing of his album “Small Change” also on blue vinyl.
– Hardcore band that played here at Dumb Records earlier this year HAYWIRE have another album out “I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye” – we are not sure what color variant we are getting.
– RUSH’s greatest hits compilation “The Spirit Of Radio” is being reissued on double black vinyl.

This week Pepperoni picked Johnny Cash

“My pick this week is Johnny Cash’s famous 1968 live album “At Folsom Prison.” Folsom State Prison is the second oldest prison in California – the oldest? Would be San Quentin – a prison which Johnny Cash would record and release another live album for one year later. We come across used copies and original pressings of both of those albums pretty regularly here at Dumb Records but they never last long. Since he already had the hit “Folsom Prison Blues” come out in 1955, it made sense for Johnny to go do a live show there. He performed two leading up to this album. The recordings on this came from his January 13th, 1968 performance at the prison where he was dressed in his trademark black. Of course he opened with Folsom Prison Blues but played other prison songs including “The Wall,” and “Green, Green Grass of Home.”

We’ve noticed recently that just 2 doors down from our mall store that Toys ‘R Us is gearing up to open, what fun!

Speaking of fun things, in case you’ve not heard, our friend Drew from Mouthsex and Asthma is opening a bookstore downtown right next to our store. We’re going to be store buddies!

Shirtless Man Very Upset

Posted on by
Reply

Monroe street is finally back open since the flood of ’26 when our downtown store almost floated away. Only temporarily tho for the mother road festival and then they’ll be busy working on it some more.

This is our next show, happening on Monday.

And of course who could forget this Monster show happening next week on Thursday!

Here are all the hot new vinyls coming out for Car Show Weekend!
– ALICE IN CHAINS “MTV Unplugged” – this 1996 live and unplugged album has been due for a vinyl re-issue for a very long time! We will have copies on both yellow and black vinyl.
– KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD with their 28th studio album “Alien Metal” and it’s techno / electronic! We have no idea what color of vinyl we are getting for this one.
– American indie rock singer BLONDSHELL is here with a new album “Violins” and we will have copies on black vinyl as well as indie exclusive clear.
– A couple of new reissues from KORN: their 2010 and 2011 albums “III: Remember Who You Are” and “Path of Totality”
– A new one from R&B artist LEON BRIDGES called “Happiness Anytime” (we think we will have regular black and also red variants).

This week Pepperoni picks Nine Inch Nails

“It’s fall, y’all. And my pick this week is Nine Inch Nails debut 1989 album “Pretty Hate Machine.” On the Rolling Stones greatest albums of all time list, Nine Inch Nails, the brainchild of Trent Reznor put out a heck of a debut album right at the end of the 80’s with this industrial rock banger. This one has hits such as “Down In It,” “Head Like A Hole,” and “Sin.” The synth, and those drum machines… this one is meant to be played loud. Pick up a copy at Dumb or Dumber Records!”

We had a good time at the Dolly Parton pinball tournament at Vault 66 last weekend, thanks to all who came out!

HE’S STILL IN THERE AND THE SPLASHING IS LOUDER

Posted on by
Reply

Vote for us, or not, whichever. No best music store category this year since we pretty much shut that out. I think this may be the most categories we’ve ever been nominated for. I didn’t see a category for best pinball.

This Friday is our next monthly pinball tournament at Vault 66 Pinball, this time featuring Dolly Parton Pinball!

Here are this week’s Friday releases which you’re probably dieing to have
– American country artist ORVILLE PECK is here with a new studio album “Mule,” and we will have copies on clear tan vinyl.
– MILEY CYRUS is just going by “MILEY” now and she has a brand new album called “Bass Persuades.” We will have copies on red vinyl.
– Pop punk band from the 2000’s ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS are making a comeback and this is their comeback album, “Sandbox.” We will have copies on colored vinyl but we are not sure exactly what color.
– BEABADOOBEE? (We think this is a person and not a band) out with an album called “Pylon” (not a release from the band “Pylon”) on seafoam vinyl.
– CHELSEA WOLF with a new album “The Dark” on black vinyl.
– There are some reissues from Courtney Love band HOLE coming down the pipes and this week we will have multiple copies of their album “Celebrity Skin” being reissued.

This week Pepperoni picked that band

“Whoop whoop, what is up my fellow juggalos. I love that I can just show up to my job in full jugga-clown face painted on and that is totally fine! Dumb Records is a place you can truly be who you really are and that is fine. My pick this week is the duo ICP aka Insane Clown Posse and their 1997 double LP album “The Great Milenko.” An essential for any juggalos out there like myself. Put this on your turntable after you warm up your cup of peach flavored Faygo in the microwave and rock out as you give yourself a hatchet man stick-and-poke tattoo!”

Work continues on the street outside our downtown store. At least now you can get to the store from the sidewalk on either side of the street. It’s the little things.

I’ll Never Forget Your Ears

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been almost 2 weeks since the water main break outside our downtown store. The road out front is still all torn up and parts of the sidewalk are getting pulled up. At least for now people can still make it in our store if they start at the corner by Bus Stop and Galinas.

But the show must go on! We have 3 shows coming up betwen this week and next, not to mention our next monthly pinball tournament next Friday at Vault 66. This show is happening downtown this Thursday

Then the Prevention band playing again on Saturday

Then this one should have some pretty good guitar music next Tuesday.

This week Pepperoni picked Dolly

“A Dolly Parton pick is long overdue, and I am almost ashamed that it’s not until after her passing that we stock up on a shelf full of this classic. This is Dolly’s 1974 album “Jolene” – her 13th studio album, but at a time she was just getting her footing with her solo career apart from performing with Porter Wagoner. Of course the title track made it big on the charts and continues to be one of her top streaming songs to this day alongside her later career hit 9 to 5. The other hit on this album kicking off side B is “I Will Always Love You” which was written as a farewell to business partner Porter Wagoner as Dolly was really spreading her wings and flying high. Pick up a copy of this album at Dumb or Dumber Records today!”

Wet

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been a tough,wet time for us lately. One of the largest water main breaks in recent times in Springfield happened right outside our downtown store. The street turned into a river in a matter of minutes and probably took about 2 hours for the city to shut it off.

We were shut down Thursday evening and all day Friday. Fortunately the water receeded by Friday and we were able to get our power back on and reopen half the store on Saturday. Our basement got a foot of water and we’ve had to throw away a lot of stuff that was stored down there. We worked quickly to save as much of the valuable backstock as we could as our basement was flooding. We’re busy now rebuilding our shelving down there and getting everything back to normal which will probably spill into next week.

Of course we count ourselves lucky in comparison to the Bus Stop who got it the worst with their entire finished basement submerged with all their inventory and equipment. They still don’t have power in that building and may not for weeks. They were about to have their grand opening that Friday, and the cherry on top for them is their insurance won’t cover it.

It’s been a lot of work. Some have come out to help us with the grunt work of pulling things up from the basement to dump in a dumpster outside and now building new shelves to organize records yet to be put out in the store, and loaning dehumidifiers and fans.

For some positive news we had a great time at the first pinball tournament at Vault 66 Pinball last Friday. 44 contestants entered. Many new players, many returning players, and overall lots of people having a great time.

Congrats to our winners!
1. James Darr
2. Terry Goforth
3. Joe Sharpe
4. Claudio Copello
Kat Davis – highest qualifier and winner of the Punk Rock Pinball Gold Pin.

This week we have Goth Night on Friday, downtown, which is still on!

We’re still pumping out those juicy records, here’s what’s slated for Friday!

– THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD soundtrack on double black vinyl! This one will surely be a hot one, the video gamers out there sure do love that game.
– NIRVANA compilation and rarities album “Incesticide” is getting a reissue on black vinyl.
– Neil Young album “Tonight’s The Night” (hard to find original copies of that one) coming out on black vinyl.
– Another Zelda related release, “Zelda & Jazz” by the Deku Trio on clear green vinyl.
– AMYL & THE SNIFFERS have a live album coming out called “Truth Of Consequence”.
– CHARLEY CROCKETT has yet another album coming out called “Clovis” it’s a double LP and we might have some copies on black and some copies on color vinyl.
– Last but not least The Simpsons: “SONGS IN THE KEY OF SPRINGFIELD” – how could we not order a bunch of these, it is perfect for us. (Pink and yellow vinyl).

This week Pepperoni picks Skynyrd for some reason

“My pick this week is a classic – a Southern rock quintessential album. Released 50 years ago, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1976 album “Second Helping.” Before you all ask, YES this has Sweet Home Alabama on it, it’s what starts the whole album off. A song that has become everyone’s hometown anthem – even for all of us who have never lived in or even near Alabama. We just all love to sing it at the bars and for karaoke and pretend we live in Alabama. That’s the one hit on this that everyone knows, but the rest of the album is good as well I promise. Pick up a copy at Dumb or Dumber Records today!”

Some of you been asking for the Pepperoni shirts. They’re back in stock downtown! We also just got restocked on the blue logo shirts currently at the mall store and soon downtown as well.

Skeleton Shopping Week

Posted on by
Reply

This Saturday is our next pinball tournament. It will be the first tournament held at Vault 66 Pinball and is also a Stern Pinball Launch Party for Transformers. There will be prizes, a cool trophy for 1st place, and a little contest for our bottom 4 contestents.

Here are the hot releases happening this Friday!

– BILLY STRINGS with his fifth studio album “So Much For Goodbyes” out on double LP, we will have that indie yellow vinyl!
– MASTODON with their ninth studio album “Marrow Deep”. We will have copies on black vinyl as well as the exclusive clear.
– POST MALONE is issuing his debut mixtape “August 26th” on vinyl to celebrate its 10th anniversary or something. We will have copies on bright green vinyl and black.
– There’s a new DINOSAUR JR. album coming out called “There Near.” We should have copies on black and maybe some on exclusive pink vinyl.
*There is a lot this week! A few honorable mentions below that we will have a few of in each store:
– ALABAMA SHAKES “I Must Be Dreaming”
– ALEX WARREN “Wildchild”
– INTERPOL “This Mirror Weighs A Ton”
– SARA BAREILLES “Good Grief”
– CZARFACE Meets Frankie Pulitzer
– (not pictured) THE CRAMPS “Gravest Hits”

This week Pepperoni picked Ella Langley

“Everyone was already coming in and requesting Ella Langley’s album “Dandelion” long before she was announced for the Illinois State Fair Grandstand this year. This up and coming American country artist easily hit the top of the Billboard 200 with this album of hers, and also topped the Billboard 100 songs with the hit “Cousin Texas”. Of course she also performed this past Friday at the state fair grandstand – did any of you out there go, and how was it? Surely they came close to hitting an attendance record? Well, if you are a fan of Ella Langley and are itchin’ to own a copy of her album Dandelion on vinyl – look no further than Dumb Records!”

Kendall County Republicans Can Buy The Elephant For 1 Million Dollars

Posted on by
Reply

This is an action packed 3 show week at our downtown record store. We already had a show on Tuesday and this one is coming up on Thursday!

And then we have this show happening on Saturday.

– WEEZER “Weezer” (it’s their gold album) (we did an advance listening party this past Friday at the mall and it sounds good!) We will have copies on gold and black viny.
– THE 1975 “Being Funny In A Foreign Language” – their album that was released just four years ago in 2022 is getting reissued, on clear vinyl!
– 21 PILOTS “More Than We Ever Imagined” – a new double live album from 21 Pilots! We will have some copies on red vinyl.
– Insane Clown Posse “The Great Milenko” – reissue from Record Store Day, it’s been pushed back at least once already this summer, we ordered 30 copies and are getting 3…
– NO CURE “It Is Going To Get Dark” – red vinyl. A big hardcore band that played here one time!

Last week we had a couple album release parties. We had a fun time with our blacklights playing Phoebe Bridgers at midnight.

We also had a good time at the mall listening to the new Weezer for the first time.

And just a reminder we got a great deal going on downtown to visit 2 arcades for $10, unlimited all day!

I RIPPED MY SHORTS

Posted on by
Reply

This Thursday we’re doing a midnight release for the new Phoebe Bridgers album downtown. It’s been too long since she’s released a new album and I guess she was waiting so it would be a big deal. Time to stay up late and get sad!

Next week downtown we have 3 shows happening. This one is next tuesday and you can check our shows page to see what else is coming up after that.

Here’s all that new new vinyl happening on Friday
– Of course PHOEBE BRIDGERS with her third full length album “Lost Weekend” and we will have copies on exclusive glow-in-the-dark and also black vinyl. We are having a MIDNIGHT RELEASE for this Thursday night downtown!
– A new one from British neo-soul band JUNGLE called “Sunshine” and we will have copies on peach colored vinyl.
– MARILYN MANSON is back again… with a “Chapter 2” sequel to his 2024 album. On pick/red vinyl.
– A new one from Los Angeles girl group KATSEYE called “Wild” on aquamarine vinyl.
– Last but not least a couple of reissues from punk band DESCENDENTS – their albums “ALL” and “Liveage!”

This week Pepperoni picked The Great Pumpkin

“Did you know that spooky season is upon us? I don’t care that the Illinois State Fair hasn’t even happened yet, it is time to start planning your Halloween costumes, wearing fall clothes, buying pumpkin scented candles!!! And most important of all, it is time to make sure the original soundtrack for “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” by Vince Guaraldi is in your record collections!! We are talking fall essentials here!! This has got the jazzier version of the Peanuts song on it, it’s got “Graveyard Theme,” it’s got “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” for crying out loud! So what are you waiting for Charlie Brown, put on your costume and head down to Dumb Records to pick one up today!”

The Illinois Times “Best Ofs” nominations have started. You can vote for Vault 66 Pinball for best new business downtown, and you can pick our big green elephant for best place to take a selfie!