This week we went on a business trip to the Chicago suburbs. We picked up 2 pinball machines and visited the Volo Museum to see our favorite band, The Rock-afire Explosion!

Speaking of bands, here are some playing our place on Friday! We have punk band Kids from St Louis and local psych metal Acid Fog, folk punkers Yardwaste, and solo artist Whitney Divine.

Here are this Friday’s new releases!

– TWILIGHT SOUNDTRACKS. For the first one and “New Moon” (is that the second movie?). Looks like silver and gold exclusive vinyl.
– DAVID BOWIE with “Rock N’ Roll Star” – alternate mixes from the Ziggy Stardust sessions, on black vinyl.
– A new album from THE DECEMBERISTS called “And So It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again” we should have indie exclusive vinyl.
– Re-issue of Seal’s 1991 self-titled album (featuring Kiss From A Rose), on double black LP.

This week Pepperoni has picked Diamond Dogs

“It’s about time we had another David Bowie pick around here. This was Bowie’s 8th studio album “Diamond Dogs” released 50 years ago in 1974. You may recognize the glam-rock hit “Rebel Rebel” which was the first single off this album. Something, something, something “Diamond Cats” haha ha ha?”

Oh and we had another new billboard go up recently with a completely different design.

Last Friday we all went to Robin Roberts stadium to see the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes take on the Normal Cornbelters. And I’d say they belted us pretty good at 14-0. It was also Star Wars night so they were handing out lightsabres! Plus we saw some really great Stars Wars characters walking around during the game. It seems the Horseshoes are off to a bad start this year but the games are still fun to attend!

Here are your Friday releases this week!
– The 7th album from PEDRO THE LION “Santa Cruz” out on exclusive green vinyl… this guy played at Jeff’s house once.
– THE CURE compilation album “Japanese Whispers” being re-issued on a double LP!
– A number of reissues from country artist DWIGHT YOAKAM which had been extremely hard to come by before now, we chose to stock up on and highlight “Hillbilly Deluxe”
– It had already gotten pushed back, but BAD BUNNY & THE WEEKEND with a really long album title that looks like a western soundtrack.
– Big release for “CHARLI XCX” with her new album “Brat” which features really pixelated artwork on purpose because it’s a vibe, on exclusive pink splatter vinyl

This week Pepperoni picked this Greta album.

“My pick this week is the 2018 debut album from Michigan rock group Greta Van Fleet, “Anthem Of The Peaceful Army”. Hey wait a minute this kid sounds just like Led Zeppelin?? Who does he think he is!? Anyways, I wanted to be stocked up on this album so that we will be ready for the next time this band goes viral on Tik Tok.”

Saturday we’re hosting this loud hardcore show featuring Dry Socket from Portland OR, Blight Future from St Louis, and local loud bands Payasa, Propoganda, and Worldview.

Kind of a quieter weekend coming up after the holiday weekend last week and another hardcore show last Tuesday. Tonight is the first Levitt show, which is only a block away from our store and best of all it’s free.

The Springfield Lucky Horseshoes have started their season and have racked up 2 losses so far. That means they have to play our song! Everytime they lose a game this season they all have to come in and buy a record from us. Some of us plan to attend the game this Friday night, which also happens to be Star Wars night.

Here are your Friday releases this week:
– ATEEZ with “Golden Hour Part 1” (this is K-POP just so you know)… black ice vinyl
– R.E.M.’s third studio album “Fables of the Reconstruction” originally released in 1985
– JOAN JETT with a greatest hits album spanning her career (on black vinyl).
– MAYA HAWKE (actress and musician) with her third (?) full length album, the picture shown is red vinyl but I can’t tell what kind exactly we have coming in, sorry.
– WILLIE NELSON, age 91 years old is here with his 75th studio album, “The Border”
– JOHN MORELAND country artist who played the first LEVITT AMP Springfield series back in 2019, here with a new album “Visitor”

This week Pepperoni has picked another Dead album

“Good morning music fan’s! This one is for all of you dirty old hippies. This week I am picking The Grateful Dead’s twelfth studio album “In The Dark”. It is a must-have for any Grateful Dead collector because it features their only good song that they have – “Touch Of Grey”! You know you all love it. Sometimes I like to put on my jogging shorts and grab my cassette walkman and listen to that song while I jog in Washington Park. Come on, sing along with me! IIiiiii willlll get by, I wiiiiiillll get by, I willll get byyyyeyyeyyeyyeyeyyyy, I will survive!

Boy it must be a slow week with no shows as all I hear about is this and that about how the toilet paper is all wrong in our store. You’d think there would be anything else more important??

Anyway, Pepperoni has now taken his rightful place along the Springfield skyline! It may be facing the wrong way on Jefferson where no one will ever see it, but we have a billboard now!

Speaking of Pepperoni, he’s picked Melanie’s Crybaby this week.

“I have my own billboard now and I’m back for another pick. This week it’s rising songwriter / pop artist Melanie Martinez with her 2015 debut “Cry Baby”. Mak from Dumb Records wanted me to let you all know that they were the first ones to like Melanie Martinez (out of everyone in Springfield I guess). Where did this girl come from, did she have her own Disney show when she was younger or something?”

Here are this week’s Friday Releases!
– TWENTY ONE PILOTS with “Clacy” – their seventh studio album! Available on black and indie exclusive clear and red splatter vinyl!
– WALLOWS. Their third full length album “Models” we will have the indie exclusive – it says “orange and clear” for us but that photo looks red and purple to me.
– oh yeah, it’s AQUABATS REIUSSES TIME. The silliest ska band of all time, we are stocking up on “Fury of the Aquabats” and “Return of the Aquabats”.
– DANGER MOUSE & JEMINI have a new album called “Born Again” we will have a few copies of.
– DAVID BOWIE’s “Diamond Dogs” gets reissued and remastered! (Just on black vinyl).

We’re real busy this week getting records unboxed for Record Store Day. As with every RSD that has come before, this is the most we’ve ever ordered and we ordered everything. We try to get lots of copies of the records people want. We have 100 free t-shirts first come-first serve. We open at 8am and can’t really tell you how early you have to be here to get in line to have a decent chance to get what you’re looking for.

Oh and we also have lots of copies of the new Taylor record coming out on Friday. Wow what a huge week for records! They might just have a comeback yet!

This week Pepperoni picked the Killers album Hot Fuss

“I’m comin’ outta my cage (yeah) an d i’ve ben doin’ jus fine, I gotta gotta get down (to dumb records) (to buy this killers record) It started out with a kiss, how could it end up like this, it was only a kiss it was only a kiss now I’m falling asleep and I’m eating a snack and she’s calling a cab and I’m taking a nap and now I’m getting some pets now she takes off her dress now my stomach is sick and now I’m cat puking on the carpet now it’s all in my head it was only a kiss.”

And because we don’t know when to quit, there is also a hardcore show happening here Saturday night.