Sounds Familiar, 4420 Rosewood Drive: February 2009 13 comments
Well, that was a bit sooner than I had expected. For some reason, I was thinking that the Sounds Familiar flagship store on Rosewood was staying open through February, but when I went over there on the 26th, the place was already closed and emptied out. I've written about Sounds Familiar before, here and here. I guess over the years, I was in this store the most, though the Myrtle Beach store was probably my favorite. The last thing I specifically recall buying here was the ABBA Gold greatest hits collection sometime last summer -- used. I know I bought a good bit of beach music here including some ripete LPs, (For the longest time, that was the only way to get Lamont Dozier's Cool Me out though it is finally on CD now), and some interesting "import" CDs (though they basically stopped carrying those in later years).
The counter "podium" was an interesting feature of this store. The area where the registers, CD players and computers were was raised about a foot off the store floor on a wooden platform which is still there. The only reason I can think of for doing such a thing is so the staff could keep an eagle eye out for "shrinkage", but the effect was such that when you picked out your CDs, it was like approaching the throne: Oh please, your majesties couldst thou smilest down on me that I might purchase these graven disks of recorded sounds?
I haven't checked out the place being advertised in the window signs, and am not sure what the connection with Sounds Familiar is, if any. At any rate, the closing of this store marks the end of a local success story (20+ years is a pretty good run!), and puts us one step closer to the end of the "music store" era.
13 Responses to 'Sounds Familiar, 4420 Rosewood Drive: February 2009'
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Interesting. I have to admit that's a scene I know almost nothing about -- good for them!
ted
1 Mar 09 at 11:55 pm
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good for who? the store closing? Sounds Familiar? there local collection? ......thats a bit ambiguous
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Hmm, I thought that was pretty clear: Good for Sounds Familiar for supporting local artists.
ted
3 Mar 09 at 5:38 pm
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LOL at the last two comments.
I drove by last night and was surprised to see it closed up but definitely not shocked. After a moment of thought I was actually dumbfounded that they lasted as long as they did.
The times they are a changin'
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This is a nice site, reminds me of the History Room at RCPL's main branch.
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That room is nice. I've gotten a lot of old phonebook scans from there.
ted
3 Apr 09 at 10:49 pm
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One of the former managers licensed beach music hits for a series of compilation CDs called "Ocean Drive" on indie label Ripete Records. The series of CDs is revered within the beach music scene.
This store was sometimes better about getting imports and indie dance singles than even Manifest. Either that or they came in and went out too fast at Manifest.
Sean
24 Jun 09 at 10:25 am
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Yes indeed, first on LP and then on CD, Ripete records were essential for a Beach Music collection. They're still around too.
ted
24 Jun 09 at 10:41 am
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i rememeber this place, what happened to the tcby?
Aliina
4 Feb 11 at 10:33 pm
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is the blockbuster still there?
Aliina
4 Feb 11 at 10:33 pm
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@Aliina yes this particular Blockbuster location is still going but Blockbuster Video filed for bankruptcy last September
What was the Verizon locaiton in this picture is no more though and Little Caesars is there now...
Andrew
4 Feb 11 at 10:38 pm
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i love lil ceasers pizza especially the crazy bread, i dont fancy their sauce though
Aliina
5 Feb 11 at 7:25 am
They had a pretty decent collection of obscure local (sc) rap.