Joe's Exploding Zoo

11/11/2024

Your humble Joe's Exploding Zoo founder is part of a long-running project called Illinois Department of Sound. This is our latest.

Take a sonic journey with us backward through the mists of time to find a unique headspace informed by Jean-Luc Goddard, J.K. Huysmans, Oscar Wilde, and mid-...

09/04/2024

Reminder: Live music costs so much now because recorded music costs nothing to hear.

08/27/2024

I found one of these years ago, and dutifully sold it on like a good record shop owner. And DID I REGRET DOING IT? Yes I did. Now I managed to track down ANOTHER one, massively rare, at least in my experience. This one I am KEEPING.

08/26/2024

Sounds like THIS (check out the opening) are the whole reason my record shop exists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-WWd58GC1I

-From, "LA RESA DEI CONTI" (Italy, 1966)-"THE BIG GUNDOWN" (USA)-"EL HALCON Y LA PRESA" (Spain)-"COLORADO" (France, Poland)"Unofficial lawman John Corbett hu...

08/23/2024

Joe's Exploding Zoo is really obsessed with a certain type of soundtrack on vinyl. The ones like Argento's Cat O'Nine Tails and Bird With The Crystal Plumage that have those experimental, surreal, almost 90s industrial ambient sounds...but also the really sentimental bossa nova sounds too...its a strange dichotomy that really appeals...and on that front, as research for future vinyl titles to stock I pulled the trigger on two hopefully awesome DVD collections of Spanish and Mexican gothic horror...fingers crossed for some good sights AND sounds!

08/21/2024

Currently scouring the earth for THIS lovely bit of vintage horror-related vinyl. His double LP about Witchcraft is PRICELESS...

08/18/2024

Welp, THAT didn't age well.

08/17/2024

REALLY enjoying this vinyl mix by theFunkadoobian on YouTube. These vinyl-only 45 DJ sessions are fantastic wherever you find 'em..feel free to share links to similar below!

Grabin' a handful of 45's and putting them together in a mish-mash fashion. Just cleaning and listening with a little bit of wicky wicky...T-Shirt courtesy o...

08/16/2024

Some people want to buy vinyl records online, but aren't sure what all those grading abbreviations mean. HELP AWAITS!

I buy and sell vinyl records. I buy record collections (get in touch at [email protected] to learn more) and I sell in person and online. I say all that as a wee bit of context for the advice I've got for buying vinyl records online below. I've been buying and selling vinyl professionally since...

08/16/2024

Joe's Exploding Zoo, as a record store, has an obsession with a particular type of soundtrack--part ambient, part experimental, part sound art. Giallo sountracks (especially the 60s/70s era Morricone and Riz Ortolani stuff) is FULL of these sounds...but if you're a newcomer to Italian genre cinema you might wonder where to START with all this. The films themselves are the obvious gateway to a serious vinyl collection. Want a primer on some of the most essential Giallo titles? Look no further than Troy Howarth's SO DEADLY, SO PERVERSE. Link in the comments below and you will find a PILE of titles to get you started.

08/15/2024

Joe's Exploding Zoo is a record shop and label based in Springfield, Illinois and we'd love to hear from anyone who needs to sell a record collection or wants to make a record donation. Please feel free to contact us here!