Crib Notes

For some reason, it’s been all very hush-hush, but Criminal Records is planning to expand its L5P mini-empire with a satellite location dedicated to vinyl. We’re told Criminal will soon take over the Euclid Avenue storefront that recently housed R. Land’s Summerland art show, filling it with new, and possibly used, records.

Details are sketchy because, for unknown reasons, the fun-loving Criminals have been tight-lipped about their plans. What we hear is that the move will allow the original store to expand its selection of comics, magazines and toys. We don’t know where the CDs will be housed.

But we do know that vinyl is in the midst of a consumer boom as young’uns raised on mp3s are gradually discovering that the LP is the most bad-ass recorded music format God ever created!

How does neighboring Wax ‘N Facts feel about the additional competition? The ever-perky Victoria told us the folks there are looking forward to the company, the more the merrier, and all that. If anything, the new outlet will help promote the supremacy of vinyl, which may boost everyone’s business.

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THE PIPETTES AT VINYL: Singer Gwenno Pipette can’t believe how much parking costs in Midtown. (Photo by Perry Julien)

The Pipettes are a British group whose sound and matching polka-dotted look harks back to the era of the so-called girl groups — artists like the Ronettes and the Crystals whose popularity peaked after Elvis was drafted, but before the Beatles played “Ed Sullivan.”

In support of their debut album, We Are the Pipettes, the Pipettes played a proper gig at Vinyl in Midtown on Friday. A couple of hours earlier, though, they marched into Criminal Records in Little Five Points and played a fantastic three-song acoustic set to a roomful mostly of men – many of whom were, presumably, like me, there to find out if they would look and sound as good in person as they do on YouTube and CD.

The answers: yes and yes. The Pipettes are cuter than puppies in toilet paper commercials and their three-part harmonies are as lovely live as they are in-studio. They sounded so good, I almost bought a second copy of their CD. No joke.

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