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As music sales continue to give way to streaming, stuff that may only be tangentially related to music (if that) makes up an increasingly important part of many music retailers' bottom line. So if all you Record Store Day shoppers need any more incentive to visit a few of Houston's record merchants this Saturday, this week the Houston Press did some advance scouting to see what else these places sell — besides badass records, of course — that you might be able to grab while stocking up on those vinyls or CDs. People still buy CDs, right?
Longboards and Surfboards
Need some wheels for skating around Montrose? Or how about a surfboard to take down to Galveston now that summer is finally here? Soundwaves has you covered on both fronts. The shop is currently offering $50 off surfboards via a coupon on its website, and the skate setups are reasonably priced too.
Band Socks
Do you work a desk job? Me too. But having to wear khakis or slacks every day doesn't mean we can't rep our favorite acts and retain a little bit of that youthful rebellion courtesy of Soundwaves. Or, if you'd prefer, Cactus Music has plenty of witty socks that might blend better with your work attire while adding a bit of flair.
Unique T-Shirts
"I'm Not Moving To Austin." "Cactus Music." "Santo." Show off your H-Town pride with any number of T-shirts. Some display a love for Houston; others a love of music. And some flaunt both. You have to wear clothes every day, so you might as well have a few interesting items in your closet.
Buttons & Pins
Remember when kids adorned their backpacks with buttons? They'd buy them at concerts or record shops and show them off to friends at school. Personally, my generation might have been on the tail end of that trend, but buttons and pins remain an iconic piece of music paraphernalia. If vinyl can make a comeback, why not buttons too?
Figurines
Because sometimes you just need to have a flexible Batman.
The "Tater Shot"
See above: Blasts Potato Bullets!
Mustache Combs
The once-ironic mustache has become a staple of the millennial generation, many of whom continue to sport them into their thirties. At that point, it might not be so ironic anymore. But one way or another, it's important to keep all the visible hair on one's body kept, and a mustache comb can help.
Lunch Boxes
The Beatles, Paul Frank and Hello Kitty are only a few of the vintage-style lunch boxes available at Cactus.
Keep the Houston Press Free... Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Houston with no paywalls.
