With Miles Davis to the left and John Coltrane to the right, Steve Wiley's office at Hoodlums music store in the Memorial Union presents an array of posters featuring some of the greatest musical artists of both the past and the present. Hiding behind the faces of the musicians, Wiley, the co-owner of the music store, is always ready to lend some musical advice.
Now in their seventh school year, Wiley and his fellow "Hoods" provide ASU students with one of the most eclectic collections of music in the state. Featuring approximately 20,000 CDs of both new and used music and an additional 3,500 new and used DVDs, the underground music store has everything from Cher to P. Diddy.
With the school year swinging into high gear, put on your headphones and listen to Wiley sing about what's new, what's old and what music we should look for in the near future:
SPM: Don't I know you?
Wiley: You do. You're a Junkie, right?
SPM: Am I a Junkie? Ha, I achieved Junkie status in the first semester of my freshman year. After buying the required 20 CDs and DVDs to become a Junkie, you could officially call me addicted to the permanent discount and cozy atmosphere of Hoodlums. But besides me, how many other Junkies have you hooked?
Wiley: We're almost at 2,000 Junkies in just three years of the program's existence. Once students realize what the program's all about, they find out about some of the great benefits like the free T-shirt and lifetime discount.
SPM: I sport my shirt with pride all the time. Besides the music at the store, I really love the free shows Hoodlums puts on for the students. What are some shows we can look forward to seeing this year?
Wiley: Well, besides the Howie Day show we just put on, Snow Patrol will perform on Oct. 8 and we have some other deals in the works. We don't like to talk about who we might bring in just in case something doesn't work out, but we're currently talking to one of the most popular bands to recently come out of the Valley.
SPM: Well, can you at least tell us about some new CDs coming out that we should look for?
Wiley: Definitely the [new]Talib Kweli. I don't want to beat the hip-hop or rap releases to death, but I've also heard a lot about the new Mos Def and Nelly CDs. Apart from hip-hop, I'd have to say the [new] Senses Fail CD could be a good one.
SPM: All right, now that we know what to look for in the future, what's really popping right now?
Wiley: The "Garden State" album above and beyond. I guess it's because the movie has generated a lot of talk, but that's what's really selling right now.
SPM: I'll have to check that out. Well, since we've talked about the future and the present, what's some good old stuff that you can never go wrong with?
Wiley: I'm a huge jazz and blues fan, so anything along those lines. Of my 4,000 CD personal collection, about 3,000 are jazz.
SPM: Speaking of jazz, who do you prefer: Miles Davis or Charlie Parker?
Wiley: Wow, that's a tough one. Miles I guess. But that's not to say that I [don't] have eight Parker CDs in my collection.
SPM: Death metal or emo?
Wiley: Neither.
SPM: Good, that was supposed to be a trick question. How about the best album of all time? What's your personal favorite?
Wiley: "Abbey Road" by the Beatles.
SPM: And your favorite artist?
Wiley: The Beatles, of course.
SPM: OK, who's the best artist out there right now?
Wiley: Wow, hold on a sec, I'm gonna' have to go look around before I give you an answer. Shit, there's just so many, that's a tough ass question. I'll have to say Widespread Panic.
SPM: Anything else you want to say?
Wiley: Yeah. Running a record store is the most amazing job. Every day, to see what students buy, really restores my faith in music.
Know someone who should be featured on "Don't I Know You?" Reach the reporter at tyler.thompson@asu.edu.
