Arizona Residents

Thought you guys may be interested in this (there's a lot of AZ residents here, right?). I never knew this, but apparenty this singer in my friend's band (he's the drummer, and he's killer), Burn Your Halo, runs a music store with his mother out in Tempe.

Quote :

Sound and Style Unite at Madhouse Records
By Beau Anderson

This is not your mother's record store. On the corner of Scottsdale Road and Curry in Tempe, Madhouse Records offers a mix of albums from underground bands, independent labels, and throws in lively fashions to round out a unique record store experience teeming with variety. "Madhouse is different than anything else," says Antony Hämäläinen, co-owner of the store along with his mother, Crystal Mikellides. "We have a lot of underground music and vinyl. We carry a variety of artists without popularizing or overexposing the music." Antony and his mom opened Madhouse on July 18th, 2006. "I love being in business with my son," says Crystal. "I've owned salons and spas and worked with plenty of needy 25-year-old girls. Antony and I were talking about the idea of opening the store one day and we just said, 'Let's do it,' so we did it!"

"At Madhouse, it's not just one style,"adds Antony. "There's not a lot of stuff, but there's a wide variety; we do it differently by not focusing on one attraction. We have unique goods. Money hungry people put a thorn in my side. I mark the CDs up only $3. People want a good product. All of the imports are so cheap, people say, 'I can't believe you have this!'" Firmly believing in the Madhouse business model, Antony views his past experience at other record shops as perfect examples of what not to do to in order to run a successful business.

Chic and Unique!

Inspired by friends, family, and the owners' Nordic roots, Madhouse proudly flies the flags of Finland and Sweden above the rows of albums, stacks of vinyl, and various styles of clothing hanging crisply on the walls. Customers looking to build diversity in their music library wouldn't have a problem walking out the Madhouse doors with a collection ranging from Frank Sinatra to Bloody Gore. Offering styles that include "rock chick, tank top girl, skater chick, stripper clothes, and clubbing shoes", set to a metal soundtrack, Madhouse Records entices a broad demographic. "It's a different boutique with a euro feel that reminds people of independent stores in San Francisco from years past," mentions Crystal. "I love it when Scottsdale chicks walk in and hear Norwegian black metal," adds Antony. "They love it! They're pulled toward their world of fashion; there's still music in the background, but it's not the same stuff playing in every other store.

Metal in the Metropolis!

Born in Finland, Antony attributes his metallic tastes to his uncle, who introduced him to bands such as W.A.S.P., Anthrax, Slayer, Napalm Death, and Judas Priest. He currently sings lead vocals for the local Phoenix band, Burn Your Halo. "Burn Your Halo is reminiscent of Slayer and In Flames," he says. "It's very thrashy, heavy, melodic death metal; it's a mix of every metal." Passionate about music and his position with Madhouse Records, Antony is not afraid to give his opinion on the local music scene. "American music in general is not what you like, but what is popular at the time," he says. "In Europe, once you become a fan of a specific band, you're always one. That's not so in America. It's kind of a lack of loyalty to the band, mostly because of a high school 'pop' attitude." At this record store boutique, Antony Hämäläinen can recommend bands you've never heard of, but regardless of his musical tastes, Madhouse Records has an album or a style sure to please everyone.

Madhouse Records
1126 N. Scottsdale Rd., Ste 2
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 927-9000

Open Monday through Saturday 11am to 7pm
Closed Sundays

A $3 mark-up? That sounds killer! Antony is really cool, too. If it's close by, might be worth checking out. And Burn Your Halo is pretty killer, too.

Everything Is Nothing (Video)
Be Thy Sin (Live Video)

I'll have to check this out if I ever come up to Phoenix. I rarely do, though.

I need to go out there and visit my friend. I met him in Korea. He was the guitarist in our cover band, Run DMZ. =) The dude is an amazing musician. Maybe an Ultimatum/Burn Your Halo show could be set up?