Yeah, both of those dudes sound shady.

And Macy’s once great tempeh “tuna” was pretty bad the last time I was in town in 2002.

CONTACT: Hayley Ringle, (480) 898-6301 or hringle@aztrib.com
After 19 years in the East Valley, beloved independent music store Stinkweeds is closing its doors in Tempe.
Owner Kimber Lanning said she is still breaking the news to her longtime customers and spent the better part of last week sending out e-mails and making phone calls.
“It’s emotional,” Lanning said. “I’ve made 10 people cry in the last few days. It’s a lot of things for a lot of people.”
“Other than burying my father, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
Stinkweeds has been an East Valley staple, finding its own niche amongst the sea of large corporate music stores. It’s been one of the few places to find new and used independent and local music at reasonable prices, a place to buy actual records (which people are still listening to) and an all-ages place to see live music.
A stage was added in 1996 with many well-known indie bands giving in-store performances, including Elliott Smith, Blonde Redhead and Folk Implosion. (I remember paying $5 to see many memorable shows, including The Delta 72 and Karp.)
Lanning is closing the store to devote more time for other projects, including Arizona Chain Reaction, a nonprofit organization she co-founded in 2003 that encourages people to support locally owned businesses. She has plans to take Arizona Chain Reaction to the national level and help other cities start their own organizations. She also has a couple other ideas she is working on, including a music consulting business and an arts leasing business.
“There’s just not enough time in the day,” said Lanning, adding she’s been busy working seven days a week for the past three years.
“It’s really important that people know this isn’t the death of a record store. It’s just a change in my life,” Lanning said.
It’s really important to me that people know the Tempe store is doing amazingly well.”
Lanning opened Stinkweeds in 1987 at Dobson and Guadalupe roads in Mesa, when she was 19. The store moved to Dobson and Baseline roads in Mesa in 1989, then to its current Tempe location, 1250 E. Apache Blvd., in 1996.
Lanning sold the Tempe Stinkweeds inventory and fixtures to a local couple who do not wish to be named. Lanning said the couple plan to use the inventory to open a record store called Slow Train in Salt Lake City. The couple did not buy the Web site or the Stinkweeds name, she said.
Lanning has no plans to close the other Stinkweeds and Modified Arts, a music venue and arts gallery, both of which she owns in Phoenix.
Bob Hoag, who has recorded many bands that sell their music at Stinkweeds in his Mesa recording studio, Flying Blanket Recording, said it’s a “bummer” that the store is closing, but has faith in any decision Lanning makes.
“I love Kimber and I love Stinkweeds,” Hoag said. “It’s sad to me because I like having things in the East Valley. (However,) she has the best interest of the Arizona music scene at heart always.”
Lanning plans to close the Tempe record store on or around May 25. She will have a 19thanniversary party May 6 at the Tempe store with live music, giveaways and a barbecue.

also, the tea tasting tim had was at the request of the company which is locally owned and operated…that’s all i gotta say about that.