What sets Vintage Vinyl apart from other record stores in the area is a commitment to local music. It's not merely the unparalleled selection of records from St. Louis artists that the store (a virtual landmark in the Delmar Loop after nearly three decades in business) keeps stocked on its shelves. No, this year the folks at Vintage continued to go above and beyond by producing a greatest-hits compilation by the late Lou jazz and R&B luminary Oliver Sain. It's not the first time store owners Tom "Papa" Ray and Lew Prince have strived to preserve the music (and memory) of a local legend; VV has also produced records by Tommy Bankhead and Rondo's Blues Deluxe, among others. It's that sort of dedication to St. Louis' musical past — combined with an impressive assortment of in-store performances by contemporary artists — that makes Vintage Vinyl one of St. Louis' truly great institutions.