Married couple Chris and Anna Brozek moved from Phoenix to Salt Lake to start an independent record store. The store, which they named Slowtrain after a Bob Dylan album, opened in July, 2006 at 221 E. Broadway. With a healthy local music section and in-store performances, it's quickly become a pillar of the local music scene.

What made you decide to open a record store in Salt Lake City? We have always loved music and record stores and owning our store just seemed like a great idea. We had come to SLC to visit a friend and just fell in love with the city and its art and music scene. The music and art scene (compared to Phoenix especially) felt immediately inviting and accessible. A lot of the art and music is centralized in downtown Salt Lake, making it easy to find shows or art openings or even just like-minded people. That was something we were seeking out in Phoenix but only found sporadically. Salt Lake provided us a steady stream of artistic and musical innovation.

In a time when digital music is forcing many record stores to close their doors, why do you think you are able to succeed? There are a lot of people that still prefer owning a physical product of higher quality as opposed to just listening to a download. There is value in artwork and liner notes and quality of sound -- plus the community that record stores create is unbeatable. We talk to our customers about music and teach each other things. We share our favorites and make recommendations. That is priceless.

What five CDs would you most recommend as holiday gifts, and why? 1) Andrew Bird, "Armchair Apocrypha." This album is beautiful and accessible. It is interesting enough for the music snob in your life and just plain lovely enough for the average listener. 2) Fleet Foxes, "Self Titled." This record is full of surreal vocal harmonies that will impress the hardest of souls. It is flawless and powerful. 3) Bon Iver, "For Emma, Forever Ago." On most people's Top 10 list of the year (including ours), this record is heart-melting. Filled with intense emotion and a beautiful hint of redemption. Good for any music lovers from beginners to experts. 4) Tolchock Trio, "Abalone Skeletone." One of our own homegrown releases, this record should be selling out in stores nationwide. It is that good. Full of catchy rock songs that are too good to be kept to ourselves, this will impress any out-of-state music lovers that think they have everything. 5) Kimya Dawson, "Alphabutt." Most people know her from the "Juno" soundtrack, and her latest album (for the kids) doesn't disappoint. It is adorable and hilarious and perfect for kids -- and their parents!

What's the scoop on your new Locals Night? The purpose of the in-stores that we host for national touring bands is to sell their records. That is why they want to play in-stores. We wanted to reward local bands that make the extra effort to create a physical CD/LP and sell it through our store by giving them the same chance those national bands get. If a band sells a record at our store, they can sign up to play a Local Night [on Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m.] and try to make some extra money by selling albums -- all while having a great time playing live. Not a bad deal.

What can you tell us about your Holiday Party? Our Local Night on December 22 was booked with the band The Platte, who just released a Christmas album. We thought since it was so close to Christmas and since he would be playing Christmas songs, we should just make it a holiday party. We will have cookies and snacks -- maybe some hot cider. We're thinking of decorating a tree too. It should be a lot of fun.

What are the most fulfilling things you've done to help the local music scene, and why? Well, we are just so proud of our local music scene. We aren't totally sure how our contributions would be measured -- that is for the bands to say -- but we like to think that we've given the scene a little boost in spirit since we've opened.

What do you hope the future holds for Slowtrain? We hope for 20 more years doing what we love. We can't ask for much more than that.

Learn more at www.slowtrainmusic.com.