whilst the big boys of the record selling world focus in on spoon feeding disposable pop music to the masses, the indie record shop teases its clientele with unheard of bands on bedroom record labels, tinny 2 minute tracks by scandinavian punk groups, droney swirly sounds and hip calypso cover bands from the 50's. it's impossible not to get educated in these wondrous places and so, to salute the independent record shop, here are my top five record shops in no discernible order:
beehive, greenwich:
not strictly just a record store (they have a fab vintage homeware/clothing shop next door), beehive cram into their tiny space the most delightfully obscure and gloriously retro records you could ever hope to find. expect leonard nimoy recordings, weirdo hippy pop and noodly kraut rock in their tidy pockets, all original pressings, often slightly strenuous on the wallet but always hard to find and completely well worth purchasing! beehive is the smartest (and cutest) record store in town!
rounder records. brighton:
buried in the heart of brighton's lanes, rounder records offers a broad selection to the eclectic tastebuds of "london-by-sea", expect zingy, bleepy ear thrashing neatly pocketed next to summery ethnic beats in this super sociable music emprorium, THE stopping place for anyone interested in grabbing a ticket for the hottest gig in town...
sounds of the universe, soho:
without question, the coolest record store in london, sotu is chiefly preoccupied with ethnic beats from the yesteryears, obscure, seminal and downright funky...
a super passionate, knowlegeable bunch of music lovers await to guide you through the immense history of international music (with a strong, black, soul/funk bias), and you'll find some extremely cool soul jazz records merchandise here too!
richards records, canterbury RIP:
long since closed down (a victim of high street music vending) richards records often gets criticised for being arrogant and overpriced. i have to say i disagree. there was nowhere else in kent capable of selling the kind of imported gems these guys (richard?) managed to specialise in and it's a fair comment to say that through my university years (many moons ago) this place kept my finger on a fairly obscure lo fi americana pulse... a specialist in american noise on obscure labels, the future, sadly, was never going to look bright for this record store and now, i regret to report, it's a tex mex eaterie :(
banquet records, kingston
quite simply, the nicest people in independent record store business, mr john tolley and his cohorts specialise in noisy punk/indie rock and welcome anyone and everyone into their lovely little store. expect super duper in-store performances (often packed to the rafters, with queues stretching back to HMV!) and the very best selection of live acts at their new slang nights a few doors further down the road. my bank manager had to advise me to boycott this place for my own financial benefit... extremely well priced, super friendly, just all round generally lovely people with an absolutely stonking selection. go visit!!!!
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