[porkmarras]

Stevie Sounds is closing down and that's for the best.Last time i popped in most of what they had in stock was rubbish.Pity.

[pokkeherrie]

I thought the M&V exchange in Berwick Street (that's Soho I guess?) wasn't very good... I spent well over an hour browsing all the racks (because it was the only on that was open early on Sunday morning ) and there was hardly much of interest to me.

Reckless seemed to have a pretty good stock for a secondhand store, but a bit lacking in the avantgarde/improv section... lots of indie rock. Didn't get to see the dance store down the road.

I thought the new Sister Ray/old Selectadisc was still pretty good, better than most of the shops I get to see back in Holland. I did go to the old Sister Ray and Selectadisc 2.5 years ago (around the previous ATP) but I don't remember enough of those in order to compare, except that the old Sister Ray wasn't that good.

Rough Trade in wherever it was that T&B took me (Camden?) was alright, but not amazing. Sounds of the Universe looked interesting from the outside, but it was closed the first time and the second time there wasn't really enough time to go there and I really wanted to see the Rough Trade shop too.

Back in 2004 it was a bit of an eye opener for me to see that the difference with the average London stores and the Dutch ones I know in Rotterdam/Amsterdam/Utrecht/etc was smaller than I had imagined it to be. Of course London has much more stores and therefore gives you a better chance of finding what you're looking for, but when you compare stores individually then there was some difference but not an awful lot... meaning you still have to spend lots of time wondering about many different stores for a lot of obscure stuff, in the same way like I have to do here. That may sound ridiculously obvious, but I had this naive image in my head of finding the perfect record shop where you can just spend hours on end looking for everything in each genre that interests you... well maybe there's a place like that in NYC or Tokyo. Berwick Street as a whole is probably the best place for record shopping I've been though.

[pokkeherrie]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

i'd say selectadisc is feeling the bite of the internet, as they seem to be pushing dvds a lot more now, and also they've made a lot of space for vinyl. and like iain says the jap section is rubbish. it only consists of boredoms/AMT/Merzbow/melt banana now

That's a big problem here as well. Both the internet and the low dollar exchange rate. I notice it a lot in record shops in Holland too. They're focussing more and more on the safe stuff (DVDs and also music from the bigger labels) or specialise in vinyl. The sad thing is that I'm actively helping to achieve this... but the difference between 20 euros or 10-12 dollars plus another 3-4 for shipping is just too tempting a lot of the time.

[porkmarras]

Originally Posted by pokkeherrie

That may sound ridiculously obvious, but I had this naive image in my head of finding the perfect record shop where you can just spend hours on end looking for everything in each genre that interests you... well maybe there's a place like that in NYC or Tokyo. Berwick Street as a whole is probably the best place for record shopping I've been though.

That place you're thinking of is the internet.The best branches of MAVE remain thos in Camden and it is obvious that you have to do some rummaging in most shops.It's part of he fun of going record-hunting.duh!

[pokkeherrie]

it's not the internet, because you can't flick through racks on the internet, stopping occasionally to closer inspect interesting or vaguely familiar covers or go up to the counter and listen... not until someone invents some virtual reality environment for that.


rummaging is both fun and frustrating ar different times. but having to go to 4-5 different shops scattered over town and not finding what you want is mostly frustrating. duh.

[porkmarras]

So you've discarded your previous post now?I'm confused.

[pokkeherrie]

what did i discard?

buying over the internet is only tempting because it's cheap and efficient... certainly not because it's more fun.

[porkmarras]

What's fun then?Tell me.I'm all ears.

[pokkeherrie]

eh?

Originally Posted by pokkeherrie

flick through racks, stopping occasionally to closer inspect interesting or vaguely familiar covers or go up to the counter and listen...

maybe i'm not expressing myself very well, but i don't know what's confusing you.

[Toilet & Bowels]

well we never got round to going to sound 323 when you were here, we should go next time, especially because according to rumour second layer are opening a shop in the sound323 basement.

[Jef Mertens]

Which one is the rough trade record shop in the basement of that skate shop like incredibly difficult to find if ya don't know it. Somewhere around Mcneal St. Does it still exist? I used to go to London every year just to check out that store.

[Thomas Moronic]

Sound 323 is worth a mention. I always try and pop in there when I have the chance.

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Jef Mertens

Which one is the rough trade record shop in the basement of that skate shop like incredibly difficult to find if ya don't know it. Somewhere around Mcneal St. Does it still exist? I used to go to London every year just to check out that store.

it's in neal's yard, covent garden

[the ikara cult]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

it's in neal's yard, covent garden

AH i always wanted to find that place, found it on the map but every time i was in the area i had no idea where it was
Ive been in that Soul Jazz outlet place, i only bought a poster though.
Sister ray is the best place i know, but its a bit annoying as its the only one in the locale i know of. Im not a Vynil lover or big on the specialist stuff though.

[porkmarras]

I'm really fond of this one.

 

 

 

[Toilet & Bowels]

a couple of weeks ago i went to haggle vinyl for the first time, they have a decent sun ra section, but i thought it was a bit lacking otherwise.

[porkmarras]

Don't you find that about most record shops unless we're talking about those that specialize in one genre of music (classical,hip hop etc). I love Haggle but they could do with a little more tidiness.

[porkmarras]

Albums 54 Chingford Mount Road London E4 Tube: Walthamstow Central At The Hop 484 Fulham Road London SW6 Tube: Fulham Broadway (District Line) Big Star 130 The Broadway Wimbledon, London SW19 Tube: Wimbledon (District Line) Camden Market Camden High St London NW1 Tube: Camden Town (Northern Line) Charlies Orbit 95 St George's Road Kemp Town, Brighton BN2 1EE (Email, Phone: ++44 01273 57 10 10) Cheapo Cheapo Records 53 Rupert St London W1 Tube: Leicester Square (Northern/Piccadilly Lines) Daddy Kool Records 9 Berwick street London W1 Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Central/Northern Lines) The Elvis shop 400a High St North Manor Park, London E12 Tube: East Ham (District Line) Fat Cat street? Tube: Garageland 49-53 Kensington High St, Unit B19 London W8 Tube: Kensington High St (Circle/District Lines) Golden Grooves Records 198 Whitecross Street Islington, London EC1Y 8QP Tube: Hit and Run 49-53 Kensington High St, Unit F35, 1st Fl. London W8 Tube: Kensington High St (Circle/District Lines) HMV Records 150 Oxford St London W1 Tube: Oxford Circus (Central/Victoria/Bakerloo Lines) or Tottenham Court Road (Central/Northern Lines) Honest Jon's 278 Portobello Road London W10 Tube: Ladbroke Grove (Metropolitan Lines) Kinetec Records 15a Little Portland Street London W1W 8BW Tube: Oxford Circus (hardhouse, trance, techno, tel: +44 (0)207 323 5575, email: oli@kinetec.com, web: www.kinetec.com) Magic Mixture Records 31 Benford Hill London SW12 Tube: Balham (Northern Line) Mole Jazz 291 Pentonville Road London N1 Tube: Kings Cross (Circle/Metropolitan/Northern/Victoria Lines) Off Records 58 Battersea Rise London SW11 Tube: Clapham Common (1 mile away) On The Beat 22 Hanway St London W1 Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Northern/Central Lines) Out On The Floor 234 Camden High St London NW1 Tube: Camden Town (Northern Line) Peckings/Studio 1 142 Askew Road London W12 Plastic Passion 2 Blenhiem Crescent London W11 Tube: Notting Hill Gate (Central/Circle/District Lines) Raw Power 34 Lewisham Model Market Lweisham High St, London SE13 Tube: New Cross Reckless Records 79 Upper St Islington, London N1 Tube: Angel (Northern Line) Reckless Records 30 Berwick St London W1 Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Northern/Central Lines) Record Corner 27 Bedford Hill London SW12 Tube: Balham (Northern Line) Record And Tape Exchange 229 Camden High St London NW1 Tube: Camden Town (Northern Line) Record And Tape Exchange 28 Pembridge Road London W11 Tube: Notting Hill Gate (Central/Circle/District Lines) Record And Tape Exchange 90 Goldhawk Road Shepherds Bush, London W12 Tube: Goldhawk Road (Metropolitan Line) Rhythm Records 281 Camden High St London NW1 Tube: Camden Town (Northern Line) Rock On 3 Kentish Town Road London NW1 Tube: Camden Town (Northern Line) Rocks Off 36 Hanway St London W1 Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Northern/Central Lines) Rough Trade 130 Talbot Road London W11 Tube: Notting Hill Gate (Central/Circle/District Lines) Rough Trade 16 Neil's Yard London WC2 Tube: Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line) Shades Records 12 St Annes Court (off Wardour St) London W1 Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Northern/Central Lines) or Oxford Circus (Central/Victoria/Bakerloo Lines) Simon Scott 29a kinver rd sydenham se264nt 07761262963, E-mail Sounds Original 266 Northfield Avenue Ealing, London W5 Tube: Northfields (Piccadilly Line) Spinning Disc 54 Chiswick High Road London W4 Tube: Stamford Brook (District Line) Towe Records Piccadilly Circus London W1 Tube: Piccadilly (Piccadilly/Bakerloo Lines) Towe Records 62-64 Kensington High St London W8 Tube: Kensington High St (Circle/District Lines) Vinyl Experience 20 Hanway St (Behind the Virgin Megastore) London W1 Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Northern/Central Lines) Vinyl Experience 3 Buck St (adjacent to Camden Market) London NW1 Tube: Camden Town (Northern Line) Vinyl Solution 231 Portobello Road London W11 Tube: Notting Hill Gate (Central/Circle/District Lines) Virgin Megastore 8-16 Oxford St London W1 Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Central/Northern Lines) Youngblood 297 Portobello Road London W10 Tube: Ladbroke Grove (Metropolitan Line) Zippo Music 39 Clapham Common London SW4 Tube: Clapham Common (Northern Line)

[Katy]

Originally Posted by Jef Mertens

Which one is the rough trade record shop in the basement of that skate shop like incredibly difficult to find if ya don't know it. Somewhere around Mcneal St. Does it still exist? I used to go to London every year just to check out that store.

That skate shop would be Slam City Skates...

 

[pokkeherrie]

what/where's sound 323?
the name sounds somewhat familiar, so you probably mentioned it before but i can't remember...

yes, rough trade was in covent garden of course, not camden. i'm pretty bad with names.