#musicshops

New Vinyl Shop Container Records Opens In Controversial Pop Brixton

There’s a new kid on the block. Described as a “community campus for local business”, South London’s new shipping container village Pop Brixton has split local opinion with many angered by its business-focus and steep rents. In its favour though, is the newly opened, and aptly named, Container Records. Container joins Pure Vinyl, which started trading in Reliance Arcade earlier this year, as well…

The best record shops in Europe – chosen by experts

The UK has been covered, so here musicians and record industry insiders choose their favourite European destinations for buying vinyl … and just hanging out

Side One, Warsaw

With the phenomenal music that was made during the communist days and the unique design that often accompanied it, it’s no wonder that Poland punches way above its weight. Side One, a tiny record store in a little courtyard…

I love the discovery of an unexpected item in a shop, be it a record, book or a weird piece of ephemera. The latter I’m not likely to buy as I don’t like clutter, but the thrill of discovery is there. This is especially true of music.

At the weekend I had the chance to spend 30 minutes browsing in a record store in London…..oh happy days. However I came away with nothing, mostly because I wandered around and from a distance viewed it’s ordered, organised shelves, and didn’t know where to start. I’d much rather just start to finger through random items to discover something. Alternatively, something could be played over the shop speakers that I’d want to own, there and then.

Don’t get me wrong, order is good. My weekly supermarket shop would be immeasurably more challenging if all the items were in different places each week, or not there at all - which I’d only discover after looking at all the items. However when it comes to life’s non-essentials (oh wait, music IS essential, but you get my drift) then the thrill of discovery will continue to ring true and stay with me. For instance, I still remember that I bought Marc Almond’s “Tenement Symphony” in a street market in Lisbon in 1992, it was a Saturday, and very hot being mid-August. I bought Broadcast’s “The Book Lovers EP” after standing in a Soho music shop for 15 minutes listening to it being played -  I’d only stepped inside to avoid a torrential rain shower. I can’t say for sure if I’d bought either album from a neatly organised record shop, online or a supermarket that a few years down the line, I’d remember the details of my purchase. Does this matter? In the grand scheme of things  - no, but it means something to me and that is what is important.