Liverpool, UK | Best Record Shops in Liverpool: Liverpool, with its rich music history and countless events going down each and every day, is the envy of many music fans. But while the city’s known for producing some of the best bands and artists of all time, Liverpool has another incredibly enviable feature – its record shops. The city is home to many iconic, essential record shops such as The Musical Box, The Jacaranda and Probe Records. But more importantly, these shops remain as brilliant as they were from the day they first opened. Even better, the newer shops are insanely good too, often doubling up as cafes and venues, creating close-knit communities that can converge there. But you’re here to find out which shops are worth your time. Here are the best record shops in Liverpool and the genres they’re known for focusing on.
Berlin, DE | The Vinyl Countdown: Berlin’s Best Record Shops: A honeypot for artists, techno travellers and night owls of all stripes, Berlin is the ultimate capital of cool – and has the record shops to prove it. These are the ones to make tracks for. Truth be told, we’re tired of hearing young creatives shout about vinyl being back. When did it ever leave? But, as record sales across the world hit heights not seen since the early Nineties, sourcing top-quality secondhand discs has become increasingly difficult. If you, too, have worked your way through every local fair within a 50km radius of home, perhaps it’s time to take your musical curiosity a little further afield – starting with the cultural powerhouse that is Berlin. Home to a cutting-edge club scene and with a streetscape rich in galleries, design-led boutiques and flamboyant flea markets, the city has long captured the hearts of energetic, free-spirited travellers. Ready to get lost in music? Here are five Berlin record shops we recommend you put on your hit list.
Richmond, VA | The Vinyl Connect Record Store revolves around a larger space in the middle of the city: Having outgrown its original Oregon Hill location, the record store loves the sound of the largest digs in downtown Richmond. Vinyl Connect is moving from 324 Pine Street, where it first opened in 2008, and plans to reopen at 300 E Grace Street in early June. Owner Bobby Egger said he was prompted to end the shop’s 14-year run on Pine Street due to the need for more space in a more commerce-oriented part of the city. “We’ve always been a go-to site from the start,” Iger said of the store that sells punk, metal, and vinyl records. “We were able to make it work this way and have that space (on Pine Street) run for a very long time with no foot traffic. So, I think we were excited to dip our toe in an area with more foot traffic.” The new Vinyl Connect area is 1,800 square feet compared to the 450 square feet it currently occupies. Egger estimated that the sales floor portion of its acreage would be about two and a half times larger in East Grace than in Oregon Hill.
Madison, WI | It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Record Store Day returns to a one-day blowout for its 15th anniversary. The local record store scene has been rocked with bad news recently. B-Side and Sugar Shack are being forced to move and the Exclusive Company chain is gradually closing down operations (the Janesville store announced its closing on Feb. 21, and is hosting a farewell party April 16). On the upside: It looks like B-Side and Sugar Shack will continue at other locations and none of this disruption is getting in the way of Record Store Day, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Record Store Day started in 2008 as a novel promotion idea geared to aid brick-and-mortar music stores competing with an onslaught of online sellers. On one day, labels and artists would pool new releases, often limited, for sale only at independent retailers. Stores were also encouraged to host live performances or other music-related special activities.
Hazard, KY | Local records store owners get ready for National Record Store Day: As National Record Store Day on April 23rd gets closer, local record stores are worried there will not be enough vinyl to go around. “Sometimes you get what you ordered, sometimes you don’t. It kind of depends on when it gets here. Some albums they make only certain amounts of those,” Queen City Records Co-Owner Mary Jo Everidge said. “So, you may get one copy, you may get five copies.” The store gets its records distributed through Ingram Entertainment Inc. Vice President of Sales and Marketing Steve Harkins said they are one of only four main distributors in the United States, so it is difficult to get all orders out quickly. “In some cases, retailers could buy from a label who has their own distribution,” Harkins said. “Most independent record retailers, like a Queen City, will buy from a wholesaler/distributor such as ours.” Harkins said it is a supply and demand issue with manufacturers.
Barrie, ON | Dead Parrott Records finds new perch in downtown Barrie: From Picadilly Circus in London’s West End to Ottawa Street in Windsor and now Dunlop Street West in Barrie, Paul Russell has been sharing his passion for music for nearly four decades. The Brit, along with wife Mary Burley, own Dead Parrott Records, a used record shop that celebrated its grand opening in downtown Barrie on Saturday after the couple closed up their successful shop in Windsor and returned to the place Burley has always called home. “We just came back March 1 and spent the last five weeks getting the place ready,” says Burley, telling BarrieToday the shop had already been “quite busy” since opening only two hours prior. “The store in Windsor was very successful, but I wanted to come home, so here we are back in Barrie. I am very excited about that.” Russell, who has very likely forgotten more about music than most people will ever even know, got his start working at the Tower Records at Piccadilly Circus and Kensington’s High Street in London’s West End from 1985 until the late 1990s. He has now brought that knowledge, as well as a significant amount of music memorabilia, to the downtown Barrie shop.
Malvern, UK | Carnival Records in Malvern celebrates 10th year in business: A much-loved independent record shop in Malvern is celebrating its 10th year in the town. Carnival Records, in Church Street, was set up by Chris Heard, who runs the shop alongside former HMV manager Russ Brown and hi-fi expert Lionel Martin. Originally set up in a warehouse in Malvern Link back in 2009, Carnival Records was named by Guardian readers as one of the top 10 independent record shops in the country. Former BBC journalist Mr Heard, 56, said: “We always wanted the sense of community that a shop provides. “We feel so fortunate to have built a loyal customer base and to have made so many friends in such a beautiful setting beneath the Malvern Hills.” The shop was originally set up to cater for a niche market, trading at audio fayres and online before the market for vinyl came back into fashion.
Scarborough, ME | Face the Music: Here’s something to talk about – Bonnie Raitt’s coming to Bull Moose: Enter to be among the lucky audience members to sit in on a Q&A with Raitt at the record store’s Scarborough location on April 23. Do you believe in miracles? Always a skeptic, I might have to rethink my opinions on them, because I am on the receiving end of a massive one: Maine record store chain Bull Moose asked me to interview Bonnie Raitt in person at its Scarborough location on April 23, and you could join me. The event coincides with the release of Raitt’s latest album, her sold-out show at Merrill Auditorium and Record Store Day. Record Store Day, now in its 15th year, is an an annual celebration of independent record stores, and Chris Brown, chief financial officer of Bull Moose Music, was one of its founders. The day is celebrated globally and many artists release special edition vinyl. About 75 spots are available for fans to attend the Bonnie Raitt interview in person, and you have until Sunday to enter your name into the drawing for passes at bullmoose.com.
The Police, Jimi Hendrix and more: Inside John Bonham’s personal vinyl collection: When one thinks of the greatest drummers of all time, you’re typically met with the same names. Neil Peart, Ginger Baker, Gene Krupa, Keith Moon, it’s a case of the usual suspects when it to discussing rhythmic masterminds. This is partly down to the fact that it is rare for a drummer to be truly excellent, unlike with guitarists and frontmen. Many of our favourite drummers are dextrous, versatile and, more often than not, slightly unhinged. Billy Moony, the sticksman in Roddy Doyle’s 1987 novel The Commitments and the classic film of the same name, is a perfect caricature of the modern drummer. One would argue that the most iconic figure in drumming belonged to English rock titans Led Zeppelin. Their rhythmic lynchpin was John Bonham, who can only be described as a genius. Tragically, he passed away at only 32 in 1980, but it’s a testament to the power of his work that he is still so revered to this day. He gave Ginger Baker and Gene Krupa a run for their money and managed to influence the proliferation of many different styles of drumming.
