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Which shops do you think should be on the list? Let us know what you think of our picks and add your suggestions in the comments section below.
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25 D'Arblay Street, London, W1F 8EJ
Bleeding-edge dance music, vinyl only
Junglist Nicky Blackmarket's store has kids queuing up to bag his latest promos. Expect nothing other than upfront club music: the ground floor stocks house, minimal and techno, while the basement remains London's most reliable dispenser of new and pre-release drum 'n' bass, dubstep, bassline and UK garage platters.
27 Exmouth Market, London, EC1R 4QL
General, CD-only
A great place to add to your collection without being patronised. Stock is CD-only, but you'll find a rock section that sensibly mixes classic albums by Pavement with newer releases from Fleet Foxes, a soul rack where Marvin Gaye snuggles up to Corinne Bailey Rae and eclectic jazz, reggae, pop, country and world sections. Fresh (fairtrade) coffee and baked goods are the icing on the indie cake.
57-59 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9DG
Show tunes, new CDs and DVDs
This OTT, thirtysomething temple to show tunes continues to wow professional thesps and drama queens alike with its staggering collection of show tunes on CD and DVD and selection of posters celebrating productions past and present. Head downstairs for scores and books.
50 Essex Road, London, N1 8LR
General, both new and second-hand
Flashback's mostly second-hand stock is treated with utmost respect. There are usually a few boxes of bargain basement 12-inches going for pennies outside the front door, but inside stock is scrupulously organised.the ground floor is dedicated to CDs, the basement to vinyl.
25 Lower Marsh, London, SE1 7RJ
Classical, second-hand CDs and vinyl
Browsing here is as comfy and laid-back as flicking through a friend's collection; battered sofas and cuppas abound. The vast selection of quality used LPs and CDs is so constantly in flux that hundreds of records are cluttered on the central table at any given time while they await sorting. This is done by affable owner Roger Hewland, whose alleged photographic memory is probably the only thing stopping the store sliding into chaos.
2 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7HQ
Classical, both new and pre-loved
This is not your stereotypical classical music store: young, open-minded staff and an expansive stock of new and second-hand music bolster Harold Moores' credentials. This collection sees some great old masters complemented by a range of eclectic contemporary music, including plenty of avant-garde and electronic issues by independent labels like Touch.
278 Portobello Road, London, W10 5TE
Soul, reggae revival, jazz, soul and global, CD and vinyl
This legendary record shop's owner had the foresight to lend former hired hand James Lavelle £1,000 to set up Mo' Wax records in the early 1990s. Jazz, soul, revival reggae and global sounds remain the house specialities.
231 Portobello Road, London, W11 1LT
General, cultish collection staples, vinyl-only
Intoxica! is kitted out with bamboo wall coverings and glowering tribal masks, so the browsing experience is as big on character as it is on classic records. The ground-floor shelves are stacked with everything from reggae, funk and '60s beat to exotica and easy listening. The basement is packed with soul and blues, and its jazz section is especially big on British artists.
22 Hanway Street, London, W1T 1UQ
General eclectica, mostly vinyl, second-hand
Spend 15 minutes thumbing through the racks here and you'll definitely come out with something you'd forgotten you always wanted. The well priced, mostly vinyl collection is crammed into a small room, walls lined with posters and dog-eared music mags that date back decades, and, according to its manager, covers 'everything but classical'.
10 Inverness Street, London, NW1 7HJ
Guitar rock,12-inch reggae/’60s soul specialists, vinyl and CDs, second-hand
This three-level, three-shop operation is a sanctuary for serious record collectors in an area short on decent options. Out on the Floor itself is in the basement and stocks guitar music, while the ground floor hosts Up at Out on the Floor, housing mostly 12-inch reggae and ’60s soul. In between is Backroom Records, catering to the upper end of the collectors' market.
51 Poland Street, London, W1F 7LZ
Leftfield dance music, new vinyl and CDs
The doors are always wide open at this lively, dance vinyl hubbub, where you'll find countless racks of carefully selected records favouring the deeper and edgier side of club music. CDs are displayed on antique wooden tables, boasting the latest alt-indie and electronic releases, while box sets take pride of place in a glass cabinet. The staff - DJs-about-town - are happy to help.
30 Berwick Street, London, W1F 8RH
General, second-hand, vinyl and CDs
When Reckless went bust, Revival bought up some of their old stock and opened on the site of the mini-chain's former branch in Berwick Street, selling everything from rare rock vinyl to classic drum 'n' bass. Revival will buy most kinds of music and will make house calls for large buys. They also buy CD box sets, limited editions and DVDs.
Old Truman Brewery, Dray Walk, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL
General leftfield, CDs and vinyl
Celebrating its thirty-fifth birthday in 2011, this indelible temple to indie music has never looked more upbeat, thanks to the impetus provided by its expansion to Spitalfields in August 2007. The East wing's truly inspiring, 5,000sq ft loft-style store, café and gig space offers beats and treats for local scenesters, who flock here in their hundreds..
34-35 Berwick Street, London, W1F 8RP
General, leftfield, new vinyl and CDs
Previously Selectadisc, Sister Ray remains a mecca for Soho beat obsessives on their lunch breaks, what with its flatscreen TV and turntables – not to mention an extravagantly wide-ranging stock. Much is on vinyl, but they also stock CDs, DVDs, books and T-shirts and back-cataloguing is their specialty. Staff are well informed but not snooty.
7 Broadwick Street , London, W1F 0DA
General, leftfield and global, vinyl and CDs, new and (some) second-hand
Its affiliation with reissue kings Soul Jazz records ensures this store's remit is broad. On the ground floor, grime and dubstep 12-inches jostle for space alongside new wave cosmic disco, electro-indie re-rubs, Nigerian compilations and electronica. A good number of listening posts offer insights into a diverse mix of new releases, while the second-hand vinyl basement is big on soul, jazz, Brazilian and alt-rock.
Does anybody knows a good music shop for (Psychedelic, Stoner, Sludge, Doom...)
mostly vinyls...
Thanks
R.
I'll be visiting London in April and would like to know some used cd stores in the area. All kinds of music, but with an interest in film scores...not soundtracks, but film scores. Many thanks!
interested in finding the best music shops & events going on in / around london
Casbah Records (at The Beehive, 320-322 Creek Road, Greenwich SE10 9SW) is definitely missing from this list! It's a lovely little record store across the road from the Cutty Sark DLR with a great collection of vintage rock music on vinyl and CD.
I'm also visiting London and I think we all can find sth on Baker Street in It's Only Rock n' Roll :) (opposite The Beatles' Store) I am particularly lookin' for singles. Any band. So, if sb lives in London, can tell me where can I find 'em? :)
somebody knows where can I find single, promo or another rareties about the Iron Maiden in londo?
Im visiting london and Im after KISS rareties anyone know where I can track any down ?
thanks
Mole Jazz closed years ago and yes vinyl junkies did close. A history recorded shops are being archived at http://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org/
This an ongoing archive with old and new shops being added. Please share with us your stories of where you brought records.
I am looking for Classic music record shop, any idea?? Is Mole Jazz closing down yet??
www.dnrvinyl.co.uk has a massive selection of UK Garage, Dubstep, House & Grime - Based in Croydon South East London
what about the covered market in Walthamstow, also has a 78 specialist . . . Haggle is terrible! Eldica in Dalston and the shop on Church Street are very good for 2nd hand vinyl as well . . Flashback is very good, Sounds That Swing in Camden is fantastic and never gets a mention . . massive shame that Regal Records in Clapton is gone and last time i saw was a florist! Yep how about giving some publicity to record shops other than the same ten or so listed every single time there is an article mentioning them . . is People Sound Records in Ladbroke Grove still going? i would like to know about some of the record shops scattered across the capital that i don't already know about please . . . .
I have found a vinyl heaven in a warehouse in Hackney Wick, its called Vinyl Pimp, the guy sells vinyl on behalf of DJs and has over 40,000 in stock. His website is www.vinylpimp.co.uk
Terry , thank you for the kind words. Lynn alexander Boss@ hagglevinyl
Both Flashback & Intoxica do an excellent postal service via Musicstack website,
very reliable, speedy delivery and good prices on rare vinyl as opposed to some
of the European and American shops that appear on said website who charge
way over the odds (3 times what some UK shops charge)
I cannot agree that Haggle is worth a mention : I have always found the owner obstreperous, the shop itself is disorganised and he often refuses to take payment by credit card, insisting you get cash from the supermarket next door
the staff at Flashback are really good
I love www.reckless.co.uk They sell mainly rock (classic, modern and indie etc) but fantastic place. They really know what they are talking about.
Crusin Records in Welling S.E London. Great local place, man seriously knows his stuff and a good mixture of modern, classic aswell as the usual d&b fodder.
good underground onine record store cheap & friendly, they stock drum & bass dubstep
http://www.nicesoundsrecords.co.uk
well, looks like time out does not know everything and people still depend on it.
Surely Retrobloke in Hendon is worth a mention. They are rammed full of great LPs and CDs and their super collectibles are much cheaper than in central London.
D.O.C. sadly closed a few months ago when the owner passed away. Record Detective Agency in Palmer's Green and Alan's in East Finchley definitely deserve a mention, as do Second Layer. Revival has been renamed Reckless for several months now... Haggle had a copy of Day V Lately in the window last time I passed...
Great that Time Out has this page - please keep the info current and inclusive.
Typical of Time Out - can't drag it's lazy arse north of Camden. You need to check out the wonderful Alans Records in East Finchley. Huge collection of vinyl acroos all genres. No fancy cup-cakes, but you can get a new set of keys cut while you're there.
Come on Time Out - stop being so central London biased and get out to the 'burbs once in a while!. Guess what - there's intersting stuff there too.
This is the best underground record store in London and should be on the list:
http://www.secondlayer.co.uk/
hagglevinyl is the top record store in the u.k. , have you chap's lost your marbles,
No Haggle or D.O.C., but then none of them serve coffee, cakes, clothes, or fit a lifestyle need, are a place to be seen, or offer much if an "experience" other than the one of being in a shop looking for a record. Need a good piece on the real forgotten record stores of London, rather than the ones everyone already knows, abd who get plugged every year at this time. These are kept alive (and I thank them) by (usually old, mostly insane) (usually) men through love alone.
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