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| | Great move to include Volcanic Tounge - possibly THE best record shop anywhere that seems to cater just for me - now that's the mark of a great place. I'll mention Rounder Records in Brighton here 'coz they have a big range of stuff on cd and vinyl (indie, post-rock, alt country/folk, electro, house, hip-hop)in a tiny little space and supremely knowledgeable staff. It is a tiny space though. |
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| | Nice column. I'll probably never get to any of these shops but I know exactly what you're describing. So, didn't get to Melbourne then? When you have the chance check out both Missing Link and Greville Street Records, and for blues/soul/country etc and great in-store sounds it's Hound Dog's. |
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| | Zulu Records was the undisputed high point of my vacation in Vancouver this summer. I have a little list in my wallet (don't we all?) of things to look for wherever I go. One hour in Zulu was all it took to amass an armload of CDs that had been on my list for years. Their European imports are priced far lower than anyone in the States, and they have an impressive collection of region-free music & documentary DVDs which, again, never show up in US stores (not even Amazon). I also loved their attention to full catalogues for artists they consider worthy -- so maybe they'll only carry the most recent Cure, but right next to it are SEVEN Ivor Cutler titles. The majority of new CDs have employee reviews affixed, which makes the store kind of like Aquarius in San Francisco (another favorite), only much, much larger. I went back twice. |
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| | I really enjoyed this piece and I think it's been a long time coming for a publication to shed some light on the stores that sell us the music. I have a feeling I'm not the only one though that will question Rotate This!'s inclusion and not Soundscapes' for Toronto's representation. While Rotate is certainly a "hipster mecca" and it feels great to walk outta there with vinyl in that nice brown paper bag, Soundscapes has such a welcoming, sanitary atmosphere - not unlike a library or a fancy lighting store - that makes you feel like you're shopping in the comforts of your own home. I think they also have better imports (on CD, of course, since they're vinyl-less) and competitive, if not better prices than Rotate. The themed displays and assortment of listening stations is a nice touch, but then again, Rotate will play you whatever the hell you want, if one of the stereo's is free. When it comes down to it, I always find it tough to choose a winner between the two, which is why I think they should both be in here. |
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| | I would like to add Soundscapes (College St., Toronto, ON) to the international list. It is well organized, immaculately clean, and stocks cool movies as well. No vinyl to speak of, but if you like indie music on CD, this is the only place you need to stop. I would also like to give a shout out to London, Ontario's only two decent record shops: Grooves (Clarence St.) and Speed City Records(Richmond St.). If you are ever in London, these are the two places to go for the best in new and used CDs and vinyl. |
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| | hah, i was going to come on here and mention my preference for soundscapes to rotate this, but i see two people have already beat me to the punch. |
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| | Um, where's famous troll hone_heke now? Spends all week bitching that he didn't see any non-US stores, and how here's a whole page of them and he's nowhere to be found. Please die, loser. |
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| | In Israel, you may find some good deals in the 3rd Ear, but their selection is generally overpriced. And if you're looking for electronic music, you should look someplace else, as most of the staff are old-school purists, who think that if a record has club asthetics, it sucks.
For the electronic minded shopper, a much better choice is Uganda in downtown Jerusalem (4 Aristoblos str). Small and hidden from view, it is run by the founders of the Jerusalmite electro label Ak-Duck. They sell records, comics, coffee, and beer, and on Tuesday and Friday they also have legendary Hummus.
While the selection in Uganda isn't huge, they take orders, and every records they stock is worth listening to.
Just ask Stephan O'Malley: when he was in Jerusalem, he DJed there on Friday afternoon, but stayed long after his set ended. |
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