These are the UK record shops inspiring your fave new artists
In partnership with Marshall
Record shops are magical places. Not only are they the perfect place to discover your new favourite band or fall back in love with a familiar classic, they also offer a powerful introduction to the community that music inspires.
Last year it was reported that the demand for vinyl had increased in the UK for the 16th year in a row while the number of indie records stores also hit a 10-year high, with 461 to choose from.
To celebrate this continued interest in the art of crate-digging – and as part of our ongoing partnership with all-around audiophiles Marshall, who know a good vinyl shop when they see one – we decided to ask some of our favourite new acts for their record store recs…
Next Door Records, London
Chosen by: Matilda Mann – who makes gorgeous folk music which goes straight for the heart
“It’s a record store/cafe on the Uxbridge Road. I forgot when it opened but I remember waking in and searching through all their collections when I was little. I was just so drawn in by the atmosphere. They have a little section at the back to sit and then in the evening, it becomes a small dance floor while they DJ out front. It’s small but it has such a place in my heart. I’m so excited to be having a release party there for my debut album ‘Roxwell’.”
Most treasured purchase: ‘Juno OST’
“It’s one of my favourite albums ever and the first vinyl I bought. When I was about 15, I was obsessed with that movie, all the songs in it and how they paired together. It’s one of the main reasons I started writing my own songs and it made me fall more in love with movie soundtracks. The Moldy Peaches’ ‘Anyone Else But You’ was the first song I learned to play on guitar.”
Across The Tracks, Brighton
Chosen by: Welly – who make chaotic indie pop celebrating the drama of everyday life
“It’s on Sydney Street. It’s typical old-school record shop stuff – the staff are slightly standoffish, it’s a bit dog-eared round the edges, and a lot of the sleeves on the outside displays are rain-worn and sunbleached blue. But their selection is unmatched. Other Brighton sellers specialise in new releases (Family Store, Resident), dance/electronic (Rarekind, Cult Hero) or just nice, dusty stuff (Wax Factor, Fine Records) but Across the Tracks has it all. It even has a specific section for porno soundtracks. Oh! And it’s open ‘til six, so you can go after work or before the pub.”
Most treasured purchase: Michael Nyman – ‘The Draughtman’s Contract OST’
“In honesty, I mainly go for their CDs (the owner offered to burn me a copy of Scott Walker’s second album when he didn’t have it) but this was probably the best vinyl purchase. It opened me up to a world of orchestral pomp so far from Welly. No doubt I’ll be forcing baroque-pop on our fans by the next decade. Blame Across The Tracks!”
Flashback Records, London
Chosen by: Man/Woman/Chainsaw – who make fast and furious punk rock that’s as smart as it is scathing
Billy Ward (vocals): “When I first started getting into music, my nearest record shop was the old premises of their Crouch End branch. I’d take the bus and spend hours rifling through the whole collection, looking for artists I’d heard of and discovering and falling in love with a myriad of new ones. It’s a special place. Later on, when the band got started, we’d go on to play many gigs promoted by Flashback as well – they put on great shows.”
Most treasured purchase: T.Rex – ‘Electric Warrior’
“It’s an exceptionally beat-up copy of this scuzzy glam masterpiece. I found it for a fiver but it’s probably been the record I’ve played the most over the years. I’m also very fond of albums by Hüsker Dü, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth on Blast First (the UK imprint of the seminal US hardcore label SST) that I found in Flashback.”
Also chosen by: Terra Twin – who make woozy indie rock cut with a snarling angst
Maxim Baldry (vocals): “My favourite record shop is Flashback Records in Crouch End. I like to go in and grab something I’ve never heard of before. It’s where I discovered The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Bill Callahan – and knew I wanted to start a band. Lewis (Spear, guitarist) doesn’t shop for vinyl, the sleeves hurt his fingers.”
Most treasured purchase: Tim Maia – ‘O Descobridor Dos Sete Mares’
“You’ll impress a lot of people if you whip this one out after dinner. It’s got a dangerous amount of groove. After all – he’s the king of Samba Rock!
Monorail Music, Glasgow
Chosen by: Humour – the unpredictable art-punks who aren’t afraid of pulling their punchlines
“It’s an amazing space below a railway line in Trongate, in the city centre. It’s been open for over 20 years now and we all have nice memories of going there when we first moved to Glasgow. It stocks all sorts of things, old and new. It’s always busy because as well as the record shop, there’s a great bar serving amazing vegan food and a venue where we’ve seen some of our favourite shows. Porches and Militarie Gun there were particularly good.”
Most treasured purchase: Protomartyr – ‘The Agent Intellect’
“We bought Andreas (Christodoulidis, vocals) it for his birthday just before lockdown. We’d wanted to get their other more famous one, but it wasn’t there and this one was. During the first lockdown, we listened to it most nights alongside the other albums in our very limited and weird vinyl collection. We’d only recently got a record player so listening to albums in their entirety was not something we did much of. We grew to really love it over that period, and it had a huge influence on our ideas as we got going with Humour. We all have different favourites on the record which isn’t normally the case. Buying it almost by accident and then listening to it in the way we did is something that simply does not happen without record stores. It’s why they are important for music fans and bands.”
First Press Vinyl, Belfast
Chosen by: Chalk – the brooding rock & rollers offering noisy catharsis via boisterous bangers
Luke Niblock (drums): “It’s a brilliant local spot for us, and it’s got a bit of everything. Not only is [owner] Jason’s collection diverse and full of alternative music that we’re really into, but he’s always in and happy to chat and champion local music too. The shop itself, Bread And Records, is a 2-in-1, with the First Press Vinyl store connected to a bakery and coffee shop (Assemble) that sells really tasty stuff. All in all, there’s a really good vibe in there.”
Most treasured purchase: My Bloody Valentine – ‘Loveless’
“Ben (Goddard, guitarist) bought a UK first press of this. It’s one of his favourite albums, and when he saw it was for sale online, he rang up Jason. Jason kindly kept it behind the till for him before he bought it in the store.”
Disc Discovery, Hull
Chosen by: Chiedu Oraka – who makes progressive grime that always hits hard
“A couple of shops have come and gone but there’s only one legendary spot in my area that has survived the test of time. If you’re from Hull, then there is only one record store in my opinion that can enter your noggin. Based in Spring Bank, one of Hull’s cultural melting pots, we have the holy grail of record stores. From its eclectic choice of music to its cave-like basement aesthetic, it’s the perfect backdrop to stimulate the fantasies of any type of music lover. “
Most treasured vinyl: Naughty By Nature – ‘O.P.P.’
“It was the first vinyl I ever purchased so it will always stick in my mind. I just remember the joy when I first played it on our player at home. I’d heard it previously when my big sister and cousin used to play it in their bedroom and I just knew I needed to get my own version of it to put on when I wanted. The turntables rarely got used in our house when I was growing up. It was always tapes and CDs so I wanted to play music off something that no one could interfere with.”
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