empty sleeve

a blog about record shops

Category: Rock

Three Stores in Bangkok

Friend, collaborator and committed digger Longboss reports that Thailand isn’t all bootleg DVDs and CDRs… Bangkok’s Chinatown is where you can find Mr Chokkchai’s Broadway Records as well as Cathay records and an unnamed corner store run by the city’s grumpiest man. These three make up Bangkok’s (and probably Thailand’s) last remaining vinyl record precinct. […]

Big City Records, Manhattan

“New York, New York is where we live and we’re thorough Never taking shorts cuz Brooklyn’s the borough” Having come of age to a walkman-delivered soundtrack of golden-era hip hop jams I’m a sucker for the romance and mythology of New York city. My own time record shopping there was an all too brief period […]

Good Records, Manhattan

One of the many tightly clustered spots on E 5th St, Good Records is always well stocked with secondhand jazz, rock, soul, disco, rap, house, latin, reggae, blues, folk and soundtrack LPs, 12″s and 45s. Top rarities behind the counter too. The owner was once clearing a stash of sealed Bob Chance – It’s Broken […]

CO-OP 87, Brooklyn

Hot tip from Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control. Not sure how I’ve missed this spot during previous visits but it’s been open since 2009. Run by two former managers of Academy Records, CO-OP 87 has an amazing selection of new and used across the board. You’d expect it to be […]

South Melbourne Market: Balearic Goldmine?

Well, probably not. Dim Sim goldmine, sure.  But I did walk out of this textbook music stall with the 12″ dub mix of Womack and Womack’s Life Is Just A Ballgame; the 7″ of Thinking of You by Paul Weller; Tom Tom Club’s The Man With the Four-Way Hips 12″ (already owned but couldn’t leave it […]

Rubbergard Record,Tokyo

Specialising in Latin, soul, jazz and rock, Rubbergard lies quietly in the back alleys a few minutes walk from Jinbōchō station. It offers a premium selection lovingly curated by an enthusiast of the Central and South Americas. The beautifully fitted out store is refreshingly open with two listening stations sitting comfortably in the centre and […]

Rare Groove, Osaka

Run by Norio, an all-time nice guy, local party promoter and inspirational DJ, Rare Groove is an absolute must for Osaka visitors. Great records across the board here, thanks to Norio who constantly jets to the States to dig deep and has a trusted network of international dealers. Definitely caters far beyond its “Rock, Disco, […]

Revelation Time, Osaka

Within walking distance of Rare Groove, Revelation Time is a magical store that I’ll never forget. Its owner Eiji speaks fluent English, having previously lived in London and travels to Utrecht twice a year. Eiji’s stock stands alone as being very Euro-centric but also accommodates a lot of US, Canadian, Bollywood and South American music. […]

Zoltan, Istanbul

Large scale thanks go out to world traveler, DJ, occasional poncho-wearer and record collector Gordy Zola who has contributed the following amazing store reviews plus photographs from his recent Euro trip… Zzzzzoltan!! The best shop ever! This place was closed when I first got to Istanbul. When I came back two weeks later I checked […]

Plakhane, Istanbul

Whoa! Plakhane is a super nice store. Air conditioning, polished floor boards, great racks, listening table, sweet Turkish cuts! Thought I was never going to find it and had almost given up after a good half hour of fruitless laneway wandering, then I found it opposite a kind of car park. The dude behind the […]