Somebody made a similar request recently on a mailing list I'm on, and somebody else responded with a full and extremely useful looking list, which I saved for my own perverted purposes, and which I reproduce here:
[Quote]
RECORDS
Berwick St
This Street is full of record shops it isnt a very long st and is in the
centre of Soho running south of Oxford St.
Selectadisc and Sister Ray:
Independents
Have a wide range. Reasonably priced for new stuff.
Sister Ray also do collectable stuff - though it is expensive.
Reckless Records
2nd Hand.
Has 2 premises 1 is indie/rock/pop and the other is dance. Some of the
more collectable stuff in Reckless Records is in the basement. They have
a really annoying habit of sticking big price stickers on their stuff
which are very hard to get off and I dont understand why they plaster them
all over collectables.
Music And Video Exchange
2nd Hand
Pretty much next door to Sister Ray. They are a bit more pile them high
sell them cheap. But you can find some bargains here.
Also
There are 2 cheap floggers of CDs in Berwick St. One pretty much
opposite Reckless I think called Mr CD.
It has lots of rubbish but sometimes you can find promo stuff here that is
really cheap and about 2 months advance. There is also another one pretty
much opposite Sister Ray.
There are also a couple of dance shops in this street and a few dance
places on the street off them.
Mr Bongo
Poland St - excellent dance shop.
Steves Sounds
Newport Court - small street which is between Gerrard St ( this is china
town ) and Charing X Road Pile them high sell them cheap CD place - again
sometimes excellent for promos - they only do cash.
Fantastic Plastic
Dance Shop in Covent Garden, bugger I cant remember the address.
Rough Trade
Neals Yard Covent Garden
THE INDEPENDENT.
This is located in the basement of the shop "Slam City Skates" it is
incredibly hard to find. Also very close is Neals Yard Dairy which is a
cheese shop par excellence. One of the guys behind the counter in Rough
Trade was in the band LOOP. They have a mix of independent stuff and
dance - more dance these days also they like their reggae.
Rhythm Records
High St Camden.
This is an independent - it certainly used to be as good as
Selectadisc/Sister Ray but I havent been out and about in Camden in a
coiuple of years so I dont know. Also the main drag in Camden has a
number of collector shops - I know there is at least one that specialises
in Goth stuff ( Resurrection? ). However these places are either
basements or upstairs so you have to watch carefully to find them. Stuff
can be pricey but some of it is hard to find stuff and so probably worth
it. The markeet in camden is worth a walk around even though people will
tell you its not as good as it used to be......
Rough Trade ( Main shop )
Talbot Road Just off Portobello Road.
Excellent indie.
Intoxica
Portobello Road
Collectibles, expensive though probably has the largest collection of
Stereolab stuff in the world. [I can vouch for this one, is brilliant for lounge and exotica, but also has a good selection of weirdy rock type stuff. Well, it did when I went there about 4 years ago, ahem - Sav]
There are other places on portobello road and the streets of it eg
"Minus Zero" is in Blenheim Crescent and specialises in 60s to present
garage-punk stuff. Also Honest Jons - jazz/blues
The Portobello market at the weekend is very good.
Other places if you get that far
Beggars Banquet - Putney Bridge ( very west )
Also there is a good 2nd Hand place on Church Road in Stoke Newington (
very north and I think a bit east ) I think it is called Totem.
FOOD
Viet Hoa - vietnamese - Kingsland Road ( eastish ) - excellent food
excellent value. Fantasticallyu wayward service sometimes which is part
of the charm - cheap about 15 pounds.
Mela - indian - Shaftesbury Ave ( this is central ) - new wave indian -
specialises in wonderfully spiced grilled meats - very few curries on
menu. 15-20 quid depending on what you are having.
Busabi - Thai - wardour st ( central ) attempting to do a Wagamamas for
Thai food. quite good cant book though which is a fucker if there are
more than 4 of you.
Suggestion for the best Sunday in West London:
Book lunch at the George IV on Harrow Road - trendy gastropub.
After lunch cross road and take the tour of Kensal Green Cemetery which I
think starts at 2:15pm and costs I think 5 quid. There are more famous
dead people in this cemtery than any other in london, though it is the
stories behind some of the long dead and forgotten people that are the
most enthralling eg the monument on the grave of the founder of the
"London Rubber Company" is a huge column - guess what they made?
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Thanks, anonymous mailing list bloke! |
