News

Bury Times 14/01/11 BURY’S best-known independent record retailer has closed its doors after trading for 33 years. A statement urged buyers to use other independent record stores and warned: “If you don’t, you will lose them all. It’s been a great journey, we only wish it could have continued. Thank you for all your support.” […]

From the Kilmarnock Standard 28/01/11 Valhalla Records in Titchfield Street closes its doors for the final time on Saturday after an 18-year link with the town. A combination of internet sales, supermarket cut-pricing, and record labels’ indifference to independent stores is being blamed by owner Dave Ross, a living legend on the local music scene. […]

It’s just getting silly now!  From the Irish Times 17/01/11 The Zhivago chain of music stores in Galway confirmed today it has gone into voluntary liquidation. Up to 15 jobs are to be lost as a result of the move. Sound City Galway Limited, the company behind Zhivago, said the popularity of online music sales had impacted […]

After the closure of the much loved Road Records in Dublin it is sad to see another shop City Discs also now closing. Ireland suffers even more than the UK over pricing and I do feel guilty every time a customer from Dublin buys a lot of CDs because they are so much cheaper over […]

We recently had a collection come in including several albums that had come from Rough Trade with bonus CDs. Now we are often asked how they manage this and of course there is no simple answer. Much as record companies and labels love independent shops in theory they don’t want to piss off HMV or […]

Mary Portas has some advice for HMV in Sunday’s Telegraph based on her visit to their shop in Gatwick airport. Not an obvious choice I would have thought. Simon Fox won’t be too perturbed with her comments I’m sure but his visual merchandising director and independent shops may not be too happy. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8286314/Shop-Mary-Portas-at-HMV.html Oh, and […]

Not very exciting with lots of the big indie bands you might expect but tied at no.30 are a couple of Fire Engines. Russell Burn’s Spectorbullets and Davy Henderson’s Sexual Objects. The latter is quite an achievement given it is only available in the shop on vinyl. Pipping them both at 29 is a certain […]

Admiral Fallow – Boots Met My Face It was very close but the new stock arrived just in time to pip the big boys like Vampire Weekend and Bonnie Prince Billy. Interestingly we have a joint No.30 with two old friends tying for the coveted spot ! More tomorrow.

I’ve finally worked out which album grabbed that all important No. 20 spot. Also which albums just missed out at 21 to 30 and the top 5 reissues I mentioned but forgot to publish.

With a rather large Joy Division poster behind the coffee counter we could not have a better guest in the shop than Kevin Cummins famous not only for his photos of Joy Division but a host of other bands including The Smiths, The Stone Roses and Oasis. Kevin will be happy to answer questions about […]