Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Porthmadog, North WalesCob RecordsTo call Cob’s shopfront unassuming would be an understatement – but inside lies a Tardis of musical rarities. More than 15,000 second-hand vinyls, with a special focus on the 1960s to the 1980s, and over 6,500 CDs (remember those?). “If we can’t get it for you, nobody can,” is the motto – and it still holds true nearly 50 years after it was founded. Alexander TyndallStockholmAndra JazzIt would be hard to pack more jazz records into this shop. It can feel a little overwhelming at times, especially trying to navigate the somewhat esoteric filing system. But there is plenty of used jazz gold (less so from more modern groups), and it’s possible to spend hours digging through choice cuts by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus and more obscure artists. Richard MilneNew York CityWestsider RecordsA quiet music sanctuary 10 minutes from Central Park, this store offers vintage records from acclaimed names such as Miles Davis to lesser-known jazz artists like Zoot Sims. Ask manager Bruce Eder for expert recommendations on its collection, which spans classical, jazz, soul, disco and more. Elena LosavioParisBar Italia RecordsLocated next door to the historic Père Lachaise cemetery (the last resting place of musical greats like Édith Piaf, Chopin and Jim Morrison), Bar Italia specialises in new releases, second-hand records and Italian vinyl. Opened in 2023 by Sicilian-native Massimiliano Diliberto Paulsen, the shop is a haven from the tourist crowds and organises musical showcases while serving proper Italian coffees. Ben MarinoStockholmNostalgipalatsetThis store certainly lives up to its name: its basketball court-sized main room in the Swedish capital is crammed full of vinyl from just about every genre, a great collection of 7in singles, and plenty of other nostalgia from film posters to Dinky Toys. Next door, Trash Palace covers heavy metal and punk music. The records are decently priced, and alongside most of the classics, there is a decent sprinkling of rarities. I’ve picked up obscure Led Zeppelin live albums, Congolese soukous, and ’90s indie here. RMLondonSounds of the UniverseSounds of the Universe, which occupies a prime corner site in Soho, doubles as the HQ of Soul Jazz Records and stocks the label’s huge back catalogue of reissues and compilations. The shop is also a destination for DJs, with stock in a range of genres from reggae and jazz, through hip hop, Afrobeat and house, to Krautrock and the early 1980s New York avant-garde. Jonathan DerbyshireMalvernCarnival Records Hidden down an alleyway opposite the splendour of Great Malvern Priory, Carnival Records is a great symbol of a slew of provincial record shops that have sprung up in recent years across the UK, offering friendly service and a decent spread of used and new vinyl, including boxsets. Carnival has a second room of cheaper vinyl for extra digging. RMSydneyRed Eye RecordsA single bloodshot eye stares at the buses that stop outside the romanesque-style Queen Victoria Building shopping arcade inviting people down to one of the last bastions of Sydney’s once-thriving underground (literally) music scene. Red Eye Records has been operating since 1981 around town and has retained the feel of a traditionally chaotic music store. Its blood-red walls are plastered with heritage tour posters and expensive rarities. But unlike the new generation of vinyl-only music stores, the high-priced new vinyl releases, rarities and used oddities are still accompanied by racks of music books and CDs, which, the store says, still sell well to both young and old who can’t, or won’t, spend $80 on a new piece of vinyl. Nic FildesCopenhagenOoh Aah RecordsThe shop belies its compact nature in a residential street to offer Copenhagen’s best vinyl experience. The selection of records is eclectic but does not aim for completeness. Instead, Tim Rose is one of the friendliest and chattiest record shop owners, and offers everything from Kiss and Björk to world music and even some vintage football tops. They offer a bigger selection online on Discogs too. RM LondonThird Man RecordsI stumbled upon this store’s startling façade near Carnaby Street last summer. The store was bustling with fans of Jack White – the musician behind the shop and its eponymous label – who had just released his album. I walked in looking for No Name’s blues-punk tunes but stayed to explore a selection of live gigs recorded directly on vinyl, along with unissued music like Martin Solis’ rich Tejano sounds. ELoxfordTruck StoreThe Oxford branch of “Oxfordshire’s longest-running independent record store” on the Cowley Road attracts student hipsters and musos alike. It shares its space with the independent coffee shop Mostro, so you can get your flat white fix while browsing the new releases and tightly curated second-hand section. A small in-store stage showcases live performances by local talent. ATKrakówPaul’s BoutiqueSituated in the heart of Kazimierz, this is one of a number of hip shops in the historic Jewish quarter of Kraków. Named after perhaps the Beastie Boys’ best record, the store offers a decent collection of Polish jazz – one of the best and most vibrant scenes on the continent – as well as jazz and hip hop. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful, even opening on a holiday for me to collect some records. RMKingston upon ThamesBanquet RecordsCome for the comprehensive edit of contemporary indie, rock and dance records – stay for the 200 gigs a year the shop puts on, whether in its intimate onsite space, the Pryzm nightclub around the corner or St John’s Church on the outskirts of town. Tickets are not expensive and sometimes free when you buy an album. While many record stores rightly cherish the past, Banquet feels like it’s got its eye on the future. ATBudapestKalóz RecordsBudapest’s best record shop feels small, but is so well curated that there are hours of digging fun to be had. Everything from Hungarian prog music to techno and Indian raga is represented, and there’s a special selection of pressings from behind the old Iron Curtain. There is no turntable to listen to discs, but the staff will play your records on the main system. RMLeedsTribe RecordsThis electronic music-focused store has been around in some form or another since the mid-1990s. It’s an absolute mainstay of the dance scene in the north of England. Breen TurnerLondonHonest Jon’sRun out of Portobello Road for a half century, Honest Jon’s has expanded to an excellent record label (home to the fabulous London Is The Place For Me compilations) as well as a wonderful but tiny second shop in Coal Drops Yard by King’s Cross. The shop majors in jazz, soul, and what it calls Outernational music that is well curated and always full of surprises. RMLondonHawkeye Enterprises and Starlight Records Not much is left of north-west London’s 1970s reggae scene, though in Harlesden there are two originals: Starlight Records and Hawkeye Enterprises. Neither is in mint condition, with Starlight reduced to a corridor by a money changers and Hawkeye an annexe to Caribbean bakery, but their place in Black British music history deserves respect. Bryce ElderStroudKlang Tone RecordsThe Cotswold town of Stroud has no fewer than three great record shops – all arguably better than those in the bigger towns in Gloucestershire – and Klang Tone might be the best of them. Reflecting owner Sean Roe’s eclectic tastes from Japanese music and Afrobeat to far-out jazz and reggae, Klang Tone is well suited to finding discs you have never heard of and never knew you wanted. RMMelbourneGreville RecordsSituated in the nightlife-heavy inner suburb of Prahan is an institution; the shop has been on Greville Street since 1979 and has survived the downturns in vinyl, cassettes and CDs to thrive once again on vinyl. It was originally set up as an alternative to conservative music shops that did not stock overseas punk and metal records and has been around long enough to see those genres enter the mainstream. It now caters to pretty much any taste you care to name. The shop – which smells like old records – is gloriously crowded with crates, handwritten dividers and musical paraphernalia everywhere you turn. It is also a great place to spot local and touring musicians that swing by to catch up with the well-connected owner Warwick Brown. NFLisbonFlur Lisbon is a great place to find music from across the Lusophone world, and its flea markets have plenty of gems from Cabo Verde, Angola, Brazil, and Guinea-Bissau. The best record store though is Flur, home to plenty of discs, many of them local and inspired by the former Portuguese colonies. RMNew York CityJazz Record CenterTucked away on the eighth floor of a nondescript office building in the West 20s in Manhattan, Jazz Records is a veritable Aladdin’s cave for jazz heads, with an immaculately curated range of both new and secondhand albums. The inaccessibility and vague air of secrecy just add to the allure. I spent $100 in there on a recent visit, but could easily have dropped a thousand. JDBarcelonaBarcelona City RecordsDown a side street off La Rambla, Barcelona City Records is one of Europe’s best shops to pick up Latin records. I recently filled my boots with fabulous pressings from Colombia’s legendary Discos Fuentes and some other 1960s cumbia discs. But there’s plenty else. RMLeedsVinyl WhistleVinyl Whistle, with its fully licensed cafe, DJ nights and live performances from established names such as former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler as well as up-and-coming local acts, fits in perfectly in Leeds’s vibrant Headingley. A city with a rich musical tradition, Leeds has produced famous names including indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs and soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae. The new and secondhand records at Vinyl Whistle offer a similar breadth of genres. Lukanyo MnyandaLeedsJumbo An institution – especially for keeping up with live music. You can really get a sense of how important live music is to Jumbo by how many gig listings are on the front page of their site, alongside the expected vinyl releases. They sell a little bit of everything and they’re very good at it. BTParisSuperfly RecordsSince the demise of the much-missed Crocojazz on the Left Bank, this Haut Marais institution is just about the best place for serious jazz lovers to hunt for vinyl in Paris. You might also find yourself distracted here by the sumptuous selection of music from Francophone Africa and Latin and Lusophone America, as well as from countries across Europe. If anywhere’s going to have that album of cold war-era Czech library music you’ve been searching for, it’s Superfly. JDEdinburghThorne RecordsThorne Records, with its bright yellow exterior, is hard to miss among the specialty shops and restaurants in the fashionable Edinburgh neighbourhood of Bruntsfield. Customers – from local residents to university students to tourists – have access to a wide collection of “popular” music from the 1950s to the latest Taylor Swift. If you still cannot find what you are looking for, owner Mark Thorne will search far and wide, in line with his motto that every customer should leave happier than when they arrived. LMOsloRåkk & RållsLocated just off Oslo’s main shopping drag and across the road from Norway’s parliament, it’s a cavernous store chock full of thousands of used vinyl (and CDs). Some of the rarer discs are at suitably Norwegian prices, but the rest is decently priced and there are plenty of rarities. RMDundeeAssai RecordsIts founder having caught the revival and built a business selling vinyl online, Assai opened its first physical shop in a Dundee suburb in 2015 then moved into the city centre four years later. In-store performances by local bands and hard-to-find pressings, including an exclusive range with Japanese-style “obi” paper strips, have helped build its reputation as a tastemaker as well as a community hub. BEParisDizonordIt’s the brainchild of record dealers Xavier Ehretsmann and Vincent Privat; the duo met at a record fair and, in 2019, joined forces on their own bricks-and-mortar space – a cultural hub for kids and adults alike – near Paris’ Montmartre neighbourhood, followed by a second outpost in Marseille. Their selection is eclectic; from French boogie to folk and afro/cosmic beats, they also stock vintage books and posters, including a highly coveted collection of “rave flyers” from cities across the world. Inès CrossNew York CityAcademy Records & CDsNew York may be over and the glory days long gone, but Academy Records is still hopping. Opened in the late 1970s, this warren of lightly used treasures offers a surprisingly broad catalogue of vinyl, DVDs and Blu-Rays. Not to mention the best selection of classical music in the city. For the most part, prices seem to be from another, better era, too. Matt VellaLondonRough Trade, Denmark StreetRough Trade renewed its central London presence last October, 17 years after it shut its basement store in Covent Garden. The Denmark Street store is much smaller than its flagship Brick Lane outlet, but offers a well curated selection of vinyl and CDs, and hosts gigs, book signings and listening parties. One suggestion for the independent chain though: Peter Watts’ recent book about the street’s pivotal role in the UK music industry would be a wise title to stock. Murray WithersBerkeley, CaliforniaAmoeba MusicWalking into Amoeba’s flagship in Berkeley requires passing under an enormous painted rainbow – a fitting entry onto hallowed ground. America’s largest (and best) independently owned record store is located at ground zero of the US free speech and anti-war movements, and the spirit of iconoclastic rebellion is alive and well inside. The huge selection of vinyl is priced to move and turns over daily so, even on a short timeframe, repeat visits are usually worth making. It also has locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. MVWeston, LincolnshireUptown VinylIn the corner of Baytree Garden Centre, beside the owl sanctuary and a showroom of wood-burning stoves, are approximately a quarter of a million second-hand records. Uptown is intimidating. You’d need at least a day to get through the four rooms, which cover every genre and value, from one-off private pressings to bins of singles for 50p each. If you want it, Uptown probably has it, though good luck finding it. BEFrederiksberg, DenmarkSound StationSound Station’s unassuming shopfront calls to mind the opposite of Salieri’s description of the Adagio movement from Mozart’s Serenade No 10. A rusty squeeze box this ain’t. Inside, you’ll find Denmark’s best-stocked record store with an enormous selection of rare and collectable vinyl. The new LP section is bountiful too. The chances of leaving the Station without something on your list are nearly nil. MVLagosJazzholeVisiting Jazzhole, a quaint little shop in the wealthy Ikoyi neighbourhood of Lagos, can sometimes feel like travelling back in time. Despite its being located on a busy thoroughfare, the world slows down inside as you become surrounded by an impressive collection of vinyls of Nigerian greats and African records. It doubles as a bookshop with a reliable supply of global and African literature classics and magazines from a different era. It’s an intimate space that serves as part café and part treasure trove. Aanu AdeoyeBrooklynThe ThingMost record retailers favour order, with crates carefully arranged by label or genre and new releases displayed like trophies behind the counter. The Thing, a basement thrift store in Brooklyn, is chaos. Records are stacked on top of each other with careless abandon. Digging might turn up anything, though is sure to leave a layer of dust on your fingers. Social media fame means the stock is picked over for rarities these days, but the experience remains grimily authentic. BEParisHarkCo-founded by the French-Taiwanese DJ Louise Chen with the aim of creating a welcoming and laidback space for music nerds, this airy 11th-arrondissement spot is one of the less intimidating record stores to visit. With a mix of second-hand and new records, and a mélange of genres, it regularly hosts listening parties and private collection sales with music insiders such as Desire Records founder Jérôme Mestre. It also has a hifi repair workshop on the same block. Ellie PithersHelsinkiDigeliusFounded in 1971, Digelius attained legendary status among Helsinki’s vinyl collectors before being taken over in 2023 by the successful local We Jazz label. That ensures that it covers the hip end of modern releases from both local and international artists, but there is a decent second-hand offering, particularly of jazz but also of classical and world music. RMLondonSoul Brother RecordsA short walk from East Putney tube, this tiny shop, which used to be the location of the shop owner’s hairdresser, is packed full of soul and jazz records and CDs. Laurence Prangell, who started selling records with his brother Malcolm at record fairs in the late 1980s, opened the store in 1994 and quickly established a loyal following of vinyl collectors from around the world who come to him for rare issues of American funk and soul artists. Soul Brother also has a record label dedicated to re-issues, most famously a Marlena Shaw anthology. Gordon Smith
