Wrecka Stows – Page 3 – 7th Level Music

Wrecka Stow: Sister Ray Records – Soho, London, England

It’s a good thing I don’t live in London, because I would be perpetually broke from spending so much money at Sister Ray Records at 75 Berwick Street in Soho.

Not only is their collection extensive and widely varied, but the bargains to be had there are second to none.

This is a tiny sample of what they had to offer. They had any genre you wanted, and a lot of great collections for dirt cheap prices. I scored a three-disc house music collection for not even eight bucks, an Ian Dury three-CD anthology, a Jam collection, a live Julian Cope album, a remastered version of Psychedelic Furs‘ Talk Talk Talk album, a Viagra Boys album, and a live album by The Damned. The Julian Cope disc was the most expensive thing I bought, and that was barely twelve dollars after the price conversion from British pounds. They had a staggering number of multi-disc collections for under ten pounds each.

There was a lot more I wanted, and I barely even looked in their basement.

CDs upstairs, vinyl downstairs. Both floors have enough in the racks to keep you busy for hours. I could’ve stayed there until they closed the doors, and, again, the prices are stunning.

Do not miss this place if you’re ever in London. It’s a must-stop for music lovers and collectors.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Fopp – Edinburgh, Scotland

Conveniently located next to a bus stop in downtown Edinburgh, Scotland, Fopp is a chain of record stores around the UK, and this one had a lot of cool stuff in it – half of which I didn’t get to see because I got there about 20 minutes before they closed.

So, yes, first off – books, T-shirts, DVDs, and new music as soon as you walk in the door.

Vinyl? Of course there’s vinyl, as well as turntables and speakers.

Check out that Batman record between Nina Simone and Florence and The Machine!

There’s a wing of CDs as well, where I was tempted to grab about half a dozen things, but vinyl is king here.

Looking back, I should’ve grabbed that Radiohead shirt.

I did find a great CD score, however, settling for just one purchase since they were in the process of closing by the time I was sorting through many shelves of discs.

I’d been looking for stuff from The Limiñanas for a while, and here was a two-disc collection with 35 tracks. It was like finding a golden ticket in a Wonka bar.

There was an entire bottom floor full of DVDs and books that I didn’t get to see because of the short time I had there, but I’d happily go back. Don’t skip this place if you’re in Edinburgh.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: The Secret Book and Record Store / Freebird Records – Dublin, Ireland.

Dublin’s The Secret Book and Record Store, also known as Freebird Records, is a little bit hard to find. You have to go 300 meters from Grafton Street on Wicklow Street and look for this sign.

Then, go down this hall.

And, at the end of this hall, find this treasure trove.

That’s just some of the books, mind you. Most of those unopened boxes are full of books they haven’t yet shelved. Then, there’s the music…

Good grief, they pack in a lot of stuff into a reasonably small space. The place doesn’t feel cramped, however. It’s far enough off the busy street to be quiet and let you relax as you browse. My mother was with me on this trip, and she found a couple books she would’ve bought if she’d had more room in her carry-on bag. I had to limit myself to a small purchase, so I went with these.

I’ve been looking for that Faithless album for years, and that three-disc Slowdive collection was less than eighteen bucks. Yes, please.

It’s worth walking away from the beaten path to find this place. You won’t regret it.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Music & Video Exchange – Greenwich, London

Located on one of the main streets in London’s Greenwich district, Music & Video Exchange is another place you can get lost in for hours, but go on a cool day. It was a hot day in London when I was there, and this store has no air conditioning (like most places in London, really).

Don’t let that keep you from visiting this place, though, as they have a ton of cool stuff there. I mean, look at this.

I love how they have a section of vinyl called “NOISE NOISE NOISE.”

They had a lot of cool, collectible vinyl there, and this wall of rare 45s was neat to see.

The Motörhead and Au Pairs discs alone are worth a look.

As if all this weren’t enough, there’s an entire basement full of CDs.

You can also see shelves of DVDs in that photo. There was a lot I wanted to dig through there, but the basement was so humid that I couldn’t stay long. I did find a cool score upstairs, however.

Ten pounds for ten Tangerine Dream albums? Uh, yeah. That’s a steal.

I’ll be sure to go back here if I’m ever in Greenwich again. I have a lot of bins to search there.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Casbah Records – Greenwich, London.

Located in the lovely Greenwich borough of London, England, Casbah Records is a cool shop full of great stuff. You could easily spend a couple of hours there. They make a good use of the limited space and have a lot of different genres to choose from among the records, CDs, and DVDs.

They had a lot of good box sets, both for CDs and LPs. The sheer amount of neat collections they had for sale was impressive. You can see a great Neu! there on that shelf among other neat sets.

Choosing just a few things was difficult, but I went for these.

That Studio One Space-Age Dub Special looked too cool to pass up, as did DJ Format‘s Psych Out. I haven’t heard either, but they’re bound to be wild.

As is Casbah Records. Don’t pass it up if you’re in Greenwich.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: The Rhythm Section – Gatlinburg, TN

Located in the Mountain Mall at 611 Parkway in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, The Rhythm Section is one of the smallest stores in the entire mall, yet it makes the most of its size by jam-packing the shelves and bins with a lot of browse.

That’s just one wall of this place. There’s another wall full of CDs just like this. There’s also a lot of vinyl and DVDs, and an especially large collection of horror, cult, and sci-fi movies.

There’s plenty of fun stuff there, and a lot of fun gems if you take the time to dig through the shelves, crates, and boxes. I mean, who wouldn’t be tempted by stuff like this?

I snagged a CD copy of Acid King‘s Live at Roadburn album there. I probably would’ve bought a lot more (especially from those shelves of cult movie DVDs) if I’d had more time there.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Old Paint Records – Tucson, AZ

Located at 201 North Court Avenue in Tucson, Arizona, Old Paint Records is in a shopping center full of art stores, cafés, and interesting shops. It’s a small space, but they have a lot to like, especially if you’re looking for vinyl.

I love how they have a bunch of retro glow-in-the-dark posters for sale, too.

And check out that vinyl edition of “The Doll Squad” soundtrack!

There are cassettes and CDs as well, but the selection is limited. Still, it’s worth a look, as is the whole store and many other shops in the area.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Reckless Records – Chicago, IL

This is the second of the three Reckless Records locations I’ve visited in Chicago. This one is in the Loop at 26 East Madison and is a great way to kill some time if you’re downtown with extra time before your train leaves (as it was in my case).

The place has plenty of LPs, CDs, DVDs, and other stuff to tempt you, and I love how they mix up stuff in the same sections of the store.

Richard Marx next to Punk / Metal / Garage

Johnny Cash next to the “Harold and Maude” soundtrack and Yard Act’s “The Overload”

The variety of stuff there in the relatively small space is impressive. There are bins of LPs, stacks of 45s, shelves of DVDs, and boxes of CDs.

Check out that vintage Naked Raygun poster!

There’s also plenty of collector stuff, too, for all you vinyl lovers.

Yes, that is a first pressing original copy of Mariah Carey’s Christmas album up there.

I feasted on their boxes of 99-cent CDs and came away with a bunch of gems.

Two Esquivel albums, a collection of Orbital singles and rarities, a greatest hits compilation from Sade, a Sugar album, The The‘s classic Infected, and that collection of rare tracks and live tracks from The Last Four Digits alone was worth the trip.

Again, if you’re looking for a great way to spend some time in the Loop, check out this store.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Wooden Tooth Records – Tucson, AZ

Located at the corner of 7th and Hoff, Wooden Tooth Records is a cool place for vinyl, CDs, cassettes, books, and other groovy stuff in Tucson, Arizona.

I love that they have a small section of books that includes local zines and underground comics. They have a bunch of wild stuff on vinyl, too, such as these gems I spotted there.

That’s a great, and yet small example of their eclectic wares. Krautrock, electronic, ambient, folk, and children’s records in the same area!

Be sure to stop by when you’re in Tucson.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Alt Books and Records – Sedona, AZ

Located in the Tlaquepaque Shopping Center in Sedona, Arizona, Alt Books and Records is a neat little find amongst all the art galleries, high-end gift stores, and eateries. It’s on the second floor and has a neat collection of books and rare vinyl.

This is the first thing you see when you walk in the door.

The place has plenty of stuff to intrigue you. The store’s owner was playing The Jam‘s Setting Sons album at a good, loud volume while I was there. He has plenty of collectible records for you hardcore collectors, too.

The B-52’s debut album signed by Fred Schneider, no less.

A promo copy of a rare Flamin’ Groovies album!

This seems like a steal, even for that price.

Not into vinyl? How about high-quality prints of Dr. Seuss art? Yes, they have those as well.

And don’t forget about the books. They range on all different topics, from books on the Sedona vortices to ones on shamanism, world history, and, yes, fiction.

It’s a hip place. Don’t miss it.

Keep your mind open.

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