On Saturday, I spent a couple of hours sampling music on the MySpace pages of acts tagged as 'friends' on Steve Lamacq's page. In that time, I found one act I liked the sound of. One! My new found enthusiasm for tarting around on MySpace was quickly extinguished. The one act I liked? Well, for a start, they've already split up but, on the plus side, you can download their music for free from their site. They are The Arrogants and their music is essentially a rockier Sundays. Occasionally somebody gives them a few too many blue Smarties, but I suggest you have a listen. Go here for free audio goodness.
I finally visited Action Records in Preston yesterday. I've used them for mail order from time to time over the years, but I'd never previously experienced the shop. It was a delightful (and costly) experience. I'll get my one concern out of the way immediately: For most of the time that I was in the shop, there was no music playing. That's not right, is it? I used to have to budget extra when shopping in the now defunct Reveal Records of Derby to allow for the inevitable purchase of whatever was on the 'now playing' shelf. I expect to be bombarded with tunes and I don't remotely care if they're actually toss, just so long as they're there. Which reminds me. The other week, whilst browsing the vinyl department of a well-known Midlands indie store, the young lad behind the counter decided that the next record we were going to hear was the current (and oh-so-very-perfect) Elbow album, 'The Seldom Seen Kid'. He'd been playing a dance 12" previously and so, just as the record was starting, he flicked the speed from 45 to 331/3. Unfortunately for him, that particular album is pressed on two 45rpm discs. Plus, the opening track has a long, instrumental build-up before the vocal arrives. Hoping to communicate in the way only slightly anti-social, slightly hairy musos can, I looked across at him trying to convey my confusion about what was coming out of the speakers. At this point, he gave me a look that I can only describe as, "What, peasant? Haven't you heard this great record?" Once Guy Garvey's delightful voice grace the speakers, he hurriedly (and, agonisingly, audibly) dragged the needle away from the vinyl. A few seconds later, it returned at the correct speed. As I was leaving, I looked across and he scowled at me. If you're going to be an indie snob, know your bloody tunes. Like me, for example!
Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, Preston. Action Records is packed full of quality stock and disturbingly good prices. In particular, the new vinyl section is very reasonably priced. For example, the Johnny Flynn album, 'A Larum' is available as a double-vinyl, pop-up gatefold sleeve, limited edition for £20. In Action, £18. And such was the case for many other titles I could mention. There's a huge CD sale with piles of stuff reduced (admittedly not all of it worthy of your attention). Back catalogue isn't marked up ludicrously and it's clear that their approach to stock control is to keep prices low on stock that isn't shifting. Seems sensible, but so few other record shops do it. I won't say much more other than to once again recommend their excellent mail order service which is available on their website here and to reiterate how delightful I found to be. A rare beacon of splendour on an increasingly dour music shopping landscape.
On that note, I've put up a link to the 'Coalition' site along with the other record shops on the right-hand side of the page. I mentioned it a few months back and how it's meant to unite the remaining indie stores in the UK to make them stronger and to help with business. However, they're still not involving the good folk of Norman Records (or some other indie mail order types I can think of) because they don't have an actual shop. Surely, for something designed as a means of fighting the big companies who shut off doors to small companies, being elitist is rather anti the ethos of the Coalition? Who knows.
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