Flashback
Do you know what’s nice? Seeing independent record shops spreading instead of closing. Flashback is firmly looking forward, with three London locations going gangbusters with new and used vinyl, DVDs, cassettes, merch and more. With stores in Islington, Shoreditch and Crouch End, good music is but a short tube ride away, wherever you are in the capital. If you’re after some rarities, then a rummage in the basement of the Essex Road branch is a great way to spend an afternoon – then pop to Past Caring, a junk shop par excellence, next door.
Address: Flashback, 50 Essex Road, Islington, London N1 8LR; Flashback, 131 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, London, E2 7DG; Flashback, 144 Crouch Hill, Crouch End, London, N8 9DX
Website: flashback.co.uk
UMusic Shop Camden
Twenty years ago, Camden was the home of British indie, with pork pie hats and skinny jeans strutting between the market and the Hawley Arms for a pint. Adele once lived at the Regent’s Park end of town, while the Amy Winehouse statue still stands proud in the market. A stones throw away is UMusic, a spacious shop dedicated as much to clothing and merch as it is vinyl. Don’t write it off as a T-shirt shop only, though – they do attract some big names, including Bon Jovi who stopped by before playing at Wembley recently.
Address: Unit 835, The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Rd, Chalk Farm, London NW1 8AH
Website: umusic-shop.com
Fopp
Part of a former mega-chain, the Covent Garden branch of Fopp isn’t just full of vinyl and CD bargains but also the best alt.culture books and arthouse movies on DVD. Yes, #SupportIndie, but also, the selection here is almost unrivalled. A worthwhile stop on a Central London record store crawl.
Address: Fopp, 1 Earlham St, London, WC2H 9LL
Website: fopp.com