Sheffield’s bands and music venues are often talked about and are incredibly well-known. For a city of its size, Sheffield is seemingly always punching above its weight musically speaking. However, what is never really talked about in Sheffield are the incredible record stores we have in the city. So we’ve put together this guide of some of the best in the city.
Record Collector (est. 1978)
Where is it?
Record Collector is located at 223 Fulwood Road, in Broomhill. It is right next to the Subway, just opposite the Balti King. It is open 10am – 5:45pm every day except Wednesday and Sunday.
My Thoughts
Record Collector is a staple of the Sheffield music scene, being the oldest surviving record shop in the city. It is undeniably the first place you should visit if you’re a fresher who has a passion for music. The fact that it is opposite the Morrison’s in Broomhill means that it’s incredibly easy to drop in and spend some time crate digging on the way back from a lecture or a quick shop. However, regardless of it’s location, Record Collector is always worth a visit, as the selection of music on offer here really is superb, bolstered by a great second hand and discounted section that is updated regularly. It’s also worth pointing out that the CD side of the shop has masses of very well-priced music if you collect the smaller and more portable of the physical formats, as well as a DVD section for all your documentary and live music needs. In terms of Record Collector purchases that have blown me away, some highlights include Piano Magic’s ethereal and at times haunting classic Low Birth Weight and Global Communication’s ambient magnum opus 76:14.
Bear Tree Records (est. October 2015)
Where is it?
Bear Tree records is nestled away within the Forum, the independent shopping arcade found on Division Street in the city centre. Found at the very back of the arcade, past the Common Room. Bear Tree is open from 11am til 3pm every day bar Sunday.
My Thoughts
From a customers perspective, Bear Tree is laid out extremely well. It is the place to go if you are looking for a comprehensive selection of reissues from a very wide range of genres and styles, especially those that are more experimental, and/or electronic, although they do stock the vast majority of current releases. The labelling of the genres is also really specific, which helps massively when digging through crates upon crates of music that covers such an array of sounds, ideas and approaches. If you’re looking for new releases, Bear Tree is the place to go, as the owner Joe is an expert on all of the music he sells, and will always point you in the direction of something great that you’d otherwise never have heard. Whilst it might be a little lacking in it’s second-hand offerings, Bear Tree really is fantastic. In addition to being a great city centre record shop, in a great location (just round the corner from West Street), Bear Tree also manages to organise intimate gigs with some fantastic artists, typically along with in-store signings. Some of these recent gigs include Fontaines D.C. and Wet Leg, both of whom played at Foundry. Some standout releases that I have picked up here include Bark Psychosis’ 1992 Manman EP, and Karate’s jazz rock masterpiece The Bed Is In The Ocean.
Record Junkee (est. 1994)
Where is it?
Record Junkee is found on Earl Street, one of the side roads off of The Moor. Located above Music Junkee, both shops are found opposite the Moor Indoor Market. Record Junkee is open 9am – 5:30pm everyday but Sunday, where it is open 10am – 5pm.
My Thoughts
Record Junkee holds the unique position of being part-music shop, part-record shop, and part-gig venue, and somehow manages to excel at all of these. While it’s not the most streamlined of layouts when it comes to record stores, it is still easy to find some really great stuff. On top of stocking all the new releases that you could want, Record Junkee also has a particularly extensive selection of electronic releases, making this arguably the place to go if you’re looking for some more obscure techno, house, IDM and beyond. The store also has one of the most comprehensive offerings of the more alternative branches of metal such as stoner, doom, and post-metal. This speaks to Record Junkee’s longstanding association with the Doomlines festival that is hosted by the neighbouring venue Network during Tramlines weekend each year, where the cream of the UK doom metal crop descends upon Sheffield, high wattage amplifiers and fuzz pedals in tow. For me personally, within only a few minutes of digging through the genuinely overflowing racks of crates, racks and shelves of vinyl, I managed to stumble on two all time favourite records of mine, Lift To Experience’s utterly unique psychedelic, post-apocalyptic religious epic The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads, and a first pressing of the wonderful Whirlpool by Chapterhouse.
LP Record Store (est. 1995)
Where is it?
LP Record Store is located at 137A Arundel Street, near The Globe pub, as well as the majority of Sheffield Hallam buildings. LP Records is open 11am – 5pm, Monday to Saturday, and is closed Sundays.
My Thoughts
While LP does indeed stock reissues of popular and new releases just like most stores, the real advantage that it has over others is the second hand section. Not only is it diverse and varied, but it is also backed up by owner Mark’s knowledge of the genres which can be found in the shop, such as jazz, blues, folk, and classic rock. If you ever wanted to be pointed in the right direction regarding the works of Gary Numan, Mark is an expert on it and will be sure to guide you towards his best and most essential and obscure releases. LP is best for when you are wanting to pick up something incredible that you would otherwise never listen to, this is the place to go. In terms of what I have picked up there, Mark recommended Charlie Parker’s Birds Nest, which has since become one of my favourite summery jazz records, and a 7” featuring The Beat’s cover of Tears of a Clown.
Spinning Discs (est. April 2015)
Where is it?
The furthest away in this whole guide, Spinning Discs is found at 107-109 Chesterfield Road, in Meersbrook, near Abbeydale Road. Spinning discs is open Tuesdays – Fridays from 12pm – 7:30pm, Saturdays 10:30am – 5pm, and Sundays 11am – 4pm.
My Thoughts
I personally found Spinning Discs to cater particularly well for my tastes, with their second hand section providing first presses of Curve’s ‘Doppelgänger’, two early and thus superb Swervedriver EPs, plus The Telescopes’ visceral noise punk shoegaze classic ‘Taste’, amongst other really great stuff. Although they themselves downplay the extent to the variety of stock they carry, the shop has all sorts of releases, and with a massive second hand section (be sure to allocate a lot of time to sifting through it as there is always too much to choose from). I can’t recommend this shop enough, even if it is a little out of the way for a lot of students, the shop and its staff make for a very welcoming environment that you’ll really struggle to leave empty handed, a trip to Spinning Discs will always be worthwhile, and with the wealth of independent eateries and bars in Meersbrook and nearby Abbeydale Road, you can always break up your browsing.
