In the age of digital music, internet shopping and supermarkets undercutting everybody there will…read morealways be a place for an independent record store where you can guarantee the staff know there stuff, can make recommendations, get you hard to find Record Store Day vinyl without the need to trek to Rough Trade in London. If you like your Punk, Metal, Emo, Screamo, Hardcore and any other sub-genre of this ilk you can think of then you need to visit this little store tucked away in the Oasis centre. Rich at Ignite has been a long time face on the music scene in Brum. He champions local bands and puts out his own releases through his own indie label Speedowax. As a long time customer from his days working at Tempest before embarking on his own little operation he can soon help you part with your money as he soon gets to know your musical tastes and he caters to his customers. Support your local independent sellers, and sometimes it may cost you a pound more but its a shiny, actual object you can touch and read the lyrics and see pretty artwork and have in your hands there and then, knowing its been stocked with love and attention just for you.

Dropping in to ignite is always a pleasure to have a catch up with Rich and check for any new…read morestock. Having been a regular for many years of both tempest and ignite dealing with Rich is always great, he learns your taste in music and the specific bands you like, from which he will always find a new recommendation for you, specialising in all forms of alternative music. Rich is always happy to try and order those rare to find, limited editions and imports you can't get on the high street. Anything he does have in stock he will happily play for you to get an idea if it's up your street! Vinyl is a speciality at ignite with promising stock for every record day as well, he even recently took part in the first tape day stocking a limited number of new and re-release tape albums and EPs. Rich also runs a local record label Speedowax with which he helps promote and sell new and upcoming talent! I would always recommend shopping here for music over highstreet stores (support your local businesses!) even though some purchases may cost an extra pound or two, you may find some real talent you would otherwise never be exposed to...

With an unparalleled selection of vinyl and DJ toys, Seismic has grown to become one of the best…read morerecord shops in the whole country - even the Observer says so! Situated sneakily above Kong, a lovely fashion store in its own right, staff are always friendly and extremely knowledgeable. As it is mail order too there is an almost exhaustive selection of DnB, Breaks, House, Hip Hop etc vinyl with loads of rareties and white labels to discover! The shop itself is bright, comfortable and the perfect way to waste away an afternoon. Unmissable for DJ's

Fantastic selection of records, the owner is extremely friendly and helpful. If there is a record…read moreyou want that isn't in stock, he will order it in for you. Pricing is also very competitive.

Now i know this is regarded as a music and vinyl shop, and that's totally correct they have a ton…read moreof vinyls. But my review is going to be about all the other "stuff" they have. So my hunt of a life size penguin outfit had run dry and we needed a new character to star at the end of our music video. My best buddie Andy suggest "Yo lets go to Mr T's" I'm all like what the hell man, the record shop? They wont have anything for us right? I WAS SO WRONG The biggest question is what does Mr T not have? a vacuum and quality control that's what But who cares if this shop is a bomb site, that's half the fun. Anyways so we arrive in Into the shop was my first thought was "is this even a shop?" followed by " People must steal from this place every day". So back to the story, turns out this place has a costume section, behind a curtain No costumes were complete and alot of them were on the floor. We dug about in the mess for awhile and found the most messed up bear costume you've ever seen in your life, like it had been run over and sat on hard. The staff are old school and didn't give a damn about us until we were literally rolling around the floor picking things up. But that's what you expect/want in a place like this. That same suit is now immortalised in a music video, all thanks to Mister Tees.

This review is based on the one and only time I visited this hellhole a few years back so please…read moredisregard if the shop has changed, which i doubt. I have been record shopping since the late 70s and this is far and away the worst record shop I have ever been in. Everything is filthy, nothing is priced and when i took a large pile (couple of hundred LPs) the miserable bloke behind the counter meticulously went through everything (checking online) quoting prices at the highest level they have sold for online. Every now and again he would pull out a record and say "I'm not selling that to you - I can get more online" and put it aside. After he had done this to a dozen records and refusing to haggle on prices (£20 for smiths 12"s in VG+ condition??? I think not!). I just walked out and left him to it with the large pile on his counter. And wiped my feet on the way out. I imagine that pile is still there.

Amazing store with amazing selections! You never know what you're gonna find! The staff are…read morefriendly, knowledgeable and know exactly what they're talking about if you ask for help! Love bunch of people and the store is always in top shape! Amazing prices too! Their collection of vinyl is vast and spans across so many genres! Overall an amazing store and worth stopping by!

From the owner: Independent vinyl store at FarGo village Coventry. Buys and…read moreSells Vinyl.

One of the last remaining secondhand record shops in Liverpool is Hairy Records. Situated at the…read moretop of Bold Street, it's a gloriously ramshackle shop that has literally dozens of racks of old vinyl. The window is a great indicator of what you'll find inside with well thumbed copies of early Dylan, Neil Young and Van Morrison records alongside old classics by The Cure, The Smiths and The Specials. It's not all rock and pop however, as inside there are literally hundreds of brilliant soul, funk, disco, motown, northern soul, girl groups, reggae and krautrock albums. If you can't find what you're looking for, ask the friendly owner and there's a chance he might have a copy somewhere. I only chatted to him for five minutes and it was clear his passion and enthusiasm for music was infectious. In the week, Hairy Records is quite quiet so you'll have time to look through everything without being disturbed. At weekends however, expect to be elbowed by local musicans like The Zutons and The Coral. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJrGKqYYfdY

Liverpool's selection of independent record shops is so bad, considering the city's monumental…read moremusical heritage, it's almost laughable. Hairy is one of the few left and is probably the biggest and best known. Its collection of vinyl is tremendous with stacks and stacks from all genres and eras that you can happily spend days rooting through them all. But like all specialist shops - particularly record shops - there is always a catch. Remember High Fidelity? Remember the father innocently asking Jack Black if he had a copy of 'I Just Called To Say I Love You'? Yep, just be careful.

Rock A Boom is my favourite independent music shop in Leicester. It is located in ST. Martin's…read moresquare which is about 5 minutes away from Highcross shopping centre - Firebug bar and McDonalds are nearby. Rock A Boom is only a small shop and can't compete with HMV for sheer physical space. What it can offer though is very good value on cd's and a small selection of vinyl. They cater to alternative music fans, so you can find some right gems searching through the racks on everything from punk rock to drum 'n' bass. The reason I come back here is because the staff are incredibly friendly and chatty. I don't just come here to buy a record, I come here to have a natter. The attendant will often talk to me about what he's been listening to and recommend things to try. This is the sort of banter and experience you just can't get at bigger corporate record stores.

A Leicester institution, and rightly so. For those looking away from the mainstream for their…read moremusical thrills, this is the best little shop in the city, jam packed with musical obscurities and latest releases. The staff know their stuff, and you can get gig tickets for anything that's going on in Leicester, which is extremely handy. Prices were a little on the steep side before, but I have been informed that they're now extremely competitive. Plus, with certain albums, they occasionally give away free posters and stuff too. Lovely.

I do love vinyls and it`s a shame I never was able to bring any of mine to this country and because…read moreI grew up in a city, São Paulo, where in every corner was possible to find a nice vinyl shop, It is most like compulsory to stop by every time I see a nice record shop. Luckily, Birmingham has excellent ones and Custard factory just got a brand new one as well: Left for Dead. And my visit to the place couldn't be better. From having a nice chatting about the concept of the record shop to finding a truly wonderful book with Bob Dylan's painting for only 6 pounds, it is my kind of shop. It's very selective as well. You are going to find loads of independent music. From Metal to jazz and classic records. No mainstream stuff but a great source for those who like nice music. There is an impressive collection of vintage magazines other great book titles. Everything with a very personal touch. That's always good to find a shop where it's sold what the owner believe is a good product. What is also impressive is the price in this shop. really nice items for collectors, for really cheap prices. As an independent business placed in Digbeth, Left For Dead also supports the local music and events and in 2014, there are many more to come.

A little gem of a shop for music enthusiasts. It is a tiny little shop but they are like an…read moreAladdin's cave of musical instruments and accessories. The staff couldn't be more friendly and will bend over backwards to help you. Nothing is too much trouble. The prices in there aren't too bad at all. OK the nature of the business means there are no cheapies but certain stores are still well over priced but not here at Music man. The after care service is great, nothing is too much trouble for them and they want their customers to go away happy. My daughter is quite happy to go back here for all her guitar accessories as well as the next time she needs her guitar restrung.

This place has a bunch of stuff. They are willing to order things. They surprise me with their…read morerange sometimes but really they don't seem to understand what I want to do or what I want. They specialise in the cheaper range of gear like behringer and their clones and they strike an uneasy balance between musical instruments and accessories and mobile DJ's and karaoke machines. I get the impression that they started out as a mobile DJ and karaoke machine supplier along with some cheaper PA's and sound systems and branched out into a few of the budget guitars and things and now they've got this uneasy mix. I'm always going for either highly technical queries regarding professional equipment which they can't really help with and would have to order in anyway or I'm on the musical instrument side which they only cover the basics of for the purposes of the beginner. It is nice to see independent businesses though.

A Liverpool institution, Probe was immortalised in Kevin Sampson's Awaydays as the shop everyone…read morevisited in the late 70s to buy the latest punk and no wave singles. Three decades on, they still have a small selection of Joy Division and Magazine albums but their stock is much more eclectic. Alongside classic funk, soul, dub and electro, there are racks devoted to krautrock, psyche, garage, indie, freakbeat and classic rock. Endearingly, vinyl is the dominating medium rather than CDs with lots of lovingly sourced re-issues as well as new and original releases. The staff are friendly and knowledgable and more than happy to play records if you want to try before you buy. If only all record shops were like this! The magnificent Magazine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nImOq_eWHEM&feature=related

Not much to add here on Probe Records, as everyone affirms it's a real-life genuine piece of…read moremusical heritage in a city where a lot relies on the idea of the ghost of the myth of the beat-era. Offering a broad selection of punk, post-punk, indie, funk, soul and reggae on CD and Vinyl, Probe is really the one-stop shop for music you might not find in HMV. It feels like a real record shop too; blasting a selection of funk and punk cult classics through the speakers, with wooden rack upon wooden rack of records, some with little well-thought out recommendation cards. The staff are friendly and surprisingly un-high fidelity-y in that a misstepped request won't be answered with a volley of insults in the direction of your musical knowledge. Regulars are treated well and newcomers are treated like regulars. A few years ago I asked for the new Iron and Wine album (the fantastic, laid-back "Our Endless Numbered Days") and although it wasn't out until Monday they let me have it anyway. Brilliant.