It’s been a couple of weeks since I last did this column as I’ve been over in Japan digging for records for the shop, so this week I’m highlighting some of the great little Tokyo record stores, as well as talking about some personal record pick-ups. There is also a new single from Shining Bird out now with an album next week and a run of shows on the horizon including a great event down in Moruya.
I’ve been to Tokyo a bunch of times and no doubt some of the best second-hand selections can be found in the chain stores (HMV and Disk Union), and the huge Tower Records store in Shibuya now has a substantial vinyl selection on the sixth floor. But the city also has an amazing bunch of smaller more specialised shops so I thought I’d highlight some of my favourites. Starting off in Shibuya with Face Records, it is a great and well set out store that leans more towards the funk/soul sort of vibe but there are also rock, jazz and world music records sitting among the racks. One store that never fails to disappoint is General Record Store in Shimokitazawa, while small in size it covers most genres and is incredibly well curated so you’re not looking through endless crates of ordinary records, they seem to source the best of each genre and price it reasonably as well. Coconuts Disk have a couple of stores in Tokyo and very similar to General Record Store, they are really well curated and cover most genres, I went to the store in Kichijoji this time and found some great records that you rarely see around.
I always like to pick up some Japanese records when I’m in Japan and this time around I grabbed the second album from Happy End, a seventies Japanese folk-rock band that came to wider attention when one of their tracks featured on the soundtrack to Lost In Translation, I managed to find a fairly early pressing of this album. The next one is another seventies record, from the duo Bread & Butter. I first discovered this band on the excellent Pacific Breeze compilations released via Light In The Attic, it is classic AOR radio music of the era but in a very Japanese variety.
Back closer to home and Shining Bird recently released their latest single from the forthcoming album Open Ground. The track No Silver Lining features Al on the vocals, the first time the band has had someone different leading the vocals and it is the most pop track from the album. Speaking of the album, it is out next Friday August 30th and the band will play a handful of shows to launch it across September and October. One of the shows is happening at the Monarch in Moruya and is organised by my longtime friend Mav, I’ll be heading down to that one to spin and sell some records!
Speaking of new albums, there are a few really big ones dropping soon, this Friday Fontaines DC has a new album out, I’ve had a sneaky listen and it is sounding great, leaning more towards dreamy brit pop that could have been emerging out of Manchester in the early nineties rather than their previous post punk influenced sounds it is looking like it will be a big one got the band. On Friday we’ll be playing it back to back in the shop and there are special showbags for anyone that pre orders or purchase on the day (while stock lasts). Then the following week, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds release their new album and we have a special listening party and screening the night before, grab all the details here.
