Off the record: Bristol
Here we go, Bristol. The birthplace of Massive Attack, Portishead and Roni Size has an absolute abundance of vinyl stores strewn throughout the city to take your fancy. Each boasts its own unique stories and stocks an eclectic selection of LPs to endlessly thumb through. You really are spoilt for choice, here.
Longwell Records - 36 Temple St, BS31 1EH
Longwell Records is a real passion project for music lover and The Outlaws extra Iain Aitchison, who started out at a car boot sale. But now, it holds one of the finest reputations within Bristol, which is a credit to Iain, whose specialist knowledge and friendly personality are what make this record store. But if a chinwag isn’t what you’re looking for then feel free to eagerly flick through Longwell's huge variety of second-hand vinyl. And they've also got some pretty mint merch that you should check out while you're there.
Specialist Subject Records - 72-73 Old Market St, BS2 0EJ
Located within the green room of Exchange, one of Bristol’s most loved venues, Specialist Subject has carved such a unique identity for itself since opening up. Starting as an indie record label, their store is the perfect opportunity to house their artist's craft as well as champion like-minded record labels. They know every single aspect of the industry inside and out and this knowledge is plain to see from the selections on their shelves to the staff themselves.
Wanted Records - 43 High St, BS1 2AT
For those of you who are wishing to bolster your collection with rarer items, then you should be prioritising Wanted Records. Established by vinyl addicts, they ensure that the condition is consistent and the stock is varied. Wanted truly is a treasure trove, with a wide variety of genres stacked on its shelves, whilst also prioritising rare folk, reggae, and jazz. On top of their seriously impressive selection, Wanted's staff are always on hand for you to pick their brains about anything and everything you might need to know before you drop your hard earned coin on some offbeat latin psychedelia compilation or a spot of West African jazz.
Plastic Wax - 222 Cheltenham Rd BS6 5QU
Plastic Wax was of course going to appear on this list, who are we kidding? Being at the forefront of record trading since 1978, it’s Bristol’s longest-established record dealer and is more than deserving of a place on this list. In fact, Plastic Wax is deserving of its own list entirely, let's be honest. They boast the largest collection across the whole of the city, so if anyone stocks your favourite LP, we'd bet our own mums that they do. If you are particularly faithful to Bristol’s music, then there are plenty of rare finds to be snapped up, being the leading stockist for Bristol Archive Records.
