Collectors Records, Kingston

For shame, I have not paid a visit to good old Keith's record emporium in Kingston, Surrey, this year. I was lucky to catch the shop before it closed the other day, and Keith kindly stayed open a bit longer so I could browse. He is one of the most knowledgeable of music shop owners, being able to answer my random questions off the top of his head, and add anything of interest or make recommendations along with stirling answers. He's keen to refer to his various books of charts for accuracy, and I love that instinct. Plus, he always has the latest Music Week on the counter, which all together creates the atmosphere of a traditional record shop, and I really appreciate all that.

We chatted about 4AD Records and how scarce the 80s and 90s stuff is on the secondhand market. He was able to supply me with a batch of 7 inch singles from the likes of Wolfgang Press, Modern English, and Colourbox, and I decided to buy them all up. I'm already set on Modern English, and there's a Colourbox fan in our midst, so it was just a punt on the Wolfgang Press stuff, a name I was familiar with years ago (oddly convinced they were goth, but they're offbeat dancey). Really pleased with Modern English, and it was a curio to give the other singles a spin if nothing else.

I have to explain how New Model Army records came to be in my swag. I never thought the band were for me, too bleak and industrial sounding maybe. But recently I was reading about the history of Archway Towers, and there was an interview with Joolz from New Model Army, and the band wrote a gloomy ode to the tower in the 80s, which I listened to and liked. So I bought a few singles on vinyl out of intrigue, and now I might be getting to like the band... I see they're touring soon, which would be interesting.

Not pictured above, but also a purchase from Collectors Records, Kingston, was the first Exploited album on vinyl ‐ A birthday present for a friend ! I'm sure they will love the PUNKS NOT DEAD spraypainted cover alone...

Lastly, I got an album by They Might Be Giants. This band are a bit too wackily quirky for me at times, but a few songs are really innovative and fun. I bought the album for my feller, and it's been appreciated. My favourite here is They'll Need a Crane, which I have on VHS on an indie compilation somewhere:

Record fair shopping: The Frank and Walters

Another cracking Soundbite record fair. The bargain indie box contained lots of curios. I've always got room for more early 90s indie 12 inch singles in my collection. I thought I'd give more Kitchens of Distinction a whirl, and The Frank and Walters were a familiar, positive name from mid 90s radio (just been listening to Indian Ocean and it takes me right back). A House are a band that one of our nice, loyal readers recommended to me personally, so had to be bought! These singles all came in at £2 or less each. 

I also had to buy a set of four 7 inch interview/picture discs of The Cure. I could probably listen to Robert Smith read several Dickens' novels uninterrupted and not feel anything but cheerily comforted, honestly!

The Frank and Walters EP had me dancing right away. They are incredibly worthy of greater investigation, and make for another addition to the long standing reasons why I should have been born between three and five years earlier than I was... The songs Happy Busman and Humphrey are even more sunny side up and brilliant than their titles.

Another of their songs I've found recently is Indie Love Song, which is from just a couple of years ago, as The Frank and Walters remain active (hooray)...

Something jaunty from the mid 90s too:

The Frank and Walters are playing Shepherds Bush Empire next month supporting Wonder Stuff and Carter USM. But it's sold out. Between this and Vashti Bunyan's church gig selling out, I feel a bit sad. Just have to buy all their albums, then...

The Kitchens of Distinction single is nicely swirly, and A House sound good and jangly though this song may be atypical of their stuff. 

Nice to note that Edwyn Collins was producer for the A House single, as well as The Frank and Walters one. I didn't realise he'd done so much production, but it must've all been fortifying for writing those episodes of West Heath Yard.

Record fairs are so good for unturning stuff I might otherwise not.