Classical - Abergavenny Music
Dance- Piccadilly
Rock and Alternative - Resident
18 April 2012: The votes are in, the poll has closed and www.indierecordshop.org
the lobbying organisation devoted to highlighting the contribution
of independent stores to music, today announces the names of
Britain's best indie record stores, as voted for by the
public:
• Abergavenny Music won for best Classical store.
• Piccadilly topped the poll of best dance store.
• Resident came first in the best Rock and Alternative
store.
All three stores are participating in this year's Record Store
Day, due to take place this Saturday on April 21st.
The results are based on votes logged in a public poll on www.indierecordshop.org
an online resource backed by the Entertainment Retailers
Association (ERA), designed to highlight the contribution of indies
to the UK music scene.
Kim Bayley, Director General of ERA said, "Our three winners show
the diversity and dynamism which are still the hallmark of the UK's
independent record stores and which will be on full display on
Record Store Day on Saturday 21st April 2012".
Over 230 of the UK's 312 independent record stores will
participate in Record Store Day, a celebration of indie stores when
they will be exclusively selling a range of over 430 limited
edition releases from the likes of Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen,
David Bowie, Kate Bush, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and
Angela Gheorghiu / Maria Callas.
This year is set to be the biggest event to date and includes a
number of classical stores signed up to participate who will be
stocking a range of exclusive classical products released
especially for RSD.
A full list of Record Store Day releases and activities is
available from www.recordstoreday.co.uk.
ENDS
For more information contact Kim Bayley on 01202 292063
ABOUT OUR WINNERS
Abergavenny Music, Abergavenny
With over 20 years of experience in selling and sourcing Classical
Music, Abergavenny Music can order any recording and any printed
music currently available in the UK, plus many that might seem less
readily available. They are Classical specialists, and carry
thousands of Classical, Jazz and World CDs in stock in their shop,
plus an extensive range of opera and ballet on DVD.
James Joseph was an opera Stage Manager until he moved to Wales
& opened Abergavenny Music in 1990. He thinks the shop
stands out because of his wonderful colleagues, eclectic stock -
and great coffee. "Keeping a small specialist music shop open
in a small community is a great pleasure - and a constant
challenge! But clearly we rely on making friends far and
wide, and we're absolutely delighted to have been voted best
Classical store."
Piccadilly Records, Manchester
Piccadilly Records first opened its doors in 1978, catching the
wave of Manchester's vibrant post-punk and indie scenes. Since then
the shop has increased the breadth of musical genres it stocks,
taking in all forms of rock, indie and leftfield guitar music,
along with reggae, funk, soul, jazz and global sounds, house,
electro, techno, disco and Balearic, hip hop, dubstep and other
beats and breaks. In the mid 90s the shop relocated to the bustling
Northern Quarter - Manchester's record shopping Mecca. In 2001 we
launched the Piccadilly Records website, featuring weekly mail outs
of all the new releases, staff reviews and personal views. We also
provide customers with a yearly round-up of our favourite albums in
the annual Piccadilly Records End Of Year Revue in booklet form as
well as online.
Resident, Brighton
Resident is an independent record shop in Brighton's buzzing North
Laine, established in 2004. Resident started out run solely by the
husband & wife team of Derry Watkins & Natasha Youngs but
has gradually grown to a team of 8 serious music lovers who work
together to give Brighton's residents and visitors the kind of
record shop they deserve. From the weird & obscure to the
absolutely essential, they carry an in depth range of 8,000
constantly evolving titles across new releases, reissues &
catalogue, on cd & vinyl. Resident also sell a wide range of
gig tickets for local venues and host regular in-store PAs.
Co-owner Natasha Youngs said, "When we opened the shop 7 years
ago, against a backdrop of industry doom & gloom, we were told
repeatedly that we were crazy but we knew in our heart of hearts,
that if we did it right, there was a place for us to follow our
dream and open our own record shop. This serves as fabulous
affirmation that all the time, love & energy that goes into
running Resident is recognised & appreciated by the most
important people……our customers. We'd like to say a massive thank
you to every single customer who voted for us & to all the
people who have supported us, shopped with us & worked with us
to make Resident such a success."