Wonderful shop for vinyl record enthusiasts. Good range of new and used titles with a focus on the…read more70s to 90s. Definitely the record shop I visit more than any other. They do CDs as well.

From the owner: Remastered or "re-stored" sound, original master pressing or recordings. Prices comparible with OS.read more

Top notch store with plenty of new and used lps which has a strong focus on 80's 90's indie and…read morelocal artists. Picked up a copy of Triffids Born Sandy Devotional and Bored Negative Waves, both albums not easy to find at the best of times. And might I mention for very reasonable prices. The best thing about Off the Hip is the owner Mick who is a very warm and likeable character, who seems to be up for a good yarn about anything music related. Will def call back in on my next trip back to Melbourne.

Great service and selection. And the owner Warren is so friendly and such a joy to talk to! Easily…read morethe best and my most favourite record store in Melbourne!

Fabulous record store, lovely staff. Take time to browse and chat to Woz and the gang.read more

Northside Records call themselves "The soul of Melbourne" and they ain't wrong baby…read more Chris Gill owns and runs this joint; and if you don't know who this bloke is, you should definitely drop in and say hey. He's the enormous white dude (i.e. tall) with the blondish Afro who you see around town -- The Prince of Gertrude Street, some say. He hosts a soul and funk show on RRR 102.7FM on Thursday afternoons called 'Get Down' and the dude seriously knows his shit. He's got this manner about him that's all chill and hip (in a good way) and you hear him interviewin' and actually relatin' to some serious soul and funk heavy hitters on his show. The store specialises in soul and funk, but also spreads its wings into hip hop, indie releases and all kinds of sweet vinyl goodness. You gotta check this place out and meet the man/myth for yourself. For real.

Bless you, record stores of Melbourne, for keeping vinyl alive and reminding us all of what music…read moreis supposed to sound like. I know mp3s are cheap (sometimes free) and convenient, but they forsake quality of sound to a degree and that makes me sonically depressed. And so places like Northside cheer me up no end. Specialising in new and secondhand soul, funk, hip hop, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, dubstep (and more) vinyl, from new releases to rare & collectibles. Spend a couple of hours in here flicking through the racks and stacks and you'll surely come away with something good. Check out Northside's excellent website for what's coming into store and the gig guide.

While the focus of this place lies somewhere between vinyl and second hand books, the fact that…read morethey specialise in both reading and quality listening material is near and dear to my heart. They have a sizable collection of both and they do seem to have a pretty good handle on what is actually worthwhile as collectible and what's a pile of crap. Discerning as they are, they aren't willing to part with their goods for bargain prices, so The Searchers falls into that slightly irritating 'quality second hand' kind of realm where you're expected to cough up near-to-new prices for used goods. On plenty of occasions I've scanned the milk crates in here for vinyl and found a pile of the stuff that I need. At the last second though, I weigh up the prices of what I'm about to scoop and decide I'd be better of spending those bucks on nice new reissues or releases from a little indie book shop or record store. Still, I love to dig around in here and the folk are pretty open to that. It's a great place to browse, and I guess some people just dig on that shit.

I discovered this bookstore the other day with my partner - we were drawn in by the array of…read morediscounted books out the front and the sounds of Nina Simone from within. Inside is a large store with bricks lining the inside, large bookshelves and some tables in the middle. The music comes from a record player at the front, just behind the large collection of vinyl records. We found Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen and other classics in mint condition. There is a large collection of books including a generous non-fiction and fiction section along the left hand side. I spotted some Wordsworth, Patrick White and Hardy in amongst other classics. Out the front of the store are boxes of books discounted to between $4-7. All the books seemed in great condition, and there were some old Penguin editions for sale too. The only problem I had was that the sales assistant was a little unfriendly; she seemed busy but didn't really seem interested in what the customers were doing.

Love heading here to check out the new vinyls in store. Website is great as well if you're feeling…read morelazy

Coffee and music: what more could you want? Alley Tunes is part café, part record store and…read morecombined they make a rally great space and vibe that is inherent to the experience at Alley Tunes. It is situated in a little walkway that leads to Glenferrie Station, and as long as you aren't there during peak times the setting is quite tranquil. The little café is tucked into the corner of the store and opens out onto the walkway so even if you're rushing past, you can still grab a coffee and keep going. There are lots of little tables out the front perfect for just relaxing with a drink and listening to the music. Inside you'll find a broad range of vinyl and CDs. I particularly love checking out the vinyl sections that are divided into decades or countries. The last time I was there I found some great collections in brilliant condition including Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen. Love.

This review is only for the café section of this business as I lost my interest in vinyl around the…read moresame time I stopped dying my hair green and cutting holes in my shirts in high school. When I stopped by Alley Tunes, absolutely zero food was on offer, which I guess is understandable for a small place like this at 4pm on a weekday. The coffee, while not awful, certainly did not live up to the levels of superiority and cool projected by the baristas. At Alley Tunes, you get to sit on rickety seats and bathe in the second-hand smoke of others in this poorly ventilated lane off Glenferrie Rd. I'm a smoker and even I found it pretty gross. Went there with my mother who is not so steady on her feet, and the seating was definitely an issue. Think wooden milk crate style boxes on uneven asphalt. Even for the able-bodied it feels pretty precarious and uncomfortable. Come here if you attend Swinburne Uni and are too cool to care.

If this big and obvious sign to the entrance has been here a long time,…read moreI haven't seen it. It took a few goes of the memory to get it at first, but then it's almost convenient to go to as you duck and escape the nearby tourist trap cafe area. Basement Discs is generally quite a good store for jazz records, and will have a selection of world, and indie music too. It's quality over Quantity, and quite often it won't be chocked with Super top ten commercial artists. Sure, some popular ones make the way onto the shelves, but it's more more about good music. They participate in World Record store day, and sell gig tickets, etc.

There was once a time when the coolest place to be spotted was flipping through cd's or records at…read morean independent music store, spending your day discovering new artists and falling in love with genres of older eras. Unfortunately for most, that time is in the past. Basement Discs is one of the few stores holding out against Itunes and JB Hi-Fi ( Who by the way, are still okay for some music, but too many of their shelves are filled with reality tv box sets to really feature all the artists they could. But I digress). They literally have all types of music here. The sales assistants are great,and can introduce you to some new things based off what your current likes are. They stock everything from Blues, to thrash metal, to country to 90's girl and boy pop bands (Oh how I miss the Spice Girls.Just saying..). Of course, the vinyl records attract the DJ's too, though I personally dont even know how to turn a record player on. Check it out if you are a real music lover, and still find joy in owning the hard cover of an album, with jacket covers and song lyrics to boot.

Recently visited this store on my trip to Melbourne. Great…read morerecord store!! Plain and simple! One of the top three in Melbourne. Good range of genres at very good prices and mostly all in great condition. Plus the owner is a good guy who you can have a good chat with. Will def go back on my next trip.

In my opinion this one of the best record stores in town. The idea is simple--get as many used…read morerecords flowing through as possible, with a surprising amount in the $10-20 range. Unlike some other shops they have a conveniently located new arrivals section so you're not wasting your time combing through all the moldy old stuff every time you stop in. Plenty of good stuff in the mix--punk, hip hop, classic rock, blues, jazz, etc.