A definite must stop for the vinyl junkie when visiting London…read more Once upon a time record stores dotted the landscape on this side of the pond, but, as in the US, that is no longer the case. This store is a passion project and while physically it's not a huge location, browsing here you'll find loads of attractive vinyl, of both the 7" and 12" variety, all reasonably priced. You'll also find an owner (and I'm sure a staff, though I was fortunate enough on my visit to meet the owner Claudia) who is passionate about music and happy to chat with you about your favorite artists. She may even share some of hers as well. I have to say, she has great taste. Classic 60's soul (Al Green, Aretha, Motown and Stax), all are present here, as are so many other classic artists. The selection is primarily used, though there is plenty of new vinyl to be found, and while it skews on the Soul, R&B, and Reggae side, you will find Pop, Rock, as well as Dance and other genres represented. If you don't see what you're looking for, be sure to ask the staff. If it can be ordered, they'll be happy to do so. Brixton is lucky to have Pure Vinyl, and when I visit next I'd love to see more of this type of music outlet in London. Maybe even another location?

Haven't thought of this place in years but it just popped in my mind so wanted to leave a review…read more Spent a week in London in 2010 and felt I needed to seek out something punk while I was there. Left my group that I was with and took off to the other side of the city and found this place. It was perfect. Spent a bunch of time talking to the staff and some other patrons about punk in the US and the UK and got some great local recommendations from them (though wish someone had recommended Frank Turner to me then - I was practically on his doorstep and now I love him lol). Would love to come back and explore again.

Someone just told me about All Ages so this was the first time I've visited on my many trips to…read moreLondon. So glad I know about it, perfect place for those who like punk, hardcore and garage. The fact that you can see a Snazzy Boys poster in the photo says it all for me. Found a nice sale bin of 7"s that were buy 2 get 1 free, can't beat that. A good stop after you hit the market (or before).

This was pretty ok, check prices! Some you´ll find way cheaper 2nd hand in other stores or online…read more But, that said.. You can make some good bargains here, you just need to know your shit! Staff is not to helpful or attentive. (constantly on the phone, pretty loud so you could hear the whole conversation, which was pretty awkward!) We went here twice. Make sure to come on a Tuesday/Wednesday if you can, lots of the records will be half price, compared to the wknd!

My husband LOVES to go record shopping when we travel to other countries, and Sound of the Universe…read morewas on the top of his list of London record shops. It also has the advantage of being located down the street from two other record shops, so it's like a three-fer. Anyway, Sounds of the Universe is in the most picturesque lovely building standing tall on a corner with an understated yellow "Records" sign pointing people towards the door. They have a wide selection of records that are really nicely organized, and the shop is really bright and clean. My husband said they were very smart because they had the type of record collection that encourages people who are into one style of music to explore and find additional albums that are related within easy reach.

I know it is a thing here to have a photocopy of the album cover instead of the actual album out;…read morebut I don't like it. Other than that, this shop is average at best. Was underwhelmed by the selection and organization of the shop. Didn't really find anything unique or desirable. The prices also reflect the higher end of the market. There are better deals to be had elsewhere.

Backyard market and London Artisian is awesome! Period!…read more Big huge indoor venue, lots of food and shops to choose from, and super classy area, with lot of trendy things! You can easily spend a good half day there! Will let my photos speak for itself!

I recently bought a bling collar from a stall at backyard market. I also recently felt like a Kanye…read morewest douchebag, as recently as the last sentence I just wrote. I always loved this market on sundays- just because it's always a bit quieter than the upmarket and the stalls are a bit more bling-y, like bling phone cases, and bling necklaces, interspersed with some good old vintage glasses and hand drawn artwork. ALSO there's a good few food stands outside too! The collar I even haggled for and damn, i got tonnes of compliments- so it shows that you don't need to pay crazy prices for UNIQUE statement jewellery.

DO NOT PRE ORDER FROM ROUGH TRADE IF YOU WANT RELEASE DAY STUFF…read more Pre ordered the Springsteen Nebraska 82 set as I wanted to get it the day it came out. It didn't arrive, it's now days later and I've had no news about when I'll get it either. I've tried contacting them via customer service messaging and emails and have been ignored. According to the Shop app, my package is still 'being prepared' which means absolutely nothing

I first learned about the iconic Rough Trade record store through my love for The Smiths, and I…read morecouldn't resist the magnetic pull of this indie vinyl haven. My friend Robert and I had to visit it while on a long layover in London. Despite its dilapidated state and small size, Rough Trade's undeniable charm was evident in every corner. It's a treasure trove for indie and obscure music! However, I must admit that the physical state of the store left me longing for more. It's not as impressive as the one in New York! We didn't buy anything though, we've never heard of some of the bands that were on display. lol

Best record shop ever hands down. Best collection of new UK hardcore in the world for very good…read moreprices. I'd like to see a list of orders from this place because it must add up to thousands of dollars! lol Super cheap FedEX overnight shipping from the UK. Staff is super friendly. The only thing I would change about this shop is to have longer and better quality clips of their vinyl. I have been to the shop in the UK and it's kind of pointless because all the records are in the back now. They only sell CD's and Clothing in the store. When I asked them to listen to some records they pointed me towards a computer. I was disappointed because I came a long way to visit their shop. Regardless, none of the negatives deserve any stars removed. Hardbeatstore's collection does not compare to IMO. They sell vinyl, CDs and MP3's on their download site at very cheap prices. This is where I get all of my music. While they do specialize in UK Hardcore/Freeform they also sell "Bassline / Niche", Breaks, Drum n Bass, Dubstep, Funky House, Gabber, Garage, Hard Dance, Hardcore Breaks Nu Rave, Hardstyle, UK Hip Hop, House, Oldskool & Jungle, Scouse / Bouncy House, Techno / Schranz, Trance, Tickets to parties, Scratch Records, Books & Magazines, DJ equipment, Slipmats, etc. Check out their MP3 shop at http://www.imodownload.com.

Note: This review is based on Imo Records on-line store, www.imodownload.com…read more I have to write this review as I'm currently listening new UK hardcore releases, and to my surprise if I can start dumping things in my basket at a sizable amount that would definitely piss off my husband, that means I found some damn good hardcore, sorry baby! I like to rate new releases and new release availability of extremely underground artists as well as their past releases, I get this extreme release of oxytocin of excitement to spin this new bad ass music I've gotten a hold of, and that experience is nothing short of 5 stars. You buy vinyl, cds or mp3s of the hottest pressed electronica. My preference is UK Hardcore which is very hard to find, and if that hard to find preferable tracks, but imodownload is definitely able to assist me in my quests to be a very awesome hardcore DJ. My favorite muse at the moment is Lumin8's new release Pretty Eyes A.B. Mix, check it out at http://www.imodownload.com/genre/hardcore/new/ Enjoy the quest for great music....Let it be known that http://www.imodownload.com has it! Also one of my personal favorite record labels is so hard to find, www.imodownload.com has it. Australia With Force! Also another great newbie to check out is Michael Mansion's Heights Original Mix, it can be found on http://www.imodownload.com/genre/hardcore/new/

While in London earlier this month, I wanted to hit up some record stores; Flashback being towards…read morethe top of the list. This Flashback was cool, but not my favorite Flashback store. For my likes, I felt this store just didn't have what I was looking for. Another Flashback location hit it out of the park though, but this store still had some really cool gems! The service at this location was great though. The employees were nice and willing to answer questions, even though the place was busy. Everything was organized really well and it was easy to find the sections/artists that I was looking for. I would definitely come back here the next time I'm in London.

I'm over from America and stopped at this place, Sister Ray, and Reckless. This was the only shop…read moreworth stopping at honestly. Very kind and friendly staff and reasonable prices. Good music playing over the speakers too which is always nice.

I absolutely loved this bookstore and wish we had more like it where I live in the US. While I…read moredidn't NEED more books, I took advantage of getting a few from authors that are harder to get at home. Loved every single part of this place.

This bookstore is really cool! The staff are neat and helpful. The book arrangements are fun and…read moreinviting. We ended up purchasing a book for my husband and some stationary that was themed. One said 'When the bard plays a banger on your birthday' and we cracked up at that one. It was a worthy buy. It was fun to walk around and just be near books. Thanks for having us!