Reader Involvement Record Shops: damien jurado elvis shakespeare fistful of dollars
by Matthew
19 comments
Toad 2.0
Introduce Your Records Shop #5: Elvis Shakespeare
[The latest in our Introduce Your Local Record Shop series is Bart. Bart is not only in pretty much every band in Edinburgh, most notably the superb Eagleowl, but also the evil mastermind behind The Gentle Invasion, who put on some of the best gigs in the city.]
I’ve been trying to find a way to write about this as a music fan, rather than a musician or promoter, but inevitably it’s as a promoter of gigs that I have most experience of the record shops in Edinburgh. I have a poster run that starts at Elvis Shakespeare on Leith Walk and goes up along the bridges, finishing at the Southern Bar on South Clark street. This occurs at least once a month, depending on what I have on.
Elvis Shakespeare is my favorite record store in the city, so it’s no accident that I start there. It’s a genuinely nice shop – well stocked, and so cramped for room (as the best record stores are), but the bright walls and wooden flooring make it feel spacious and welcoming. It doubles as a second hand bookstore (hence the name), and you can also get a cup of tea or coffee. The two guys that work there know me quite well (purely from doing this monthly poster run), and when I stop in we always have a chat about what the current poster’s for, what else I’ve been up to, and how things are going in general. It’s just nice spending time there.
They also run in-store gigs, which have included some of the best shows I’ve been to in Edinburgh. (the photo is from when Thomas Truax played there earlier this year, which could barely be described as an in-store gig, since he spent as much time running up and down Leith Walk, singing in the windows of the neighbouring shops).
But it was as a music fan I first went to Elvis Shakespeare. The first purchase I made was a German release of one of Morricone’s Dollars Trilogy soundtracks (I forget which one, though the title was translated into German anyway). Meeting Dave, the owner, at the counter for the first time, he proceeded to explain that a lot of the records in the store were from his own collection, and he picked up that particular one whilst living in Europe. This may not sound like much, but from that short conversation, I was hooked. To have that small bit of background – to know that the record had a part in someone’s life, and was now being passed on to be a part in someone else’s life (it was a present for a friend’s birthday) was really exciting. It’s that connection that’s important, and why I love record stores in general. It’s not just the music that’s important, it’s how the music fits into your life. We frequent these record stores and we have long online discussions about what Micah P. Hinson album is slightly superior – not because we quite like music, but because we’re genuine music fans. I mean I like tea, but I don’t have epic debates about whether Earl Grey is more refreshing than Darjeeling [It isn't - Toad]. Music is part of out lives. And it’s nice to see a music shop that’s run by people with the same outlook.
Oh yeah, songs.
Ghost of David, title track from the Damien Jurado album which was recommended to me by David at Elvis Shakepeare, and has since become one of my favorites.
Damien Jurado – Ghost of David
And The Chase from the Fistful of Dollars soundtrack. I’m pretty sure that was my first purchase at Elvis Shakespeare. Also, it kicks ass.
Fistful of Dollars Soundtrack – The Chase
i like this story – simply because i’m sure bart either bought me ghost of david by damien jurado or recommended it to me, so it’s nice to know where that came from and why. I used to live right above that shop but, like so many good things on my old block, it opened after I moved and i just never find myself going there these days.
I always wanted to open an independent music shop myself and many a time I have looked at properties at the shore and thought – yeah, i could do it – but then I’m a big wimp and have never done it. i think it’s something that the shore misses. i’d love to have a local music store to hang out in.
sadly, i cannot relate to many of these stories. grouchos in dundee wasn’t a great place to visit, it got better but never truly captured me. and like bart, avalanche really disappoint me, refusing posters for trampoline, refusing flyers for trampoline……shame. but i do love these stories. they make me smile a lot.
You know, I’d never thought of it that way, but by jove woman I think you’re onto something. It reminds me of the traditional pub landlord: he was very visible and his personality was strongly imprinted on the establishment itself. You weren’t just going to a pub, you were going to pay a visit to something more sociable than that. If these guys are friendly and make it clear that it’s their shop and they are putting all this love into it then that would make the bond so much stronger than to anywhere with staff, almost by default.
The Morricone track is great.
I think it demonstrates how much those movies, and especially the soundracks, have seeped into our collective consciousness that the music itself is actually very 1960s in sound (I’m thinking the twanging guitars and sweeping strings in particular, along with the choral parts on some of the other tracks from the movies), and yet the music consistently evokes a period a century or so earlier.
I’ve been waiting for this one – nice story Bart. I love this shop. I first went into Vinyl villians when i’d just moved to Edinburgh and lived above it. They were pretty rude.
Seriously? Well I discovered the Tom Waits Tales From the Underground series because of Vinyl Villains, so I am inclined to like them a bit more.
Funnily enough I am fairly confident that they have one of those ‘Edinburgh Tram Works – Ripping the Heart Out of Local Business’ signs up in their window. It strikes me as a little rich to complain about what other people are doing if you aren’t doing your best to help yourself in the first place. Mind you, I could be completely wrong about that.
It strikes me as a little rich to complain about what other people are doing if you aren’t doing your best to help yourself in the first place.
?
If you are running a business and not trying very hard and consistently not being terribly friendly to your customers then it seems slightly daft to go and complain about outside influences damaging your business. In other words, surely one should get one’s own house in order first. Work on the things you can influence before moaning about the ones you can’t.
I should write those motivational posters shouldn’t I.
To be fair, i didn’t spend very long there, was quite young and new to the town so a bit nervous i guess. I have stopped at the window plenty and peered in, i don’t doubt that they have some gems int here. I hold grudges for long long times tho!
Ah, you’re talking about Vinyl Villains. Right.
I thought you were talking about Elvis Shakespeare, who have probably had even more trouble off the tramworks than Vinyl Villains, but would obviously have every right to have a ‘Down With The Trams’ poster in their window, being as they’re lovely.
Oh, and if anyone from Vinyl Villains is reading, which isn’t beyond the realms of possibility.. Erm.. Hello!
Yeah, we are basing a lot of criticism on bugger all, really. Can I reiterate that the only time I’ve been in there it has been a perfectly good record shop to have a browse through. And the t-shirts in the window are often rather cool.
Yeah – we don’t want to get Bart beaten up next time he goes in there on his poster round!
i bought a tom waits t-shirt in vinyl villains which i love. i also bought a dvd in there once. they are quite grumpy but there used to be this second hand shop in dundee – can’t remember the name of it – and the guy was permanently stoned and never really spoke at all – the most intimidating place to buy music – but really good at the same time – the name eludes me though.
Yes, sorry.
This is all, by it’s nature, very anecdotal.
I’m sure the people in VV are pefectly nice – I’ve just not made the same connection with them as I have with the guys in Elvis Shakespeare.
And I did buy a rather fetching Talking Heads t-shirt from Vinyl Villains once.
“It’s not just the music that’s important, it’s how the music fits into your life.” Very true Bart, and as the Missus picked up on, the personality of a shop and of the workers/owners there does matter. I love to hear how each little morsel came to be in a shop, what reason the owner had for purchasing it aside from it’s pure marketability. But, hey – to each his own. I used to frequent a bookstore where the main worker was most definitely a perfect candidate for the psychiatric ward, none of my friends would go there. But he had his following and the store did quite well mostly because he told long and excited tales about books, and well, we got on together just fine. Not sure what that says about me, but obviously even though you all are trying not to put your foot in your mouths too far, this record store has its niche! As do some blogs we read, ha! Thanks for the post Bart, loved it! xoxo
“On to Vinyl Villains, which is dark, stuffy and, in comparison, a little unfriendly”
While I wish to make it quite clear that I have absolutely no connection with this shop whatsoever, those words can describe me on a bad mood day……
Never been to Elvis Sheakspeare, but seen stuff on line. Seems a bit pricey in comparison to others….
all record shops are expensive when you compare to the prices you can find the same stuff on ebay….but hey thats not the point….. the fact that it is all about the buying/selling experience.
so i can concur with Bart in a fashion…
ES-good guys, good chat and good stuff
VV -the guy should take his bloody head out of his bloody arse……
Avalanche-well it’s a bit like a box of chocolates…..
oh and finally Rippin’ records……..i mean come on what is the point……
Later
Come on, we are not usually grumpy at VV. Everyone has bad days.
Well I’ve never had the slightest problem there myself. I can’t speak for any of the other commenters of course, but I’ve never personally experienced what they’re talking about.
I found Tom Waits’ Tales From the Underground Vol.1 in there, so without Vinyl Villains, I’d never have found out about that entire series, and for that I will forever be truly grateful.
The thing about Elvis Shakespeare is that both sides function equally well, its also a great place to browse and buy books. People seem to get very possessive about it and it has succeeded almost from the day it opened. Considering the demise of many more established stores, I’m not sure how they have managed to make this work, but work it does. With pubs desperately struggling, I think its places like these that fill that gap of loose social contact in the community (possibly not for those from the Neds Gallery) their passing leaves behind.