[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