as much as i can
charity shops pretty dry these days cos everyone cottoned on to discogs…well…not everyone and that’s the thing, you have to do the rounds a few times and find the handful of spots where the good shit still slips through.
adopted new strategies, as v into house last 3/4 years lots of digging though the piles of cheapo house in rec shop for ‘always cheap’ classic gems; but more excitingly for overlooked, forgotten etc beauts. the rush when I pick one up like that…
building my classical collection has been my main thing next to that. even there the ch shops price up with discogs, but some just can’t be bothered with it and I’ve picked up some great stuff. became a huge engrossing voyage of discovery, and massively debilitating sidetrack, keeping me away froom everything i’m meant to! The other thing is jazz-age jazz. got poor and couldn’t keep buying full price modern jazz releases so went exploring earlier stuff. one of the best things to happen to me. get all the RCA jazz tribune stuff nm for nothing; became huge Duke fan. other stuff: hawk, prez, straight up swing (the first rave music!). again, dizzying, engrossing, waylaying and i’m v happy getting lost. a whole world unto itself, full of life and energy and desire, and so fascinating to read up on, I can’t believe people miss out by stopping at Charlie Parker (thereabouts) going back.
I walk…also…a lot…all over town (Brighton) and find stuff that way. it’s replaced the ch shops to an extent. good handfuls to whole collections (or large parts thereof) just picked up off the street! just before lockdown - a stack of 50 odd mid 00s indie records, neo-post-punk stuff, scratchy edgy indie disco stuff, erase errata, bands like that. all good to list, couple 30quiders (Jay Reatard album, a rare Dez Dickerson 12” w/ Prince on it and loads of electro mixes). was back home going though it all with this growing itch…but but..what if maybe there was more? nah don’t be silly… couldn’t stop meself could I? only ten mins to spot and BOOM!! whadyaknow there’s another stack of 50 rekkids leaning against a bin. this time rather ny neo-disco type fair, 00s electroclashy things. few bits for me: couple good disco bits, an Ex Models album (fine noisy mathrock biz), and discover intermittently fab Montreal tinfoil-clad artschool rockers Les Georges Leningrad. But that’s a tip, if u find a pile it’s worth going back because people do massive ‘spring clean’ clearouts or moving house and the stuff comes in waves.
Well now..(for my tale isn’t over)...the street in question, ‘Magic Street’ as I’ve renamed it - perhaps without great originality - I keep ending up on it, it draws me there, I trust it to produce. and lo…a year later BOOOOOM!! musta been same house dumps 175 7”s in a see-through recycling box. scoop em all up. all sorts of biz inc poppy grime, garagepunky stuff, noise, lofi, schmindie disco-not-disco type stuff. some wrecked need chucking, but loads are good. not that much for me but all good listing on the ‘scogs.
More recently, an address just round the corners dumps art books, homo specialist lit, loads of classical vocal CDs on the pavement. keep picking bits up (multiple visits) and eventually there’s a couple of records there (broadway soundtracks). week or so later it’s nice out remember to walk past the spot again and BOOOOOOM!! whole collection leaning against the wall! no other fucker around, home with 3 Patty Smith Group, 2 Iggy, 2 Blondie, 2 Janacek Operas, (lots of interesting opera titles), Mahler/Solti, more..
there’s been loads of other hauls like that - a bag full of CDs inc rec store day exclusives, sell a piddly little Grimes single in a card slipocket to a gal in Texas for £80!
various boxes of 7”s left out with decent 60s bits, northern (not rare stuff but still), punk and new wave.
last big ch shop haul was 5 years ago: 50 reggae singles at quid a pop on uk labels like Attack, Duke, Green Door. selling like hotcakes 30-70quid a pop overnight. but the days of kitting out yr collection with dumped 100-200 item student dj collections in ch shops are pretty much over, unforch.
my last nice pickup was The Incredible Carlos Montoya on RCA (black label, nice old lightning ‘a’ logo - info for the nerds) for £2 at Sussex Beacon, just played it now. goodnight.
