Presented by Ruth Barnes, The Other Woman is the only radio show in the UK with an all-female playlist.

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It’s Christmas Eves on Amazing Radio… and that means the Christmas Eve’s have taken over!

With an outstanding proportion of women presenters on Amazing Radio – we’ve taken over Christmas Eve. Between 3 and 5 The Other Woman will be playing the best in new music from female artists on amazingtunes.com as always, but we also feature an interview with writer and broadcaster Miranda Sawyer about the formation of Sound Women in 2011. As a reaction to the outrageous disproportion of women to men on the radio, the website was set up to encourage women as presenters and programme makers, as a go-to list for those on the hunt for talented spokeswomen and also as a mentoring scheme to help people get on in the media. I met Miranda in her kitchen in south London, one year old Frankie May makes an appearance too…

Here’s the launch video that Sound Women put together featuring some of the biggest female names in broadcasting as a wee intro to what it’s all about:

Also on the show: new to amazingtunes.com, Moulettes play a fierce and thoroughly modern gypsy folk, they’ve performed and recorded with Seasick Steve and will hopefully break through in 2012. Also Madam makes an appearance with her hauntingly beautiful tune Marine Boy from Gone Before Morning, one of my albums of the year… with session tracks from Daughter and an Amazing Beats tip from Kate Wax, what more could I ask for? Join me on Christmas Eve… pass the liqueur chocs!

The Other Woman is our newest show on Amazing Radio, and indeed, the only one in the UK with an all-female playlist, presented by Ruth Barnes. On this Sunday’s show, Ruth will be featuring Maya Jane Coles and Lady Leshurr; ahead of the show, Ruth has penned some words on them both.

This week on The Other Woman I’m thrilled to be kicking off with a Mobilee Records staple. Maya Jane Coles has had an amazing year and was one of only five women DJ’s in Resident Advisor’s Top 100 DJ’s, the Londoner is in at number 9. So I thought what better way to start the show with one of the tracks she put out on the cooler-than-cool Berlin label.It sets the tone really, I’ve got real treats for you. If you haven’t heard of Russian-born-Berlin-resident-via-Israel Mary Ocher than you’re in for a treat. Her track Address Yourself Entirely To Me is an excellent example of her unique style and uber-quirky take on electro pop. Her videos are always second to none, aided by her artist friends in Berlin they’re always brilliant.

I’m featuring Lady Leshurr in this show too, Lego is her new single and mighty fine. I had the pleasure of putting on this quick fire MC at Ladyfest 2010 and she was A-Mazing. She says she models herself on Wiley, I say she could out-spit him anyday. Here’s a video from the festival, which I made on my crappy digital camera but you get the idea – Lady Chann’s there too as well as Lady Lykez and Amazing Radio fave Patricia Panther. Leshurr’s on the end in the cute black tracksuit:

The show is all over the place again this week – in a very good way. We’re in Norway for some eclectic jazz stylings of Mari Kvien Brunvoll (the Nordic Tune-Yards) and then to London for the doom and gloom of Death Rattle… also a double play of woozey ‘chill-wave’ (whatever that is) from Sleep Over and Keep Shelley In Athens. There’s plenty more too, if you have any suggestions feel free to get in touch! @otherwomanradio or @amazingradio or leave us a comment here.

Hear all of this by tuning in at 7pm on Sunday evening.

The Other Woman is our newest show on Amazing Radio, presented by Ruth Barnes. It’s the only radio show in the UK with an all female playlist. With most mainstream radio being dominated by the boys, or a certain type of female singer, The Other Woman aims to showcase a broader variety of female artists and bands fronted by women. On this Sunday’s show, Ruth will be speaking to Sharon Van Etten and, ahead of the show, has penned some words on the lush folkstress.

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This week we’re thrilled to have New Jersey singer songwriter Sharon Van Etten on the show. Her highly anticipated album Tramp is out in February on celebrated indie Jagjaguwar. The label is her new home since releasing her debut album Epic on Brooklyn indie Ba Da Bing last year. Epic hardly left our CD player when we got our mits on it, beautifully crafted, melancholy yet uplifting, sorrowful yet hopeful – we were smitten. Now she’s on a proper grown up label, with industry muscle behind her. All the blogs-in-the-know are posting her single Serpents and rowing about how great it is (well, it is).

Sharon Van Etten has worked with former touring buddy Aaron Dessner from The National at his home in a leafy suburb of Brooklyn – with buddys including Jenn Wasner from Wye Oak, Beirut’s Zach Condon and the Queen of etheral ambient Julianna Barwick. It’s a strikingly confident record, with SVE’s signature mark – big swirling powerful songs, some sparse, some pounding, all wondrous. Our favourite line is from Give Out: “You’re the reason why I’ll move to the city, you’re why I’ll need to leave…” she tells us it’s about allowing herself to fall in love again… and more.

Tune in to The Other Woman at 7pm on Sunday to hear the interview in full.

Jensen Sportag have unveiled a track from the forthcoming 2012 album and we are very excited to be the first to bring it to you! At 1 minute, 30 seconds, it’s a teaser. And what a tease!

As a staple of the excellent Cascine roster, we’ve been enamoured by Jensen Sportag’s smooth R&B jams since they dropped their Pure Wet EP earlier this year. Dripping with late 80s groove, laced with funk bass, and glazed with a modern sheen production, the duo have been working on a debut album that will be available in the new year.

The album teaser, simply called ‘Untitled‘ features reverb-laden vocals sitting atop a swirling haze of their own echo. The inflections in the vocals hint at familiar territory for the electro duo but just as we expect it to drop sumptuously into the smooth nostalgic beat, it ends… I can almost touch the slap bass and mellow synths that I know are hidden around the corner!  I guess we’ll have to wait for the album.

Landing in the first half of next year, keep an eye out at Cascine’s amazingtunes.com profile for the debut full length.

Our resident Record Store geek, Ruth Kilpatrick, dives in to Record Store Day’s Black Friday. Avoid crowds of mental Christmas shoppers and chill with a special edition vinyl release or two instead.

We can’t avoid it any longer… The nights are now determinedly closed in, it’s cold enough to warrant day-long wearing of those ridiculous ’snoods’ (of which I have many) and the adverts are already getting old – all of which point to the fact that IT’S VERY NEARLY DECEMBER.

I don’t want to use ‘The C Word’ just yet though, in fact I’ve been trying to avoid it altogether until November is firmly behind us. But you can’t fail to have noticed the retail related news stories surfacing from our friends in the US overnight – or if, like me, you received an email from Apple this morning, you’ll have seen them announcing today as ‘The Day You’ve Waited 364 Days For.’ Really though?

Now that Thanksgiving is done, Black Friday and its related uber-sales have taken over; with the NRF (National Retailing Federation) estimating that 152 million Americans are spending the weekend bargain hunting en masse.

A quick Google search will bring up the more salacious of the stories, and there are plenty, but to get to the point – there’s a slightly more pleasant side effect to all of this increased focus mass consumerism and Wal-Mart culture: the independent stores are now shouting just as loudly.

Granted, it’s not with ‘PRICES SLASHED! SHOP HERE NOW OR SANTA WILL DIEEEEEEEE!’

But you will find the quiet confidence of honest retailers, with quality products that your loved ones might actually cherish, working its way into the non-highstreet stores across the world.

And moreover, the independent record stores are hijacking Black Friday for themselves. The organisers of the annual Record Store Day, usually on the 3^rd Saturday of every April, have today released some holiday friendly content as an auxiliary event to the annual celebration. Taken from their FAQ section at www.recodstoreday.com:

Q: Why are the organizers of Record Store Day celebrating Black Friday?

A: In the past Black Friday was an American event celebrated by large corporate retailers as a shopping day that promoted mass produced items at super low prices in hopes of driving customers into their stores. RSD’s Black Friday subverts the model and creates pieces of art in the form of limited special editions, often numbered, from some of the most revered artists of our time. RSD’s version of Black Friday is an excuse to celebrate the specialness of music in our lives by putting out these unique releases. In other words, cheapness is not a main goal. Celebrating art is.

There are many items on the list of special releases that any music fan would covet. Not only are they excellent collectable versions of your favourite records or albums, but you’re supporting your local record store, helping them to stay open, AND they make great presents! Far preferable to that gift voucher filled envelope for the high street…

Well… If you’re on iMobile that is. Apologies to Android users who will have a little wait. But, if you’ve got an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, you can now take Amazing Radio with you everywhere!

So, here’s what you can do on this little app of awesome.

Listen to the radio…

Yeah, this was a no brainer really. But wait, we made it better!

Share What’s Playing…

We let you know what tracks we’re playing and you can share through Twitter and Facebook instantly!

The Amazing Sessions…

The Amazing Sessions all in one place! No more trawling through YouTube on your phone. Our full catalogue is there including Ghostpoet, Slow Club and our latest with Young Legionnaire. Just go get lost in it for a while.

Blog

Keep up to date with what we’re loving, who’s top of the chart and all the latest news!

And That’s Not All…

In the not so distant future, you’ll be able to browse and stream the entire amazingtunes.com library (that’s 50,000 tracks) including your playlists and favourited tracks.

AND IT’S ALL FREE.

Because we’re that nice.

Help yourself now from the App Store and, if you’re enjoying it, do send the creator some love. He lives in Twitter under the guise of @kosso.

Canyons are a little bit mental. Creative, bold and a little out-there. There are animal noises, French spoken-word extracts and sax solos all over the place. But it’s got a killer rhythm and is inventive as hell.

We get some seriously strange stuff uploaded to amazingtunes.com but sometimes things fall just on the right side of genius. We think this might be one of them.

Let us know what you think in the comments below. It has split opinion here like we haven’t had since Zun Zun Egui dropped Fandango Fresh earlier this year. Thoughts? Go!

We’re not saying this definitely happened… But it seems like Constellations Festival has been listening Amazing Radio a whole lot. With such an incredible line-up, we had to get down there. Head of Music Tom Cotton is probably the coolest member of our team (read: everyone else was busy) so we sent him down to Leeds to watch bands and report back.

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I like to think of myself as vaguely hip. This of course is the most hip that one can think of themselves as. If you were to go further and say, I think I’m really hip, you instantly lose any morsel of hipness you once had. Anyway, it turns out I was wrong, because as soon as I arrived at Leeds University for this weekend’s Constellations Festival I realised I was lagging behind some of these hip beings. Fake Glasses were everywhere, you couldn’t move for vintage knitwear and trying to find a sleeve that wasn’t rolled up was harder than trying to find the speccy kid in a Sistine Chapel sized ‘Where’s Wally’.

The reason for such a gathering was the frankly magnificent line up that Constellations had managed to put together over 4 stages for this 1 day festival. I’d been looking forward to it so much in fact that I was worried I’d raised my expectations too much; the festival couldn’t possibly be as good the one I’d already attended in my head. Well it certainly made a strong start as I headed down to the Mine stage to watch Brighton scuzz poppers Fear of Men.

Fear of Men

photo credit: Jamie Boynton/Ilikepress

Having only formed in February, they’d fallen victim to the kind of hype that only the blogs can bestow, however it was easy to see why. Opening with recent single Ritual Confession they drew the early attendees from the bar to the stage, with ease. There is an effortlessness and grace to the way Fear of Men perform on stage which can only be admired, and unlike some of their contemporaries, the melody is given license to emerge from the sea of reverb emitted from their amps. As they close their set with Amazing Radio favourite Phantom Limb I find myself hoping that Fear of Men are allowed the time to progress from the good band they are to they great band they could be, without being thrust into the spotlight before they are ready.

Big Deal

I then rush over to the Riley Smith Hall, and very grand it is too. I do so in order to see Big Deal for the first time live. After a few sound difficulties, they open with previous single Chair we’re then informed that they woke up this morning in Amsterdam, so understandably they were a bit tired. And for the first half of set you could tell. However by the time they closed their set with the gorgeous Talk the crowd in the hall had grown and the duo had finally reached their goose bump inducing best. Not faring quite as well in the crowd stakes were Zulu Winter, but those who stuck around were treated to a solid, if not spectacular, serving of tribal indie pop.

Summer Camp

Next up I pop to the main stage for the first time to see Summer Camp. Let’s be clear, Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey’s beat combo are one to be cherished. You could be forgiven for thinking that their brand of lo-fi pop that is showcased so well on their debut Welcome To Condale might not translate well to the live arena. But you’d also be wrong. Every noise, every glitch, every riff, sounds all the more alive when you are watching Summer Camp on stage. The songs are sentimental, but not sickly sweet. Elizabeth’s voice is poppy, but not without sincerity or depth. Their set is so full of great songs like, Ghost Train and Brian Krakow, you feel like you’ve lived with them all your life. It’s like watching a greatest hits set from your favourite band. When Elizabeth pumps her fist in the air, mirroring the projected image of Judd Nelson from The Breakfast Club during set closer I Want You it feels appropriate considering the triumph we’ve just seen on stage.

Spector

photo credit: Carl Fleischer/Ilikepress

I’m then back over to Mine to see ambitious London indie types Spector. Now, it would seem that Spector have quite a number of detractors already, but in all honesty here’s all you need to know. Spector have brilliant songs. But Tom, the detractors may cry, they’ve all been in bands before and I’ve heard they were manufactured and I’ve heard they all refer to themselves in third person at all times etc etc. Some, maybe all of that might be true, but I really couldn’t care less. I’m sick and tired of hearing that there are purer ways of forming a band or creating hype. This is nonsense.

Tangent over, review commencing. Spector rattle through a set of incredibly catchy, well constructed guitar songs that would sound more at home on the main stage at a festival than they might in this basement bar, but those in attendance don’t care. Fred Macpherson is a charismatic front man, throwing himself around the stage to the likes of Celestine and What You Wanted. At one point he offers the crowd the chance to win 5 Euros if they stick around for the duration of the next song. We all stick around but I don’t think we were after the 5 Euros. As they finish with Never Fade Away there is a proper sing-a-long happening down the front. The band react as if it’s the first time this has happened, I suspect it won’t be the last.

BRAIDS

From the stadium bound to the avant-garde as BRAIDS take to the stage. After what seems like an extremely lengthy soundcheck they have soon stunned the ever increasing audience into silence. BRAIDS are part dream pop, part experimental electronica with dashes of chill-wave and shoegaze thrown in for good measure. Watching them perform you get the impression that BRAIDS are a band that will always be more comfortable in the studio than on stage. But what their live show really demonstrates is how phenomenal lead vocalists Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s vocals are. She veers from to an impassioned yelp to an upper range that is so affecting it sends shivers down your spine. BRAIDS might never sell loads of records, but those who do buy them will treasure them.

Yuck

I then sample the delicacies that Leeds University Students Union has to offer, namely Lamb Rogan Josh in a box (it was better than it sounds), then I dash off to catch a bit of Yuck. One of the best things about being a new music enthusiast like me is to see a band you’ve supported since the start, reach the audience they deserve. A pleasure that is all too few and far between. So seeing Yuck play to a massive jam packed venue was quite a thrill. They were loud, they were distorted, they were brilliant. I couldn’t bask in the occasional accuracy of my crystal ball for long though as I had to dash to catch the last bit of Bos Angeles’ ramshackle set. So much hype surround the Bournemouth bunch at the moment I was sure I would be disappointed, but as the last strains of recent single Beach Slalom rings out I’d received the musical shot in the arm I needed at that point in the evening.

2:54

Which leads me onto 2:54. Here are the facts:

1. If 2:54 were from Barnsley, they would have never been signed.
2. If Hannah and Colette Thurlow didn’t look like they do, they would have never been signed.
3. If Warpaint weren’t one of the best bands of the last few years, they would have never been signed.

Perhaps I’m being harsh, you could equally say that 2:54 are an extremely cool band from London, who look great and have a sound to match their contemporaries. As you can probably tell I had some preconceptions about 2:54, but I tried to put them aside as they run through their set of dark, brooding alt pop. However, I just can’t get into it. Undoubtedly I’m in the minority if the recent music press fawning is anything to go by. For me 2:54 are a band that has everything, except the songs.

The day is rounded off by the ever impressive Wild Beasts. Hayden Thorpe’s haunting voice casts a spell over the capacity crowd for the duration of their 90 minute set.

And with that, after 9 hours of music, Constellations 2011 draws to a close. Constellations succeeds where so many other events fail. It understands who its audience is and then tailors an exceptional line up for them. I leave without the faintest bit of disappointment, and feeling ever so slightly hipper than I was when I arrived.

Single of the week from Lucy Rose, the long awaited EP from Dry The River and a new track from our recent Amazing Sessions guests, The History of Apple Pie.

Lucy Rose – Scar

After spending the best part of the year as the fifth member of Bombay Bicycle Club, Lucy Rose releases a special physical edition of her much applauded single, Scar. It also features a collaboration with BBC frontman, Jack Steadman.

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The History of Apple Pie – Mallory

Fuzzy, early 90s inspired indie in the vein of Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Check them out performing the single live for The Amazing Sessions!

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Dry The River – Weights and Measures (Sony RCA)

This EP is the culmination of a HUGE year for Dry The River. We’ve been following these guys avidly for the last 18 months and this EP couldn’t be more satisfying (now that’s it’s finally here.)

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2:54 – Scarlet

Blog darlings and creators of warm, fuzzy pop, 2:54 take a little from Warpaint and mash it up with Yuck’s guitars.

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My Tiger My Timing – Written in Red (Snakes & Ladders Records)

A shimmering follow-up to Endless Summer, My Tiger My Timing continue to produce infectious alt. pop tracks polished to perfection.

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Sharks Took The Rest – Rename The Planets

Exactly as we hoped. Mellow but with tons of character and little pop quirks.

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Bastille – Laura Palmer EP

More charming electronic beats and infectious melodies from Bastille mastermind, Dan Smith.

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Shuga – Hey Baby (Luv Luv Luv)

With a rolling rhythm section, edgy guitars and heaps of attitude, Hey Baby is Shuga’s debut single.

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Elephant – Assembly (Memphis Industries)

A wander through the ethereal vocals and shimmering synths of Assembly.

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Simian Ghost – Lovelorn EP

Distinctively Scandinavian, Simian Ghost release an EP of lush electro gems lead by the excellent Free Agent.

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Other releases:

Korallreven – An Album by Korallreven

The Twilight Sad – Sick

Other Lives – Old Statues

The Revival Hour – Hold Back

Random Impulse – No Sleep For Winners

Spotlight Kid – Disaster Tourist

As you’ve no doubt noticed, it’s Independents’ Week here at Amazing Radio – we’ve spent the last 5 days celebrating all things independent – with specialist playlists, input from our favourite independent blogs, and of course, our in-depth documentaries with five of the best labels around. All of which can be listened to at your leisure, here.

One thing that’s missing though; after you’ve started your band, played your first shows, put out a single on your favourite coloured vinyl… Where do you stock it? And if like me you’re merely a fanatic, without a musical bone in your body, then where are the best places to find your new favourite band’s lovingly crafted output?

Given the title of this post I’m certain you’ve already guessed the answer. So here’s a handy list of the best independent record stores the UK has to offer, and if you’re sat there thinking HMV will appear on the list, then please, read our Record Store Day article from back in April first.

Avalanche – Edinburgh

Starting at the top, in Edinburgh, you’ve got the long established Avalanche Records, who are still progressing and expanding their remit after 27 years of existence.

Avalanche has been trading in the heart of Edinburgh for almost 3 decades and is Scotland’s largest independent high street record shop. Nominated for ‘Music Retail Store of the Year’ for the third year running in the national Music Week Awards. They’ve recently moved to the Grassmarket where they can be found at the castle end for all of your musical needs.

RPM Records – Newcastle Upon Tyne.

RPM is one of the few great remaining record shops in the North East, along with the likes of Reflex and Beatdown Records. RPM are committed to being an excellent source of not only new and emerging artists but also to being encyclopedic in their knowledge of long standing artists and labels. With frequent instore gigs, special release days, and often the added bonus of tea and cake from the lovely staff, it’s a real haven in amongst the busy streets of Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Picadilly Records – Manchester

In the North-West there is again, a huge amount of variety, some of the best stock, and advice, being found at the much lauded Picadilly Records.

Piccadilly was born in 1978, was taken over by the present management in 1990 and moved up the road to their current location in Manchester’s record shopping Mecca, the Northern Quarter in 1997. They pride themselves on supplying friendly, helpful service and the ability to provide an across-the-board range of music.

Jumbo Records – Leeds

Winner of the this years ‘Best Music’ prize at Leeds retail Awards, Jumbo Records is now in its 40^th year and original owner Hunter Smith is still firmly at the helm. After some initial struggles in the early 1970s Hunter credits 1977 as the year that saved the shop. Along came punk rock and they seemed to be in the right place at the right time. From then on in they broadened the range of music they stocked and finally, in 1988, they needed more space and a modern shop unit to sell and display the wide choice of music they were now able to stock. You can find them at 5/6 St. Johns Centre, for all of your music, gigs tickets and in-store needs.

Spillers Records – Cardiff

Touting themselves as the world’s oldest record shop, Spillers Records was established in Cardiff in 1894 by Henry Spiller. They’ve continued to trade in music ever since – specialising in independent releases of most genres, in both CD and vinyl, plus of course the obligatory uber-knowledgeable staff who are always happy to advise. They have a great history of instore gigs and should be at the top of any ‘to-do’ list whilst in Cardiff.

Rise Records – Bristol

Rise Records is a name now synonymous with exciting musical products – striving since its inception to offer exciting and previously unfindable records, new and old.

Rise won the UK’s Best Independent Music Retailer as voted for at the 2010 Music Week Awards, and the store is Bristol is its 3^rd incarnation, opening on the 27th June 2009. During the 3 years that they have existed, they’ve developed their content and service even further, all in line with what they believe are their three core principles: great service, great range, & great price.

Resident Records – Brighton

Established in 2004 Resident was the brainchild of the husband & wife team Derry Watkins and Natasha Youngs – there are now 8 members of staff who work together to give Brighton’s residents and visitors the kind of record shop they feel they deserve. From the obscure to the essential, they carry over 8,000 titles including new releases, reissues & catalogue, on both cd & vinyl.

Upon receiving the ‘Best English Independent’ award from indierecordshop.org, co-owner Natasha Youngs had this to say: “When we opened the shop 7 years ago, against a backdrop of industry doom & gloom, we were told repeatedly that we were crazy but we knew in our heart of hearts, that if we did it right, there was a place for us to follow our dream and open our own record shop. This serves as fabulous affirmation that all the time, love & energy that goes into running Resident is recognised & appreciated by the most important people……our customers. We’d like to say a massive thank you to every single customer who voted for us & to all the people who have supported us, shopped with us & worked with us to make Resident such a success.”

Banquet Records – Kingston

Banquet Records is one of those record stores that has multiple fingers in multiple pies – not only can you go and buy your favourite bands stock, get your usual gig tickets, merch, be schooled in the new releases that month and see a great instore gig – but you can also then go to their very club-night, or one their own Banquet curated gigs. They truly love every aspect of music, and are adamant that whilst they are, and always will be, a record store, they combine all of these other aspects in order to aid those people who are as passionate about music as they are.

Rough Trade (West) – London.

Surely everybody already knows the story of Rough Trade… From its inception in 1976 on Kensington Park Road – where it mostly sold US imports of Jamaican music, to becoming a label and one of the ‘go to’ destinations for anyone involved in the punk explosion, to the inevitable split between label and store and its consequent reinvention at this location on Talbot Rd.

Trading here since 1983, their website claims it’s as close as you can possibly get to the original Rough Trade. ‘A real independent record store, the walls are adorned with amazing original posters, artwork and sleeves, any of them dating from when the shop opened and even before! If you are serious about music, visiting the historic Talbot Road site is the ultimate experience. Including one to one service from some of the most experienced and expert people in the independent music industry (they have been around as long as the store).’

In 2006 they celebrated their 30^th anniversary and the next year opened their super swanky Brick Lane store filling over 5000sq ft with the best they have to offer.

Revival Records – London

Staying in London, this time in Soho, or 30 Berwick Street, (just off Oxford Street) to be more precise. Revival Records is an independent record shop dealing solely in second-hand albums, 12″ and 7″ singles – if you want to add to your collection and can’t find what you need, they house the best in multiple genres, many of which are now deleted or simply impossible to find – unless you fancy trawling the internet for the Japanese import. They also pride themselves on stocking some hard-to-find new vinyl, again across multiple genres. A real gem and definitely worth a look once you’ve finished trawling Denmark St.

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Now, this list is by no means exhaustive, of genres or of cities, so take it as just the tiniest of starting points. Record Store Day is doing a special event on the 25^th of this month under the name Black Friday and we’ll be highlighting the best of the special releases, and where you can get them, nearer that date. In the meantime, here’s a quote from the High Fidelity man himself, Mr Nick Hornby, who manages to say it much better than I.

Nick Hornby

“Yes, yes, I know. It’s easier to download music, and probably cheaper. But what’s playing on your favourite download store when you walk into it? Nothing, that’s what. Who are you going to meet in there? Nobody. Where are the notice boards offering flatshares and vacant slots in bands destined for superstardom? Who’s going to tell you to stop listening to that and start listening to this? Go ahead and save yourself a couple of quid. The saving will cost you a career, a set of cool friends, musical taste and, eventually, your soul. Record stores can’t save your life. But they can give you a better one.”