As you’ve no doubt worked out by now, we love record shops. Whether big or small, rocking a minimalist aesthetic or packing enough vinyl into their overflowing crates to wear down several lifetime’s worth of needles, we love how each and every one has something special in store for its customers. From the quirkiest locals to the big, gig-hosting powerhouses, every thirty-odd days we pick one to be our Record Store of the Month. They get a tasty gift from the Record Tokens team, and you get to discover the best independent record shops this country has to offer – it’s a win-win!
August's Record Store of the Month: Slide Record Shop, Bedford
This month's winning shop – Slide Record Shop in Bedford – sells independent music across many genres, and they also stock a carefully curated selection of second-hand records. We LOVE that they're a family run business – started by Warren, who has over 30 years-worth of record collecting and DJing under his belt – and the fact that they’ve been so welcomed by the Bedford community since opening in 2017.
Owner Warren says: "From the start, Bedford has welcomed Slide and we feel very lucky to be part of this passionate, creative community. Our customers have diverse tastes and we stock a host of new music on vinyl to meet demand, as well as having a second-hand record selection. Then there are the records we buy in just because we really love them and are both thrilled yet disappointed when they sell.
Since we opened Slide’s doors, the town has been able to host Record Store Day for the first time, we’ve put on children’s DJ lessons, celebrated International Women’s Day, had author events and brilliant acts perform live in the shop. While these are on hold at the moment, we feel proud of what we have created: a welcoming space to feed your passion for music and discover great records.
Record Tokens are proving an increasingly popular gift that bring new people into Slide, which is fantastic for us!"
Congratulations to the entire Slide Record Shop team! We hope you enjoy your luxury food and wine hamper – don't finish it all at once!
You can find Slide Record Shop at 9 The Arcade, Bedford, Bedfordshire. If you're round their neck of the woods be sure to pop in and give them a visit – and don't forget your Record Tokens (and funky face coverings)!
Warren also shared which upcoming releases he's looking forward to: "There is a lot of excitement around Sufjan Stevens ‘The Ascension’ – we sold out of the limited edition on pre-order, and what we have heard so far is stunning! We also can’t wait for the Blue Note Re:imagined record – so many artists that we and our customers love (Poppy Ajudha, Nubya Garcia, Emma-Jean Thackeray, Ezra Collective and more!) are coming together for this compilation and every single so far has been on the shop playlist."
Previous Record Stores of the Month
July 2020 - The Forge, Tonyrefail, Wales
June 2020 - Fish Records, Stone, Staffordshire
May 2020 - Raves from the Grave, Frome, Somserset
April 2020 - Red House Records, Swindon
March 2020 - The Rock Box Record Store, Camberley, Surrey
February 2020 - Tasty Records, Altrincham, Greater Manchester
January 2020 - The Record Café, Bradford
December 2019 - Sister Ray, London
November 2019 - Phase 1, Liverpool
October 2019 - Empire Records, St Albans
September 2019 - Record Collector, Sheffield
August 2019 - Black Circle Records, Leighton Buzzard
July 2019 - Beyond Vinyl, Newcastle
June 2019 - The Orpington, Bromley
May 2019 - Vinyl Fiction, Manchester
April 2019 - Spiller's Records, Cardiff
March 2019 - David's Music, Hertfordshire
February 2019 - Winyl, Manningtree
January 2019 - Rapture Witney, Oxfordshire
December 2018 - Crash Records, Leeds
November 2018 - Pebble Records, Eastbourne
October 2018 - Spinning Discs, Sheffield
September 2018 - Reflex Records, Newcastle
August 2018 - Banquet Records, Kingston
July 2018 - Hundred Records, Hampshire