India Record Co
Easily among the favourite destinations for vinyl pickings, India Record Co is about variety, from funk to disco, indie to alternative. If you are looking for Hindi film soundtracks like Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani or even Awara, you will as much be home here as those looking for Prabh Deep’s brilliant album Tabia. There is also an excellent selection of English records, Fleetwood Mac to John Coltrane, Beatles to Arctic Monkeys. You can also order turntables from the likes of Pioneer and Denon but that’s also possible if you look around your city.
The Revolver Club
Too bad, Susmit Bose’s path-breaking Train to Calcutta (2021 issue on Free School Street Records) is out of stock on the online store, yet there is so much more available here. Lorde’s fantastic Solar Power is available and so is U2’s Songs of Innocence and Harry Styles’ Fine Line. All the records are sorted out well, brand new to pre-owned and there is even a record subscription model available, which delivers the record of the month for a period that you decide on. Jude is the founder and CEO of the set-up and he discovered the magic of vinyl after borrowing a turntable from his college library. Also available here is a range of turntables across a varied price range.
Black Groove Music
Any online destination selling a Soulmate LP or Mali’s Caution To The Wind, cannot be ignored. Chennai-bred Maalavika Manoj’s album is sonic bliss, packed with careful arrangements. All that can be taken to a new level when you hear Caution To The Wind in vinyl format. Equally interesting is Advaita’s Grounded In Space. Also available are a few Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan albums, all of which should make your evenings special. Black Groove is a new entrant but it certainly knows the direction it is moving in.
Amarrass Records
It’s a very interesting destination for anyone looking for Indian folk music in various formats — vinyl, CD or digital. The Delhi-based label started its journey in 2009 and has since released 14 albums, including the late Padma Shri Sakar Khan’s last recordings and three releases by the Sindhi sarangi maestro Lakha Khan. Though only a few LPs are available on its online store, we suggest you don’t miss out on The Manganiyar Seduction by Roysten Abel.
On The Jungle Floor
Behind it is Akhil Hemdev and the collection that can be bought online is diverse — Ariana Grande’s Position to Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. Or care for the Gully Boy soundtrack? Like several other set-ups, turntables and vinyl accessories are available, like Project Clean It.
Radio & Gramophone House
Around since 1951, the Connaught Place address has been popular among music lovers. Here you can find rare, forgotten, in-demand, new… think of it and chances are you will find something worthwhile to order online. There are albums like Brothers In Arms, The Dark Side of the Moon and The Book of Souls but the bulk revolves around Hindi film soundtracks, both new and old. For example, there are classics like Jhumroo and Teesri Manzil as well as Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Dilwale and Dangal.
Amazon.in
Of course, there is always Amazon for all things under the sun. Though this won’t be the perfect place to find a lot of rare or limited-release albums, you can still order a fantastic range, especially if it’s a new release like Harry’s House, which comes with quite a price tag at Rs 4,599. Some personal purchases from this site includes LPs of Miles Davis, Rod Stewart and Ella Fitzgerald. In case you are looking for KK’s LP Pal, you can find it here.
Vinyl champ
The vinyl edition of Harry Styles album Harry’s House has sold over 146,000 copies in the US alone through May 22 (the album released on May 20). That beats the previous single-week sales set by Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version), which sold 114,000 in a week in November 2021. The singer’s 2019 album Fine Line has sold 586,000 vinyl copies to date in the US while his self-titled 2017 debut album sold 263,000 copies on vinyl.