rec.music.progressive Frequently Asked Questions 2/8

Last-modified: Thu Jan 10 23:09:06 2008

Summary: Listing of many mail order sources for progressive and experimental music worldwide. Information includes, address, phone and fax numbers, email addresses, Web URLs and comments from customers.

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Chris Topham
Craig Shipley (craigs AT pyramid.com)
Mike Borella (cathmike AT xnet.com)
Phil Kime (Philip AT kime.org.uk)
Ruud van de Kruisweg (kruisweg AT flatearth.xs4all.nl)
Geoff Burton (Geoff.Burton AT mbmmllab.demon.co.uk)

A List Of Mailorder Sources Of Progressive Music

"Independent distribution is virtually dead. ...Most American stores get nearly all their wares from six suppliers." (CBS, Warner, BMG, Capitol-EMI, Polygram, and MCA.)

-from "Hit Men" by Frederic Dannen, Vintage Books 1991 (ISBN 0-679-73061-3)

Introduction

Despite the major labels dominating the music industry and distribution, artists are still releasing their own product and some small labels are dedicated to releasing new music and reissuing old releases once considered rare, out of print and lost forever. Small distributors are still around filling a need, helping us find those releases that nobody else seems to carry. Even in large metropolitan areas in this age it can be difficult to find a retail music outlet that stocks even a small selection of progressive music. The same is essentially true of mail order vendors. It is too difficult and expensive for a small business to maintain a large inventory on hand. Both retail and mail order vendors tend to have special areas of interest, typically heavily influenced by the interests of the employee(s) ordering the stock. With many small one-person businesses in music mail order, the focus of musical interest is often somewhat narrow and consequently it is hard to find any one mail order source for everything if your musical tastes are diverse. This listing of sources attempts to address this problem by listing comments from customers of the various vendors to help obtain a better idea of what they stock and what service can be expected. If you are serious about tracking down hard to find music you will end up having to turn to a variety of resources to find what you want. This list is oriented to that perspective, with no intent to imply that any one vendor is better than another.

Many of the vendors are small operations running out of people's homes or on a modest budget. Please be considerate when calling numbers with preferred calling hours listed as the owner might not enjoy answering your calls during meals or while abed. It is probably a good idea to send a SASE (Self-Addressed- Stamped-Envelope) or an IRC (International Reply Coupon from the Post Office) if writing overseas. It may not be necessary but I consider it a gesture of goodwill and it can make the difference in whether you get a reply or not. Catalog costs listed here may be inaccurate, or a catalog may have a fee associated that is not noted here. No guarantee is made for the accuracy of addresses, pricing or opinions listed herein. Please help keep this up to date by informing of any changes or corrections.

Please note that comments below are not attributable and are certainly not the product of the FAQ maintainer in the main. They have been collated from the comments of many, many people and largely inserted verbatim. The FAQ maintainer accepts no responsibility for either mode of expression or content in any entry. It is appropriate to warn others if you have been seriously or repeatedly mistreated by anyone listed here and to that end, there has been no attempt to disguise fairly expressed negative comments.

As of early May, 1994, all author names have been removed from their respective contributions. This was done mainly because it was requested and since this file appears in the Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock, negative comments may be construed as libel (though they are meant to be constructive criticism).

Availability Of Other Mail Order Listings

There have been a few other music (CD/LP) mailorder lists compiled on the net - one that used to be posted to rec.music.misc regularly has been dormant (not maintained or updated) since May 1992 but can be found at

ftp://ftp.uwp.edu:/pub/music/misc/mailorder.rmm

The current version has been unchanged since May 1992 and contains some out of date addresses but is still a huge list of resources. The updated version the file can be obtained as

ftp://ftp.uwp.edu:/pub/music/misc/mail.order.big

The revision borrows liberally from this listing but managed to keep some outdated addresses - in cases of conflicting addresses the one found in the list you are currently reading is probably correct.

Yet another mailorder list called INFOCD is maintained by MIKEY AT perch.nosc.mil. This can be found at

ftp://ftp.uwp.edu/pub/music/misc/mailorder.infocd

There are some additional lists in that directory of possible interest, for example the file

ftp://ftp.uwp.edu:/pub/music/misc/mailorder.bootlegs

which is a list of sources in the USA of, um, hard to find rarities.

Vendor Listing

Vendors in the USA

Name

ABCD

Address

17 Wall Street, Norwalk, CT 06851

Phone

203-831-8301

Fax

203-831-8238

Comments

Request a catalog if nothing else. They've got a great selection of European and Japanese imports, some domestic stuff too. One of the priciest places I've dealt with, especially for shipping! But a good selection nonetheless. Import CDs only. Full length CDs only, no CD singles. They keep everything in stock, so there is a very quick turnaround for your orders. They're a little stingy about sending catalogs, though, so be persistent.

I have found them to be very helpful. Turnaround time is fast. They didn't seem stingy with the catalog when I requested one, although they did mention that an update was forthcoming, and I might want to wait. I can't comment about the prices as the CD I was looking for is known to be expensive (in the $30 range!)

Name

Aeon Music

Address

P.O. Box 421544, Los Angeles, CA 90042

Fax

(213) 343-1925

WWW

http://www.mediaonline.com/bizads/aeon.html

Comments

Run by Francisco Morales. The catalog is extensive, mostly of used LPs and new CDs, a mixture of set sale and auction items (mostly set sale). A lot of rarities and obscurities.

Name

Ambient Music

Address

18633 Topham St., Reseda, CA 91335

Comments

Not sure if they're still in business. They used to carry a decent selection of electronic/new age stuff.

Name

Art Control Enterprises

Address

10301 Lake Ave. #825, Cleveland, OH 44102

Comments

Run by Steven F. Del Nero. A set sale and auction list of used but near mint CDs and LPs. Steven mails out this catalog about once a year or so of used items. The first part is an auction and the second part is remaining items from previous auctions. His list is fairly large and diverse, including obscure progressive, improv and industrial music but pricing is close to what I can find the items for new if I can find them (but I do live in an area with good music stores). Quality of most items is supposed to be near mint. Worth checking out.

A recent flyer from ART CONTROL said it's turning into a full-time business and will be expanding to stock more new items in the future. Probably with more frequent catalogs

Store

Arula Records

Address

PO Box 332, Southbridge, MA 01550

WWW

http://www.ultranet.com/~ares/arula

Comments

Just released first mail order catalogue of independent progressive music releases, including fusion, space rock, art rock and progressive rock. The catalogue, along with sound samples, is on line (see above for URL).

Name

Audiophile Imports

Address

P.O. BOX 4801, Lutherville, MD 21094-4801

Phone

(410) 628-7601

Fax

(410) 628-1948

WWW

http://www.cyboard.com/audiophile.html

Comments

Lots of fusion from around the world. Good prog selection, however not as extensive as another Baltimore location, which is Of Sound Mind. Catalog has a nice thumbnail blurb on each of the CD's offered (some are just personel listings, but it's better than nothing!)

Name

Backroads

Address

418 Tamal Plaza, Corte Madera, CA 94925

Phone

(800) 767-4748

Fax

(415) 924-0648

Comments

Extensive catalog of mostly new age/emusic. A bit pricey and they don't stock vinyl. They also have available radio station lists for Echoes, Hearts of Space Radio and Musical Starstreams. They come out with regular updates/new release notes. They can take special requests and have access to some imports from Europe.

Name

Jeff Baker

Address

R.D.2, Box 294, Camden, DE 19934

Comments

His catalog of "progressive, psychedelic, electronic, folk-rock to hard-rock collectable LPs & CDs" is $1 ($2 overseas)

Name

Bananamoon

Address

PO Box 110952, Cleveland, OH 44111

Phone

216 671 8305

Fax

216 671 8305

Email

bmoon AT netcom.com

WWW

http://www.geocities.com/Paris/2190/

Phone

216-671-8305

Comments

Progressive rock and psych from around the world. Strong emphasis on Italian prog. All manner of goodies from Delerium, Vinyl Magic, Mellow, Germanofon, etal. Email for catalog, updated monthly, or for inclusion on mailing list. Want lists, suggestions welcome!

Name

Barking Pumpkin Records/Barfko Swill?

Phone

1-818-PUMPKIN

Comments

This is Frank Zappa's mailorder business for Zappa and the Mother of Invention releases and products such as posters, tshirts, etc. The line usually has an informational recording during non business hours, and I think they also answer general questions about Zappa and take orders during regular business hours - probably 9am- 5pm California time.

Name

Cadence

Address

Cadence Bldg, Redwood, NY 13679

Comments

Extensive jazz/folk catalog which you must subscribe to. Also have some avante-garde and fusion releases.

Name

CRI - Composers Recordings Incorporated

Address

73 Spring St. Suite 506, New York, NY 10012-5800

Comments

List over one hundred artists in their 1992 catalog. Mostly Neo-classical/avante garde. Lou Harrison, John Zorn, Milton Babbit, Harry Partch, Otto Leuning, Guy Klucesvek, etc...

Name

CD Connection

Address

1016 East El Camino, #322 Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Phone

(408) 733-0801

Fax

(408) 733-0850

Modem

(408) 730-9015 Up to 9600 bps (8 data, 0 parity, 1 stop), San Francisco/Berkeley (510) 843-1259, Chicago (312) 751-2447, New York City (212) 532-4045

WWW

http://www.cdconnection.com/

Comments

58,000+ Cds listed on-line, accepts VISA, MasterCard, $3 per regular order; free shipping on orders of $100 within 48 US states, Phonolog(tm)-Select - industry standard song/track title database. Downloadable catalogs so you can search offline, and available via mail for $5 (deductible from next/first order). The Golden Ears Society - music critics. Ships to Canada, Overseas shipping info available. Claims 94% average ability to deliver - 90 -100% of orders filled. Delivery of orders requires approximately 1 work week + shipping time (1-2.5 weeks depending on location. A separate account must be established on each system (city) you will be using if you call more than one location of this company to place orders.

If you're on the internet, you can telnet to cdconnection.com and get a full, online database search of their stuff plus the facilities to order by credit card. I found CD CONENCTION's prices not too bad but their overseas shipping charges are outrageous.

Name

CD Europe

Address

PO Box 8561, Deerfield Beach, FL 33443

Phone

305-481-8984 (Orderline: 9-5 EST 5 weekdays), 305-481-1724 (Customer Service: 9-5 EST weekdays),

Fax

305-481-8817 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

Modem

408-985-2094 Up to 9600 bps (8n1)

WWW

http://www.cdeurope.com/

Comments

Like CD CONNECTION above but specialises in European imports (for the US). Unlike CD CONNECTION, their overseas shipping rates aren't too bad but their prices are high. If you are on the internet, you can telnet to cdeurope.com to access their entire catalogue. You can also order on-line using credit cards. Very useful but, like CD CONNECTION, very costly.

Name

Cleefo

Address

Box 652, Ellington CT 06029

Phone

(203) 875-2315 3-10PM EST

Comments

Cleefo (that's his name) specializes in cutout CDs, Cassettes and Videos of all types. He used to send out a list, but rarely does anymore as his stock turns over so quickly. Just this year (92) he was able to get me two long- out-of-print Synergy CD's and Dixie Dregs "Dregs of the Earth" CD. It's best to just call and let him know what you're looking for. I've never had any problems with his service, he's always been friendly and helpful on the phone, and has a network of other record-show type dealers that he works with, which in some cases allows him to get some long-lost obscurities in record time. (he couldn't find me a copy of Utopia's POV though !!). Overall very good prices.

Name

Coriolis Records

Address

Box 3528, Orange, CA 92665

Comments

They handle only a very limited selection of (mostly) Southern Cal. independent artists: Walter Holland, Djam Karet, Neuronium, Steve Roach, Mark Dwane, and a handful of others.

Name

Daystar

Address

PO Box 411, Huntington Station, NY 11746

Comments

A small label. Stuff by Heresy(prog), Ernest Woodall (Emusic), Tony Garone (avant-folk) and others.

Name

Da Music

Address

Box 3, Little Silver, NJ 07739

Comments

A lot like Backroads. With a bit more jazz and instrumental.

Name

Dutch East India Trading

Address

PO BOX 800, Rockville Centre, NY 11571-0800

Comments

Carries some Wyatt and Soft Machine BBC releases and probably other BBC Peel Sessions too. Appears to be licensing the material from Strange Fruit records. I've heard that they have a mailorder catalog but I haven't asked for it because I can find the releases in local stores here already.

Name

Ear/Rational Music

Address

2770 Arapahoe Rd. #132-120, Lafayette, CO 80026

Fax

810/222-1904 vox/fax

Email

contact AT ear-rational.com

Comments

Quite a large selection of ambient/industrial music.

Name

Echo-Discs

Address

PO Box 224, Eagle, PA 19480

Comments

Distribute the stuff you would hear on the program "Echoes". Mostly newagey/emusic with some jazz/acoustic.

Name

Electronic Cottage

Address

PO Box 3637, Apollo Beach, FL 33572

Comments

I quote "...the magazine dedicated to electronic audio folk art, cassette culture and electronic & experimental music! An inside look at the indie music scene featuring articles, profiles and editorials by home tapers themselves!"

Name

ESD - East Side Digital

Address

530 North 3rd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Phone

612 375 0233

Fax

612 359 9580

Email

esd AT noside.com

WWW

http://www.noside.com/esd

Comments

A small label that has releases by Fred Frith, Henry Cow, Happy The Man, National Health, The Residents, and more. Last time I wrote they mailed me a catalog that was months out of date, but the prices were pretty decent and cheaper than other mailorder vendors that carry their releases. Associated with Ryko's mailorder too.

Name

Eurock Distribution

Address

PO Box 13718, Portland, OR 97213

Phone

(503) 281-0247 (10 AM - 5 PM US Pacific Time ONLY !!! Mon-Sat)

Email

apatters AT teleport.com

WWW

http://www.teleport.com/~apatters/

Comments

Eurock started as a magazine in 1973, specializing in European progressive, space rock and electronic music. The owner of this enterprise is Archie Patterson, whose preferences lie primarily in electronic driven space music and melodic progressive rock, and his lists tend to reflect this. His lists come out every 60 days, and each item is accompanied by a brief description and synopsis which I've found to be very accurate for the most part. He has his own in-house label (also called Eurock) which features artists like Gandalf, Green Isac, Erik Wollo, Dweller At the Threshold and Tim Story. One thing to note is that Eurock generally does not restock items after they are sold out unless the demand is overwhelming, and he gets things in fairly modest quantities, so the best policy is to give him a call as soon as the catalog comes out to reserve the items you want - if you wait more than a few weeks some things will no longer be in stock. Generally he's happy to discuss the items he has in stock over the phone if you need more information, and in fact I'd recommend this, as he can get your feedback from previous orders and learn what your tastes are and make specific recommendations for you. I've been dealing with Eurock for about 7 or 8 years, and I have never had any problems, nor do I know anyone who has... He generally delivers within 2-3 weeks after receipt of payment. Does accept credit cards. The newest development with Eurock is the Web page where he posts each catalog as it comes out and includes audio and visual supplements as well as special features on specific artists. In the future it will become even more of an information source eventually evolving into a site that attempts to keep people updated on the latest news and music in the Eurock genre.

Name

Kinesis Inc.

Address

1430 Wisp Ct, Hanover, MD 21076-1693

Phone

410-551-8081

Fax

410-551-8081

Email

info AT kinesiscd.com

WWW

http://www.kinesiscd.com

Comments

The Kinesis label sports such artists as Fonya, Cathedral and Illuvatar. They have an excellent web page and take credit cards. They also have CDs by other labels for sale.

Name

Mantis Music

Address

PO Box 567, Hampstead, MD 21074

Phone

410-374-5016

Email

mantis2 AT erols.com

WWW

http://www.erols.com/mantis2/

Comments

Used LPs only. Phone only between 10am and 10pm EST and ask for Allen.

Name

Music Books Plus

Address

2315 Whirlpool St., #132 Niagara Falls, NY 14305

Address

23 Hannover Dr., #7 St. Catharines, ON L2W 1A3, Canada

Phone

(905) 641-3471

Fax

(905) 641-1512

Email

info AT nor.com

Comments

Music Books Plus distributes worldwide books and videos on music, songwriting, recording, audio, multimedia, video, lighting and computers. To subscribe to the free monthly electronic newsletter, send message to email address above. To receive a printed catalog, include postal address. Contact: Tricia Janzen.

Name

G.A.S. - Gong Appreciation Society

Address

Gas America, Po Box 1151, North Wales, PA 19454

Comments

GAS in the USA offers some merchandise, tapes, tour info and newsletters but carries less of the rare tapes and CDs and other products compared to GAS UK. See GAS UK listing in the international mailorder section for more details. Not really a mailorder source, but worth mentioning here:

Gong San Francisco Concert info hotline
P.O. Box 470535
SF, CA 94147-0535
(415)905-4535

Info about upcoming San Francisco area shows and releases by Gong and Gong-related tour network. Daevid Allen, The Magick Brothers, Tim Blake, Mother Gong, and Gilli Smyth have done local shows already, and Richard Sinclair, Kevin Ayers, David Cross band, and Gordon Haskell are some of the artists possibly playing here in the future.

Also, if you're interested in Gong, see the Spectrum Music Video listing for info on a Gongmaison live video they carry. Send an SASE to them for more info.

Name

Generations Unlimited

Address

199 Strathmore #5, Brighton, MA 02135-5210

Comments

Focus tends to be on hard core electronics. David Prescott, Jorge Thomasius and Conrad Schnitzler. Also distribute Badland, Radium, Pogus and other labels.

Name

Grand Rapids CD

Address

3544 Plainfield NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505

Phone

616-363-4960

Fax

616-363-1078

Email

STGRCD AT aol.com

Comments

We currently stock over 500 Prog/Elec Cds and have a free catalogue for mail order.

Name

Used-Music Web

WWW

http://cygnus.uwa.edu.au/~cpudney/usedmusic/

Comments

Buy, sell, trade and advertise used CDs, vinyl, cassettes etc.

Name

Labyrinth

Address

575 3 St. Apt. 1-D, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Comments

A mail-order distributor run by my friend Tony Coulter (who does a great radio show on WFMU). He's an expert on obscure progressive rock, a lot of which he has available for sale or trade. He also carries a lot of Recommended/Re stuff. Some random items from his current catalog: Ron Geesin, Super Sister (Dutch prog rock), Blegvad, Re Quarterly, obscure Italian prog rock, Fat, Faust, R. Stevie Moore, and many many things I've never heard of. Carries LPS and CDs.

Name

Doug Larson

Address

62 Crane St., Caldwell NJ 07006

Phone

(201) 226-6332

Email

douglars AT hicom.net

Comments

Doug has a very extensive list of all kinds of progressive from all over the world, and his prices are fairly reasonable. A really easy guy to deal with and not too opinionated about things. If you call (after 4PM EST) he'll take your order right then and ship it as soon as he gets payment. He sends everything out priority mail, which all makes his TAT very quick. From the west coast, my experience has been typically 7 working days from the day I phoned in the order and sent the payment, to the day the discs arrive. That beats everyone else hands down, even guys on the west coast

Doug's definitely the fastest turnaround in the business. He handles a really good selection of Italian 70's prog, I'm really impressed with his selection of other types of stuff too. He will make a sampler tape of various discs in his list for a nominal charge, but don't ask him to record the whole disc, just selections. He advertises in goldmine every two weeks, which is a good way to keep up with the new stuff he gets in stock. He's also got an extensive list of rare and o/p LP's. Highly Recommended.

Name

The Laser's Edge

Address

P.O. Box 388, Voorhees, NJ 08043-0388

Email

lasercd AT aol.com

WWW

http://www.lasercd.com/

Phone

(856) 751 6444 (1PM to 6PM EST)

Fax

(856) 751 7466

Comments

Run by Ken Golden. A good man who is also a self-confessed Cranky Old Bastard.

The Laser's Edge is a Label and mail-order CD only distribution run by Ken Golden. Ken gets the medal for having positively the most descriptive and informative catalog of any mail-order outfit I've ever dealt with, every disc is reviewed carefully, and opinions are offered - one of the few people I've ever seen who will tell you that a disc he carries is crappy if it really is! The in-house label (TLE also) has many releases mostly by long forgotten independent artists from the 70's, but there are some new releases as well. Artists include: The Load, A Triggering Myth, Werwolf, Landberk, Spring, Nightwinds, Atlantis Philharmonic and others.

Name

Linden Music

Address

PO Box 520, Linden, VA 22642

Email

linden AT shentel.net

WWW

http://www.shentel.net/linden/

Comments

Carries Kit Watkins releases and other stuff by his cohorts in Happy the Man, as well as other new-age, electronic and space artists. Has advanced on-line ordering facilities using First Virtual.

Name

M & M

Address

P.O. Box 63, Ashland, MA 01721

Email

MMMusic AT ix.netcom.com

WWW

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/4500

Comments

The proprietor's name is Mark. Don't know the last name. He doesn't deal in super rare stuff, but he only does Prog and fusion. His prices are good, and he does stock a nice little selection of new independent things (such as my own). He's always been reliable and fast when I've ordered from him, and he has a sale every few months.

Name

Metro Records

Address

PO Box 10004, Silver Spring, Maryland 20914, USA

Email

luchchuk AT aol.com

WWW

http://www.idsonline.com/business/metro/

Comments

Another Goldmine advertiser. Stocks a lot of progressive, psychedelic, fusion, and plain old rock and roll of various persuasions. They deal in CD's, LP's, etc., etc. Their catalog is a must for the serious collector. I've had excellent service, including free shipping for giving them some Internet info(!). They're not cheap, but their prices are in line with other vendors of obscure music.

Name

Midnight Records

Address

PO Box 390, Old Chelsea Station, NY NY 10011

Email

midnight AT cerfnet.com

Comments

Another Goldmine advertiser. Stocks a lot of progressive, psychedelic, fusion, and plain old rock and roll of various persuasions. They deal in CD's, LP's, etc., etc. Their catalog is a must for the serious collector. I've had excellent service. They request alternate selections due to problems keeping obscure albums in stock, and they'll make every effort to fill an order even if they don't have the item in stock. I asked them about the availability of two LP's once, and they went out and got them for me. They're not cheap, but their prices are in line with other vendors of obscure music.

Name

Craig Moerer

Address

PO Box 19231, Portland, OR 97280

WWW

http://www.records-by-mail.com/

Comments

Publishes an extensive list of records/CDs/45s/collectors stuff. Mostly rock but some em/progressive stuff. A lot of lesser known rock and some oldies. Most of their vinyl is used but in very good to mint condition. Fully searchable Web site of some 33,000 (and expanding) titles.

Name

Of Sound Mind

Address

4134 E. Joppa Road #104, Batlimore, MD 21236

Phone

(301) 497-6488

Fax

(410) 529-5761

Comments

The East Coast's prog Mecca! After David Hodgson closed down Playing By Ear in Baltimore and moved it out West, Chris Lamka bought the store and the stock. He later moved it up the road a few miles. Chris concentrates more on progressive than David did, with an excellent selection of Italian, Brazilian, French and US prog (other countries are well-represented also). Good electronic selection, also. Chris is very supportive of the prog scene in and around Baltimore, with many in-store appearances of local and regional prog acts. Rumor has it he's trying to set up a prog fest of his own... Prices aren't quite as good as Ranjits', but this business is the man's bread and butter, so I really don't mind that much.

Name

Parasol/Cargo

Address

201 North Coler, Urbana, IL 61801

Comments

YAID... Yet another indie distributor. Everything from AAAK to Hector Zazou, also imports on Creation.

Name

Park Avenue Records, P.O. Box 19296, Seattle, WA 98109

Phone

206-282-5604

Comments

I haven't ordered anything from them yet, but I have seen their big catalog and been very impressed. (I know folks who have ordered from them and been perfectly satisfied.)

Name

Ponk Records/Passed Normal Compilations

Address

Po Box 3664, Bloomington, IL 61702

Phone

(309)365-4491

Fax

(309)365-4491

Email

PinkBob AT aol.com

Comments

Small, odd selection of compilations and mailorder with some cheap and some regularly priced items. Includes works by Frith, Kaiser, Don Cherry, Sun Ra, Negativland, Daevid Allen, Mother Gong, Made To Measure and more.

Monthly catalog, 12 pages, now concentrated around their own releases including the new Hugh Hopper, a recent Henry Kaiser and Amy Denio. Small new and used CDs area, very Gong-based, Frith, Kaiser, Geesin. Some used vinyl, too. They also give information about `their' artists, mainly tourdates: Gong, Amy Denio and related, Frank Pahl and related, `Steve Horowitz and The Code'.

Name

Possible Productions

Address

351 Magnolia Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802

Fax

310-491-1945

Email

dinokiller AT aol.com

Comments

Official US outlet for King Crimson/Robert Fripp projects on the Discipline label. They accept credit card orders by email.

Name

Progressive International

Address

1655 11th Street, Ogden Utah 84404

Phone

(801) 394-7700

Fax

(801) 394-7707

Comments

All along they have been a mail order outlet and, although I've rarely dealt with them by mail, I've heard a lot of horror stories. I personally have no bad experiences. Their in-house label features artists like Solstice, Xaal, Sinister Street, Anthony Phillips, Gryphon, Steeleye Span, Aragon, Wayne Kramer and others. They are getting national distribution in major chain stores like Tower and others, so there's really no need to buy their titles directly from them. They also handle distribution for bands like Galahad and Final Conflict, and stock a modest selection of other imported titles as well, although my feeling is that they would like to get out of the direct mail-order business altogether and sell to distributors only. Like many others, I've found that these guys are less than totally reliable about getting things in that they say they will get in, so my recommendation is to never order anything unless they have it in stock when you order.

They recently issued a catalog which explains that they decided to start up the mail distribution service again "due to the abundance of letters and phone calls we have received". You may want to add also that (as far as I can tell) they seem to have the lowest prices of any catalog--$10.98 for in house, $11.98 for other domestics, and $12.98 for most imports. As for their being `risky', I would give them another chance before writing them off.

Name

Ranjit Padmanabhan

Address

566 Crystalberry Terrace, San Jose, CA 95129

Email

ranjit AT netcom.com

WWW

http://www.webpage.com/~progtron/

Comments

Such a clever idea: Sell CD's over the net. Anyway, I'd been hearing about Ranjit for a couple years, mostly from Ken Welchoff of Progressive, who recommended him highly, before I actually got in touch with him. It was other netters highest recommendations that finally convinced me. He sends out periodic "Descriptive" catalogs over the net, as well as simple lists that list everything he has in stock. All you need to do is email him and ask him to send it. He's a very friendly guy, knowledgeable and helpful, his selection is extremely good and his prices are good also. Once your order is confirmed, he holds it for you, you send him the payment, and he sends you the discs. Very simple, very convenient. He also carries all currently available issues of Audion Magazine, and, like Doug Larson, will make a sampler tape of things from his list for a nominal fee.

Name

Rockaway Records

Address

2395 Glendale Blvd., CA 90039

Phone

(213) 664-0956

Comments

These guys offer CDs of some live shows, Westwood One radio discs, etc. but nothing specifically progressive, just general interest. Ordered once - service was fast.

Name

RPM Records

Address

1900 Oates Drive, STE 200 Mesquite, Texas 75150

Phone

214-681-8441

Fax

214-681-9486

Email

rpmrec AT metronet.com

WWW

http://rpmrecords.metronet.com/

Comments

We have been in business for 14 years. We sell new, used, domestic and import, CD's, LP's, Cass and Laser Videos. Our specialty is 60's and 70's rarities, progressive and alternative. We also have a large selection of Japanese laser discs. We have a 3,200 square ft store on the corner of Interstate 635 and Oates Drive in Mesquite (a suburb of Dallas). We ship out daily UPS, and accept all major credit cards.

Name

Round Sounds

Phone

(310) 376-1701

email

music AT roundsounds.com

WWW

http://www.roundsounds.com/

Comments

Round Sounds is now a net-based mail-order business. The proprietors name is Ed, and he's a real friendly guy who'll gladly offer an opinion on something in his list (which is mailed out at irregular intervals and has no descriptions, just a list). Every time I'm in southern California I always make a point to stop by his store, he has a lot of "Rare" CD's (ahem) that he doesn't put in his list.

Most unfortunately, Ed has closed his Pacific Coast Highway storefront. He continues to run his intermittent (to say the least) mail order, and he pops up at the occasional record swap meet. When I last tried telephoning, I got a forwarding number of (310) 376-1701, however,

Name

Sights & Sounds

Address

332 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ 07701

Phone

1-908-530-8866

Fax

1-908-530-9868 (24 hrs)

Email

GENESISMAN AT aol.com

Comments

We like all types of progressive rock and have been in business three years promoting and distributing bands from all over the world. We have an extensive database of over 6000 titles and are compiling the most comprehensive world guide to progressive rock ever seen to date. Our catalogs are descriptive and offer some of the best prices in the industry. We take payment by Check($ only) Money Order, International Money Order, Visa, Mastercard. We are always looking for new bands or labels to distribute and we offer the largest selection of American progressive bands!

Catalogs are updated quarterly and may soon be done on a monthly basis. In addition we have a World WIde Web page in the works for later in 1995 from which you will be able to directly get the catalog on-line and place orders through.

Name

Silent

Address

540 Alabama, Suite 315, San Francisco, CA 94110

Comments

Carry stuff by Merzbow, Art Bears, Von Magnet, Einstürzende Neubauten, Big Butter, etc.

Name

Soleilmoon Recordings

Address

PO Box 83296, Portland, OR 97283

Phone

(503) 335 0706

Fax

(503) 335 0805

Email

soleilmoon AT aol.com

Comments

Deals in experimental/industrial music almost exclusively. They have a very good catalogue which they'll send you if you mail them.

Name

Spectrum Music Video

Phone

1-800-84MUSIC

Comments

Has a very large music video catalog of NTSC VHS and many laser discs including imports. Includes some Prog stuff like King Crimson, Enid, etc. They carry the Gongmaison 1991, Brixton, UK show at the Fridge for sale for $19.95 plus $3.50 shipping. This video has some great special effects and brief interviews with Daevid Allen and Didier are spliced in. It's great! It includes lots of old Gong material circa Camembert Electrique.

Name

Syn-Phonic

Address

PO Box 2034, La Habra, CA 90631

Phone

(714) 894-9506 (M-Th 7PM-10PM PST)

Email

progregwalker AT sprynet.com

Comments

Syn-phonic is owned by Greg Walker, who also has an in-house label which specializes primarily in American progressive artifacts, but he also has some current artists signed. The roster includes Kalaban, Now, Babylon, Mirthrandir, Northstar, Cathedral and others. For years he was releasing this stuff on vinyl only, notorious for their marginal pressing quality. However, since around 1991 Greg has been releasing CDs only, and unlike the LPs, no quality was spared on these, either in the pressings or the booklets, which tend to have extensive information on the artists, much like America's answer to Musea. He has gone back and re-released much of his vinyl on disc now, and eventually plans to re-release everything and then some. His mail-order list is extensive, and includes imports from all over the world. His prices on Japanese product are the best anywhere, frankly I don't know how he can do it, but his prices are roughly the same as one would pay in Tokyo! He also has an amazing selection of 70's Italian product. His service is very good, prompt TAT, and although he seems to be difficult to get hold of on the phone, when you do catch him he is very helpful and honest. He's one of the few that'll tell you something in his list is garbage. I was ready to order something once, and he recommended I save my money !! Also, for those who are into vinyl, he still stocks things on both formats, whenever available, although I imagine the LPs will disappear from his stock eventually.

Syn-phonic is my favorite place to order from. Greg Walker is easy to deal with, and gives honest evaluations of the music. He's very prompt - you'll always get the discs you order in less than 2 weeks. On top of that, his selection is excellent, and prices are consistently low. I highly recommend Syn-phonic.

Name

Tec Tones/Ralph Records/Negativmailorderland

Address

P.O. Box 1477, Hoboken, NJ 07030

Phone

201/420-0238

Fax

201/420-6494

Comments

TEC TONES is the mailorder wing of Ralph Records, TEC Tones releases, and Negativland products. They also carry some other items like imports of Fred Frith and ESD Henry Cow releases. Mainly it's the mailorder company for the Residents' releases and for Frith, Snakefinger, Clubfoot and other releases on the Ralph label and distribution for some other small labels from the US and other parts of the world.

Name

Van Richter Records

Address

PO Box 13321, La Jolla, CA 92039

Phone

(619) 452-2322

Fax

(619) 453-1799

WWW

http://lab11.me.gatech.edu/vanrichter

Coments

Industrial label/mail order outlet. Accepts on-line orders through the Web.

Name

Voiceprint

Address

PO Box 32827, Kansas City, MO 64111

Phone

(816) 561-0723 business # (and home # too?)

Fax

(816) 531-2271

Comments

Rick Chafen at Voiceprint books the US tours of the Gong/Canterbury network (which strays beyond those parameters but it's the easiest way to describe it). Rick has helped present or is working on tours by Daevid Allen, The Magick Brothers, Tim Blake, Mother Gong, Gilli Smyth, Richard Sinclair, Kevin Ayers, Didier Malherbe Trio, David Cross band, and Gordon Haskell. He's the person to talk to if you'd like to help book shows by these artists in your city.

Voiceprint US has a couple of products and also imports UK Voiceprint releases by Daevid Allen, Magick Brothers, Tim Blake, Nic Potter, David Jackson, Robert Wyatt and more. A number of releases including early Canterbury and recent Canterbury projects and also works by David Bedford, Kevin Ayers. These releases can be ordered from Voiceprint or from other distributors at comparable prices. Voiceprint tends to only stock a few copies of the UK VP releases. Very occasional catalogs or newsletters are mailed out.

Name

Wayside Music

Address

PO Box 8427, Silver Spring, MD 20902-8427

Phone

(301) 589-1803 new release info (recording) (no catalog requests via phone, you must write for a catalog or view it on the Web page)

WWW

http://cuneiformrecords.com/

Fax

(301) 589-1819

Comments

Wayside is the Mail Order outfit that I've been dealing with the longest, probably around 8 or 9 years. They have two catalogs: An annual "Green" catalog of Items they keep in stock all year long, plus a quarterly (?) "White" catalog that lists Items that are either new in stock or that will not be restocked after they are gone, many of these items are very limited quantity stuff, so after you get the white catalog it's best to act fast. Wayside carries a wide variety of progressive stuff, but clearly favors the fringe, RIO, and other uncategorizable material over the `melodic pop' type progressive. They have an in-house label: Cuneiform, featuring artists like Univers Zero, PFS, Curlew, Richard Pinhas, Dr. Nerve, Miriodor, Henry Kaiser, Phil Miller, However, Forever Einstein, etc. The catalogs usually have a brief (3-6 line) description of the items they carry. I've found these descriptions to sometimes be inaccurate and misleading, so it's best to proceed with caution if you're about to buy something you've never heard of based on a Wayside description ... Then again these catalog descriptions have sometimes led to some really nice surprises. Complaints: First and foremost is their lack of a live telephone for order confirmation, and secondly the they take too long - sometimes up to six weeks - to send out the orders. Usually it takes about a month. On the plus side, they've recently added credit card payment as an option, which means you no longer have to list a bunch of alternatives you don't really want or receive credit slips.

Wayside is also a good source for mailorder for folks outside the USA. It's one of the few catalogs I recall that lists international shipping rates, and based on what I've heard it offers fairly competitive rates compared to what CDs sell for in some parts of the world.

Name

The Wild Places (Adventures In Vinyl... And Beyond.)

Address

621 "A" Hanover Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Phone

(408) 427-3043 (Don't call after 10pm PST!)

Comments

Run by Michael Piper. His first catalog (March 93) is 42 pages of new and used LPs and CDs, with a lot more vinyl than cd stock. The catalog probably has about 1400 items or more, mostly obscure psychadelic and progressive. Some of the prices are collectors prices (one item here is listed at $975!) but there's a lot of reasonably priced items too. I bought from him once. He gave me a partial refund with the order because he noticed the condition wasn't quite as good as he had rated it in the catalog.

Name

ZNR Records

Address

P.O.Box 58040, Louisville, KY 40268-0040

Email

ZNR AT aol.com

Comments

Have their own label. I wrote to them once about a couple specific titles, he had them but the asking price was a joke. Asked them to send a catalog, they sent an auction list of some rare prog LPs. I know a lot of people who buy from them.

Name

Zounds Records

Address

3422 Cherry Tree Ln., Erlanger, KY 41018

Comments

The guy who runs Zounds was the former partner of Steve Roberts of ZNR (he's the `Z'). I've ordered from him with no problems for the most part, though I did get one LP (an expensive one) which I thought was not in the advertised condition.

Vendors Outside the USA

Name

Beastone Records/Hideake Ueda

Address

24-15-405, Atsubetsu-Chuo 4-2, Sapporo 004, Japan

Comments

I've only ordered from Beastone a few times, their catalog is extensive but mostly general interest stuff (non-progressive), but they do (or did) have a decent selection of "Live" (ahem) CD's and other "Rarities"... And he will find things for you that aren't in the catalog. My first dealing with Beastone was in an effort to locate an o/p Happy the Man CD, and they came through almost immediately ! I haven't ordered from them in a long time, but they do take IMO's in US Currency, and deliver stuff very quickly (more quickly than most domestic outfits). Hideake Ueda is the guy's name.

Name

Bernard Ballet

Address

Metropolis Import, 12 Rue Saint-Leonard, 44000 NANTES, France

Phone

(16) 40 89 12 03

Name

Broken Records

Address

PO Box 4416, London, SW19 8XR, UK

Comments

Run by Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin. Deals mainly in their material and related stuff. You can get the National Health "Complete" CD set from here in the UK.

Name

CD Connection

Address

P.O. Box 10 14 31, 6900 Heidelberg, Germany

Comments

Advertises in Goldmine; carries lots of bootlegs. Some folks I know have dealt with them with no problem. Another friend claims to have been ripped off and says he knows other who have been too. Goldmine refused to get involved in any disputes between advertisor and customer. If you order from these guys you run the risk of customs seizures. Best bet is to insure, which won't protect from customs but might help if they claim the discs were shipped and you never received them.

Name

CD Distributions

Address

Postbus 460, 3990 GG Houten, The Netherlands

Phone

31-30-6341682

Fax

31-30-6341682

Comments

Apparently filling in the gap left by the defunct SI Music outlet.

Name

Compact Disc Services

Address

40-42 Bruntwood Avenue, Dundee, DD3 6EW, Scotland

Phone

(01382) 776595

Fax

(01382) 736702

Comments

Their main specialty is electronic and new age synth music: what they don't know about the availability of T.Dream, Kit Watkins, Gandalf, etc, etc, isn't worth knowing. They are also very helpful with all manner of progressive stuff, including Gong, Canterbury, Bruford, Camel, etc, etc. These were the guys who, when I called up about a CD of Pink Floyd's Relics, instantly knew that it was only ever available from Australia, its legality was in some doubt, and has been out of print for about two years. They will get imports from anywhere in the world, and if you're thinking about a Japanese import, they will often have a good idea whether it's likely to soon become available from elsewhere, and therefore be much cheaper if you wait a while. Their prices are not discounted, and they do charge postage, but they give a good service (recorded delivery within the UK), and always seem to know how to try and get obscure stuff.

Very good outlet, reliable with reasonable prices (for Britain :-). This months ad shows releases by Anyone's Daughter, Asia Minor, Cannata, Circus, Cirkel, The Enid, Ivory, Kaipa, Kayak, Mercy Train, Mythos, Pendragon, Red Jasper, SRC and Summer Indoors all for around $17.00.

Name

Compact Huset

Address

Austmannav. 9, P.O.Box 1756, 5501 Haugesund, Norway

Phone

+47 52 71 61 70

Fax

+47 52 72 98 19

Comments

They deal in all kinds of music, if interested in special things, talk to Arnstein (manager) who know most about everything. They are very helpful. They release 2 main catalogs and 10 updates pr. year. Catalogues can be subscribed for 5-6 pounds for one year, 9-10 for two years. Most of the catalog is printed in norwegian, but there are some english columns as well. Their normal prices are around 13-14 pounds of which 18.02% can be deducted (norw. VAT). Special offers, discounts etc. are also obtainable. Orders for foreign customers are at minimum 500 nok (45-47 pounds), orders can be phoned, faxed or mailed (snail-mail). Note that it is the cost of the total order that is important, not the actual cost (if any records are unavailable). They prefer payment by creditcards (VISA, AMERICAN EXPRESS and MASTERCARD), but pre-payment is also accepted through a proforma invoice. If things are out of stock, and therefore the delivery takes some time, they will inform you on your order-status if you call them. A very helpful bunch of people.

Name

Cranium Music

Address

PO Box 103-09, Te Rapa, Hamilton, New Zealand

Phone

+64 7 8299 840

Fax

+64 7 8299 980

Email

richard AT cranium.co.nz

WWW

http://http://www.cranium.co.nz/

Comments

Import and sell Progressive, Space Rock,Psychedelic, Electronic & Experimental music. Stock totals some 1000 items with 99% being CD's. Labels that we deal with: Acme, Cyclops, Delerium, Dovetail, Emergency Broadcast System, Mystic Stones, Voiceprint (all UK) Crimsonic, Foxtrot, Xotic Mind (Sweden), Erdenklang, Manikin, Music Is Intelligence (Germany), Art Sublime, Lasers Edge, Wild Places (USA) plus Spalax (France). We are sole distributors for some of the above labels we are starting to get some shops stocking Prog etc. By the way I think we can SAFELY say we are the largest stockists of Prog, Psychedelic etc in NZ (and POSSIBLY Australia).

Name

Delerium Records/The Freak Emporium

Address

PO Box 1288, Gerrards Cross, Bucks, SL9 9YB, UK.

Tel

+44 (0)1753 893008

Fax

+44 (0)1753 892879

Email

delerium AT mail.bogo.co.uk

WWW

http://www.delerium.co.uk/

Comments

Extensive mail-order list combining new releases and reissues. Concentrates mainly on psychedelic and underground titles, ltd edition reissues from 60s through 90s. Send E:Mail, SAE or IRC for current list. Updated lists of new stock also available on request. Our tastes are quite diverse: Prog-rock, Space-Rock, Kraut-Rock, Psychedelia, Garage, Folk-Psych, Ambient, Rave - and everypoint inbetween. We also run our own label, dedicated to releasing new progressive/psychedelic and underground music by new artists; and a Porcupine Tree information service. Credit cards accepted, but there is a 5% surcharge. Order turn-round is usually 24 to 48 hours, and goods are dispatched the same day payment is received. Double CD "Pick & Mix" label sampler available for £5 UK, £6 Europe, £7 (or $12 US Cash) elsewhere. Cheques/PO's payable to "Delerium Records".

Name

Diffusion I Media

Address

4487 Rue Adam, Montreal (QC), Canada H1V 1T9

Comments

Carry some Canadian emusic indie artists like Michel Redolfi, Bernard Parmaging and others. Only accept US postal MO, IMO or check drawn on a Canadian bank.

Name

Discipline Global Mobile

Address

PO Box 1533, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP5 5ER

Fax

(+44) (01722) 781042

Fax

(+44) (01722) 780165

Email

DGM AT disciplinegm.demon.co.uk

WWW

http://www.discipline.co.uk/

Comments

Official outlet for King Crimson/Robert Fripp projects in the UK as part of Fripp's new distributed distribution project. They now take credit card orders by email for which they need your full name (as apearing on the card), full postal address, card number and card expiry date. You can also order by credit card from the World Wide Web page given above. A very nice Web site now with lots of information on DGM artists, full ordering facility, news etc. Well worth looking at.

Name

G.A.S. - Gong Appreciation Society

Address

PO Box 871, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 9FE, UK

Comments

GAS in the UK carries a number of tapes of rare Gong and Gong related folks, LPs, CDs, tshirts, posters, lyrics, newsletters, tour info and other goodies. Also see the US GAS listing above. As of 1990, GAS Membership costs 8 pounds per year. You receive atape of unreleased material, a discount of 10% on anything ordered, and quarterly newsletters to which you are welcome to contribute. I suspect rates may have changed. I'd recommend sending an IRC asking for more info.

Name

Electronic Dreams

Address

c/o Clive Littlewood, Silverton Villa, Higher Bugle, St. Austell, Cornwall, PL26 8PY, UK

Phone

+44 (01726) 850232

Fax

+44 (01726) 69135

Comments

Phone contact should ask for "Cleve" and aim to phone between 5.30 and 6.30pm. Electronic Dreams is a label and outlet for new electronic music.

Name

Eventyr Record

Address

PO Box 12319 - 00135, Rome, Italy

Phone

+39-6-3326 2264

Fax

+39-6-3326 2654

Email

eventyr AT farm-it.com

Comments

Mail order home of the Progland label. Also carries things from the following labels: Seventh, Ageness, Ciclo, Briskeby, Kalemegdan, WMMS, Mezzo Disctribution, Progressive Rock Worldwide, Vinyl Top and Ars Mundi.

Name

GFT

Address

33a Tolworth Park Road, Tolworth, Surrey, KT6 7RL

Phone

+44 (0181) 339 9965 (Monday to Friday & answerphone at weekends)

Fax

+44 (0181) 399 0070

Email

info AT gft-cyclops.co.uk

Email

sales AT gft-cyclops.co.uk

WWW

http://www.gft-cyclops.co.uk

Comments

Good reputation. Run by Malcolm Parker who is really friendly on the phone and very helpful generally. In addition to being a pleasant place to order from, their prices are superb (modulo the UK!) ... I have not seen a cheaper place in the UK. Their catalogue has a good range, nothing too esoteric, plus special sections devoted to Canterbury, `Head' music etc. P and P rates are very good indeed and they seem to send orders of 3+ CDs recorded delivery. Very quickly too ... I often get next-day service even if I ring in the afternoon! They have a special offers list that includes currently favoured material that's offered at an all-in rate which includes P and P. They also send out an update with end-of-line items. A very good mail order outlet.

Name

Tim Holden

Address

139 Hawkfield Crescent NW, Calgary, Canada T3G 1Z4

Phone

(403) 241-9073 (5-9 PM PST)

Comments

Tim is a guy who deals mainly in used LPs and works shows in his area, he's got good contacts with a lot of other dealers & collectors in his area, and seems to have no trouble finding rare and out-of-print stuff if you give him a little time. He found me 6 o/p albums by Maneige over the course of the last year, and found the whole FM catalog for a friend of mine, including the rare first album "Headroom", all for very reasonable prices. His service is extremely good, turn-around-time is quick, and he's a really friendly chap to talk with on the phone. Recommended for o/p stuff.

Name

Mike Lloyd Music Mail Order

Address

14-20 Brunswick Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 1DR, UK

Phone

(01782) 269012

Comments

Formerly known as Lotus Records, these guys have specialized catalogs for Canterbury, Zeuhl (Magma), and other stuff.

I've only ordered from them once, but I got both Paga CDs as well as the 2CD version of Magma Live. These three discs are nearly impossible to get in the US, but I called Mike Lloyd's and got them with no problem. Shipping did take about a month, but it was well worth the wait. When you call, ask for Andy or Clarey, as they handle the mail order division.

Name

Mirage

Address

612 Southmead Road, Filton, Bristol, BS12 7RF, UK

Comments

Last I checked (several years ago) this was a one man operation, Martin K Reed. He has a decent variety of British indie electronic musicians like Ian Boddy, Steve Frost and Mark Shreeve.

Name

Musea

Address

68 La Tinchotte, 57117 Retonfey, France

Fax

(33) 87366473

Email

musea AT id-net.fr

WWW

http://www.id-net.fr/musea/

Comments

Musea is a label with over 200 productions to its name including many prestigious groups such as Minimum Vital, Atoll, and Pulsar. The Musea catalog has a thousand titles including independent productions from all over the world as well as imports from Japan, Brazil, Korea, Italy, Germany, Poland, etc.. The label also publishes the French-language Musea magazine.

Musea take credit card orders by email and aim for a 3 to 5 day turn around. They have an excellent Web catalogue and ordering service.

Name

The Music Specialists

Address

50 Raffles Place, #03-011 Shell Tower, Singapore 0104

Phone

(065) 734-3775

Fax

(065) 224-2785

Comments

Carries a lot of live and bootleg CDs. Similar to the CD Connection in Germany, but supposedly more reliable per one friend who has used both. They'll send lists for $2.

Name

Normal Mail Order

Address

Bonner Talweg 276, 5300 Bonn 1, Germany

Phone

228-22 06 55

Fax

228-22 16 56

Comments

Excellent selection of bands on tiny labels. Lots of really obscure punk, Australian, New Zealand and German bands. They are very prompt at answering fax enquiries and will probably mail you a catalogue for free. They are also capable of locating out of date obscure vinyl and CD's.

Name

Ohrwaschl

Address

Papenheim str. 11, 80335, Munich, Germany

Fax

089 5504112

Email

ohrwaschl AT t-online.de

WWW

http://www.c-lab.de/~rms/ff/ohrwaschl.html

Comments

The famous Krautrock label's mail order outlet. They specialise in, surprisingly, Krautrock, 70s progressive and world-music.

Name

Orage Rock Progressif Enr.

Address

C.P. 58058 Québec, Québec, Canada, G2B 5H4

Phone

(418) 847-1116

Comments

This is a very convenient source for Canadian prog. rock fans, with reasonable prices (in Canadian dollars).

Store

Pan y Musica

Address

C/ Ros de Olano 12, 08012, Barcelona, Spain

Phone

(93) 237-6568

Fax

(93) 415-0219

Email

pany AT nexus.es

WWW

http://www.thesaurus.net/panymusica/

Comments

Pan Y Musica's online mail order site.

Name

Pastel Blue

Email

Mike AT pastel.demon.co.uk

WWW

http://www.demon.co.uk/pastel/

Comments

Here is some of the blurb you get when you send the body "help" to the above email adress: Pastel Blue is a mail order CD and video shop, located in England. At the last count we had 35000 CDs, 3500 CD singles, 4200 videos and 900 games in our database, which you can search by email using commands described below. We accept orders by email and payment by cash, cheque or credit card, and can export to any country.

Large collection (incl. > 100.000 american import cd's), good prices and shipping rates, reliable, but quite slow (they don't have anything in stock). On their list there's p.e. Anglagard, Brand X, Happy the Man, Gryphon, National Health, Yezda Urfa, ...

Store

Philippe Collignon

Address

6 Avenue Du Site, 1200 Brussels, Belgium

Phone

2-7725680 (10am ro 10pm)

Fax

2-7711222

Comments

This guy is one to best places to head for that really rare LP you can't find (especially European). He's expensive, certainly, but has the largest stock (and catalogues) of rare and wonderful vinyl I've come across. Covers all rock from the mid-60s on, but with a slight emphasis on psych and prog. He also does catalogues of CD issues.

Store

Piccadilly Records

Address

5/7 Brown Street, Manchester, M2 1DA, UK

Phone

+44 (0161) 839 8008

Comments

Not actually visited this outlet but I have had things bought for me from there. Said things were quite obscure and had hand-written stickers giving details of genre and links to other artists which impressed.

Name

Possible Productions

Address

Avenue Sana Fe 3044-1, 1425 Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fax

010-54-1-8211372

Comments

"Official" outlet for King Crimson/Robert Fripp projects in South America.

Name

Recrec Laden+Mail

Address

Rotwandstr 64, 8004, Zurich, Switzerland

Phone

+41-1 - 291 46 60

Fax

+41-1 - 291 46 62

Comments

The RecRec label has lots of quirky European releases like Fred Frith, Bruniferd, Nimal and so on. They run a respectable shop front and, from the same address, a mail order service. Obviously they have all the RecRec releases in stock, but they have a generally good selection. Their catalogue is not free. It's a paperback about an inch thick and full of amusing opinions. They are probably only amusing if you can read German.

Name

RéR Megacorp

Address

79 Beulah Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, CR7 8JG, UK

Phone

+44 (0181) 771 1063

Fax

+44 (0181) 771 3138

Email

jf23 AT dial.pipex.com

Comments

Label/business set up by central RIO musician/composer Chris Cutler in 1978 that's still going strong. The RéR label covers a huge diversity of musics from all over the world. What the label covers and what the mail-order side stocks is decided purely on Cutler's perception of musical merit. It therefore doesn't "carry labels" as such. Issues a catalogue with frequent updates. There is a lot of obscure and fantastic music in the RéR catalogue ... highly recommended that you take a look at it.

Name

Sonic Bilby

Address

PO Box 884, Mt Waverly, Vic, 3149, Australia

Email

sonique AT mail.pcmicro.com.au

WWW

http://www.pcmicro.com.au/~Sonique/sb

Comments

My mail order business was formed with the aim of promoting and distributing international progressive, psychedelic, and similar recording artists in Australia for the lowest possible price. Undertake promotion, distribution etc. of music in addition to maintaining a mail order catalogue.

Name

Stanislav Hapla

Address

Jungmannova 7/692, 736 01 Havirov-Mesto, Czechoslovakia

Comments

A possible source for East European CD releases.

Name

Super Records M.B. s.r.l

Address

Centro Commerciale S. Maria Novella, Firenze, 50123, Italy

Phone

+39-55-2349526 / +39-55-287592

Fax

+39-55-2349527

Email

superecords AT superecords.com

WWW

http://www.superecords.com

Comments

Alternative music store: from vinyl rarities to new releases, collector's item, records auction sales, import/export from all over the world. Credit card on line payment. Progressive rock, Canterbury rock, Beat & Psychedelia, Prog-metal, Kraut rock, Hard & Heavy, Death & Black, NWOBHM,... All the vinyl rarities that you think you'd lost, on line sale.

Name

Taxim Records

Address

Postfach 10 11 43, 2900 Bremen 1, Germany

Comments

I originally got referred to Taxim when I wrote directly to Line Records looking for a distributor for their product. I've ordered from them a bunch of times and have always had very good luck (they accept major credit cards as well, which simplifies things a lot when ordering from overseas). They apparently no longer carry the entire Line label and as such I've had difficulty finding things in their catalog that I couldn't find from a domestic distributor, so I haven't ordered anything in a year or so. Prices are very good. Catalog is a glossy mag, all in german.

Name

Terrapin Trucking Company

Address

2 Park Road, Crouch End, London, N8 8TD, UK

Phone

(0181) 342-8851

Fax

(0181) 341-5174

Comments

I regularly fax orders to them using my Mastercard - if they don't have it they don't charge for it! Shipping to America costs about $3.00 for the first disc and $1.50 for each subsequent one.

Name

Ultima Thule

Address

1 Conduit Street, Leicester, LE2 0JN, UK

Phone

+44 (0116) 2854545

Fax

+44 (0116) 2854555

WWW

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ultimathule-audion

Email

ultimathule-audion AT ukonline.co.uk

Comments

Ultima Thule is a store and mailorder business affiliated with Audion Magazine and thus run by two extremely knowledgeable gentlemen. Large A4 catalogue every year with a great deal in it. They send out update lists regularly to active customers. You need to subscribe (not expensive) to these if you are not an active customer. A superb selection, covering the whole range of progressive and new music. A little expensive compared with other UK outlets. They take just about any form of payment and offer various mail schemes including listen-and-return if you do not like it and all of this internationally. If you live in the UK, next day delivery is the norm. I often order by phone in the afternoon and receive goods the next morning. Very highly recommended indeed.

Name

Vinyl-Virus

Address

P.O. Box 1164, 7526 U-Weiher, Germany

Comments

Supposedly a source of bootlegs - I saw the address in a post to rec.music.gdead where someone was asking for any more info on this place.

Name

Voiceprint

Address

P.O. Box 5, Derwentside, County Durham, UK, DH9 7HR

Phone

(0191) 512 1103

Email

Rob AT vprint.demon.co.uk

Comments

Mainly new Canterbury-related releases. Including stuff by Daevid Allen, Robert Wyatt, Jakko Jakszyk and Rick Biddulph.

The Frederic Dannen quote at the top of this file is from a very interesting book about the music industry and the "Powers broker and fast money inside the music business" and the greed and ambition and occasional mob and other illegal connections of the industry. It's pretty ugly stuff and worth reading for a better understanding of why the artist is often the victim of the industry. - Malcolm Humes