Sleeve notes: Recordbag, the essential music shop stop in Vienna
Down an alley in the centre of Vienna, Recordbag is a brilliant independent (and really tiny) record shop. We got to know it through a friend who lives in Vienna – and when we were on tour we ended up playing an acoustic set there.
We arrived tired and hungover but there was beer and cake waiting and a great (but, of course, small) crowd crammed in to hear us. It was such a nice atmosphere. The owner, Sylvia Benedikter, used to be in the music business and opened the shop in 2004, focusing on pop, rock, punk and singer-songwriters. It’s got a great vibe and Camden-like feel, and besides vinyl and CDs there’s music-related merchandise such as cool T-shirts, and baby clothes with band names on.
Photograph: Sylvia Benedikter
Sylvia does a lot to promote up-and-coming musicians. There are often in-store gigs by Austrian and international bands (from us to Ezra Furman or The Vamos). If local artists don’t have a distribution company, she sells their music on a commission basis. Recordbag also has a music label and supports Austrian bands. It’s unusual for Vienna, a place with lots of traditional department stores, and definitely worth popping in.
Kollergerngasse 4, recordbag.at. The next record store day is 22 April
Sheepy’s new album, Alarm Bells, is out on 7 April; the band tours the UK and Europe throughout April, sheepymusic.com