This afternoon I cycled to the post office in Erdington town centre to collect my Rough Trade Club record of the month, which was the eponymous debut by LUMP (Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay). I don’t really have a bag that is ideal for both cycling and carrying vinyl (recommendations welcome), but despite a slightly unbalanced cycle home (I did a food shop too, so added weight and bulk to the already oddly shaped bag that seemed to want to end up on my hip rather than my back) it did remind me very much of the many times I cycled to record shops when I was younger, and how much more of an occasion it makes getting hold of new music that the straightforward but soulless downloading or streaming that is largely how most of us consume music in the iTunes and Spotify age.
It’s a good record too. Short, but well worth a listen. In fact, everything Rough Trade have sent me over the last six months has really hit the spot, and has represented well over 50% of music I’ve bought this year so far. Yes, that’s 6 records – not 60 as would be the case in previous years. I’ve made a playlist (on Spotify, of course), just in case there is anyone reading this who might want to dive into some new music.