The Playlist: Norman Records

Stevie Mackenzie-Smith

Norman Records curate The Playlist, our new top 5 music tracks chosen by taste-makers in the north.

Since opening in 1996 Leeds-based music emporium Norman Records has been a loyal go-to for those after a fix of alternative and experimental music. From rare records that prove un-Google-able to classic LPs, Norman Records is the kind of place that glides and grows seamlessly through the years with a band of loyal followers. One online forum dedicated to the joys of Norman has a regular who recollects the photocopied lists of new releases he received in the post every Friday in the mid-1990s, an order form with choices to be ticked and a cheque to be returned a week later. The record outlet, of course, now operates online – rose-tinted nostalgia be damned – but remains a favourite for their honest, witty staff reviews which echo the counter-leaning camaraderie formed in real-life record stores.

Our latest installment of The Playlist sees founder Phil Leigh riffling through some of his favourite classic LPs, with a couple of newer, underground offerings thrown in for good measure. Here then, are Norman Records’s Top 5 picks, to delve into over the next fortnight:

Holden – The Inheritors

Our favourite track from James Holden’s LP – one of the finest electronica albums of the last year.

Tortoise – Glass Museum

Ear opening music from the seminal 1996 album ‘Millions Living Will Now Never Die’.

Neil Young – Down By The River

From Young’s classic ‘Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere’, which our staff-member Kim sings all the time.

Bikes – Yellow Car

The opener from the awesome self-titled garage rock LP by a mysterious (and internet presence devoid) Berlin band.

Devo – Uncontrollable Urge

The unbelievable primitive garage rock masterpiece by the greatest band of all time. Devo are my Ramones.

Timekeepers
Spotlight on

Light Festivals in the North

From enchanting lantern parades to epic LED installations, light festivals are a brilliant way celebrate the magic of the winter months.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in Manchester and the North

Alongside experimental performance, new writing and free arts festivals, we take a look at some of the Christmas shows happening in the North.