Melbourne has just received a nice little gift in the form of Rocksteady Records, a new independent record store located in the city’s CBD.
The Weekly Review reports that the new vinyl outlet has set up shop in the lovely art deco abode of Mitchell House, a convenient location for a rummage overlooking the main crawl of Lonsdale St.
Rocksteady is all about the “groove-based” records, featuring an assortment that begins with reggae, hip-hop and funk, but also extends to rock, indie and new wave. Most importantly, there is a strong focus on Australian music, with the current top pick being the recent compilation featuring artists from Courtney Barnett’s own label, Milk! Records.
The store has been opened by Pat Monaghan who, having worked in record stores for the past 25 years, is more than qualified to curate a selection of wax for a discerning Melbourne crowd.
He also understands what makes a record store such a special place, and an important one in the context of Melbourne’s record community and status as a ‘music city’. Unafraid of a little competition, Pat explains that a network of stores to visit on a trip to the city is vital for the success of any of them.
“You’ve got to make your store a destination. The more record stores there are for people to visit the better.”
“In any city in the world you could spend half a day wandering around record stores or book stores or art galleries. I think that’s a significantly decent way to spend part of your day. I wanted to give that some momentum.”
“The CBD has places like Wax Museum, Off the Hip, Cry Baby and Basement Discs and I wanted Rocksteady Records to be part of that.”
You can drop by on your next city-wide record hunt at Level 1, Mitchell House, 358 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
