Places to Shop for Music
These are all vendors I've dealt with. I am not in any way representing any of the individuals or companies listed here. I can safely recommend the use of these sources based on my own experience with them. By the way, it's been a while since I've ordered from some of these, so if they are gone, it's not my fault (or maybe it is :-) For all the sites on the other side of the puddle, use the Universal Currency Converter (pretty useful).My usual tracking algorithm is to visit Dark Symphonies first, then Century Media, then EMP, and then everything else in no particular order. Below is a list of 20 odd sources in alphabetical order (the list, not the actual entries).
Century Media
(USA, 
) -- a
great place to get hard-to-find items at bargain prices (most CDs sell at $11,
even the imports). Exceptional customer service (emails always get replies,
usually within hours). The only problem is turnaround. When they say 3 to 4
weeks, they do mean 3 to 4 weeks. And that's just to get your order ready. There's
also a 3% surcharge for credit card customers. CM does not backorder items.
You never know which CDs you will get until you receive the shipment. There's
no way to check the status of your order online. The catalog is nice, with pretty
good descriptions of CM artists.
Dark Symphonies
(USA, 
) -- Black/doom/death
metal, gothic/dark wave, experimental music. Ted provides one of the best services
around: you usually get your CDs in three days (wow!). He is also very easy
to get a hold of, replies to emails, and has a terrific web site, which boasts
his own short and to-the-point album descriptions. The prices are sane and he
carries a lot of stuff you won't find anywhere else. You also get email updates
to the catalog.
Alta Mira
(USA, 
) -- the
place for your Power/Classic/Progressive metal and rock needs. An impressive
collection of various bands - CDs, videos, magazines, etc. The guy who runs
AM is another cool and responsible individual. I received a defective disk from
him once and he replaced it immediately. Replies to emails within a day. Prices
are not the lowest around, but his catalog has CDs you won't find elsewhere.
Turnaround is around a week from ordering to getting your music.
More Metal (USA,
) -- an extensive
catalog of metal titles. Some pricing tolerable, some outrageous. No way to
check the status of your order online. I sent them an email with an inquiry
and did not hear from them. Some items arrived a couple of weeks after I ordered
them, others took more than a month (without any warning or indication that
they are still being processed). The CD suddenly cost $10 more than the price
quoted in the catalog and my card was charged for the new amount. Not nice (i.e.
they are on my shit list).
EveryCD (USA, )
-- a humongous site that carries many CDs at wholesale prices (around $9 domestic
and $15 imports). The only catch is that you have to pay a $40 annual membership
fee. There is a free 6 months trial period and you should definitely take advantage
of it (get the offer through http://www.cddb.com).
The site appears to be in beta, so expect slow servers (why does the search
have to be in secure mode?). Don't hold your breath for answers to email inquiries.
I never heard from these people. There is no way to figure out beforehand if
any of the "low stock" items will be shipped to you. Backordering is not possible
and neither is checking the status of your order in real time. This is the flip
side. The good part is that EveryCD really has plenty of stuff to offer at prices
that the popular competition can't meet. They also deliver in 48 to 72 hours,
which means you get your music in around 4 days in the US. Not bad, not at all.
Note: as of May 2000, this vendor seems to have discontinued independent
existence and now operates through CD Universe.
Middle Pillar
(USA, ) -- Gothic/Darkwave/Folk/Traditional/Experimental
and mondo oddities. Annoying search engine, nice printed catalog. Prices are
generally high but the selection can't be beat. If you're into the darker side
of life and the lighter side of music (compared to Black Metal, for instance),
this is the site for you. They specialize in harder-to-find performers. Orders
take way too long to arrive (6 to 8 weeks) but they do arrive. I have no email
experience with these people.
CDNow (USA, )
-- the premier place to find music. Prices are somewhat high (same as buying
a CD from a regular music store in a mall, except when you happen to visit the
site during their incredible 30% off sales!) but they do offer a nice selection
plus several bonus features, such as the Album Advisor which lets you find music
similar to the one you like, a wishlist to save a list of items you would like
to purchase when your paycheck arrives, 30 second sound samples for most albums
(great), and items besides CDs. You can review your orders and change them before
they are completed. Order can take anywhere from a week to several weeks, depending
on the availability of the items.
CD Universe
(USA, 
) -- another
popular site, similar to CDNow, prices are usually lower,
sometimes much lower. A little bit faster than CDNow, the interface isn't as
good and it does not have as many bells and whistles. Also, delivery isn't the
fastest one around. CD Universe also tries to help you find more music similar
to that performed by bands you like (and incidentally, also help you buy the
music you find). Has videos and miscellaneous other items.
Music Arena
(USA, ) -- limited
selection of progressive metal. Prices are high and comparable to Alta Mira's,
which happens to have a much better selection. Orders arrive fast (within a
week) and last time I ordered from them, they sent me a free bonus tape with
some unknown (but surprisingly good) band. NOTE: seems to have folded.
The Artist Shop
(USA, ) -- home
of various Progressive and Art rock labels. This is where I get my Peter Hammill/VDGG,
King Crimson/Fripp, Earthworks/Brufford CDs among others. Turnaround is medium
(several weeks). The selection is very good, especially for those of us who
like somewhat obscure European art music. The guy who runs the Shop also organizes
frequent online chats with performers, sends concert information, and newsletters
with new release announcements. Excellent for staying in touch with your favorite
performer (Hammill) and keeping track of what's (s)he's releasing. Prices can
be steep but considering the scarcity of this music in the US, tolerable.
German Music Express
(Germany?, )
-- all kinds of music, bad online system which leaves you guessing when the
company will fulfill your order and which items it will be able to ship. Nice
selection, but the last time I got a partial shipment and cancelled the rest
of it because I found Alta Mira had similar prices (and
much more prompt customer service), while Century Media
had better pricing (and similar turnaround). You have been warned. On the other
hand, GME carries things that might not be available elsewhere.
Black Star
(Ireland, ) --
for some rare European CDs (and videos, and DVDs, etc.), this is the place to
look. Prices are medium to high, turnaround depends on what you are ordering.
There's no way to check how long you have to wait for a backorder to be fulfilled.
I got some of my CDs (Magma) in about 10 days and then waited a month and a
half for the other two to arrive (which they eventually did).
Netbeat (Belgium,
) -- quite big,
has some items that are very hard to find in the US (e.g. Marduk's magnum opus
"Fuck Me, Jesus" EP). The prices are all right, especially now that the Euro
is so weak. He-he. Unfortunately, the shipping costs are outrageous, so make
sure you order more than a few items to make it worthwhile. As with anything
from Europe, shipping can take up to a month.
EMP Mailorder (Germany, )
-- a superb mail catalog/online vendor. These guys have a HUGE inventory of
CDs, apparel, books, videos (PAL only), DVDs, jewelry, posters, etc. This is
where I get my cool longsleeve T-shirts from. You can get their humongous printed
catalog (very nice, full color, choke-full of reviews but all in German) for
free. Their prices are reasonable and they often have sales. As with anything
from Europe, now is a good time to buy before the Fed hikes up the interest
rates further to weaken the dollar. Shipping rates are high but tolerable. The
new website is easier to navigate but not the most intuitive.
World Music Imports
(Canada, ) --
the worst website ever: hard to use and frequently stalls or goes down unexpectedly.
Don't be misled by their enormous catalog, they don't have the cool items in
stock. There is no way to figure out what orders they will be able to fill.
Out of 5 CDs I ordered, I got only two (and those, a good month later). Pricey
and slow; not recommended.
Necropolis
Records (USA, )
-- weird web site but quite an extensive catalog of extreme metal. Prices are
mid-range to high but it carries some items that you won't find elsewhere (e.g.
the older Darkthrone albums at less than $20 a piece). Also has T-shirts plus
all those bands signed to the label, with their CDs for much less. Fast shipping,
quite reliable, only lists items in stock.
Red Stream (USA,
) -- another
great source for extreme (and more traditional) metal. Prices are reasonable,
and although the selection is not as extensive as, say BlackMetal.com, I was
able to find some obscure Polish BM bands for a little over $10, so it may be
worth it. Incredibly fast service, 3 days.
Relapse Records
(USA, ) -- a
flashy site, decent prices, and a catalog comparable to Century Media's. This
label also distributes CDs for bands other than the ones signed to it. A bit
more expensive than Century Media, but carries stuff
in stock that you might not find elsewhere easily (e.g. old Bathory albums now
that Black Mark's site has been down
for over 6 months).
Noise Records
(Germany, ) --
the new site is bitchin' and the prices are excellent, especially if you enroll
in their club (free) so you don't have to pay more than $10 per CD and as you
know this label releases some of the best power/prog metal around. My recent
order was well over $200, I just hope the post office doesn't break all the
jewel cases in transit. Follow-up: I didn't get all the CDs I ordered. This
is strange, especially considering that the company makes them! One star loss.
Rockhouse
(Holland, ) --
a Dutch vendor that carries plenty of obscure (i.e. hard to find in the US)
bands. I ordered several CDs from there, and only two arrived after over a month.
I had practically given up hope when they showed up. Considering the rarity
of the items, I am glad they did.