Porthole Records

Despite the fact his opening hours are about as consistent as politician’s election promises and that you are eagled eyed if you walk in and are either female or freshly shaven, the collection of records and signed album covers at Porthole Records is one of the best in Adelaide.
You will have to get your library geek on though, records (although neatly lined up in shelves) are all over the place here. Either that or I’m not up on my music genres — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is «new wave»?
I was tempted to just buy a box of 50c or $ 1 records by the door and see what happened at home, but I didn’t have my gumption boots on today. The variety of genres is impressive and I’m sure you’d end up with some pretty top quality albums here for $ 20. And for those really dedicated collectors, yes the $ 150 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Aboittoir Blues record is here for you too. CDs and cassette tapes, signed band posters and album covers are all on display here, but you too will need your gumption boots on to ask the owner re: price.
Good luck!

Good record shops are becoming more and more difficult to find in Adelaide, but Porthole is definitely one to add to the list of monthly if not weekly stores to visit.
Their range is impressive, with sections including folk, metal, jazz, rnb and rarities from the UK and US. One could quite easily spend quite a bit of money on anything in their desired category or on the more sought after and expensive vinyl that lays the walls. It may take a bit of time, as mentioned by Paul to sift through the sheer amount of vinyl, but you are sure to come across some real gems!
Most definitely worth the drive down to the port, the chap behind the counter was oh so helpful as well. The most impressive part about this record store for me was the sheer amount of vinyl. You could spend hours sifting through records which are not just a part of a lame $ 1 to $ 2 bin!
I’ll be returning sooner rather than later, but only on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, it’s a shame the store is not open more often! Their impressive stock makes up for this very minor issue, a must visit for any music or vinyl fan indeed.

The world of music has gone digital and iTunes has taken off in a big way. Music is available at the click of a button and instantly available on your computer with no additional hardware required.
There is however a collection of people who like to have something tangible, something to hold on to. I’m one of those people. I like to SEE my music collection sitting on the shelf. I like to have visible CDs, tapes, vinyl and collectables. Porthole Records is a dying breed of music store that offers people like me the chance to expand their collection.
Sadly it’s only open a few days a week, but it’s worth a trip down to Port Adelaide to check it out. It’s full of LPs and that’s what they primarily deal in. There’s also a section for cassettes and CDs, but we’re mainly talking old school vinyl here.
Make sure you look everywhere, including all over the walls. I found a rare autographed copy of the Split Enz biography «Stranger Than Fiction» hanging on the wall and I had to have it. I rarely walk away from the store without having bought something. It may take a bit of digging through the copious amounts of stock, but it really is worth the trip if you find that one treasure you’ve been searching for years for.
If you’re a fan of any type of music you owe it to yourself to visit this store. It really is one of the last great music stores in South Australia.