Rise Music

Rise rose out of the ashes of Fopp music stores when they closed in 2008. As a lot of the stores were rescued by HMV and turned into what is basically HMV outlet stores, Rise started up in Bristol and Cheltenham and carried on in much the same way as Fopp left off with a massive selection of well priced and eclectic stock covering the majority of musical genres to a depth that you would never find in the larger retailers. Staff with a real passion, enthusiasm and in depth knowledge of what they are selling and a real buzz to the place. Many CDs priced between 3 and £5 so a great place for taking a punt on some new music. The website is constantly updated with staff recommendations both for music and film, so a good idea to check out before visiting, or join their mailing list for some good ideas. Also a very good selection of vinyl, again a lot of it very keenly priced. Books are another speciality and it’s hard to not pick up something interesting to read before you leave having filled your boots on interesting music. The Rise in Swindon opened in 2011 and is currently the newest of the Rise stores. Unfortunately it is also the smallest in terms of floorspace, but that doesn’t stop it from still having an excellent selection of stock, and anything you can’t find in store, the helpful staff always do their best to get it in for you. Forget HMV. In the days of instant gratification and downloads that have no sense of pride of ownership, it’s great to know that there are still independent shops that are a joy to visit, browse, hear good music, chat with like minded music fans and provide excellent service. Long may it flourish.