Vinyl You Need: Sweat Records

But to find physical music in Miami, look no further than Sweat Records in Little Haiti. The mugs of Daft Punk, Prince, Iggy Pop, Morrissey, MF Doom, Bjork, Serge Gainsbourg, Noodle and Murdoc of Gorillaz, David Bowie, Billie Holiday, Notorious B.I.G., Aphex Twin, and Johnny Cash greet guests before they even walk into the store, courtesy of a storewide mural painted by local artist CP1.

[caption id="attachment_776" align="aligncenter" width="367"] Photo by Paolo Santosuosso[/caption]

Once inside the shop, which also serves as vegan coffee bar and live performance space, an array of new, old, pre-loved, and worthy of crate-diggin’ emerges. Sweat has welcomed locals, tourists who were referred by travel sources like Zagat, Fodor’s Travel, and The New York Times, and even international celebrities. The one-and-only Iggy Pop (who doesn’t actually stand out in Miami with his shirtlessness and long beach-tousled hair) is a Miami resident and somewhat regular customer.

Sweat Records wasn’t always leading the Miami music scene, though. The shop only opened in 2005—before the recession, before the vinyl resurgence, and frankly, before most people felt comfortable hanging out in Little Haiti. Now, though, the store and its fearless leaders are changing Miami’s musical identity. We checked in with Managing Partner and Music Buyer Emile Milgrim and Owner Lauren “Lolo” Reskin and to get their takes on five records everyone should own on vinyl.

Emile Milgrim
Managing Partner and Music Buyer, Sweat Records

Five Essential Records to Own on Vinyl

Artist: Jeff Buckley
Album: Grace
Reason: Grace is full of visceral songs about love and death, with covers of a couple classics (“Hallelujah," "Lilac Wine") and one traditional ("Corpus Christi Carol") that Buckley really made his own. He was a severely talented vocalist and guitarist.

Artist: Kate Bush
Album: The Dreaming
Reason: This record in particular shows Bush’s existential pop/art-rock experimentation that deals with war, magic, globalization, and self-doubt. She used heavy vocal and sample-based experimentation way before its time.

Artist: Cocteau Twins
Album: Heaven Or Las Vegas
Reason: It sounds like marshmallows, honey, cool breezes, rainbows, stunning landscapes, sunrises/sunsets, blankets, oceans, and anything that might make you happy! Heaven Or Las Vegas is easily one of the few electronic/pop albums ever made that is solid from start to finish. I like to give it as a birthday gift to people I really like.

Artist: Low
Album: Things We Lost In The Fire
Reason: Things We Lost In The Fire is minimal, atmospheric, vocal/pulse-driven slowcore that’s simultaneously ominous and comforting. Even in Miami, it’s good for winter listening.

Artist: Songs: Ohia
Album: The Magnolia Electric Co.
Reason: This modern Americana record became an instant classic. Jason Molina sings achingly of ghosts, highways, twang, bad luck, and everybody’s blues.

Lauren “Lolo” Reskin
Owner, Sweat Records

Five Essential Vinyl Records for Soundtracking Your Saturday

Lazy morning
Artist: Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto
Album: Getz/Gilberto
Reason: This is the original “new wave.” If you’re a bossa nova virgin, this is where you begin.

Tidying and cleaning the house
Artist: Belle & Sebastian
Album: If You’re Feeling Sinister
Reason: This or The Smiths’ Louder Than Bombs (or Morrissey’s Bona Drag) will do here. Sing along, dance around, and vacuum.

Sexy dinnertime
Artist: Serge Gainsbourg
Album: Histoire de Melody Nelson
Reason: This is the 1971 orchestral rock concept album of your dreams—in French, of course. Fans of Beck’s Sea Change will love this, and notice the rather overt influences.

Getting ready for a night out
Artist: Outkast
Album: Stankonia
Reason: Don’t everybody like the smell of gasoline? For something newer, either of Run The Jewels’ albums will get you similarly amped up.

After-hours
Artist: Aphex Twin
Album: Selected Ambient Works Vol. 85-92
Reason: This just has blissful, Balearic beats. I would have selected Everything But The Girl’s Walking Wounded but it hasn’t been in print on vinyl for years. Somebody please get on that, stat!