Toprot ‎"Straight Outta Moerwijk" 2019***

I've said it before, I like all anarcho-punk bands, so Toprot couldn't be an exception. Granted, these young guys from The Hague got their name from a disease affecting cannabis plants and identify themselves as "drunk punk" rather than anarcho-punk, probably to avoid sounding too serious, but they're also closely tied to an anarchist squat in Den Haag Moerwijk called De Samenscholing, and engage in political activities (playing benefits in support of refugees etc). The 7' EP Straight Outta Moerwijk seems to be their first release, at least according to discogs. They sing in both English and Dutch but there is no lyrics sheet included, so I'll be damned if I know what about - other than their apparent disdain for yuppies, hippies and hipsters. I personally find the anti-hippie sentiment too 1977, even punk guru Jello Biafra now agrees that the hippie movement left an overal positive legacy. Hipsters yes, they are a modern plague. As for yuppies, before coming to The Netherlands I'd say that they were an 80's thing. In Greece wearing a suit and tie at work is like wearing a Burger King uniform, you can't wait to get rid of them. In Holland, though, young people wear their suits and ties proudly even when they're not obliged to, and actually study "finance" and "business management" by choice, not just because they suck at everything requiring a modicum of ability. Back to the album at hand, the music is your typical fast-and-furious hardcore punk: 6 songs within 10 minutes, roughly recorded and played with an amateurs' enthusiasm though not amateurishly. If you like 80's punk like Black Flag, Exploited or GBH this may be something for you - the closing tune "Shiver For Ma Livah" even has a bit of oi!-like chorus thing going. If you'd like to know more about the band, check their facebook site

*** for Against Hippies, Vies Pijn En Dronken, A.B.A.B, Vuiluh Hipsters, Die Yuppie Die, Shiver For Ma Livah

The Hague Record Shops

I've been living in Delft for 4 years now and have found that it has many benefits. One of them is that it's a beautiful and easily manageable small town but very close to two bigger cities: Rotterdam and The Hague (the 2nd and 3rd biggest in the country) are only a 15-20 minute train ride away - which gives me access to so many more record shops. Not as many as I would have liked though, as the last few years haven't been kind to record stores. Some of the best ones have recently gone out of business. In The Hague these include De Plaatboef, La La Land and Rocky Road. Not to mention the countless Free Record Store shops, formerly the biggest record chain in the BENELUX countries. Thankfully some of the smaller shops, especially those specialized in vinyl, have survived the industry crisis, so if you're visisting The Hague and like music I'd suggest you save this page on your mobile and check some of these places out. I'd start with Empire Records. It stands opposite the old Platboef (now a board games shop) in the small Korte Houtstraat, just off Plein Square. With its neighbour/competitor gone, it's now the no.1 place in the city for 2nd hand CD's, LP's and DVD's. Lots of Classic Rock, folk, soul etc. Most CD's cost €7 (€5-9), LPs mostly €5 or 7 (€5-25). The owner isn't the friendliest guy in the business but you're there to get records, not to make friends. VinylVinyl on Elandstraat (near the Palace) only sells (new) vinyl. You'll find quality reissues of all kinds of music (especially jazz) for €25-30. The other half of the store is dedicated to hi-fi stereo equipment - literally everything for those who seek the perfect sound. On your way back to the city center you'll pass near Anyrecord. It's on Geest 32, next to a huge guitar shop. It's well named, not because you can find anything you seek but because anything might make an appearence. I got an original '69 U.S. copy of Val Stoecklein's "Grey life" and Ougenweide's '77 double live LP "Ungezwungen" - and only paid €15 in total. I'll be presenting them here shortly.  The shop is small and only sells vinyl: all kinds of albums from the 70's and 80's, mostly €5-10 but there are also some random LP's for €1.In Spui, probably the city's most central spot, you'll find Spui Records. Many budget CD's (€1-10), you'll find classical/jazz/ethnic but very little if you're looking for pop/rock music. UPDATE: Spui Records has regrettably closed. 

Still in the city center (Lange Poten 41) the Paagman bookstore also sports a modest CD/DVD/vinyl selection in good prices courtesy of the Velvet record chain. Same applies to the second Paagman bookstore (Frederik Hendriklaan 217).Next up is Vinyl Grove. You'll find it on Boekhorststraat 10, near the Grote Markt square and the city's best live club Paard van Troje. It has the biggest selection of new vinyl in the city: Altenative, soul, jazz and rock reissues, mostly priced €20-25. Also a few used records (around €10). Walking towards Den Haag HS train station you'll find yourself in Chinatown. There, on Wagenstraat 125, you can find Jazz Center. A specialty shop that will delight jazz fans with its variety in both CD and LP titles (€10-25). Further down the road on Stationsweg 7, you can visit Bert's Records. It has a large selection of 2nd hand vinyl (€7-15) and CD (typically €7) in all styles, with an emphasis in classic rock, country and soul. The owner is quite friendly and if you want to check out an album there's a CD player you can use. Last but not least, The Hague hosts regular open market events, include record fairs and antique markets. If you happen upon one, take some time to browse - it's a good place for bargains. They usually take place at the square in front of the Binnenhof, the Gothic building complex that's been serving as Holland's administrative center since the Middle Ages, currently housing the parliament and prime minister's office. I can't quite promise you'll spot PM Rutte himself searching for bargains, but I wouldn't put it past him: He's quite the miser when it comes to spending on either culture or welfare. AUG.2019: Anyrecords moved a few meters further down the street, to a slightly larger premise. Also, I recently passed by a new record store in Wagenstraat called Vinyl Destination. It was closed then, and curiously Google yields no results. If I catch it open, I'll let you know more. 2024: I hadn't been out record hunting in The Hague since before the pandemic. So I only noticed 33/45 while walking by, a couple of months ago. It's on Noordeinde 87G, just a few meters away from the Palace. So, if you're on your way to visit Willem Alexander, and don't know what to bring him, stop over and ask the good people at 33/45 for suggestions. They have a special space in the shop dedicated to staff picks, always interesting ones. They can be a bit pricier than the usual stuff (new CDs €10-20, used €3-10, new LPs €25-35, many used ones €5-10). Nice collection too, curated, and good ambience. DEC. 2025: I just noticed an HMV at the lush De Passage shopping gallery (Spuistraat 29). Two stories, one has various "pop culture" items (e.g. funkopop) and the other vinyl (mostly 3-for-90€), books (music, fiction,non-fiction), T-shirts, and K-pop-related items.