The world mostly knows TKO as a label peddling quality punk rock from acts such as Antiseen, Cock Sparrer and CH3. But the company bucked conventional wisdom and prevailing music-biz woes and opened a brick-and-mortar shop in October 2007. This bold move seems to be paying off for old-school consumers who prefer to, you know, speak with actual human clerks and hold tangible musical artifacts in their greedy paws. TKO's bins mainly contain collectible punk-centric vinyl for true cognoscenti, but the store's not one-dimensional. Metal, '80s new wave, ska/reggae, garage/psychedelia, country/blues, soul/R&B, rockabilly/psychobilly and soundtracks occupy shelf space, too. And don't tell the punk purists, but a recent trip to TKO saw used ELP albums nuzzling those by Einstürzende Neubauten; Kraftwerk picture discs were in the house, too. TKO also caters to your fashion whims with a huge selection of band tees and patches, StrangeWear and Dogpile trousers, and sunglasses. Finally, you can replace your decrepit turntable with vintage Toshiba and Technics models.
