Vinyl hunters have a new spot to dig this fall. High Leverage, run by Philly newcomers Billy and Elizabeth Philhower, opens a small storefront in East Kensington this September. The shop sits at 2644–48 Coral St. and will share a building with Fireball Printing.
The space is under 500 square feet and will open with limited hours by late August or early September. Regular hours will be Monday–Wednesday, about 4–8 p.m., and Saturday–Sunday, about 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
High Leverage plans to stock roughly 2,000 records in 7-inch and 12-inch formats. Prices will often hover around $50. The focus is punk, hardcore, screamo, indie, and what Billy calls “weirdo” music. Many records are limited-run pressings from the late ’80s and early ’90s, with others from the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Billy says they don’t want to be boxed in as just a rare-record shop. Instead the shop will highlight outside-the-box music and hard-to-find releases without only chasing high-end collectors.
The goal is to build a community space where people can discover new sounds, listen, and trade recs. “Records are meant to be challenging and manual,” Billy says. “They’re disruptive, not just background noise.” If you’re into digging for offbeat gems and loud, DIY music, High Leverage looks like a good stop.
