My mom was a librarian so I basically grew up at a library. The public library where she worked had a couple of hip librarians who ordered the records. That was the first time I saw albums by Leonard Cohen, Killing Joke, Low Budget by the Kinks, Robin Lane and the Chartbusters, and more. You could borrow headphones and listen to the albums at the library or check them out and listen at home (and perhaps copy to cassette).
I hope you are able to take a pilgrimage to Memphis some day to visit the Memphis Listening Lab.
https://memphislisteninglab.org
My mom was a librarian so I basically grew up at a library. The public library where she worked had a couple of hip librarians who ordered the records. That was the first time I saw albums by Leonard Cohen, Killing Joke, Low Budget by the Kinks, Robin Lane and the Chartbusters, and more. You could borrow headphones and listen to the albums at the library or check them out and listen at home (and perhaps copy to cassette).
Taste in art is obviously subjective-second maybe only to music--but for my money there is no one better at cover art/design than Peter Saville.