Other Music Record Shop, Yielding to Trends, Will Close: When Other Music, the scrappy East Village record store, opened in 1995, it existed in the shadow of Tower Records, which ran the entire city block across East Fourth Street. By 1998, Virgin Megastore was a short walk away in Union Square. Yet Other Music, known for its dedication to underground and experimental artists, outlived both — Tower shut its 89 American stores in 2006, while Virgin closed in 2009. In the face of a shrinking music industry, the longevity of this small shop could be seen as a win for the niche, the curated, even the slightly snobby. But it couldn’t last.
Jerry’s Records NOT closing! With the news of the Other Music Record Shop in the East Village of New York City closing in June, I’m reminded of a conversation I had in the hallway of Jerry’s Records in Squirrel Hill on Saturday. “Scotty!,” Jerry Weber yelled to me from his crowded perch at the register. “Tell the people, put it on your web site: We’re not closing!” “Jerry,” I said. “We don’t usually run news of stores NOT closing. What would I do: run a headline: ‘Jerry’s NOT closing’?” “Yeah!,” he said. “Since that story ran, I’ve had no less than a hundred calls asking if we’re closing.”
Ghost Of Record Store: Art installation is music to ears of old-school listeners: Going to music stores and listening to albums on headphones before taking them home is an experience today’s young people will probably never have. In just 10 years, the digital revolution has meant that most people hear new releases on streaming services and the music they own is stored on their phones or in the cloud. It has inspired Chris Cobilis to create Ghost Of Record Store, a sound installation artwork commissioned by the Perth Public Art Foundation. Cobilis believes the installation acts as a tribute to the way we used to buy and listen to music.
Joe Jackson’s “I’m the Man” Returns On Vinyl From Intervention Records: Intervention Records has once again produced a top-notch vinyl reissue that should prove appealing not just to the audiophile market but to anyone looking for a favorite album in unparalleled sound. There’s tremendous presence on this clear, clean and quiet analog reissue, remastered from a ½-half-inch safety copy of the original stereo master by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio and pressed at RTI. Surrounding Jackson, Houghton’s drums practically jump from the speakers, while Maby’s bass and Sanford’s guitar are equally well-defined in the balanced soundstage.
The world’s best record shops, #18: Can Records in Copenhagen: And Can Records is very much a destination. Independently run by Martin Aalykke Kristiansen and his wife, the shop has built a reputation as the go to for dealers and DJs passing through the Danish capital. And don’t just take our word for it, over in LA latter day DJ and collector Elijah Wood swears by Can’s selection. Located just off the main street in Frederiksberg, amongst cafés and bigger record shops, Can Records is typically understated; there are few signs of vinyl life until you reach the second room where the montage of records on the wall points the way to the crates below.
