via Sad Portraits of Closed Record Stores on BuzzFeed
Tomorrow is Record Store Day, when vinyl addicts nationwide flock to their local dealers... but there's even something for the neophytes. There will be special albums (like this Beastie Boys 7" and a just announced limited edition 12" single from Radiohead) and events in store at plenty of shops around town tomorrow (check out participating stores here), and we asked a handful of music types for some direction. Let them guide you, with their picks for best record shop in the city:
Amanda Palmer: "Other Music. Since I was a teenager, I've made pilgrimages to Other Music to buy records. I love the place because it feels like what a record store should be, with tons of personalized direction from the staff and the sort of curation that doesn't come from the internet.
In my humble opinion, the best record stores are like the emotional equivalent of sneaking into your obnoxiously cool older sibling's room and pilfering through their stash. Other Music sort of feels like that, except your obnoxiously cool older sibling has left sticky notes for you, guiding you through the overwhelming process."
Jack "Skippy" McFadden (of Tiger Mountain Presents): "My current favorite record store is Generation on Thompson Street. It changes from year to year depending on what I'm looking for. I get most of my new vinyl from places like Insound or directly from the label, so I'm shopping at least once a week at places with decent used stock. I can typically find something every time I come here. My only complaint (and it's one for EVERY NYC record store) is that their $1 bin is pretty lame.
Black Gold in Carroll Gardens is my new favorite shop. One of the biggest selling points is that they have excellent coffee and they open at 6am! Where else can you buy a copy of The Cure's Head On The Door at 6am? The good: they curate the hell out of this, so don't expect bins filled with standard issue 70s classic rock. It's more slanted towards the 80s college rock/90s indie rock generation. The prices are fair but above average, but you'll certainly be impressed with their selection. And it's the only place selling good used vinyl in South Brooklyn. BUT.....
If you can venture 45 minutes out of the city, Princeton Record Exchange is the very best store for bargain hunters. Thousands and thousands of dollar records. Nothing makes me happier than spending a few hours there, picking up 25 records for 25 bucks, and coming home on a rainy Sunday and discovering new old sounds."
Michael Hearst (of One Ring Zero): "My favorite NYC record store has to be the Pak Punjab Deli & Grocery on the corner of 2nd ave and 3rd street in the East Village. You can pick up a bootleg copy of just about any Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan recording ... and a vegetable samosa.
My next favorite is Music Matters on 7th Avenue and 14th st in Park Slope.. mostly because it's four blocks from my apartment (yes, I'm that lazy), and Jason, the kindly owner, has managed to miraculously stay afloat through soaring rents as well as soaring file sharing."
Robbie Guertin (of Radical Dads/Clap Your Hands Say Yeah): "I don't buy too many records in New York City because they are usually pretty expensive, I try to find random old stuff for $5 or less when I'm on the road.
When I do want something new though I'll usually just go to Sound Fix. Everyone is really nice there and they've usually got whatever I am after, and most times I end up walking out with more than I meant to... I miss their old location, but the new one is nice too."
View Record Store Day in a larger map
