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Inside Rough Trade in Williamsburg
Whether you’re trying to amass the greatest vinyl library in NYC, looking for a specific gem that your mother used to play for you, or trying to find your favorite artist’s newest record, we’ve got you covered. We’ve sorted through NYC’s most talked about record stores and selected our favorites based on originality and why they stand out.
Earwax Records is a small but feisty record shop in Williamsburg that has had to move several times due to increasing rents. They’re known for having a plentiful ambient and electro selection, but also lots of afrobeat and Brazilian funk–truly a place for musical discovery. Watch Fabio – Earwax Records, Williamsburg Amoeblog interview to hear the owner complain about gentrification over a great soundtrack.
Located in DUMBO and paired with an art gallery and a design boutique, Halcyon has origins that speak to a Brooklyn that is very different from the one that we know today. Founder Shawn Schwartz opened the first Halcyon in 1999 with the idea of recreating the vibe of the “record salons” he would host for his friends in his nearby Cobble Hill home. There was a bar with coffee, beer, and wine paired with a cozy lounge with a rotating decor. Once called “The Beating Heart of NYC’s Underground” by Time Out New York’s 2001 Clubs edition, Halcyon has adapted to its new setting but has maintained what Schwartz set out to do: create a comfortable place for people to find cool music. Self-proclaimed, “Brooklyn’s top purveyor of underground electronic dance music vinyl records- real DJs serving real music to real people since ’99.”
We love A1 Records in the East Village because every visit is different. They bring in and ship out vintage records daily, so the selection is never static or repetitive. No one is calling A1 Records “spacious,” but the quantity of music form all around the world in such a small space os less daunting with a staff that really knows their stuff and wants to help you out.
Stranded Records of the East Village has a wide variety of merchandise spanning genres and prices. With a huge selection of Jazz, Soul, Rock, Funk, Disco, Rap, House with stuff from Africa to Brazil to Latin America the Caribbean and all over, what owner Jonathan Sklute is best known for are the more expensive records. The variety at Stranded Records extends to their collection of rarities in tip-top collectable condition. If that’s not your thing though, there are also dollar crates to sift through for some great finds.
The Thing is a second hand shop in Greenpoint with a ground floor full of odds and ends that doesn’t promise much. The basement, however, is lyrical manifestation of every record-hunter’s dreams. Warning: be ready to hunt. The the 130,000 records crammed onto shelves are by no means organized; the owner, Larry Fisher, acquires them by any means necessary and packs them into the basement of his shop or in the overflow crates on the ground floor. Take a day to explore down here, bring a pile of whatever you might find that pleases you, and bring it to the cashier who will look at your pile, and estimate a fair price.
Even before entering Human Head Records you’ll probably notice the two mannequin heads rotating on turn tables in the window and you will already have a pretty good idea about the place. The owner, originally from Wisconsin, brought a trailer full of 3,000 records to Bushwick when the shop opened, setting himself a standard of carrying records (mostly classic rock/oldies) that are typically hard to come by in NYC. The vinyls are separated by genre and price, boasting lots of classic, indie, and alternative rock, some jazz, soul, and others. Collectibles and low-budget gems alike, vinyl enthusiasts are bound to find something valuable at one of the quirkiest record shops in NYC.
This Carroll Gardens record store’s deco is somewhere between Victorian and log cabin-antique. Among the abounding knick knacks, however, you’ll find a collection of music picked out by the owners themselves. According to the owners, the store’s aim is to bring back the feeling of discovering an artist for the first time; the feeling, the place, that special sonic find. Don’t be scared away by the taxidermy mounted on the walls and enjoy the coffee/record shop combination. Before you go, you can also purchase a piece of taxidermy, if that’s your thing.Black Gold was just featured in an episode of The Blacklist, and we’d previously included it in 5 Record Stores in NYC Where You Can Still Get Vinyl and 8 Quirky Coffee Shop Combinations in New York City.
Rough Trade, originally from London, opened in Williamsburg right as so many of the city’s beloved record stores were going out of business. This anomaly has differentiated itself by including an on-site venue where local artists and bands perform. Most of the stock is new in this clean warehouse setting, where records are organized by taste. There’s also a cafe, art gallery, and a musical instrument store in the warehouse so make a day of your first visit to Rough Trade, which has the largest collection in all of New York City. See more photos of the unique space with reclaimed shipping containers here.
Some call Co-Op 87 cramped, but we like to think of it as cozy. The Greenpoint store is just about the opposite of Rough Trade mentioned above; a small space with piles of records in every genre imaginable with some organized sections. The used records are in top-notch condition in this small shop where you’ll find anything from the 1960’s to today’s big names and local labels.
Academy Records has been around for ages and is seen as the well-respected ancient that hasn’t changed much since 1977. Although you can find oldies and classic rock here, the Flatiron location is known for an extensive collection of classical music. The feel is definitely old-school record store bumming and you’re welcome to spend hours browsing here.
Turntable Lab on the Lower East Side is an indie-music-lover’s heaven. It’s collection is curated to a T and varied from indie rock, house, hip-hop, downtempo, to electro. Don’t be surprised if you bump into well-known DJs and the “important” people in the music production industry browsing next to you. Warning: Turntable is a bit pricey, but such an appealing space that it’s worth even just the visit.
Check out our shorter list of 5 Record Stores Where You Can Still Get Vinyl or a little more sad, 5 of NYC’s Lost Record Stores.
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