One of my fondest memories as a kid was walking into my local record store—Numbers, Records and Tapes, in Jackson Heights, Queens—hard-earned allowance of sweaty dollar bills in one hand, and The Clash’s final LP, Cut the Crap in the other. It was the very first piece of music I bought and took a whole lot of swearing on my grandma’s grave (she was still alive, btw) to convince my mom the album was curse-word free. Under her watchful eye, I ran home and listened to all 38 minutes of it with glee. After the needle went silent, all I dreamt about that night was running back to the record store to buy more music.
Most of us remember places like these—musical havens where one could get lost in a sea of albums, sample different tunes, talk with knowledgeable people who were passionate about music, and get the scoop on new groups or gigs coming out of the woodworks. At some point every town and every neighborhood had a music store to call their own. For Greenpoint, it was and will be until September 30th, Permanent Records. Continue reading →
Need some father’s day gift inspiration? There’s plenty of cool stuff to give right here in your own backyard! Here’s a short list of ideas (which is admittedly in no way comprehensive, as there are so many more awesome small businesses here in north Brooklyn, so feel free to add to the list of ideas in the comments section).
1. Tacos, La Norteña / Vamos Al Tequila 2. Fine craft beers, Brouwerij Lane 3. Engraved biz card case, In God We Trust 4. Nice new comb, Chopin Chemists 5. Vintage VHS, The Thing 6. Slice of pizza, Vinnie’s / Franklin Pizza 7. Fine colognes, Old Hollywood 8. Coveralls, Pop’s Popular Clothing 9. Succulants (a.k.a. plants that require minimal care), Homecoming (formerly known as Spina) 10. Donut, Peter Pan 11. Delicious cheeses and Keta candy, Eastern District 12. Sweet shades, Alter 13. A funny old tshirt, People of 2Morrow 14. Fancy and rare spirits, Duke’s Liquor Box 15. Beach tote, M. Carter 16. Pour over coffee maker, Budin 17. A nice rosé, Dandelion Wine 18. Polish chocolates, Slodycze Wedel 19. A whole, fresh fish, Pura Vida Stand at McCarren Park Greenmarket 20. Stool for sitting and pondering, Bklyn Curated 21. Basketball, BQ Sports 22. Cool kicks, Wolves Within 23. Vintage vinyl, Permanent Records / Academy Records / Co-op 87 / Records Grouch 24. Portable bike pump and other biking accessories, Silk Road Cycles / B’s Bikes / Greenpoint Bikes 25. Bobbers and other fishing accessories, Dream Fishing Tackle 26. Polish sausages, smoked meats, and pickles, Nassau Meat Market / Mazur Meak Market (and so many more!) 27. A good book, like this one about the Pogues, Word.
Tomorrow (Sat 4/19) is Record Store Day. This annual event is held at independent record stores all over the country and further afield. It offers many exclusive releases, in store performances, and other fun goodies. Since we have several awesome record stores in our neighborhood, we put together a little resource about what’s happening at each one this weekend. Continue reading →
Greenpointers, along with Pancakes & Whiskey and Buzzchips, is putting on a show at Cameo Gallery this Saturday 1/18. There are four great bands on the bill: Adios Ghost, Youngman Grand, Folding Legs, and Canon Logic. All week long, we’re featuring one of the bands to get you even more excited to come party with us this weekend. The series closes today, and our final installment features Canon Logic. Continue reading →
Mark it on your iCal, vinyl junkies. Record Store Day is comin’ atcha this Saturday, April 20th, with a bunch of deals, exclusives, and giveaways that you won’t want your turntable to miss out on. For your convenience, I’ve been in cahoots with local record stores to help you plan your attack. Lucky for us, Greenpoint has two key record shops well prepared for the annual event: Permanent Records (181 Franklin Street) and Co-op 87 (87 Guernsey Street), which was recently listed as the best place to shop for records in Brooklyn by New York Magazine. Yeah, Greenpoint!
You’ll likely want to kick your shopping off at Co-op since the store opens at midnight Friday. Yes, you read that right. For the second year in a row the store will open its doors for a full 24 hours in celebration of vinyl. RSD ambassador Jack White would certainly tip his hat to that.
Meanwhile a few blocks north, Permanent Records will be open from 10AM to 8PM. Both shops promise to be stocking up on as many RSD exclusives they can get their hands on. (You can find a full list of those exclusives here: Continue reading →
An essential part of any conversion from regular person to walking Brooklyn stereotype is embracing the joys and sorrows of vinyl, and I’m proud to say that after a too-long saga involving a basement-salvaged receiver, the friendly folks at MTZ Electronics, and vast sums of money I, too, can now listen to music inconveniently.
Joking aside, record collectors take today seriously: Once a year, on Record Store Day, a wide variety of limited edition, highly sought-after recordings are released and a much needed infusion of cash is brought to local merchants. It’s a way of raising awareness and appreciation for your local record store because, despite the scalping of the rarest releases on ebay, most of today’s releases are only available in person.
Jen & Jiancarlo with the haul
Our local shop (and my personal favorite) Permanent Records gets into the swing of things with a full day of events. I arrived a bit before the 11 opening to find a line stretching up the block; the mood was chatty and cheerful, and I got a chance to meet with LIC residents Jiancarlo and Jen who were on their third shop of the day. Jiancarlo had a system and knew exactly what he was looking for; he explained that the records were mostly for himself although he’s begun trading online as well. They appreciated the calm pace that Permanent Records kept despite the crowds; I, as much more of a novice, just appreciated the chance to pick up a new release or two from some of my favorite artists. If you read this in time, check out the bands at Permanent Records today; if not, keep an eye on next year.
