One last 360-degree tour of New York’s influential Other Music record store
When it opened in New York’s artsy East Village 21 years ago, the Other Music record store established itself as a hub for new music, a place where people could find challenging, exciting sounds that were created by artists operating outside of the pop mainstream. Discriminating customers flocked to the place, as did up-and-coming bands. Among the acts who made in-store appearances there are DJ Shadow, The Shins, Vampire Weekend, and The Strokes. But the rise of the internet and the omnipresence of streaming audio robbed Other Music of its cultural relevance, and the store finally closed its doors last week. Another empire built on vinyl had gone the way of all flesh. People apparently don’t need hip record boutiques to point them towards the latest bands anymore. Before the finale, however, co-founder and co-owner Josh Madell gave TrackRecord a 360-degree tour of the place. For anyone who remembers being a music consumer during the alternative boom of the 1990s, this immersive video will have a powerful effect, even for those who never set foot in Other Music.