On Monday I stopped at one of the better record stores in NYC, Rocks In Your Head, and picked up the new Enon and Mogwai albums.* I would have to put Other Music as my number one overall, but RIYH is not nearly as hyped or snotty. RIYH puts more of an emphasis on vinyl and older stuff while OM looks to have the newest and greatest in a variety of genres.
These differences make shopping at RIYH much more pleasant. The staff is very helpful and willing to play a record for you if you ask nicely. They are also pretty willing to give good advice, which is rare even though it is an integral part of a store experience for me. The one thing that OH does better is their description and placement of new and interesting albums. I like seeing what is being featured as combing through hundreds of records is time-consuming and eye-numbing.
Other record stores I frequent in New York:
Rockit Scientist
13 - Great cheap bins outside
Kim's Video
Store that looks promising:
Future Legends
A List of Citysearch's top stores (you can vote for you fav too)
*Both albums are quite good. New Mogwai is definitely as good as Rock Action while new Enon is good but did not blow me away like High Society.
09/11/03 10:50 AM
what about digital city's top record stores
http://www.digitalcity.com/newyork/bestrecordstores/
(shameless plug).
i actually really feel academy records for used. lots of journalists seem to dump their promos here.
01/08/04 12:54 PM
I've been very loyal to Rocks in Your Head for about four years now, and I completely understand why it's so easily a NYC shopping favourite. The past three years I was living in Florida and would make it a point to stop in every time I came home, and made sure everyone got harrassed to endorse them if they were coming up for a visit.
I'm back north now, and even spending more time in parts of the city I didn't used to frequent, I can't find a better record store, so it was exciting to see someone else's testimonial to their greatness (forgive my nerdiness!).