Music To Our Ears: London’s Coolest Record Shop Is Coming Stateside!
Here’s some news that has definitely got our ears listening: Cool-as-fudge London establishment Rough Trade (which exists as both a record label and a small, independent pair of record shops) has just announced that they will be opening their first-ever record shop right here in the States.
For anyone who has ever visited one of their shops in London, you’ll know that Rough Trade is not only a record store, but a great environment to discover the independent music scene for a variety of musical genres. Plus, walking into a Rough Trade store sometimes might have you running into a live musical performance from an up-and-coming buzz band, or have you catching up with friends over coffee and magazines.
Thankfully, the folks over at Rough Trade already have in mind to bring that exact relaxed retail setting from their shops over in Notting Hill and Brick Lane right to America’s own hipster capital: Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY.
“We’re extremely excited at the prospect of handing over the ‘blank canvas,’ that is a Rough Trade store, to the music lovers of New York, allowing them make it their own culture agora, just as the people of London have so successfully achieved, with downturn-defying results,” says Rough Trade co-owner, Stephen Godfroy.
The shop is set to be simply called Rough Trade NYC and will be partnering with local production company The Bowery Presents to put on live performance in-store gigs with plans to transform the store’s pop-up stage area into “an intimate live music venue” for a few late-night shows.
And if you won’t be around New York for the store’s opening coming this fall, then fear not my music-loving friends–Rough Trade NYC will also be bringing along with them a re-launch of their online outlet roughtrade.com that will offer MP3, CD and vinyl purchases as well as subscription services for U.S.-based music shoppers.
While this particular editor might be a bit skeptical on how easy it will be to replicate a modern-day, British version of an Empire Records–esque music store and capture that same locally-grown, chill ambiance in one of New York’s most too-cool-for-school neighborhoods, she’s still hopeful, intrigued and all sorts of excited for the debut of Rough Trade’s American homecoming.
[Source: Brooklyn Vegan]
