Fifty or so years ago, Bob Dylan walked the same music-filled Greenwich Village streets many New School students now take when heading to class. The pulsating underground culture of the 1960s was in full swing, with many college students racing to record stores to purchase his latest releases. In 2018, college students from all over the city can still be found in these stores. The act of putting needle to LP is not at all outdated. In 2017, Billboard reported that vinyl album sales hit a record high, celebrating twelve consecutive years of growth.
Vinyl’s resurgence in popularity over the last decade is not surprising to many New School students. “I think our generation is very enamored with nostalgia, due to all of the technology we have been chained to.” said Journalism + Design sophomore Gio Osterman. With more and more popular retailers such as Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Urban Outfitters selling vinyl, the option of buying vinyl is is everywhere.
“I enjoy vinyl because it has a more full and richer sound than just listening off your phone or speaker,” said Gillian Rivera, a sophomore in the Journalism + Design program. “It has a way of enveloping the room.”
“I really like vinyl because I can have a physical collection of my favorite music,” said Zack Dresher, a third year screen studies major. “It also just kinda makes me feel like an old man.”
Some faculty think Generation Z revisiting records is unexpected.
“I am surprised because of how fragile vinyl is, and how digital everything is, and how difficult it always is to go backwards with technology,” said Amy Burton, a vocal instructor at Mannes School of Music. “The sound quality is acoustic, not digital, at least the old vinyl was, and it’s better. So I’m glad to see it back.”
“I’m surprised younger generations are listening to vinyl,” said Blake Eskin, an assistant professor in the Journalism + Design program, “I grew up listening to vinyl. I would borrow my friend’s vinyl and tapes and I brought them to college with me, but lost interest in it. It’s inconvenient. You have to flip the record over.”
As far as the best record store in NYC, Eskin said that one has since closed.
“Back in the day I went to Sounds, on Saint Mark’s between 2nd and 3rd.” said Eskin. “I bought most of the Talking Heads albums at Sounds. I remember walking around with a Sony walkman cassette, headphones on, listening to “Remain in Light,” or “Fear of Music,” walking in the Village late at night.”
Here are New School students’ favorite places to pick up a record around the city:
Generation Records
210 Thompson St, New York, NY
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village, Manhattan
This Greenwich Village record store has two floors filled with rarities from every decade. Formerly known as “Bleecker Street Records,” the shop moved its precious cargo in 2017 from the Bleecker Street location to its current one on Thompson Street. “I am fond of Bleecker Street Records, though it isn’t on Bleecker anymore,” said Emilia Copeland Titus, a junior and culture & media major, “I bought a record by the 1960’s model Twiggy there years ago. It’s her debut album from 1976 and it’s very cutesy. I was obsessed with her when I was 14 or 15 so I was so excited to have found it at the time. It now reminds me of being a teenager,” she said. “It’s my favorite record shop in New York City,” said Dresher. “When I was a freshman I’d go there all the time with my roommate and we would hang out there and show each other records.”
Copeland Titus’ Finds: “Twiggy,” by Twiggy, Notable Track- “Here I Go Again.”
Dresher’s Finds: “Speaking in Tongues,” by Talking Heads, Notable Track- “Slippery People.”
“The Mollusk,” by Ween, Notable Tracks- “Polka Dot Tail” and “Ocean Man.”
Rough Trade NYC
64 N 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Rough Trade is a London-based independent record label that first opened in 1976. The Brooklyn store, and the only one in the U.S. is their largest out of its five locations. With one floor dedicated to vinyl and another to books, this location is known to be a favorite of music lovers. “It is my favorite and go-to record store in Brooklyn,” said Rivera. “I had the rock band Catfish and the Bottlemen sign a CD there a few years back, so I’ve had some pretty cool memories there.Live concerts and artist signings happen at the store monthly.
Rivera’s Finds: “My Love is Cool,” by Wolf Alice, Notable Track- “You’re a Germ.”
Earwax Records
167 N 9th St, Brooklyn, NY
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
This Williamsburg record shop, which opened in 1991, is a one-room store filled with curated vinyl and sells vintage recording equipment. “I think this store has a great collection,” said Osterman. “It has plenty of albums I never saw before on vinyl. There is also a great variety of genres, it has everything from classic rock to modern hip-hop.”
Osterman’s Finds: “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” by Kanye West, Notable Track- “Monster.”
“Somegirls,” by The Rolling Stones, Notable Track- “Beast of Burden”
Academy Records
12 W 18th St, New York, NY
Neighborhood: Chelsea, Manhattan
At this Chelsea record store, customers can both buy and sell vinyls, LP’s, CD’s, and DVD’s. This shop has a wide variety of genres for both art forms. “This is my favorite place that sells vinyl,” said sophomore Journalism + Design major Chelsea Frazer, “I once found a rare, unsealed Sonny and Cher album there.” This shop is a destination for many avant-garde collectors, and fans of jazz.
Frazer’s Finds: “Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer Papa Used To Write All Her Songs,” by Sonny and Cher. Notable Track- “By Love I Mean.”
Check out a playlist of the students’ finds on Spotify:
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Illustrations by Olivia Heller