SPLIT TOPIC: Do you miss Soundtracks?

t-fal · February 2007

totally off point, but I really miss soundtracks. snif. RIP. it really reminded me of the old record shops of my childhood, where the people who worked there really loved music, knew their stuff, and would make recommendations, or work hard to find you something they didn't have in stock.

I haven't been to 7th ave. since they closed. Poops mcgee.

friendlypitbull · February 2007

t-fal wrote: totally off point, but I really miss soundtracks. snif. RIP. it really reminded me of the old record shops of my childhood, where the people who worked there really loved music, knew their stuff, and would make recommendations, or work hard to find you something they didn't have in stock.

I haven't been to 7th ave. since they closed. Poops mcgee.

I think there is alot more to the closing of old record/cd shops that could "make recommendations" or find "out of stock" items then rising rents, gentrification or well coifed children.

People generally dont get there music from record shops anymore, nor do they need a record store employee to make recommendations or to find new music - itunes, myspace, pandora, bittorrent, google, amazon, and CD racks at target, best buy and starbucks have totally destroyed the viability of the old time 'record shop' no matter what the rent level.

t-fal · February 2007

I wasn't making any argument about rents or well coiffed children. I was just lamenting the demise of a place where I liked to shop, a place that offered a level of personal service that I find lacking in the "new way" of buying music. It was actually nice to see that someone else missed them too. That's why I qualified my post as being totally off point.

innocent x · February 2007

Soundtracks was pretty crappy I thought. They did break DVD street dates so that was cool that you could get titles early. But I didn't like the atmosphere or the product that much. Wasn't a cool record store.

Media-related brick & mortar businesses are dinosaurs. Record stores, video stores (as evidenced by Cinematheque closing), etc.

pitu · March 2007

So did the Soundtracks guy ever find a new place to open shop?
There were rumors about Fifth Ave somewhere a while back...

escap · March 2007

I hated Soundtracks. The owners there always were so cold and rude. I'm sure other people had much different impressions but anyway that was my personal experience.

sterling2000 · March 2007

I always liked Earwax Records around the corner from Ozzie's before they decamped to Williamsburg...

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7348840

anonymous · March 2007

I don't really lament the loss of Soundtracks. There was nothing very unique or interesting about it. It's not like they had tons of rare jazz LPs or out-of-print classical recordings... They were just an average, kinda crummy, little record shop that never changed with the times. I'm honestly surprised that they lasted as long as they did!

pitu · March 2007

I totally miss them! The guys were perfectly nice, they had a broad selection for a tiny store (in a variety of styles, not *just* a narrow indie thing) and they'd order stuff if they didn't have it.
Plus they stocked a cheap cd case I liked.

Earwax was cool too, in a totally different way. Talk about a tiny selection...

I really miss being able to pop in both those places. The other tiny cd store -- on 5th Ave around 2nd St. -- rarely has what I'm looking for no matter how obscure OR mainstream.

rose · March 2007

I didn't love Soundtracks. I do miss Holy Cow. Pitu, do you know there is another tiny CD store -- 7th Ave. around 13th Street.

laura · March 2007

The guys at Soundtracks were sweethearts, but I thought the store was lame. Holy Cow was more my kind of place.

anonymous · March 2007

Subject: Re: SPLIT TOPIC: Do you miss Soundtracks?

t-fal wrote: totally off point, but I really miss soundtracks. snif. RIP. it really reminded me of the old record shops of my childhood, where the people who worked there really loved music, knew their stuff, and would make recommendations, or work hard to find you something they didn't have in stock.

I haven't been to 7th ave. since they closed. Poops mcgee.

I miss Soundtracks too. I also miss Tower Records. Soon the entire city will be nothing more than banks and real estate offices. fun.

the chipster · March 2007

Soundtracks was the kind of rekkid shop music was supposed to be about. Kids who knew their genre, music lovers mingling, something new playing (not too loud) a certain looseness that you won't find in today's $toopid $nobby shops. There was something for everyone, and today's stores make it TOO MUCH FOR ME! I liked the intimacy...the abiltiy to chat with others...the non-pretentiousness when Chris Rock walked in in sweats, sayin hey to the fellas...But times have changed. It's burn or be burned today.

pureistheword · March 2007

Rose wrote: I didn't love Soundtracks. I do miss Holy Cow. Pitu, do you know there is another tiny CD store -- 7th Ave. around 13th Street.

Music Matters. This one is a really nice shop

veets · March 2007

I can't say I miss Soundtrack. It was really a lame store.
It's a new World sadie!!
I actually love purchasing music on line from Amazon. I can spend a lot of time listening and selecting and browsing. In the old days there was something sensual about picking up an lp and reading all the liner notes and grooving on the art. CD's just are not Tactile pleasures.
Now I do miss Tower and the adventure of going shopping there for cds and books late at night.

idlewild · March 2007

The Chipster wrote: Soundtracks was the kind of rekkid shop music was supposed to be about. Kids who knew their genre, music lovers mingling, something new playing (not too loud) a certain looseness that you won't find in today's $toopid $nobby shops. There was something for everyone, and today's stores make it TOO MUCH FOR ME! I liked the intimacy...the abiltiy to chat with others...the non-pretentiousness when Chris Rock walked in in sweats, sayin hey to the fellas...But times have changed. It's burn or be burned today.

I miss Soundtracks. They were cool people who would go out of their way to get you a cd or record if they didn't have it in stock. Tom and the late Wayne were the greatest.

windowdressing · March 2007

Last I heard, Tom was talking about opening a nice little space on 5th with a place for some live music...
I wish him luck.

drano · March 2007

I don't miss it. There was a guy behind the counter a lot of the time who seemed to think he was doing me a favor by accepting my money. There are a few small merchants in Park Slope that seem to share that attitude...

Edit: Soundtracks was good for "emergencies". And no, I don't know who the guy was that rubbed me the wrong way.

Also: Wasn't the place around the corner from Ozzie's "Earwig"?

laura · March 2007

Drano wrote: Soundtracks was good for "emergencies".

Seconding that. But that was about it.

erikka · March 2007

I remember, back in 1998, Soundtracks had a flood in their basement and put out about fifty boxes of old vinyl destined for the garbage. I found some crazy shit in there. Otherwise, I usually went to Holy Cow. Soundtracks felt really cold and uninviting.

anonymous · March 2007

sooo happy this place is gone... Everytime I went in there, the guy seemed inconvienced when I would ask him a question. Good Riddance!

steve · March 2007

Drano wrote: I don't miss it. There was a guy behind the counter a lot of the time who seemed to think he was doing me a favor by accepting my money. There are a few small merchants in Park Slope that seem to share that attitude...

Edit: Soundtracks was good for "emergencies". And no, I don't know who the guy was that rubbed me the wrong way.

Also: Wasn't the place around the corner from Ozzie's "Earwig"?

There was an earwig, I don't think it is connected to Earwax. The owner of earwig also owns flatbush farms. He's a good guy.

I'm with you people who were never impressed with Soundtracks, Holy Cow was a much cooler place. I expect it will be the last record store I ever truly like. Such is the times we live in

michaelkeys · March 2007

It seems like the Slope never really had a decent record store in the last decade or so. Soundtracks was alright but was kinda stale and lacked any real vibe. Meanwhile, Holy Cow had the most expensive used, non-collector's CDs/vinyl I've ever come across. You know it was bad when many people preferred to go into the city to buy music than walk 5-10 blocks in their own neighborhood.

As far as online stores vs brick and mortar: the kind of establishment that offers knowledgeable service may disappear but the online model won't replace it. The sales, yes, that it can take away. But the value of of the record store clerk's musical expertise? That has yet to be supplanted. Online music shopping is great for getting what you know you want, not necessarily for recommendations. Especially stuff you don't know you'll like and have yet to discover. That's where the knowledgeable clerk comes in. Amazon and iTunes may tell you what else was purchased by the people that bought the new White Stripes, but it probably can't turn you on to Flat Duo Jets, which you'd likely be into if you like the Stripes.

In the end, it just seems that popular music has been devalued and as such people don't give a rat's ass 'bout it as before. There's a million reasons for this, of course, but the end result is that these days music seems to be held in slightly higher regard than chewing gum. But not by much.

isa · March 2007

I miss it but I don't count because I miss everything.

whyfi · March 2007

It's a downward slope and I blame it all on the development of solid state amplifiers and resulting marketing drivel... oh, and the iPod.

idlewild · March 2007

Nuthin wrong with solid state. I have a Accuphase. It sounds Tony the Tiger GREEEEAT!!

whyfi · March 2007

I was half kidding... sure, they're great now, decades later - they sounded like shit then... but it was enough to get people to start equating bigger numbers with better performance, even though it clearly wasn't the case. It continues now with iPods, (I can put how many songs on there?) and it's to the point where so much of the emotional content of music is absent, from inception to reproduction.

idlewild · March 2007

I'm a tube man myself. I'm looking forward to geting a Shindo. I also like turntables better than digital. I heard some Coltrane on a Rockport once.....unreal. Saying that, I'm also dying for a Accuphase CD Player (dac included).

whyfi · March 2007

I could go either way on the power amps. Preamp - always tube.

Anyway, my point was, people don't have as much of a connection with music anymore, which is a shame - it's probably our second-oldest art form. (

) Don't get me wrong - there are a ton of other factors other than crappy amps, but the end result is that music is a commodity, as MK feels.

michaelkeys · March 2007

WhyFi wrote: I was half kidding... sure, they're great now, decades later - they sounded like shit then... but it was enough to get people to start equating bigger numbers with better performance, even though it clearly wasn't the case. It continues now with iPods, (I can put how many songs on there?) and it's to the point where so much of the emotional content of music is absent, from inception to reproduction.

I agree with you, man. But even if the iPod's sound quality isn't all that it's cracked up to be, I personally like the convenience of knowing I can listen to practically anything in my record collection whenever I want. And believe me that urge comes to me VERY frequently.

Oh, and being a guitar player I too am a tube fan.

idlewild · March 2007

Ipods are okay. I usually download in WAV format. 44KHZ & 16 bit nonsense. It takes up a lot more room but it's better than MP3 quality even if it's AAC (or ACC?), still there's nothing like diamond on vinyl being powered some vacuum.

SPLIT TOPIC: Do you miss Soundtracks?

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