Ever since America borned its way out of the eight years of deadly warfare, powdered wigs, and throwin’ tea around that marked the Revolutionary War, it seems like we just can’t do enough to get the British to come back. (1812, you say? Whatever, 98% of us went to public school. Who remembers that shit? Was it even covered?) Seriously, come baaaaaack! We want Royal Weddings! We (seemingly, sometimes) want a class divide! We want our very own Rough Trade store! We want — WHAT? We can have that? America is getting a Rough Trade store? Okay, screw what I just said. You can keep the rest, just give us a beautiful, prestigious, new indie record shop in Brooklyn.
And so, America, you shall have your Rough Trade NYC, which will be bigger than the first Rough Trade in London’s Notting Hill area, and even bigger than the massive Rough Trade East that was built in a former Stella Artois brewery on hip/wonderful Brick Lane. This isn’t the first time Rough Trade shops have gone international; in the past, satellites have been launched in Tokyo, Paris, and San Francisco. Those outlets have been closed for a while though, so “in these tough economic times,” what makes NYC likely to shine? Well, the Brits are partnering on this one with The Bowery Presents to craft a live in-store performance area, as well as to operate a small live music venue at night. (The Bowery Presents knows what’s up; they also run the very successful Music Hall of Williamsburg in the same area as the future Rough Trade NYC.) Rough Trade co-owner Stephen Godfroy (the shop and the label are separate entities, for those who were wondering) says, “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.”
Take that, economy! You’re getting a new record store, and you’re gonna like it! The Williamsburg-based shop is scheduled to make its debut this coming autumn, and with it will come a brand new, US version of the roughtrade.com online store. The online store will allow users to shop for CDs, vinyl, downloads, and also enroll in subscription services. The masterminds behind Rough Trade promise that the NY store and the London shops will be linked, with customers and artists in each country encouraged to interact. Pen pals, anyone?
• Rough Trade: http://www.roughtrade.com
