Other Music… a record/CD shop in New York City.
As the name suggests, the shop specialized in “other” or “different” independent or underground music—the kind that mega-chain stores likely don’t carry. That may make it sound like a snooty, snobby, inaccessible shop, but in fact, it wasn’t. (Or maybe it was…) It wasn’t in, say, a basement or on the fifth floor of a half-dilapidated building. It was on an open street and looked like your friendly little neighborhood record shop. Once inside, you’d have felt excited that you would find something new, something extraordinary.
Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan on Other Music: “I always found stuff I was looking for or discovered stuff I didn’t know I was looking for.”
It’s been so long, I can only vaguely recall how I got to know about the store. But I did buy Jets to Brazil’s first album there.
Back in 2016, I read an article in the New York Times that Other Music was closing due to industry trends and other reasons. “Hey, I went there!” Reading the news made me feel both nostalgic and sad. I also wasn’t aware it was the kind of store that would be featured in a major newspaper.
I found out quite a while back about a documentary on Other Music. Now, it’s being shown in theaters in Japan. Can you believe it?
The Japanese website/flyer says, “Other Music: A door to another dimension. A bastion of indie music. A documentary of love, sweat, and tears, covering the shop’s 21 years of ups and downs.” Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?
It’ll be shown in Osaka at Ciné Nouveau from October 8.
Having bought an advance discount ticket complete with a special record bag, I’m all set to go!
I have one complaint though.
The film’s official Japanese website has English spelling mistakes. That happens a lot on Japanese websites, but worse yet is that it got a person’s name wrong. Who the heck is “Mark McCaughan”? It’s “Mac McCaughan”!
Let’s hope the people who run the site correct them.