Wowsville
Neighborhood: East Village
Type of Place: Music
Description:
The spirit of Stephen Frears' 2000 comedy "High Fidelity," which centers around an indepent record store and its beyond-knowlegable, beyond-devoted employees, is alive and well in the real world—and can be found, for example, at the East Village's small but impressive Wowsville. You won't spot Britney Spears' latest here, but if you're looking for, say, an obscure Japanese art-noise band, you've come to the right place.
Store owner Alberto Camarasa came to New York from Valencia, Spain, in 1999, having been a band promoter and manager in his home country. His wife, native New Yorker and artist Sonia Sanchez, also helps out with the store, a labor of love for them both. What indie-music aficianados thought they might never find, and what many of us probably haven't heard of, is in stock here.
Obscure releases from better-known bands (White Stripes, the Ramones) can also be found. The shop will also stock CDs from unsigned bands (on consignment) and buy or trade vinyl. CDs start at around $13.99 and LPs at around $9.99. Indie-rock magazines (such as local gem "The Big Takeover") and some great-looking rock T-shirts (starting at $18) are also available. An extra-special feature of the shop is its amazing portraits of rockers adorning the walls—David Johansen on a back-in-the-day, graffiti-covered subway car, Patti Smith in a recording studio, Joey Ramone clowning around with, of all random objects, a jar of mayonnaise. These photos are well worth seeking out in their own right, records aside—and they're for sale, starting at $250.
As we were leaving Wowsville, a true "High Fidelity" moment made us smile. A customer brought his purchases to Alberto at the cashier and announced matter-of-factly, "You have [above-metioned obscure Japanese art-noise band] the Boredoms on vinyl. I love you." - Pam Grossman; 09, 2004
Wowsville
125 2nd Ave.
New York, NY 10003
646-654-0935
Map
Comments:
Sign up for our newsletter !