It’s the vinyl destination!
A new record store just opened off the beaten path in Carroll Gardens, but its owners are hoping their emporium will make Huntington Street the go-to spot for crate diggers from across the city.
“It’s not Smith Street or Court Street, but it’s a destination. People who want good records don’t care where it is, they’ll find a way there,” said Harry Howes, co-owner of Almost Ready Records between Clinton and Court streets.
Almost Ready Records is also the name of Howe’s 10-year-old record label, which specializes in punk and rock bands with fantastic names including 1-800-BAND, Bummers Eve, and Cheater Slicks — and he plans on showcasing its artists at the shop.
The boutique boasts around 5,000 new and used records and a few hundred casettes spanning rock, blues, soul, funk, and jazz, according to Howes.
There are already a few other vinyl stores in the area — including Black Gold on Court and Luquer streets and the untitled record shop on Van Brunt Street in Red Hook — but Almost Ready is the only one in the vicinity hawking tapes, which are more common in Brooklyn’s irony-loving northern nabes.
The retro magnetic medium has definitely experienced a renaissance in recent years, says Howes — but he thinks it is because they’re cheap and many people still have old tape players lying around.
“It’s definitely making a comeback,” he said. “I think it’s good for touring bands so they have a cheap option on the merch table — people have old cars that have cassette players.”
The shop has been open for a couple of weeks already, and a steady stream of waxheads looking to buy, sell, and trade albums have already walked through the doors, Howes says.
But the music market’s official opening party is this Sunday, where a bartender will be on hand to mix up free Bloody Marys while collectors search through the stacks.
Almost Ready Records grand opening party (135 Huntington St. between Clinton and Court streets in Carroll Gardens, www.almos
