Other Music (2019)

Other Music Poster

A documentary highlighting the 20 year history of influential indie record store Other Music in Manhattan's East Village.

Film Overview
"Other Music" is a gripping 2019 documentary film directed by Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller. This poignant cinematic chronicle brings the renowned, alternative record shop, "Other Music", to life. Commemorated as a musical capital for indie rock fans and artists across New York City, this film clearly encapsulates the fluctuate of this cultural organization which was an essential center of the city's early 2000s indie rock scene.

Plot and Themes
The story of the film documents the heart-wrenching last weeks of "Other Music's" summons to closure, which opened its doors back in 1995. Challenged with the growth of Internet and the subsequent digitalization of music, this store, that was once a culture-driven metropolitan music versatile house, gradually faced the extreme commercial impracticability of keeping a physical music store.

The film captures the atmosphere of the shop, its eccentric, well-informed staff, and enthusiastic consumers. It checks out the significance of the record shop as a community gathering place, an educator in business of music, and an incubator for emerging artists. Throughout its presence, "Other Music" was more than a location to buy albums-- it was a center for musical discovery and a launchpad for various well-known artists.

Context and Contributions
"Other Music" existed in a time and place where Spotify did not regulate playlists and discoverability was an individual journey. Unlike the impersonal streaming platforms today, the shop leveraged its relied on staff's understanding to curate its own record collection, cultivating a diversified, unique music taste within its walls.

The film highlights the store's contribution in promoting different emerging artists that were often ignored by the mainstream music industry. It features artists like Vampire Weekend, St. Vincent, Animal Collective, and many others, who visited the shop early in their professions. The film, peppered with commentary and interviews from these musicians, exhibits how "Other Music" played a significant role in forming their careers.

Effect and Reception
The documentary is a nostalgic elegy to a bygone era, offering an intimate view of the fast modifications that have happened in the music market over the past 20 years. It serves as an event of the strength and impact of a single, devoted indie record store and a lament over its loss, reflecting a much larger story of how our relationship with music, its intake, and discovery has actually moved gradually.

"Other Music" was favored by the audience and critics, applauding the film for its delightful and moving homage to a date defining music shop. It conjures up a bittersweet fond memories for those who lived through that period and an emulous yearning in those who did not.

Conclusion
In conclusion, "Other Music" is a caring tribute to a treasured musical organization, illustrating the store's vibrantly distinct spirit and fundamental significance in the music industry. It archives a valuable part of New York's cultural history, providing an unforgettable expedition of a time when the music scene was totally different and acknowledging the enduring effect this renowned record shop had on the international music neighborhood.

Top Cast

  • Jason Schwartzman (small)
    Jason Schwartzman
    Himself
  • Tunde Adebimpe (small)
    Tunde Adebimpe
    Himself
  • Ezra Koenig (small)
    Ezra Koenig
    Himself
  • Matt Berninger (small)
    Matt Berninger
    Himself
  • Regina Spektor (small)
    Regina Spektor
    Herself
  • Martin Gore (small)
    Martin Gore
    Himself
  • Noah Lennox (small)
    Noah Lennox
    Himself
  • William Basinski (small)
    William Basinski
    Himself
  • Stuart Braithwaite
    Himself
  • James Chance
    Himself
  • Brian Chase
    Himself