A Tale of Two Record Stores: The Downtown Experimental Music Scene Lives On

The Manhattan Bridge viewed from inside 2 Bridges Music Arts.

Underneath the Manhattan Bridge, where Chinatown and Two Bridges meet, there is the New York Mart mall. On the near-deserted second floor, scattered between vacant stalls and white walls there are a few shops, an office with a door that reads “Philosophical Investigation Agency” and finally, a record store.

2 Bridges Music Arts opened in 2016 and is one of two record stores left in the neighborhood. Neither are easy to find. Owner Simon Gabriel said this reclusiveness is intentional. “Being in the mall, it's got this future primitive or technological-type vibe,” Gabriel said. “We've purposefully built it to be a little bit difficult to find and access.”

Gabriel was inspired by his own tastes to create a space for albums not sold in traditional stores. The challenge posed by the store reflects its merchandise, consisting of electronic and experimental music.

The records deemed most exciting are displayed on the righthand wall. Featured albums include Nyege Nyege Tape’s “Kadodi,” Patrick Selinger’s “Businessmen” and Buttechno’s “Cherskogo Drive.”

The rhythmic tha-thunk of the Manhattan Bridge overhead momentarily drowns out the saxophone stylings of John Tchicai emanating from a turntable behind the register. To the interruption Gabriel said, “I love it. I love thinking about transportation, I love the sound.”

While the accessibility of music through streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music has contributed to the demise of many record stores, Gabriel is not worried. 2 Bridges Music Arts caters to a unique clientele whom Gabriel credits with the store’s survival.

“The type of customers who really care about music don't use Spotify,” Gabriel said. “They want to engage with music in a more serious way.”

2 Bridges Music Arts is an anomaly. More than half of the CD and record stores in the U.S. have closed since 2003, according to the 2016 National Arts Index. Due to streaming, downloading, online retail and chain stores, Americans for the Arts reports that, “In 2003, there were 3,329 such independent retailers, but the number declined to 1,590 by 2013.”

New York is no exception. In 2008, the New York Times article "Record Stores Fight to Be Long-Playing” included a map showing some of Manhattan’s existing and bygone record stores. Of the 35 existing stores, only 16 remain. Yet as record stores are disappearing, vinyl is making a comeback. Vinyl record sales increased by 20.1 percent during 2016, from 7.2 million to 8.6 million units, according to BuzzAngle Music. Nevertheless, overall album sales have continued to decline.

The second record store in Two Bridges is a survivor from the Times’ list. Downtown Music Gallery, now in its third home at 13 Monroe St., has been in New York for twenty-eight years: since 1991. It is dedicated to downtown, avant-garde and progressive jazz. Owner and founder Bruce Lee Gallanter purchased the store from co-founder Steve Popkin by paying him 20 dollars per day from 1995 to 2002.

Entering DMG’s basement is akin to falling down the rabbit hole into Birdland, or perhaps more accurately, a downtown time capsule. The vast collection of approximately 20,000 CDs and 5,000 records includes names like Coltrane, Miles Davis, Robert Wyatt and Devin Gray.

Gallanter’s love of music began at 13 when he purchased “Freak Out!” the first album by Frank Zappa’s band The Mothers of Invention. One record led to another and the rest was history. Gallanter became the designated videographer for Fred Firth in the early 80s and this led him to meet John Zorn, whose record label, Tzadik is affiliated with DMG.

“This is my dream job,” said Gallanter. “This is the thing I want to do the most. I like helping people, I like sharing knowledge and I know it makes people happy.”

Gallanter greets every customer and never judges based on taste. He hosts concerts every Sunday and sends out a weekly newsletter to more than 6,000 customers.

“One of the great things about record stores is actually the camaraderie and the social aspect,” Gallanter said.

Eric Herholzheimer has been a regular for the past 15 years. A self-described serious listener of avant-garde jazz, he comes in monthly from New Jersey to collect a stack of CDs along with a few suggestions from Bruce.

“Bruce is a great resource and it’s always fun to see him,” Herholzheimer said. As to the store’s secret ingredient he said, “It’s Bruce’s commitment and the special inventory.”

The store recently received $4,000 in donations, but Gallanter admits he is barely making rent. DMG’s 10-year lease ended October 1st and the landlord is allowing him to stay from month to month. Though the future of Downtown Music Gallery is uncertain, the music will continue.

Bruce hopes to one day apply for a grant to make his collection a public archive, “So that people will always be able to hear what music should sound like.”