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So you can Labor less

Well for Labor Day, trying to give everyone a little less WORK, and realizing that most of the coloring book pages I’ve been creating for Wax on Wax are detailed, for colored pencils. This one’s kinda casual for crayons.  Of course if… read more >>

Listen to 470 singles @ ARC – that’s ARCology

This playlist has been lovingly assembled by ARChivist Tim Broun as he began cataloging the first one hundred thousand 45’s here at the ARChive of Contemporary Music. As we do everyday, each record is individually processed, the donor noted, and in some… read more >>

From Her to Eternity

From Her to Eternity is the first comprehensive overview of all the pioneering women photographers who offer glimpses into the life – on and off stage – of suspicious characters, idols, movers, shakers, and mere geniuses.  It’s also ARC’s first traveling exhibition…. read more >>

Some Good Rainy Day News

Some good rainy Day News.  To date we’ve catalogued 5,322 LPs, 8,413 CDs, 2,542 seven-inch 45rpm singles, 1509 ten-inch 78s and 7 flexidiscs as part of the Keith Richards Blues Collection. All-in-all that makes 17,793 Blues discs housed here @ ARC.  Illustrated… read more >>

Headshots

As you may know we cultivate obscurata along with the everyday.  You know, like the hundreds of classic James Brown recordings along with the variations that make our daily cataloging grind run smoother.  So today we added 14 just catalogued 45s featuring… read more >>

ARC mini Record Sale is back, sorta, kinda…

Like the label says, we’re joining some of our upstate neighbors on Memorial Day Saturday for a little get together.  This sale is organized by record maven + ARC’s number 3 essential employee, Tim Broun.  We’ll just be bringing 3 or 4… read more >>

MayDay

No Maypole in the yard, but plenty of birds up here at the ARC.  Including these metal ones chirpin’ a Chilliwacky number.  Above image gives you an idea of how they will look in the coloring book we are creating, based on… read more >>

Donate and Save the Earth

“If you don’t take these we are going to throw them away.”   That was the message we got recently.  55,000 CDs.  AND we were given 18 days to accept and relocate the collection.  And it was a-way-out-west. 2,190 miles a-way-out-west.  After we… read more >>

What to do with that tax refund?

On April 7, 2023, the NY Post, posted this tid bit on the upcoming Adele stint, part of her ongoing “Weekends With Adele” residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, from June 16 through Nov. 4. These are the lowest priced seats… read more >>

Forget the Fabelmans, Here’s the Berkmans!

Sure it’s swell to find every Barry Manilow LP in an attics, but sometimes, just sometime the real treasure is a tad more exotic.  More electrostatic. More spaced out. So here a new pile Tim, Fred and b., painstakingly hauled out of… read more >>

J&L Berkman Collection – part 1

Well, it’s been a a while since our last post – but we’ve been busy.  And before we tell you about the 50,000 CDs we’re getting, here’s a bit about a sweet collection of more than 8,000 near mint or sealed LPs… read more >>

A Day In the Life…

Yesterday – After a day of chats and e-mails with land use attorneys, realtors, firemen, store owners, MIT, the estate, the charities registration office, the bank, zoning officers, Filemaker, record stores, auctioneers, employees, donors, grantors, family and friends, THIS petty bureaucrat, thinking… read more >>

Happy

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY + SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON FROM THE ARC! WE’RE OK… DOING WHAT WE DO SORTIN’ CATALOGIN’ PRESERVIN’ COLLECTIN’ LOOKING THINGS UP IT’S BEEN 39 YEARS! IF YOU CAN HELP US OUT WITH AN END OF THE YEAR DONATION THAT… read more >>

We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends

As you can see I’ve drawn a few friends together for the Holidays. Since then they’ve been bugging me to remind everyone it’s Giving Tuesday. Sure it’s a sketchy holiday. Not very colorful. But it’s a nice way to remind everyone about… read more >>

THIS FALL YOUR DONATION IS MATCHED!

When we first began ARC, 38 years ago,   we solicited donations through our mail slot Since then they invented the internet, we have moved to upstate New York, and we are just a tad more sophisticated So, beginning Nov. 1, Every, our… read more >>

Do the Math

“In case you’re wondering, I’ve, uh, transferred my entire swing era collection of 78s to tape.  It’s probably worth more than this whole car if I decided to sell it” I came across the above quote in a 1973 film, Slither.  The… read more >>

Stereosonic

A great many remarkable things arrived @ ARC over the weekend. The largest and loveliest is this (46 x 64 in) poster “Philips Stereosonic.”  Produced by the Dutch Philips Company it just glows – what you’d expect from a company that still… read more >>

Bill Evans Special Collection

Thanks to the family of Bill Evans the ARC is the happy recipient of 90 LPs by the great Jazz pianist.  Most are mint and first pressing.  Some sealed.  Some with ringwear.  All the vinyl is sweet.  The twist is that we… read more >>

LA Punk Flyers

That’s ARChivist Tim above, who just happened to be wearing an Avengers tee when this great donation arrived. These ‘onesheets’ as we like to call them, are from Doug Arbesfeld who miraculous preserved more than 125 late 70s flyers from bands and… read more >>

So Loved…

So nice that so many are posting on the Joni Mitchell appearance at Newport. When I was in Ann Arbor, in the late 60s (1967 I think) I used to set up chairs at Canterbury House in order to see the shows… read more >>

Our First SALE (sorta) In Years!

Fred and I will be loading up the Subarus and bringing a few choice albums along with some less-than-exciting ones to Tim’s sale this coming Saturday.  What makes it SPECIAL will be our first time selling some of the 1200 Rolling Stone… read more >>

Reliquary

We frequently visit the world of obsession and the unlikely paths to preservation.  One trippy trip began when Nick Cave asked his friend whether he still had the gum he had snatched from Nina Simone’s piano that strange and transcendent midsummer night… read more >>

Every Day Is A Surprise

OK.  I’m of Ukrainian descent.  Covid.  A sleet storm outside. Everything costs 30% more.  And yet.  Nearly every day there’s a surprise in ARC’s mailbox.  Sure the mail is running 3 days late, but then again, packages like the one above, rare… read more >>

Good Day Dumping

A remarkable Saturday at the Recycling Center (OK, dump).  This morning, before the blizzard, picked up an amazing array of music related items.  As you know ARC can only buy odds-and-ends, as we’re chock full of just about ordinary everything.  But when… read more >>

Happy 2022 = Solyent Green + Food for Thought

Soylent Green, the film, is set in 2022.  The Harry Harrison novel its based on, Make Room! Make Room, takes place in 1999.  Ah, if only Prince were around and singing us forward.  But its 2022 and we’re going all the wrong… read more >>

Lucky Number 2022 from ARC

Be Good, Be Happy and “Be Lucky”    That’s what Lene Lovich once scrolled across her ‘Lucky Number” 45 here @ ARC.   And that’s our 2022 wish for you from your pals Freddie, Tim, Jon, Julie, Miranda + B. @  The… read more >>

Those Were The Days…

In the early days, when we we’re in Tribeca we would post this sign on one of our doors, above the mail slot.  Every day someone would shove something through.  Maybe coins, often a few bucks. Occasionally a slice of pizza. As… read more >>

Year End Notes

As we welcome 2022, our goal is to finally get out from under wraps – that’s physically, metaphysically and metaphorically.  With your help we’ll be unpacking millions of our recordings, launching our first ever Capital Campaign, and planning public events. Most of… read more >>

In the Pink!

As most of you know ARC has relocated to upstate New York, on the Hudson.  Well, until the new building is in place, the collection remains largely in storage.  So that puts major research, events, parties and our in-house Record Sales on… read more >>

Giving Tuesday! Why ARC? Because of our great Odds + Ends

Giving Tuesday.  That means you should consider a donation to as many worthy organizations as you can.  And we hope you consider ARC.  To egg you on Every.org has initiated a #FallGivingChallenge.  That means for every donation through them your gift will… read more >>

Matching Funds to ARC via Every.org

We are excited to announce a special gift matching opportunity offered by every.org  to the ARChive of Contemporary Music 
when people donate at every.org/arcmusic.  They call it the #FallGivingChallenge – we call is ever-so-kind! So, from now through #GivingTuesday on November 30th, donors on the Every.org website… read more >>

More Than A Rumor – A Legend!

Browsing through the Jacobson collection, the name Johnny Legend caught my attention, and the photo of a bearded, wild-eyed lunatic flanked by two lady friends caught my eye. Given enough time and money, some record collectors develop tastes for types of record… read more >>

PLEASE FEED THE ANIMALS

The Mark Jacobson collection had a lot of great records—as the regular reader of the ARC’s blogs will certainly agree. Mr. Jacobson also had some strange records and we want to present one of those here. Please Feed the Animals (Arc Records,… read more >>

Top Banana in our VU box

Recently brought on board here at the Arc, I was thrown into the archiving deep end by helping with the Mark Jacobson collection. As I like to tell Freddie Patterson, “It’s the collection that keeps on giving.” Not only are there many,… read more >>

Good, Good Mr. Brown

Among the 12,000 or so records donated to The ARChive of Contemporary Music by the Estate of Mark Jacobson (see previous posts) are more than 75 James Brown LPs. Many of them are original mono pressings with the black King label. Almost… read more >>

Freewheelin’ = Confusin’

As you may have been reading in the ARChive’s recent blog posts, the ARC has recently receive a very generous donation from the estate of Mark Jacobson, a North Carolina car dealer. He collected certain artists more than others—see a previous blog… read more >>

We’re More “Experienced” Than Ever Before…

Nestled in the more than 300 Hendrix releases in the Mark Jacobson Collection of 12,000 plus recordings donated to ARC is this never played French LP – Part of the Series Panache. (Are You Experienced? Barclay; France, 0820143, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, Mint,… read more >>

ARC + Sir Paul + The Jacobson Collection

Here’s another gem from the Mark Jacobson Collection of 12,000 plus recordings donated to ARC –  a set of 8 vinyl singles comprising an album, housed in a 1950s style pink tune-tote carrying case, nicely decorated. It’s a limited edition and numbered… read more >>

7/21/21 – The Mark Jacobson Special Collection

7/21/21 – Those numbers sound pretty lucky to us.  And why?  Because today we finished sorting out the 12,721 items donated by Mr. Mark Jacobson.  But you can’t impress us with just a pile of lucky numbers – they gotta be prime… read more >>

Feeling frisky? magnanimous? bored? flush?

Well here’s an idea!  There is a fab auction goin’ on at Heritage Auctions for the next week and ARC thinks it would be swell for you to have a look.  Even sweller if YOU would  bid, win and donate a bit… read more >>

From Her To Eternity

The ARChive of Contemporary Music (ARC) is pleased to announce our latest initiative and focus for 2021, From Her To Eternity.  Our mission is to create a physical collection of recordings and related music materials and to organize events and activities that… read more >>

Slow but sure…

So sorry for the dearth of posts these days.  Renovating the new space and new buildings are a full time occupation.  But more soon as we get ready to launch new initiatives and get ready for our first group of new interns… read more >>

Earth Day

Remembering a chant or two @ at The Dream House in Lower Manhattan, around the corner from ARC.  This his first LP, 1972, from our collection.  Still not clear if the planet’s groove is a rut.  And yet, Happy Earth Day!

Out with the Old…

Our last post was about the changes that came with the new year, so, out with the old, (above) and in with the new ! (below) Above is a street shot of the outside of the old ARC in Tribeca – inside… read more >>

New Year, Old Song

This is the first of a few posts by Henry Locke, ARC’s intern from Bennington, working remotely on contacting labels for us and doing some blogs – here’s his first…  We’ve added the above, a related 45 from ARC’s collection. At the… read more >>

Wha Happened? A Few ARC 2020 favorites…

Happy New year. But as Fred sez, it doesn’t really start ‘til Jan 20!   That said, we’re busy working on our end-of-the-year Record Roundup. Still waiting for a few more things to come in. BTW as of Jan 1 there have been… read more >>

The Shirt Off Our Back?

In our humble efforts to massage, entice and cajole – how about this? Donate $100 and we’ll send you a Rolling Stone Tour tee shirt. The Band’s office sent 1,200 tees recently to help fund our relocation and reopening. Better yet, donate… read more >>

About Donating

On these cyber and giving days, here’s what we think : if you can, please give to folks who need food, help out some musicians who need work, and then consider The ARChive of Contemporary Music.   We’ve finally completed our new office… read more >>

Karen Dalton

More serendipity – Quite by accident, on the day I got this Facebook notice below, I watched the Karen Dalton documentary that is part of the NY Doc Fest. This is what my pal Tim Broun wrote on his page. “Today’s mission… read more >>

Nov 2

Chance, coincidence and serendipity are curious things. Last night in search of a Halloween film, chilling and not gory, I watched The Thing (1951). Maybe for the 5th time. It hosts an incredible ensemble cast, effortless overlapping dialog, Howard Hawks the rumored… read more >>

The Essentials

The Essentials. “Fast Music In A Slow Town EP : Turn Off Your Radio / I Don’t Get // Johnny / It’s Essential.” (Safety Net Records, US, Net-1, 1982; picture sleeve, includes a 6.5″ square white paper insert printed both sides with… read more >>

You Sure That’s The Correct Number?

Today Sothebys Auction House auctioned off the Hip-Hop classic, “Beat Bop” to benefit The ARChive of Contemporary Music. It was donated by Cory Robbins, the founder of Profile Records.   It sold for $126,000.00 Here’s the dope : Rammellzee vs K-Rob “Beat Bop”… read more >>

Cupolas 4

It’s not often you get to ask folks to have a look at your cupolas.  But here ya’ go.  Just painted in the newly renovated temp ARC office.  Still in an undisclosed location on the Hudson.  This is our 19th c. Piggery. … read more >>

A Label is Born

Before they rocked the world of Hip-Hop, the boys in the dorm issued this very Punk single.  It’s the first Def Jam seven-inch release : Hose. Mobo // Girls / Zoo. (7″ 45 rpm, no mfg. #, matrix DEF-SP-1, no date [1982]). … read more >>

As I slowly catalog our Punk era singles I am amazed by the value of these scarce, independently released, 45 in ARC’s collection.  These are not the mass produced and widely promoted bands we are familiar with. These are releases by mostly… read more >>

9:40 pm – Time to Start Work

9:40 pm.  3 screens running – the Yankees game, the nominating roll call at the Democratic convention, and the ARC singles database.  Going through a stack of 45s I start cataloging a few from Girls At Our Best and the first disk… read more >>

Dead But Not Forgotten

Not the Grateful Dead cover band but an LA punk group formed 1977, and this was their only single. While the “Kill the Hippies” cover catches your eye, the b-side sound of “Brainless” is the weirder wonder, with some nice arty No… read more >>

The above is not a minimalist canvas, but the cover of a scarce Bauhaus release.  I discovered it while going through our Punk era singles.  We’re cataloging this large group of 45s in preparation for a graphics book on our collection, and… read more >>

ARC on the Telly

Hi!  For the last 35 years, the ARChive of Contemporary Music has preserved over 3 million records in its Tribeca facility, making it one of the largest record collections in the world. Now, rising rents are driving ARC out of New York… read more >>

C+C = Celebratin’ + Catalogin’

Well I haven’t worn shoes for a week as I go into the 4th of July weekend!  And it will be a few weeks before we can start workin’ at the new ARC.  So I thought I’d pass the time on my… read more >>

Juneteenth et Midsommar

Juneteenth marked the final day of ARC @ NYC. Here’s Fred + B (above) finishing a clean sweep of our White St. home of nearly 20 years on White St. Remember the main room?   Now it looks this-a-way. For more than 40… read more >>

The End Days Are Upon Us!

Well it may seem like the End Days are here out on the streets, but they’re pretty real down here at the ARC. Here’s a pic of some of the empty shelves that we’ll be taking down today. So far we’ve loaded… read more >>

Sleepin’ on the job

As you know we are loading a 26′ van a day for 30 days and quite a few small vans are making deliveries to our new home.  Even Paul Stanley is plain tuckered out!  And this is what it takes to keep… read more >>

Giving Tuesday, but…

Well there are so many heartfelt pleas going out today.  For healthcare, healthcare workers, food aid, education, candidates who actually could make things better.  So after you help them, consider the ARChive. We are relocating.  We love New York City. It’s been… read more >>

Gettin Loaded

Well here’s the crew – Ray, Corey and David loading the first truckload – first of 24 – out of the City and to our new location Upstate.  And the very first batch ready for cataloging?  The Forbes Elvis Presley UK Collection…. read more >>

ARC still GOing

Well ARC is busy packing up for our move to our new home.  One thing we discovered is a few boxes, much used and re-used, the above from 1989, when we moved from Chambers St. to a desolate Crosby St.   Looks… read more >>

ARC is GO!

Well ARC is busy packing up for our move to our new home.  Bad timing, but we have no choice. Of course it’s hard for everyone these days, we understand that. We hope you are all staying safe. But we do need… read more >>

Trippin’

OK, You can’t take a trip to Europe this summer – uh, anywhere really.  Not ARC.  We gotta move and we’re packing it all up and outa here by June (maybe).   One great donation off the shelf and into the boxes… read more >>

Home Alone

Well we’re not quite home yet.  I’m here at ARC, alone, so as to keep others safe.  I live a few blocks away and can walk here without any contact.  I am safe and not a danger to my neighbors.  So…. here’s… read more >>

A Clean Slate + A Great Match

The board above shows us that schools have closed down and our 9 interns are now safe at home.  Bad luck for everyone everywhere.  Even our latest hire is now quarantined.  On the bright side Benevity today announced they will make matching… read more >>

Packin’

Last weekend we had 8 folks sorting 45s on Sat, 10 on Sunday.  Great fun.  Pizza for everyone.  You shoulda been there.

Movin’ ARC!

Yes it’s true, the ARChive of Contemporary Music is on the move—it will be moving out of our current Tribeca location by the summer. In order to commemorate this event, we have placed Movin’ Wes by Wes Montgomery in the window. Where… read more >>

Super Sunday

Just back from looking at one of ARC’s potential new homes, Sunday, back in the office, and found this pushed through the mail slot.  Now we get a great many things donated here at the library, and because we save everything musical,… read more >>

A Smith Drops by

In the midst of our packing up as ARC prepares to move, Andy Rourke, bassist from The Smiths dropped by.  We brought out 80 or so of the band’s LPs and 12″ singles that we have here at ARC for perusal, some… read more >>

Flashy, eh?

Fact 1162 has been flashing on Link kiosks all over the city lately.  Fun to see even if not exactly true.  What is true is all the great folks contacting us and offering space at great rates.  Will ARC stay in NYC? … read more >>

ARC in the News

There have been a ton of stories on ARC’s need for a new home and 100s of offers of space.  Like the offers pouring in from home and abroad, from Memphis to Stuttgart, Troy to Brazil.  So fingers crossed. Still not a… read more >>

On the Go Go…

As you may know ARC has to relocate.  To that end the nice folks at the NY Times placed a story today online and will publish in hard copy this Sunday, Jan 5.  Thanks to writer Derek Norman and photographer OK McCausland…. read more >>

What We Do

This is what we do.  We go around the world, meet amazing people, and save the things they love.  Here’s a bedroom in Carmel CA.  Eccentric, essential, exceptional.  We pack things up, we clean them, we catalog them.  Our only mission is… read more >>

LAST DAY of ARC’s Holiday Sale

Shop TODAY Dec 22.  We gotta get rid of this stuff, so come on down for some extra DEALS + DISCOUNTS $1 items are two for $1 (gotta take two or $1 each) $2 and $3 items are $1 take $1 off… read more >>

FINAL DAYS for ARC HOLIDAY SALE

Yes folks, today and tomorrow, Dec 21 + 22.  Then it’s all over until the next sale in ???   So PLEASE drop by and support the ARC!   On SUNDAY we will offer some major discounts as we empty out the store and… read more >>

Better Weather and Fab Records

The ARC Holiday Sale continues as we bring out new materials and discover extra copies that we need to dispose of as we work towards the massive task of moving the ARC.  So PLEASE drop by and shop.  We’re here until Sunday… read more >>

X-Mas Shopping?

Before we tell you about Bill Adler’s great new swingin’ Holiday compilation DON’T FORGET that ARC’ Holiday Sale is still on and runs till the 22 of Dec, everyday 11-6.  We just put out half boxes of Punk/New Wave 45s, original Rolling… read more >>

It’s In the Bag

Today another six boxes of recordings arrived, by surprise I might add, with the latest installment of the massive Richard Zirinsky Collection. Sure there were the usual 10 Paul Weller box sets, more than 250 music DVDs and dozens of Jamaican singles. … read more >>

Watch the Holiday Sale Film

  Holiday ‘Kissin’ Christmas’ Record + CD Sale Dec 7 – 22, 2019 @ ARC Headquarters located at 54 White Street, Tribeca, NYC Open everyday 11am-6pm  •  Be nice and we can stay a little later!  •  Free admission  •  As always… read more >>

Holiday ‘Kissin’ Christmas’ Record + CD Sale Starts Tomorrow! Dec 7 – 22, 2019 @ ARC Headquarters located at 54 White Street, Tribeca, NYC Open everyday 11am-6pm  •  Be nice and we can stay a little later!  •  Free admission As always… read more >>

Look Away, Look Away…

Today critic David Hinkley dropped off his twice-a- year carload of donated goodies. As usual hundreds of LPs, CDs, books and swag in great condition. This year he outdid himself by donating these two rare 45s. The almost cleverly named Hatenanny Records… read more >>

Sorted, Packed and On The Road!

Yesterday ARC sent off the Saul Nowitz Collection, a Gift of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, to Philly to be digitized by George Blood Audio and the Internet Archive.  This batch 23,124 seventy-eight rpm shellac discs and 1200 sixteen-inch transcription discs, V-discs… read more >>

Caribbean Gold

For the past week ARC has been sifting through the more than 300 boxes of recordings recently donated as the Saul Nowitz Collection, a gift of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation. While predominately 78 rpm discs there are nearly 5,000 LPs. The… read more >>

Help Wanted

Today the all-Brazilian all-excellent crew from Collins Bros. movers loaded in the Saul Nowitz Collection today.  302 boxes.  32,000+ recordings.  Mostly 78rpm discs. Ah, but 78s are mixed in with LPs, and CDs and singles. So now we’re building better boxes and… read more >>

Ric

Maddux Pearson, a graduate student at NYU, has been working at ARC to lay the groundwork for a database and image gallery of our memorabilia collections. Here’s his take on one of the nice things he discovered in the very first of… read more >>

Is Music a Universal Language?

ARC intern Dionysius Arya Nataraja comes to us via Bennington College via the Netherlands via Central Java.  He’s just finished up a few months here and used some of his time to explore the ARC’s World Music Collection.  As a scholar of… read more >>

Summer Fun + Beatles’ Love

Summer is almost gone.  A change of seasons.  A change of heart.  Plans.  Memories. “To Everything There Is a Season.”   Which leads me to this.  One of our favorite donors, Nina b, dropped this drawing off  recently.  As a 12 year… read more >>

What Was the First Rock’n’Roll Record?

Deke Dickerson is a person who knows about music; mostly early rock’n’roll music. He’s a guitarist who specializes in roots music—especially rockabilly and hillbilly styles. He’s also a record producer and songwriter. Plus, he writes about music with passion and authority. He… read more >>

Drop by, say Hi!

ARC will be selling rare and not so rare choice LPs and CDs (duplicate items from our vast archive) this Sat at the Discogs/Crate Diggers Event. FREE ADMISSION, Sat July 27, 10am-6pm, Playstation Theater, 1515 Broadway, NYC @ W. 44 St. Drop… read more >>

ARC [heart] Interns

Well our Summer Sale is over and we want to thank all YOU shoppers and especially the many great interns and volunteers who made it happen.  Pics above and below are from the idle hands of some of our favorite interns, penned… read more >>

Swingin’ Tribeca

Last night ARC hosted a guided tour and concert as part of the Tribeca Art+Culture Night Festival.  18 folks took the tour and a full house squeezed between the aisles to hear the Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. play Country +… read more >>

Free Concert @ ARC Thursday Nite!

There’s a FREE Concert @ the ARC SUMMER RECORD + CD SALE! Thursday  •  June 20  •  7-8pm Come to hear the Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. Playing Country + Rockabilly favorites! It’s part of the Tribeca Art+Culture Night Festival. SHOP… read more >>

MORE Than Just Records @ ARC Sale

Yes, we got vintage mags and fanzines and a whole lot more @ ARC’s Sizzlin’ SUMMER RECORD + CD SALE! NOW – June 23  everyday 11-6  Come if you can – tell everyone you know We have TONS of Jazz recordings. hundreds of… read more >>

Why Golf When You Can Buy Records?

It’s Father’s Day Sunday so we baked him a cake in the shape of a record!  Sorta.  Anyway, all kids who bring their Dad to our sale get a 10% discount on anything and everything.  It’s easy – Fab stuff @ Fab… read more >>

Bug Your Pop This Sunday!

This Sunday is Father’s Day and all kids who bring their Pop to our sale get a 10% discount on anything and everything and maybe pick up some insect pops for yourself! Fab stuff @ Fab prices… WHAT: ARC Sizzlin’ Summer Record… read more >>

Emmitt Basquiat???

ARC’s littlest shopper visited yesterday and penned-painted this promo plea to get folks down to the ARC’s Summer Record + CD Sale.  As the man says, “Shop…I beg you.” a Fab stuff @ Fab prices… WHAT: ARC Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD… read more >>

Check out the film – Come to our SALE!

  Fab stuff @ Fab prices… WHAT: ARC Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD Sale WHEN: Sat June 8 – Sun June 23 • everyday 11 am – 6 pm WHERE:   54 White Street • Tribeca • bet Church + B’Way WHY: In… read more >>

Sizzlin’ Summer Sale is Jazz HOT!

Forgive the lousy image, but rejoice at the more than 2,300 Jazz CDs and LPs at this years sale. The above is a pic of the pile of some of the Jazz box sets …Fab stuff @ Fab prices… WHAT: ARC Sizzlin’… read more >>

Time Rolls On Like A Train And A River…

Got this yesterday at a fleamarket.  Hard to believe that the biggest selling group in history, is, uh, history?  We’re the ARC.  We save everything about music, even long forgotten groups like these here Bugs.  We’re also in the last few days… read more >>

Why You Should Support Libraries

OK – Saw John Wick 3 last night. In the opening fight the protagonist kills an antagonist, quite brutally, with a book, in the Main Branch of the New York Public Library. The uninterrupted action was believable of course because no one… read more >>

War + Music

A recent donation here at the ARC included 500 jazz books.  One of them was by a journalist I had once met in Paris, Mike Zwerin.  The book reminded me of a new acquaintance, Amanda Petrusich, who has just published a terrific… read more >>

Speaking of Matching!

This is the final week for our Matching Grant Fundraiser and today we just happened to find a whole pile of Matching 45s!  These 1956, all-different Belafonte singles sport the same face photo sleeves, not to mention some gentle folk-revival and Caribbean… read more >>

Turn Up The Volume!

Resurrecting those 60s psychedelic posters from the basement last week also turned up a pile of late 70 this-and-thats.   Like this first edition of VOLUME by the ARC director. We’ll have them at our next sale  –  June 8-23 –  for… read more >>

Still Grand via the Grande

Grand Funk is getting ready to rock out at Jones Beach Theater (opening for Bob Seger) in Wantagh, New York, on May 30, at 7:30 PM.  In 1968 (?) it would have cost you $3.00 – $3.50 to see the band in… read more >>

Wonderful + Ephemeral

Here’s a streetart homage to Amy Winehouse at the Portobello Market area, London, in 2011 that we shot shortly after her death.  ARC not only saves the real, but the ephemeral, including graffiti and all sorts of painted and scribbled imagery.  … read more >>

Better Red Than Dead

As we celebrate a purely American Holiday, May Day, ARC found this very nice Commie sleeve, one of the many we were donated from a 78 collection in the EU.  So admire the sleeve and remember that in the fight for an… read more >>

Empty the Garage – Fill the ARC

Sometimes ya gotta kick the dead rat out of the way to get to the stax o’ wax.  The latest dusty snap from out West as former archivist and longtime pal Jon (not pictured) risked Jacob’s ladder in search of black gold…. read more >>

Tunes YOU Missed

Sleeves from the “Tunes You Missed” series of 45s that just arrived from a donor in LA.  Forgettable releases – fabulous graphics.  ARC saves everything music related.  Give us a hand and join our fundraising campaign Rebuilding the ARC Any and all… read more >>

Nina et Les Beatles

Today, Nina (last name a State Secret) one of our favorite people, dropped off a pile of her treasured 45s. Mighty tasty items with a French twist and only the beginning of more things to come.  Can’t wait to see her Beatles’… read more >>

Earth Day

Earth Day and just a reminder of when the world saw the World for the first time.  It was on the cover of the Whole Earth Catalog, – a NASA image that Whole Earth creator Stuart Brand had to pressure the government… read more >>

Congress Usta Carry a big (fire) Stick…

THE report has been issued.  Just as I found this LP at a Goodwill.  ARC BELIEVES YOU CAN LINK GOODWILL AND CONGRESSIONAL ACTION!  So don that furry hat of Crockett, Franklin and Rousseau!  Remember; you got to fight for your right to… read more >>

All Things Must Pass

We get a lot of things a lot of times.  That gives the things ARC treasures a better chance of surviving.  We also try to place them in a few different locations. The Notre Dame fire brings it all home; how important… read more >>

Record Store Day Beer

Visited Gerosa Records in CT – a fab place – on Record Store Day. GO for the NEW, stay for the BLUES!    But the REAL find of the day was 45rpm beer – the perfect complement to any platter… We’re independent… read more >>

Roomful of Blues

HI! The ARC Website is undergoing a code update for the next few days – S0 Main Stories in the center are active, but our side panels are down for now.  You can still see and contribute to our fundraiser – Rebuilding… read more >>

Mountain Music in Manhattan

We’ve shown you Labor Movement discs, turbans, garage rock, Reggae 45s and music from outer space lately, how about an example of our hundreds of songbooks from West of the Hudson?  A major contributor to ARC  is Ed Ward, who along with… read more >>

NOT On Pins + Needles

Just discovered here at the ARC. As we were sorting Broadway albums we found this rare 12” 78rpm disc of  “The Red Mikado” (Labor Stage Inc, R-2147, 1939) from the stage production of Pins and Needles. It’s a song written by Harold… read more >>

Fluffy Memorabilia are US…

Did you know we collected Memorabilia?  Not JUST those round and square things, but fluffy and ragged things.  Like our Beatles’ sweat above.  As well as ticket stubs and handbills (below). Oh, and we also have very nice square things, like the… read more >>

Space Helmets vs Turbans

One of the main reasons we are asking for your help is Space. As Sun Ra said, “Space is the Place.” OK, a lot of people say that. But our rent in this space is sky-high (in Outer Space) and there are… read more >>

Outer/Outa Space

One of the main reasons we are asking for your help is Space. As Sun Ra said, “Space is the Place.” OK, a lot of people say that. But our rent in this space is sky-high (in Outer Space) and there are… read more >>

Rebuilding the ARC!

As costs and rents have skyrocketed we are launching a Go Fund Me campaign to help keep ARC alive.  Thanks to the generous support of The Jaharis Family Foundation the first $50,000 raised will be matched dollar-for-dollar.  We are also seeking other matching funds with… read more >>

Carnaval

Well its Ash Wednesday, and that mean farewell to meat, and let the fasting begin.  We prefer Samba to somber, so here’s a recent addition to ARC’s collection, a lovely Japanese pressing of Orfeu Negro (Philips, Japan, SFX-5034 (M), 12″ 33.3rpm, 1972). … read more >>

Another White Album

In homage to our pal Rutherford Chang, who is showing the project, “We Buy White Albums,” ARC offers the above – “We have Ventriloquist Albums.”   No one knows how they got here, but just one, Jimmy Nelson’s “Instant Ventriloquism” seems to be… read more >>

Queen’s Reign!

This is a double dose version of our weekly blog – what I did yesterday and in honor of the Queen biopic success at Sunday’s Oscars. Above is our signed copy of A Night At The Opera LP (Elektra, 7E-1053, 12″ 33.3rpm,… read more >>

We’re on the Right Track!

The weather is yo-yo-ing, no one has any idea where the government’s going, but the ARC is the Wendy Hiller of archives (Look her up. Hint : 1945).  Yep, on the good foot and the right track.  And here’s a few 8-tracks… read more >>

Things a Little Wobbly Here @ ARC

Fred and b. went into deep Brooklyn this week to pick up the second round of donations from Henry Finkelstein & Shirley Ranz.  You can now visit their Gallery of Activist LPs, from our first pickup and here’s a few images from… read more >>

This Just In!

Well the discs just keep on coming.  Here’s a pic of Seth, Fred and the delivery crew, Patrick, Robert + Tony, posing with 200 boxes–that’s 40,000 CDs.  This is The Richard W. Zirinsky, Jr. Collection generously donated by the family to the… read more >>

Happy 2019!

Here at ARC we wish to thank the folks who have helped out last year and hope everyone has a swell 2019.  The good folks at Dub-Stuy were one of the many supporters who lend a hand, and lent their great Tower… read more >>

ARC needs a HUG!

Arc needs a hug now and then.  Here’s Laurie Anderson hugging DJ Bunny Ears at our Benefit Dance Party.  They’re big ARC fans and we hope you will join them in supporting the ARC.  Help us grow and prosper.  We’re the only,… read more >>

Bongo X-mas!

“Just once I’d like to spend Christmas listening to carols instead of bongos!” Not me! Therefore I suggest you abandon those old saws and try a few new Holiday traditions, or at least films. Our go-to is “Bell, Book and Candle “(1958)…. read more >>

All This Weekend – 25% Off @ ARC

Hi everyone – It’s the final weekend of the ARC’s Sale and still plenty of swell records left at our Holiday Record and CD Sale.  So do drop by and support the library!  ARC is @ 54 White St, Tribeca. All weekend… read more >>

ARC Needs a Hug

Arc needs a hug now and then.  Here’s Laurie Anderson hugging DJ Bunny Ears at our Benefit Dance Party.  They’re big ARC fans and we hope you will join them in supporting the ARC.  Help us grow and prosper.  We’re the only,… read more >>

Heading Towards the Final Weekend

ARC’s Holiday Record + CD Sale is still going, but ending soon.  We’re here all week until the 23d, everyday 11am – 6pm.  Come on down for tons of great bargains.  New LPs added daily and great folks drop off great albums. … read more >>

The Sale is STILL on!

OK, the Dance Party is over, but ARC’s Holiday Record + CD Sale is ongoing.  Come on down for tons of great bargains.  New LPs added daily.  Here’s an example of the variety above.  Do drop by and support the ARC!

Happy Are We…at the ARC Party

Here’s the first snap from the evening. More info soon when more pics arrive.  This great one of Laurie by a dancing photographer and photo historian, Guido Harari.  On Monday night we threw a Benefit Dance Party with spinning vinyl-only sets by… read more >>

ARC BENEFIT DANCE PARTY… Come Dance With Me…

Well sorta.  ARC is hosting our end of the year Benefit Dance Party to help us stay in NYC.  And we’re making it affordable for all, just $25.00! ARC BENEFIT DANCE PARTY THIS MONDAY DEC 10  2018 7 pm – Midnight  Our… read more >>

ARC Holiday Record + CD Sale!

Sat Dec 8 – Sun 23 everyday 11am – 6pm Yes, we’re back – and better than ever.  All the swell folks who donated discs this year gave us plenty of extra copies that we can offer to YOU.  Remember LPs and… read more >>

It’s A Wrap…

Dear Arcsters,  As you may know I have been 10 days in Roskilde, Denmark, packing up a large donation of recordings to be digitized by the Internet Archive. You can listen to more than 100,000 sides @ Great78Project. Here’s a picture of… read more >>

DK – Day 2

Busy packing up 78s here in Denmark to be digitized and have found TONS of great images on the record sleeves.  More than half of the 5,000 discs in our first shipment are advertising images for the shops selling the discs, not… read more >>

Viking Music

Here’s a very nice embossed image from one of the 78rpm record sleeves, from a collection of 50,000 discs I am packing up in Roskilde, Denmark.  Like American releases these EU discs seldom contain the recording that should be in them, or… read more >>

Holiday Sale + Parties One Month Away

I’m getting ready to go to Denmark, but YOU should be saving up for that trip down to the ARC for some tasty vinyl treats as we’re a month away from our annual Holiday Record and CD Sale! Sat Dec 8 –… read more >>

The Past is Pretty Scary!

Here’s an Al Jolson sleeve for a 78 rpm disc on Brunswick Records.  Freddie found it this morning and will be doing a blog soon on all the very decorative sleeves from this bowling company cum record moguls.  Al Jolson usually performed… read more >>

The Greatest Cover…Ever!

Every few months or so we unearth the greatest record cover we’ve ever seen.   Here’s the latest, “Buonumore e Canzoni,”  by Neapolitan singer/actor Gino Maringola.  It arrived by mail with about 60 other Italian 45s and 78s last week.   Thanks to… read more >>

Latest donation from Ed Ward

This week ARC received another donation from Wisconsin based Ed Ward.  In the past Ed has focused on this C&W materials. His 15,0000 or so discs are one of our treasured Special Collections and we’ve posted a gallery of his Cowboy +… read more >>

The Deacon Rides Again!

On September 16, the great saxophonist Big Jay McNeely passed away. It would be remiss of The ARChive if we did not bring him to the attention of those who may have missed his contribution to the world of music. His wild,… read more >>

Imagine

Arc was at the First Day of Issue ceremony for the John Lennon Stamp here in NYC. It was held at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park.  Nice, in that Lennon had filmed the video for “Mind Games” there in 1973. So… read more >>

Labor Day, and that means…

Back to school is just around the corner.  So what better time to remind you about the Student Teachers!  We only thought about ’em because of a new book out by Laura Davis, the woman drummer, 17 when she began hittin’ the… read more >>

Ridin’ the Red Wave…

Since joining the ARC team as an intern in July, I’ve been busy listening to, translating, and researching the Internet Archive’s collection of over 300 Russian 78rpm records. My Russian-immigrant family’s story and culture were always fascinating to me, and I wanted… read more >>

The Queen Is Dead! Long Live the Queen!

It has just been reported in the news that the great soul singer Aretha Franklin has died, so today the ARChive presents in the window Aretha’s Gold—14 of her best tracks that she recorded for Atlantic Records between 1967 and 1969—the tracks… read more >>

Today is Wednesday, and…

… that means it’s Hawaiian Shirt Day here at the ARC!  Once a week we’re forced to don colorful garb, lunch on exotic grub and catalog tropical discs in our little grass shack on the isle o’ Manhata.  Enjoy the shirts from… read more >>

A-WAY OUT WEST

Some musical notes from Utah as I hiked, climbed and sweated (who knew chocolate melts at 106º ?) in the great outdoors in search of new sounds to add to the ARC.  First off the above.  This is a 1984 hardcore EP… read more >>

Sorting Records In The Twilight Zone…

So I’m sorting and re-boxing about 16 pallets of 78rpm discs, LPs, CDs and 45s that have been donated to us and the Internet Archive out in the San Francisco warehouse.  Looks like this: Quite unexpectedly a car pulls up and all… read more >>

Happy 4th! and Hello to the Newbies

I’m off for San Francisco, but leaving a pile of patriotic cupcakes for all the great new batch of interns that are hard at work as we enter the second half of the season (baseball talk).  Pictured above is: Brendan, a recent… read more >>

Happy Satchmo Day!

For many years, Louis Armstrong claimed to have been born on the Fourth of July in the year 1900. Because of that, the Fourth of July has been a time to celebrate the great jazz trumpet player by playing his records. Satchmo,… read more >>

Plenty of NEW ARRIVALS and Rainy Day CUREs

Here we are.  The FINAL two days of ARC’s Sizzlin’ Summer Sale.  Above a glimpse of all the new LPs we’ve put out today.  And if it rains?  We’ve got the CURE.  And if you’re WORLDLY… Sale NOW  til Sunday June 24… read more >>

Midsummer Means Scandinavian Music Week is One Year Away!

As you may know every two years ARC focuses on a region or genre of music and pulls together hundreds or essays, performances, articles, blogs and recordings highlighting the culture and music of our chosen topic.  Last year it was Cuba, before… read more >>

NEW @ ARC Summer Sale

Everyday ARC adds new things to sell at our Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD Sale – such as hundreds of African CDs donated by Sterns Records in London and these tasty vinyl items above, in really beautiful condition.  If you’ve dropped by… read more >>

World Cup + World Music + Pop + ARC

ARC has just been donated this SUPER CD of African music that is the perfect Father’s Day gift for those football crazy Euro-dads + old fashioned American Dad soccer fans.  Features Youssou N’Dour, Super Diamono de Dakar, Sam Fan Thomas, Papa Wemba,… read more >>

Out of the Vaults – Music Magazines

For the first time ARC is featuring a vast quantity of music magazines at our Sale that we have recently unearthed from down in the vaults.  Not only the expected tons of Rolling Stone, but a vast offering of off-beat and punk… read more >>

Cupcakes GONE – Plenty of Records still here!

A big thanks to all the ARC members who JOINED ARC and shopped at our opening Party.  They were treated to some tasty vinyl and suspect (but beautiful) cupcakes. Not to worry there are tons of 45s yet to consume.  Here’s a… read more >>

Beggars Arkive is here

Of course, you’re ALL dropping by for our Sizzlin’ Summer Sale starting this Saturday (June 9), but we wanted to let you know about our generous Sale sponsor, Beggars Arkive.  The Beggars Group has been a thriving label for over forty years… read more >>

Sortin’ Singles @ Sizzlin’ Sale Startin’ Saturday

Yes, that’s our all-Irish intern team, Brendan + Sophie, sorting the many hundreds of 45s we’ll be offering for the first time at ARC’s Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD Sale.  Lots of rarities as always, including a nice group of British Invasion,… read more >>

Wassup on Hawaiian Shirt Day?

Well it’s Wednesday here at the ARC, and that means it’s Hawaiian Shirt Day.  And that reminded us that there will be a big pile of Hawaiian LPs offered at our Sizzlin’ Summer Sale this year.  In fact there will be a… read more >>

(B.) George ( goin’ 2) Washington Crosses the Delaware

Well yesterday, driving through driving rains, we picked up a swell modern Jazz collection in Delaware. This group of about 1,000 LPs was generously donated by Brad Pires.  The recordings were collected by Brad and his father over the years, and Brad… read more >>

Blind Boy Grunt @ our Summer Sale!

Join us in about a month when ARC becomes the largest record store in New York! WHAT: ARC Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD Sale WHEN: Sat June 9 – Sun June 24 • everyday 11 am – 6 pm WHERE:   54 White… read more >>

ARC’s Summer Sale Is Going To Swing!

It is May at the ARC and spring is in the air. Also in the air is the excitement that comes with another Archive of Contemporary Music Record and CD Sale! Yes, sirs and ma’ms, the big Summer Sale is right around… read more >>

70s Jazz Discographies

A very nice little donation came in today – about 1800 items.  Now we thought they were all Big Band and Jazz LPs, but there were also boxes of CDs, 78s, cassettes and discographies.  So here’s a sample of these 1970s era,… read more >>

Stormy Monday Blues

Forgive our posting the obvious, but the torrential rain today, AND the appearance of Stormy Daniels at the courthouse a few blocks away here in Lower Manhattan, leave us no other choice.   Here’s a few (hundred) of the recordings (artists + songs)… read more >>

Finkelstein-Ranz Recorded Music Collection

Last week we picked up a great folk, bluegrass and political collection in Sheepshead Bay – more than 800 LPs collected and curated by Henry Finkelstein.  Henry is a retired Civil Servant who lovingly described favorite cuts off of his favorite LPs… read more >>

Almost Round Robert Johnson

It is a hope of the ARChive of the Contemporary Music to some day find an actual 78 RPM record of the great blues singer Robert Johnson among a pile of 78s that get donated to us. The possibility of this ever… read more >>

March Music

It’s March—time for some March Music!! Here we have in the ARChive window an excellent example of March Music, as performed by the St. Joseph’s Junior Fife & Drum Corps on the LP Fife & Drum March Music (Major Records LP-1007; no… read more >>

WVON = “The Voice of the Negro”

Well It’s Black History Month and maybe you missed the story on the LP we have on display in our front window on White Street.  So here it is … Fred Schneider, lead singer and driving force behind The B-52’s rock band,… read more >>

Sharks!

The Pres. says that his greatest fear is, “sharks.” Well, maybe it was Stormy Daniels’ pillow talk.  What we do know is that just after saying he hoped “all the sharks die.” marine life conservation groups reported that donations to preserve sharks… read more >>

Be a Good Guy!

Fred Schneider, lead singer and driving force behind The B-52’s rock band, is a good guy. Every year he donates hundreds of LPs, 45s, CDs and other stuff to the ARChive of Contemporary Music. To illustrate this fact, in the window is… read more >>

In the 18’s it’s the 80s again…

While sorting through a few thousand Brit tabloids (NME, Sounds, Melody Maker, Hot Press, Disc) from the 1980s, and hoping the dust wasn’t the cause of my 3 days in bed, I found some of these early video mags and newsletters.  A… read more >>

The New Year is a Piece of Cake?

Well no.  Not exactly.  We have no idea how the hastily passed and completely unvetted new Tax laws will affect donations to ARC.  Funding may diminish, donations of materials may drop off.  We have faith, crossed-fingers and and a few tricks up… read more >>

Looking Forward > Nice Way to End the Year!

Hi! As we plan our escape from 2017, please consider a donation to the ARChive of Contemporary Music.  We are not as essential as world peace or feeding the hungry, but we believe our work of preservation has great cultural value. In…

Merry Everything!

Here’s a disc from out of the ARC vaults, that somehow reflects the the times we live in or maybe a long forgotten past. Now we are not political, nor religious, but I can tell you one thing – THIS RECORD SMELLS!… read more >>

Final Days of ARC’s Holiday Sale!

This is it.  Last weekend.  Where else can you find a skippin’ Hitler next to a prayin’ Madonna?  We’re putting new things out daily.  So come on down and support the ARC.   There are still some rare and wonderful World Music albums… read more >>

Interns Earn Their Stripes?

Sure we’re corny.  But interns Tony and Kathryn looks pretty sharp today as they catalogued CDs back-to-back, looking for extra copies to sell at our Holiday Sale here at ARC! Speaking of corny – Here a pic of some of the Christmas… read more >>

Chilly? Warm Up To Our Prices!

Above snap of all the $1 CDs STILL left at our Holiday Sale.  Sooooo….. until the end of the Sale, on Dec 17th, everyday, ALL of our $1 CDs are two for a dollar!  That includes the tons of Classical and Latin… read more >>

The ARC Sale THIS Weekend!

Lots of really good LPs for even better prices at the ARC Holiday Sale and we put new things out daily.  Still TONS of CDs also.  Look for extra discounts this Sunday. And don’t forget we have amazing 1960s Rock posters from… read more >>

ARC Holiday Record Sale Starts NOW!

Yep, Today, Sat Dec 2, 11am and going to 6pm.  Continues everyday until Sunday, Dec 17.  What better gift than music?  What better place to shop?  Cheaper than downloading.  Cheaper than online auctions. Great stuff at great prices, all in support of… read more >>

ARC Holiday Sale THIS Saturday

The above photo shows shopping frenzy by ARC members at last nights Holiday Party.  ARC members are those generous individuals who actively support the ARC with annual donations. But today, Friday, we’re goin’ nuts restocking with great new items for the general… read more >>

Give + Go

As we all know, saving recordings is not as important as saving people, or at least doing all we can to make things better.  So this Giving Tuesday, give to a charity that helps people get by.  THEN, if you can, support… read more >>

Too Many Turkeys These Days…

Ah, those were the days.  Poor James Brown.  Harassed, humiliated, ashamed – practically undressed by those fan’s eyes.  “Please, Please, Please” a thing of the past.  But he’s smiling through it all.  So forget those turkeys in DC and on TV.  Even… read more >>

This record belonged…

Well you may not be able to read it, but this is what it’s all about.  The donor of a large collection wrote, in meticulous detail, at the bottom of each LP back sleeve, a little about each record he owned,  like,… read more >>

Sortin’ 45s

That’s Seth + Ari sortin’ 45s, getting ready for ARC’s Holiday Record + CD Sale.  But there’s so much more at this year’s sale than those hundreds of singles – you’ll find tons of LPs and thousands of CDs – most for… read more >>

Our Holiday Sale is a Month Away!

Hope you like our invite taken from bits of Jim Flora covers.  More importantly, hope you like us enough to join the ARC.  If you join you get first dibs on all the records for sale AND food and drink.  This year’s… read more >>

Angel Pavement

I park my car on the pier at the end of Houston St.  I live on Chambers St.  This is the route that the truck took that mowed down the bicyclists and strollers in Manhattan, yesterday at about 3pm.  I walk this… read more >>

Happy Scary!

About the only thing scary around here these days is all the NEW discs being donated to the ARC.  Pics later this week – like 35,000 CDs just dropped.  And YES we’re gearing up for the ARC Holiday Sale (DEC 2-17). But… read more >>

Fats Domino: Rest In Peace

Today the ARChive of Contemporary Music salutes the great Rock’n’Roll singer and pianist from New Orleans Fats Domino, who has just passed away. In our window is one of his albums, Million Sellers by Fats. Fats did, indeed, sell millions and millions… read more >>

It’s All About The 78s

Fred and I are just back from San Fran where we helped celebrate the Internet Archive’s Anniversary, this year titled, “the 20th Century Time Machine.”   Good Centurions all ARC hauled hundreds of discs, turned heaps into rows out at the warehouse, and… read more >>

Newbies!

This is a pic of the forearm of Johnny Maguire honoring the boys from Sun Studios.  Johnny was a founding member of the Rhode Island based Rockabilly outfit, The Amazing Royal Crowns.  It’s resting on two psych record totes – a matching… read more >>

Denmark Final Day

Began the day early at DOKK1 , the gigantic fantastic library in Aarhus, above.  Hey, they even have whitelined parking slots for baby carriages and strollers, inside, like at a supermarket lot!  The library itself was packed, as much a social center… read more >>

Denmark DAY 3 København + Roskilde

Began the day in København at Denmark’s National Radio Station, DR. Their collection is probably the best in the country – they even had 3 copies of ‘O’Superman’ released on my old One Ten Records label. But alas, like all radio stations,… read more >>

Denmark + Roskilde Day 2

Well the Fall has finally arrived here in Denmark.  After a few warm days the chill has come, and what better way to spend the Fall than to curl up alongside the fireplace and enter The Wonderful and Frightening World Of… EMBROIDERY. … read more >>

Copenhagen Day 1

Just off the plane and went with old pal, radio host and guitarist Morten Alfred Høirup for a six hour walk throughout the city.  Sure we inspected the hash dealers in the independent kingdom of Christiania, learned that amber from Copenhagen is… read more >>

Cha Cha Into Autumn!

Summer is over, so here at the ARChive of Contemporary Music we have decided to heat up the cooling autumnal months with some hot Cha Cha records in the front window! Cha Cha (technically, Cha-Cha-Cha) music is, for all intents and purposes,… read more >>

How nice…

Well just about the same time that someone donated a set of record coasters, another person dropped off a Coaster’s record.  Another nice thing is that there are now 160 images of musicians wearing space helmets on our space gallery page. There’s… read more >>

Speed Demon?

Well the latest polls show that the Pres. has dropped in popular approval from around 45% to 33%.  Politics aside, “Pop”, “33” and “45” sure makes us think about those lil’ spinnin’ things we preserve here at ARC. Well you can’t think… read more >>

Hurry Sundown

The ARChive’s “In the Window” feature is not always about music. Sometimes it can be about the packaging of the music—the cover. Such is the case at hand, with the cover of the soundtrack to the film Hurry Sundown. Otto Preminger, whose… read more >>

Early Printed 78 UK Sleeves

ARC recently processed a trove of 78rpm discs with heavy printed cardboard sleeves from the UK, part of our work with partners @ the Internet Archive. While we’re not experts on 78s, we have handled 100’s of thousands and we’ve not seen… read more >>

Finally a Day Off!

It’s the 4th and we’re celebrating out here in San Francisco where we just finished repacking and sorting the legendary KUSF archive – 22 pallets full, maybe 60,000 (whose counting?) discs.  This collection was accessed in 2012 by our partners the Internet… read more >>

A new Adopt-a-Record

We’ve recently added a few discs to our ‘adopted’ collection by Gwen Sciora (aka Verlaine Hell).  Gwen is “on the Air” on WUSB 90.1fm – that’s a station in Stony Brook, NY.  Gwen came down recently to pose with two album from… read more >>

Something Cool for the Summer.

After a winter and spring of complaining about the cold weather, summer is here once again—no one seems to be able to stop it, or the hot weather that comes with it. The ARChive of Contemporary Music has decided to offer something… read more >>

A BIG Kiss…

A big Kiss to all of our friends who stopped by for our Summer Record Sale the past few weeks.  Our sales help us prune the collection, and are great fun.  Our next Sale begins Dec 9th.   And just what are we… read more >>

FINAL WEEKEND + SUNDAY FARTHER”S DAY SPECIALS

Come on down for the FINAL WEEKEND of our SALE Sunday, Father’s Day, it’s 10% off any purchase $10 or over Also all $1 items are 2 for $1 (or $1 each – hey we’re trying to get rid of these things!)… read more >>

People are Shopping from Tasmania!

Today we sold this record off our wall to someone who saw it on ARC’s site while lounging in Moina, Tasmania.  That’s in Australia, Mate.  Look, all YOU have to do is come down to lower Manhattan!  So I hope you do… read more >>

Plenty of Great Records Still here!

So do drop by for our : Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD Sale June  3 -18, 2017 NEW extended weekday hours 11am -7pm   •   Open weekends 11am-6pm @ ARC Headquarters located at 54 White Street, Tribeca, NYC Cheaper than downloading! Most discs… read more >>

Free Stuff @ ARC Sale 4 Archives Day

Well it’s International Archives Day, not that everyday isn’t International Archives Day around these parts.  But we are celebrating here at the ARC by giving away, for free, all 8-tracks and cassettes at our Summer Sale.  These are extra copies, and what… read more >>

ARC Sale New Hours 11-7 Weekdays!

Here’s a pic of happy shoppers over the weekend.  But that’s so yesterday!  Now we’re open every weekday, 11am – 7pm for those seeking after-work fun.  So drop by and buy and give the ARC a hand by taking some of this… read more >>

ARC Sizzlin’ Sale Starts Tomorrow!

Do have a look at this section of the Great Wall of Groovy Discs and come by tomorrow for the ARC’s Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD Sale June  3 -18, 2017 Open weekends 11am-6pm • NEW extended weekday hours 11am -7pm @… read more >>

Tangos Are Us – starting Saturday

One remarkable group of recent donations includes a wonderful stash of Latin recordings from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.  And a lot of these are extra copies that we will be offering at our sale this weekend, all… read more >>

Holiday OVER and the Fun Begins!

Hope everyone had a great few days off, and now it’s back to the real fun –  The ARC’s very Cool Summer Record + CD Sale to heat up the official start of summer!  Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD Sale: June  3… read more >>

Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD Sale: June  3 -18, 2017 @ ARC Headquarters located at 54 White Street, Tribeca, NYC The MOST African and Latin and World records we’ve EVER offered, so shop early and often!  Open weekends 11am-6pm • NEW extended… read more >>

Almost Here – Another Incredible ARC Record Sale!

Sizzlin’ Summer Record + CD Sale: June  3 -18, 2017 @ ARC Headquarters located at 54 White Street, Tribeca, NYC • Open weekends 11am-6pm • NEW extended weekday hours 11am -7pm so you can shop after work!  •  Free admission  •  This… read more >>

Deep in the Heart of…

A Texas Tornado of activity last week as the Internet Archive and ARC introduced the Great78project at the 51st Annual ARSC (Association for Recorded Sound Collections) Conference (May 10-13) in San Antonio.   Our talk was entitled MASS DIGITIZATION OF 78RPM RECORDS WITH… read more >>

HOT NEWS + The great78project + ARC SALE

RECENT ARC PRESS   • Latest article on ARC, the Internet Archive and our great78project- saving the 78s in Atlas Obscura by Kelsey Kennedy, 5.4.17   • Interview for Variety, April 25, 2017 by Roy Trakin, on Eight Ways to Get Rid of Your CD… read more >>

Getting In the Pink

Soooooooo much happening here at ARC these days, thought we’d fill you in. Well we’ve never seen a pink 45 insert, but now we have. This from a great new collection of more than 8,000 recordings from South America, the David Chomowicz… read more >>

Freaky Friday

Yes, It’s a freaky good times today as our pal and long-time ARC Board member Nile Rodgers is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Just wanted to share a few images from a few of the things Nile has… read more >>

Long Live Chuck Berry!

On Saturday March 18, Chuck Berry died of natural causes at his home near Wentzville, Missouri—a town west of St. Louis. If you have to ask, “Who’s Chuck Berry?” then I suggest you get back into your space ship and return to… read more >>

Bluegrass in the house!

A few weeks ago, a fellow named John Prael contacted the ARChive about donating his record collection. He said it consisted mostly of bluegrass and country records. He was able to deliver the records to us here on White Street on Monday,… read more >>

Repeal + Replace…

Did I praise Spring in the last blog?  Well, snowstorm today, a Nor’easter Tuesday?  Regardless, we’re doing some spring cleaning in these-here parts, and wanted to re-visit some recent discoveries we’ve unearthed.  We term our endless comparing of existing recordings in the… read more >>

Spring A Head…

   As we’ve been going through thousands of 78s to begin digitizing them with our partners at the Internet Archive, we’ve notice many odd little things.  Our favorite little thing is the little floating heads at the top of these old labels. … read more >>

Love’s A Gas!

As we end the month of Feb. and all the love stuff we’ve been posting on Instagram, #ARCnyc we’re gearing up for a few new things coming your way.  After all Spring is in the air and that means hula-hoops and whoop-de-doos…. read more >>

Not All You Need..

…but LOVE helps!  And there’s plenty more LOVE on our Instagram thing, #ARCnyc

Talkin’ “Craps”

This Thursday ARSC will present a talk on the early recordings of Richard Pryor’s comedy LPs on Laff Records.  Sounds like fun.  Here’s the details for any and all in the NYC area.  Dan Blazek presents Richard Pryor’s Laff Recordings.  7:00 P…. read more >>

Million Dollar Twang

On January 20, the Million Dollar Man will move into the White House. Here at the ARChive, we have our own idea of what is worth a million dollars: Twang! We’ve got $1,000,000 Worth of Twang, a compilation of Duane Eddy’s biggest… read more >>

Happy + Relaxed + Ready for 2017!

Happy Everything as we wind down 2016 and prep for 2017!  Look for our first new posts in the coming year  highlighting all we’ve done lately – Big things like collecting more than a quarter million seventy-eights and smaller things like finding… read more >>

Mr. Santa’s Boogie!!

’Tis the season to be jolly, and all that, here at the ARChive. We’ve just completed another successful Holiday Sale and soon we will be off for a bit. So we thought we would put something in the window that is appropriate… read more >>

ARC’s Holiday Record + CD Sale is OVER!!! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME BY AND SHOPPED AND MADE THE SALE A SUCCESS. NEXT SALE, BY THE WAY, IS   –  JUNE 3-18, 2017 ALL ARC MEMBERS CAN HELP US CLEAN HOUSE THIS TUESDAY,… read more >>

The End Days are HERE!

No, we’re not talkin’ bout the new administration, or some other Apocalypse, but the final two days of ARC’s Holiday Record + CD Sale This Sat + Sun, Dec 17 +18, 11am-6pm Still plenty of bargains to be had, like these above… read more >>

Yet Another Reason for the Sale!

You know, the Holiday sale is not just for getting rid of extra copies, it’s a clarion call for MORE. Responding to that call was ol’ pal Ben Young who dropped off ten cartons of record and distribution company catalogs accumulated over… read more >>

More Jazz + More…

Here’s another batch of great Jazz LPs we’ll be offering at our Holiday Sale STARTING NEXT WEEKEND.  So do drop by.  I am sorting and pricing this weekend and also found lots of amazing reggae, Brazilian, modern classical and experimental music to… read more >>

Why We Do the Things We Do…

While dodging the hoards of Whole Foods workers delivering $80 turkeys to the 1% in Tribeca this AM I saw this in the trash.  Marriage breakup?  Death?  Eviction?  Space problems?  New beginnings?   Whatever the reason a portion of history, albeit personal, was… read more >>

Jazz Me, Baby…

It’s sale time again and ARC has an unprecedented group of Jazz LPs for sale at this years Holiday Record + CD Sale!  Sure we have all styles of great music, but Jazz is really strong this year.  You can see a… read more >>

Clean your closets! …please.

ARC’s Holiday  Record + CD Sale Well, it’s sale time again and we need your help.  This year we have tons of nice jazz LP – really beautiful stuff.  Not to mention the World Music CDs – the best we’ve ever had… read more >>

Decor d’Audio

Before a recording was marketed by eye candy designed to appeal to your audio sweet tooth, 78rpm singles were housed is generic sleeves touting the record label, not the artist.  But people, the great wild-card in any scheme, felt the need to… read more >>

Scary how many records

The above is one of the recently donated 80,000 seventy eights – yet another scary collection! You can read a bit about our work with all this frighting material and Fred’s great DJing gig a-way out West where we packed up the… read more >>

Fan-tastic, Fan-tabulous, Fan-delicious…

Loving an artist enough to build your world around them is not a new idea. Even those Roman’s knew how to cheer with a little Latin “fanaticus” meaning ‘inspired by god,’ So while we knew you could swoon for Sinatra, be bitten… read more >>

ARC HOLIDAY SALE – just around the corner

Yes, records are the stuff that dreams are made of.  OK, maybe a few nightmares too.  But if you love to cuddle up to some great music, at great prices AND support the ARC in our 31st year, do drop by for… read more >>

We Preserve Insect Parts!

Today The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts announced they would launch a Hip Hop Collection.  Congrats.  Well we LOVE this great library, so to honor their being 39 years behind the times, and 31 years after we started collecting… read more >>

Prince Buster

Last Thursday, September 8th, saw the passing of Prince Buster (real name Cecil Bustamente Campbell), one of the most influential figures in ska and rocksteady music. Starting in the early 1960s, when sound system DJs began recording their own, distinctively Jamaican music,… read more >>

The Next President

The best thing about presidential elections is the humor that they invoke. At this time, we at the ARChive feel a need to remind folks of one of the pioneers of political humor: Mort Sahl. Mort Sahl was one of the first,… read more >>

Lazy Days + Kid Plays

Slowin’ down here as we approach the Holidays, and thought the most we could muster was a nice pic of a pallet-full of mostly early 10″ children’s records that have recently arrived here at the ranch.  So what are we doing for… read more >>

Crown Heights

On this 25th anniversary (not the best term) of the violence and riot in Crown Heights I want to show two 78rpm recordings donated recently here at the ARC.  Why?  Well I was on Utica Avenue the morning of August 19, 1991,… read more >>

Bridging the Gap

If you’ve been following Alex’s excellent Instagram posts, you know that last month we focused on flexidiscs and paper recordings, and in August we are exploring the outer reaches of space from inside a space helmet. Well, lo and behold, we came… read more >>

Instagram: Space Helmets

! We’re changing up the theme for our Instagram account every month, and for August the theme is Space Helmets. Here at the ARC we have countless recordings with outer space related artwork, and these are a few of our favorite covers… read more >>

Goon bones + Oysters

B. here. In San Fran. Goin’ through tens of thousands of 78s in our collection, stored a-way out West in partnership with the Internet Archive, and these caught my eye. Old as the hills, buried in the dirt, throughout history bones made… read more >>

Paper or Plastic?

  Have you checked out the ARChive’s Instagram (username: arcnyc) lately? This month we are highlighting some of the interesting paper and plastic flexi discs in our collection. These are phonograph records pressed into very thin plastic or plastic coated paper. Popular… read more >>

Hills + Heels

Hills + Heels.  That’s what they got here in San Francisco, and as you can see from these LP covers from our collection out here.  I’m going through boxes and boxes of LPs and 78s for the next few weeks.  Speaking of… read more >>

Bobby Rydell Delivers That Old Black Magic!

For the last dozen or so years, I have been asked to DJ at least one night at the Lincoln Center’s excellent Midsummer Night Swing series of outdoor events. Each event consists of a DJ, a dance instructor to teach the proper… read more >>

Red, White and the Blues

This Indi Day I found a few very nice blues LPs at a flea market upstate. Above; here I am shopping in my usual 4th outfit.  Below; some records I found. Like all good Americans I also watched the latest Independence Day… read more >>

Polka Patriots

A tip-o-the-tricornered-cap to Rachel Austin Shapiro who donated a box of Holiday Happiness to light up our 4th!  These LPs were mostly polkas, mostly Patriotic PA based bands, all on independent labels – just perfect for celebrating our Independence Day.  And who… read more >>

But It’s All Over Now…

Well, the walls are nearly empty as dealers start buying up all the left-overs from ARC’s Sizzlin Summer Record + CD Sale!  We’ve got buyers from Lebanon, Brazil and even far-flung Jersey City.  You may not know it but we clear out… read more >>

Some Disks that made a Brexit!

As England swings to the right, we’ve still got a few British pop record left at the ARC’s Sizzlin Summer Record + CD Sale!  So come on down and support America’s largest (and best) popular music archive.  Only a few days left… read more >>

45s + forty-fives = singles

Pa-lenty of very nice 45s available at the ARC’s Sizzlin Summer Record + CD Sale!  Thousands in fact – punk, country and good ol’ rock n’ roll – all at great prices.  So do drop by, the sale going on now and… read more >>

Moon, June, Swoon…Moog

It’s the Summer Solstice, and uniquely (every 70 years) it’s also a full moon, AND a Strawberry Moon (corresponding to the berry harvest).  So while we sold our Prince’s Strawberry Beret single right off, and The Longest Day LP is pretty rare,… read more >>

ARC’s Worldly Sale continues…

Do drop by this week as ARC’s Sizzlin Summer Record + CD Sale rolls on!   Come by anytime during our sale…   Sat June 11- Sun June 26   everyday 11-6   54 white st, tribeca Above is a shot of some of the hundreds… read more >>

Sure it’s clever to sell that Tripod Jimmie record with a dog on the cover next to a Skinny Puppy LP, but what’s really cool is this Ray Charles over-the-top box set! Pure Genius: Complete Atlantic Recordings 1952-1959 is in a faux… read more >>

Still shoppin’

Sunday morning, and like all New Yorkers, these nice folks came to shop at the ARC’s Sizzlin Summer Record + CD Sale right after church!   You can join them or come by anytime during our sale…   Sat June 11- Sun June 26  … read more >>

ZEP + ZAP!

Yes, Rounding out the alphabet, and front-and-center at our checkout counter, you can catch some “Z’s” today – OPENING DAY – of the ARC’s Sizzlin Summer Record + CD Sale. Sat June 11- Sun June 26 everyday 11-6 54 white st, tribeca… read more >>

Sale Starts Sat

Here’s a pic from the Member’s Party last night, and now we’re restocking for the opening for the general public.  Lots of new stuff that members donated, so DO NOT THINK that the best things are gone!  Paaa-lenty of great 45s, jazz… read more >>

Hawaii + why we….

As you may know yesterday was Wednesday, and  Wednesdays are Hawaiian Shirt Day here at the ARC, a long standing tradition for the past 60 or so years.  And this Weds was no exception, and Alex and Fred and B donned some… read more >>

Warhol Art Sale in Tribeca

Andy Warhol was one of America’s great artists—of this there is no dispute. During his early years, he designed some album covers for mostly jazz artists. There’s a cool Count Basie one and several that he did for Blue Note Records. The… read more >>

AutoCubano

Back at work @ ARC weds, now focusing on our Record Sale. June 11-26.  On our final night in Havana we had one of  our best meals of the trip (onionskin-thin swordfish carpaccio) at Mediterraneo Havana Restaurant.  Then a few jazz clubs,… read more >>

Flamenco in Cuba

Kind of a lost day here in Havana as the lunch place we were going to had closed it’s dining room, the rumba place was crowded beyond belief, the temp hit 90+, and shows scheduled for 5pm were now to begin at… read more >>

Jazz + Rap Yesterday

Saturday night we passed on the big show and Cubadiscos awards for a more intimate event at the lovely Teatro Marti. The space is small with luxurious seating and lacy filigree ironwork reminiscent of New Orleans. The concert was lacy also, as… read more >>

Mantanzas

Today was a daytrip seventy-seven miles outside of Havana to Mantanzas.  We stopped at the beach along the way of course, but the real reason for the trip was a performance by Los Muñequitos de Matanzas.  This folkloric dance, chorus and percussion… read more >>

Havana Notes

Sometimes you need to get folks to pay attention.  And in old Havana, where the exquisite decay is compelling, a little 3d floor eatery, above, decorated their stairclimb in a way that got my attention. Not exactly archival.  Then again a joy… read more >>

Why go to Cuba

Because the only thing someone needs on the plane is a guitar and the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Because at the end of a meal at San Crystobal you are offered a cigar from a boutique grower, from their vintage… read more >>

Concert last night – Cuba Music Week

No sleep, loading in, and finally the launch of Cuba Music Week.  Nap and then off for my first concert, Mambo Memories, Reliving the Palladium Era at the Hostos Center in the Bronx.  If you don’t live in New York City let… read more >>

Cuba Music Week starts tomorrow!

Well after a year of planning, some of which panned out, Cuba Music Week is here.  The soft launch version is @ www.cubamusicweek.org, with a lnks and data complete version avail SATURDAY, MAY 14.  So there is a list of all that’s… read more >>

Random notes

We’re busy getting ready to launch our Cuba Music Week website – next Monday we hope –  and so some recent thoughts on recent happenings here @ ARC. I came across this quote recently from a paper by Columbia professor Gustavo Pérez… read more >>

You say you want a revolution

Well it’s MayDay, and we’re going to Cuba, so I thought this just might be a good time to show you this! This a facsimile of a very popular comicbook /save-them-all sticker book celebrating the Cuban revolution. It has 32 pages with… read more >>

More Past, but NOW + Peelie

As a sort of an adjunct to Tuesday’s O Superman graphs in the Guardian, I will be part of a discussion about John Peel – the man and his music, as they say – at NYU this Monday eve, April 25. This… read more >>

O’ the past, man…

There’s a nice snippet in today’s Guardian UK about my old record label’s release of ‘O Superman’ by Laurie Anderson.  Like all reporting some minor misunderstandings, and like all memories some facts, like worn carpets, get a bit fuzzy.  Read ‘How we… read more >>

Pay the Piper

Sorting thousands of ten-inch recordings in San Francisco, an extension of the ARC in NYC, so naturally I applied for a tax extension, and turned up these two timely tunes… Yes, that’s Mr. McVouty himself topping the page, using his given first… read more >>

For the Record

As I was at the car rental counter in San Fran, a crack in the corporate infrastructure allowed a peek into the internal workings at Enterprise. Seems they celebrate all their sales ‘records’ and goals by scribbling stats on actual records. Cute…. read more >>

Leon and Merle: Rest in Peace

This week the ARChive salutes two fallen heroes: Leon Haywood and Merle Haggard. Each died within a day of each other, Mr. Haywood on the 6th and Mr. Haggard on the 7th of April (his 79th birthday). So in the window we… read more >>

Tattoo You!

Just back from Miami and Havana, as I’ve been working on Cuba Music Week (May 14-22) and was invited to see the Stones in Cuba.   OK, they’re old, but hey, I saw James Brown bounce when he shoulda been in a rocker,… read more >>

A little bit about Havana

In Havana and not far from home at the Central Park Hotel. Only here they use creative spelling, not doubt something to do with Spanish, and call it the Parque Central Hotel. So far a trip with the usual ups and downs,:… read more >>

“Gotta Get Away” and “Dancing in the Light”

Well, like my bud the Pres., Havana is where I’m at.  Sadly I’ll miss the ball game as I gear up for the Rolling Stones’ concert. As Cuban aficionado Ned Sublett points out, an added on-stage treat will be Entrevoces performing “You… read more >>

American 3.14…

OK, let’s tie together National Pi Day and the National elections in our own, odd little vinyl way.  Today is Pi Day, 3.14 etc…, another fabulous fake holiday that sells more eatin’ pie than math scholarships.  But back in the 1970s there… read more >>

George Martin

George Martin has died at 90.  Leave it to experts to offer proper tributes to the exemplary work that he did, and the wonderful legacy he has left us. Searching our shelves, here’s one of the three odd little and lesser known… read more >>

They’ve Got Their Head In The Clouds

Scott Kelly’s back on Terra Firma, but that’s no reason for ARC to come back to earth.   So here’s a new batch of musicians who thought it was a really good idea to put on a space helmet, and THEN put… read more >>

Coolidge, Obama, Miguelito + YOU?

Coolidge went to Havana, Obama has that tropical trip on his agenda – so how about you?  We’ve got two slots left for our Music Tour of Cuba, May 17-24.  We promise to treat you like a king, uh, I mean, like… read more >>