Documentary “Other Music” is a Love Letter to Record Stores

Nestled in the heart of Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, Other Music Record Store was a haven for weird, experimental and alternative music fans. 

“When [Other Music] announced they were closing, we saw people coming in crying.” — Puloma Basu, filmmaker

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the New York City-based destination, was the pulsating hub for crate diggers and community connections. It became a breaking ground for some of the biggest independent acts like The National, Vampire Weekend, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Magnetic Fields and more.

So, when news broke in the summer of 2016 that the communal hub would be closing its doors, it was a huge loss for independent music. 

Click on the player above to hear filmmaker Puloma Basu on the legacy of Other Music Record Store.

In the new documentary, Other Music by filmmakers Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller, the pair not only created a story that celebrates the cultural landmark, but also a visual love letter illustrating the power of spaces like record stores for artists and fans.

“When [Other Music] announced they were closing, we saw people coming in crying. There were news crews,” remembers Basu. “It became really apparent to us that they weren’t going to go quietly. People were just heartbroken and the reason for that is because it was a community space more than anything.”   

At the heart of ‘Other Music’ is a universal theme that identified with Josh Gardner, co-owner of The Film Lab in Hamtramck, who will be hosting a virtual screening of the film on Thursday on the lab’s website.

“The themes of this community space where people can go to discuss art and discover new things really resonated with me,” Gardner says. “The Film Lab has such an immense community and I can’t imagine after 20 years, the feeling and what you’re able to build. We are committed to being a space like this for the future. The movie is really universal in its storytelling about people who are just passionate about, in this case music, but whatever you may be passionate about.”

Basu hopes the documentary inspires people to think about places that mean something to us and ways to “continue support for independent spaces where people can come together to share passions.”