Tower Records (Downtown)
692 Broadway
NYC, NY
(212) 505-1500
Tower Records is the default of record stores downtown, for Gothlings, for Gearheads... for everybody. It covers the mainstream, but for some reason "mainstream" is defined by Greenwich Village standards. On a good day you'll find a smattering of not-entirely-obscure treats along the vein of dark music. Swans, Foetus, Death in June, Negativland, Skinny Puppy, Leatherstrip and Coil CDs are stored along with the mindless pop and indigestable rap; a peculiar blend.
Medieval-ly focused folk will relish the classical section upstairs. It's enormous, and if you are looking for a particular medieval or classical piece, chances are you'll find five or six different recordings, at least one of them recorded DDD digital.
Of course, if one is looking for obscurities, one merely needs to visit Other Music, which is right across the street.Commentary by Clifford H. Low, Thursday, November 20, 1997.