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omegaremix · 10 months ago

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Academy (Manhattan), 2022.

I’ve never patronized a business so much in six month’s time. That business was Academy Records / LP’s. I had the urge to buy one single record that was on my mind (Boulders’ Rock And Roll Will Never Die) and pulled the trigger on that plus much more. I found more city-centric records and tapes on its’ other Discogs handle and in the turn of the year made two online purchases with them. For the final day of this past Winter, I took an impromptu visit to Academy’s Brooklyn (Greenpoint) location and bought more of that magic in person. Why? City stores have that specific charm that none of the other local stores on the island have. By that, I mean types of artists and sounds easily found there and nowhere else. Last year’s visit to Williamsburg’s Rough Trade made the best example of it and explains why I spent almost $420.00 there.

I read that they had another location on the lower East side of Manhattan (L.E.S.) which I’ve been meaning to go. After my check-up on Lexington Av., I could not miss the opportunity. I’ve already visited six island stores with four to go, so consider Manhattan’s Academy a ‘bonus round’ - one of two to be exact.

It wasn’t far from Lexington Av. taking the crowded ‘6’ line downtown to East 12th Street. It was a leisurely trek under the canopies, scaffolds and tree, walking past the everyday city life and numerous groups of people standing around waiting for the ride to take them to their next event. Across the street from Academy was the playground hopping with urban youth of all colors shooting hoops and getting loud with one another. Another few feet across the street and here I finally am. What I noticed on the front door before entering was a sign that said “masks required”. Luckily, I saved mine from the clinic.

I walk in and Academy’s Manhattan space isn’t as ratty and dingy as its Brooklyn spot. No crusty carpeting but a concrete floor partially painted blue and walls only in slight decay. There’s shelves and white boxes of stock all along the right side up until the cassette racks. More shelves opposite the entrance and over the small island of wooden crates. Walk past the counter on the left and opposite that was a listening station of two of three working turntables. More shelves and white boxes on each side in the back section of the store before reaching their office. Good news: $1.00 and $3.00 hip-hop / rap, rock, soul, synthpop and new-wave records were all for the taking.

I pick a spot, any spot to start digging. That was their small used-industrial section. Right off the bat I find Test Dept.’s “Machine Run (Compulsion)” e.p., a true metal-on-metal attack and one of my all-time favorite industrial works. I was happy to pay $12.00 for that one. Ω+ followers know that I always make my way to the used-jazz section and they didn’t disappoint there. That copy of Hank Crawford’s Tico Rico, the one with his ‘I-could-care-less’ face on it, was a win. Hubert Laws’ Then There Was Light Pt. 1 on CTI featuring Bob James, Ron Carter, Steve Gadd, Richard Tee, and brother Ronnie Laws was another must-have because of them. And I got my first Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes record Dancing In The Sun. No Onsaya Joy, but that song which still stayed in my head all these years was enough for me to pull the handle on him.

Though Academy wasn’t Riverhead’s Sunday Records, they had a small but great used-synth-pop / new wave section with many shelves of soul sitting next to them. That lead me to their hip-hop / rap bins and $1.00 records, where was never a shortage of obtainable low-cost 12” singles. I found plenty of golden-era scores from Kool Moe Dee, 3rd Bass’ Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Rich, and Spoonie Gee’s Godfather Of Rap ($5.00). A few flips later and I find Original Concept’s Straight From The Basement Of Cooley High for only $1.00. Featuring Yo! MTV Raps’ T-Money and Dr. Dre, it was an essential piece of Long Island history I had to take. I was floored in finding Antexx’ “Understand Me Vanessa (Vanessa Yo)”, a single I remember hearing once on WBLS during my Brentwood era and which absolutely no one talks about. But for $5.00 for four different versions of the same song, did I really need it? Nah. Give Academy more points for having some real old-school artifacts such as some Z-3 MC’s and T.A.P. records.

I still had a thirst for used 7” records so I had to sift through their four-by-four formation right next to the counter; where marked boxes of punk, rock, soul, reggae, oldies, and even French lyricists were fair game. I took some singles from my Atari childhood (read, Eighties hits) and bought some gambles in punk and d-beat. Get this: the Vagra 2016 demo LP that I bought blindly from Academy’s Discogs mail-order? They had their Refuse 7” e.p. in-store. How funny life fucks with you like that. And without even looking for it: Shizuo’s “Sweat” b/w “Stop It”. It’s one of the very few DHR releases I don’t have since I already had those songs. Well, for old time’s sake…

Then I strayed off the beaten path to find another marked box of punk rock and d-beat 45’s under the bins where I scored some self-titled platters in Soaker (because Wharf Cat), the super-CMYK saturated Strutter, and Glam. That one was my first-ever find from the La Vida Es Un Mus label and I am all the happy for it.

I sifted through more LPs both new and used in all categories. That’s where I scored even more major wins. The Men’s Devil Music, one of the few not released on the Sacred Bones label, was mine. Speaking of fantastic New York City labels, there was Institute’s Readjusting The Locks on clear / bourbon swirl vinyl. Why not? And I had to take the biggest hit for one of my favorite artists: an unwrapped copy of Boy Harsher’s Country Girl (Uncut) for $18.00. I won’t complain.

Academy had plenty of used LPs in other categories. They had a section devoted exclusively to the Numero Group. A little to the right was more classic rock LP’s and even further were their Detroit techno, electronic and jungle / drum-and-bass sections. I had a laugh when I found a copy of Give Up’s self-titled e.p. on the Ambush label; the second Shizuo-based release I came across. I do have it in my library since I bought it from The Port Jefferson Music Den during DHR’s heyday.

CD’s? They barely carried any. They had only two columns of it tucked away deep in a corner before their tape section, and that they didn’t disappoint. Though they carried the usual universal duds, they did have some exciting finds in punk and golden-era hip-hop. It was the first time in ages that I bought a cassingle. That was Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz’ “Deja Vu”. In fact, they did have a few dusty cases of them where they were five for a dollar. For $7.00, Who’s The Man (motion picture soundtrack) was a must-grab.

But the real good stuff was kept behind the counter in a glass case. The girl dressed in black denims noticed I was eye-ing them. Of course I was. There were a few that caught my eye. One which was Ata Kak’s Obaa Sima; a personal Summer jam and the very album that kicked off the Awesome Tapes From Africa label. I asked her to get me the price on that, Subhumans UK’s 29:29 Vision,and Health’s Disco4::Part I.

“That’s fifteen, fifteen, and that’s thirty.”

I really wanted Ata Kak so I took it, but passed up on the Subhumans UK tape. And as much as I like Heath, I sure as fuck on a rainbow-winged pegasus on a golden horn won’t pay $30.00 for a blue cassette. To be fair, Academy had a case: Discogs’ sellers priced it at $35.00. Put that back.

She added up my purchase. It was a great $177.00 and two-and-a-half memorable hours spent in the city. I walked out the door and looked across the street to see an empty playground. All the yelling and camaraderie was over for the day. I turned the corner to catch the next ‘L’ and ‘C/E’ line to Penn Station. No rush, no fuss, no danger. I had just enough time to catch the Central Islip train for what would be another hour-and-five-minute ride east home. Do remind me never to board a peak train ever again. For four dollars more, you can play musical chairs competing for cramped seats and be packed like a twist-can of Iberia sardines with almost no leg room.

Kool Moe Dee: “Death Blow” 12”

Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Rich: “Kick The Bobo” 12”

Professor Griff & The Last Asiatic Disciples: “Pawns In The Game” 12”

Kool Moe Dee: “They Want Money” 12”

Queen Latifah: “Ladies First” 12”

Public Enemy: “Give It Up” 12”

Kool Moe Dee: “Wild Wild West” 12”

Heavy D. & The Boys ft. various artists: “Don’t Curse” 12”

Spoonie Gee: Godfather Of Rap LP

Original Concept: Straight From The Basement Of Cooley High LP

The Men: Devil Music LP

Stepdad SS: Mad About It LP