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divdiv class=postBody txtWrap section=txt readability=44div class=cnet-image-div image-LARGE2 float-none readability=2img class=cnet-image src=http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/11/29/_DSC1057_610x369.jpg alt= width=610 height=369/p class=image-captionA view from above, at Rough Trade NYC./pspan class=image-credit(Credit:Steve Guttenberg/CNET)/span/divpI know, times being what they are for the music business, it seems like a crazy, even contrarian thing to do. But a href=http://www.roughtrade.com/pages/nycRough Trade/a just opened a 15,000-square-foot record store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in New York. The store only sells inew/i CDs and LPs, no used stuff, along with various music-related merch like books and magazines. /ppRough Trade NYC is a big, wide-open, converted warehouse space -- it feels like it's been there for a long, long time. Rough Trade has a similar, but much smaller, shop in London, which opened in 2007, and it's doing fine. Apparently young people are still buying music. /ppThe Brooklyn store had its first day of business on Monday, and I dropped in at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. It didn't look completely finished. There's a good deal of construction still under way. But the staff was friendly and helpful. As I strolled around, the first to grab my attention were the CD listening stations deployed all over the store, and they were equipped with a href=http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/bowers-wilkins-p5/4505-7877_7-34027389.htmlBowers amp; Wilkins P5/a headphones -- that's incredible! Those headphones are a big upgrade over the usual cheap plastic ones you usually see in record stores, and the sound was top notch. /pdiv class=cnet-image-div image-MEDIUM float-right readability=2img class=cnet-image src=http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/11/29/_DSC1073_270x91.jpg alt= width=270 height=91/p class=image-captionRough Trade listening stations, equipped with Bamp;W P5 headphones/pspan class=image-credit(Credit:Steve Guttenberg/CNET)/span/divpMusic also was being played over the store's really decent Bamp;W speakers -- apparently Rough Trade cares about sound quality. There's a cafe, and a performance space that holds 250 people, with a bar and balcony seating. The store has a full schedule of live shows and events in partnership with a href=http://www.roughtradenyc.com/The Bowery Presents/a. There will be free in-store shows and ticketed concerts. One of my favorite 1970s bands, Television, will be there tonight. (It's sold out.) Rocker Nick Lowe will be doing an in-store gig on December 8 at 2 p.m. ET. I'm guessing the live shows will bring in folks who don't buy music, but maybe after they see the treasures lining the shelves, a few music lovers might take the plunge. We'll see. /ppWhile I was there I bought the a href=http://savagesband.com/Savages Silence Yourself/a LP for $17.99, which is $2 less than Amazon gets for the record. The Savages' LP is right up there with the best of 2013. I prefer buying physical music formats, not files, and I say that because I still have LPs I bought as a teenager. Music and books are the only things that can stick around for a lifetime. When I play an LP I bought decades ago, it brings back memories, like where I was when I played it the first time, and associations that go beyond just the music trapped in the grooves. I've met a lot of great people in record stores, and when some stranger I immediately connected with recommended I buy the a href=http://www.penguincafe.com/#releasesPenguin Cafe Orchestra /arecord, I did. That was 30 years ago, and I still listen to that record. If the music is good, you might cherish it forever. What else will you buy that would possibly be relevant 30 years from now?/ppSo I'm hoping Rough Trade's long-shot gamble -- opening a huge record store in my hometown -- pays off. Because if it does, Rough Trade will surely open more stores in other cities, bucking the streaming music/MP3 trend. I'm not dreaming that suddenly everyone is going to get onboard with vinyl or even CDs over the next few years. But even if just 5 percent or 10 percent of music lovers stick with physical formats, those formats will continue to be made. /ppWhat do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section./p/div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center