The web has been encroaching on the role played by the local record shop for a while now. That’s not exactly news. But the shops are responding and adapting. And even NYC, a market where a small music stores can still survive, is no exception.

Many shops are broadcasting music from their stores on internet radio. Thats great for the nocturnal music head who can’t make it before closing time to dig through all the new shit, or simply find it more efficient to do so while riding the iron horse or trooping from place to place. (Like me, for example.)

Some are blogging events and material from their stores, where they provide in-house reviews, which takes “staff picks” to a new level.

And still others have started digital music stores, where you can buy digital files of the music of your choice from wherever you’re at.. But that’s the rarest of steps.

A quick review of some shops in the city that are evolving with the net.
Turntable Lab does it all… except sell digital music. Their web site has staff reviews of most of their music. They have an internet radio show on BrooklynRadio.net. And they have a blog where they post events, mixes, and other irrelevant stuff. Their website even offers super sperm from musical geniuses for demanding mothers!	One of those mixtapes fiends? Halcyon’s website has LOTS of podcasts from their in-house DJ’s, as well as from guests like Diplo. Jason Charles also rocks anything underground or electronic for Halcyon on his internet radio show at East Village Radio, the one time pirate radio station that got shut down by the FCC.
The long time Mecca for backpacking B Boys that is Fat Beats has also been steadily embracing the web. They have a blog, and an internet radio show on East Village Radio where Monster and Bill Sharp flip shit on that underground tip.	Other Music will soon offer a “curated selection” (which is what they consider their storefront) of MP3’s for sale that can be played on any MP3 player and copied as many times as you like. Click here for updates on that. Hopefully, they’ll dead their weird categories, like the In, Out, and Then sections.

While Devotchka - which means female in A Clockwork Orange Ebonics - might hail from Denver, their sounds range from South American to Eastern European. (A reference here to the similarity of Beirut might be appropriate.)
I guess Devotchka flip lots of covers, but the songs below are originals - I think. The two I posted here show how diverse a sound Devotchka offers.

“The winner Is” is an optimistic consideration of life. But it’s not dogmatic in its light heartedness and is honest enough to consider the fact that things are not all that great. The instrumentation, which cycles through an impressive selection of instruments I can’t always identify, seems to be a tale of learning from past experiences. It starts off with plucky strings and high piano keys (and maybe a triangle) over an accordion. After a point, a lower key piano melody with a sad violin are introduced. Once this if finished, the intro theme is recycled, although a bit less sunny than before, inflected with the previous melody’s somberness. But once again, the sad melody is brought back - this time brighter, absorbing some of the mood of the previous melody. And on it goes until it is decided: “Everything is gonna be alright.” As optimists generally do, it opts for an ultimately triumphant, although sober, mood at its climax. “Winner” provides the music for the opening montage of the funny ass movie Little Miss Sunshine. It’s an instrumental version of the song “How it Ends,” replacing those lyrics with added instrumentation to bump up its complexity.
“The Winner Is”	“Enemy Guns”
Its high noon in front of the CBGB’s saloon. That’s my take on this cut, with its guns blazing electric guitar loops, kick drums, and eerie calm before the storm whistled melodies. “Guns” also has a sprinkling of some moody fiddles and exotic drums throughout it, as well as some love damaged vocals presented for us in a variety of languages.

So I’m not sure whats going on here, but everybody’s favorite hipsters, Ratatat, seem to have to become card carrying members of the National Rifle Association. I found the flicks below and began to wonder: are the boys over at Ratatat not the fun loving Billyburgers you once made them out to be? Do they have… a darkside?

Or maybe, since they named one of their songs “Crips” and made a G Unit remix, they’re just honorary gangstas.

On the remix tip: If you were feelin their last batch of rap remixes, be sure to be ready for their next joint, which drops soon.	Ratatat, “Lex” (Mouse on Mars remix), from the Lex 12″
	But with the exception of that G Unit remix, I didn’t like it. So instead, I posted this “Lex” remix. It’s better than the original, sounding like they took a traditional Ratatat song (the electric guitar and keyboard melodies over a hip hop rhythm) and stomped all over it with army boots. The outcome sounds somewhat industrial. Ratatat would like you to buy it here.