With all of the destruction that has occurred in the Northeast, it is unavoidable to think that the music industry would be spared. Tragically, Sandy has taken a devastating toll on the truly amazing and deep cataloged, Norton Records, whose warehouse in Red Hook was flooded in a violent manner. They are now seeking anyone willing to help them out in this time of need, issuing the following statement:
“Thank you again to all the volunteers who have been helping Norton Records recover the near total destruction of our Brooklyn warehouse at the hands of Hurricane Sandy.We have been able to salvage some stock but the job is incredibly overwhelming. We will need able hands to help with the salvage effort here at Norton HQ in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. This is an indoor job, pulling records out of wet boxes, etc. If anyone has a vehicle of any sort to assist in getting wet boxes from the Red Hook warehouse to HQ in Prospect Heights, please call. No reception in Red Hook. Email is best bet at nortonrec@aol.com. Billy’s cell (917) 671-7185 and the office landline (718) 789-4438 are the best bet for phone. Don’t leave a message. Call back til you get one of us. Messages are full.”
In other devastating Sandy news, New Jersey’s WFMU has been hit as well, and they have had to cancel their record fair (which, being a not-for-profit, helps subsidize the station costs) in addition to having had their studio space destroyed in the hurricane. They, on their Facebook page, have issued this statement:
“WFMU's Silent Fundraiser is still on, but we're segueing into Disaster Marathon Mode as we uncover more and more damage at our studios and transmitter sites, combined with an enormous loss we're taking due to the cancellation of the Record Fair. Because of the Hurricane damage, the silent drive has been extended and is going loud and proud. We only just nudged past the 75% mark of our October goal, which doesn't even take the Hurricane damage or Record Fair loss into account. Make a pledge now and help WFMU recover from electrical, water and financial damage suffered during the Hurricane. Disaster or no, we have a great new Turntable T-shirt or holiday music compilation, WFMU's War on Christmas (featuring an exclusive unreleased mix of Big Star's “Jesus Christ”, plus James Pants, Klaus Nomi and more).”
If there is anything you can do for these music industry staples, please do it. It's not often you see the right people in the music industry thrive, and these two outlets have been for quite some time. New York, you have always been resilient, but lets get through this one together and make sure the music industry comes out more communal than ever.
Of course, your help should not be limited to the music industry. Here is a Google Maps list of other places to volunteer around the city if you are looking to help others locally.
