On good recommendation (one Michael D’Addario of
The Lemon Twigs) we got in touch with the store’s
co-owner Travis Klein to talk about, above all else,
their insane logo.
Head: Rob Jones
Deluxe: How did you come up with the name Human Head and how does that capture the vibe of the shop?
Human Head: I guess it was an attempt to be something different. It’s odd and silly, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. That’s not unlike us. There’s a long standing tradition of stores who play on words involving the media itself and we wanted to stay pretty far away from that model.
D: Who created the artwork?
HH: The artwork was done by Rob Jones from Animal Rummy who has done a lot with Jack White and Third Man. He was a diehard fan of my partner Steve Smith’s Austin Punk Band - Pink Swords - back in the day and they’ve remained friends. He certainly did us an incredible solid. It’s certainly had unintended positive effects.
D: For those who have not visited yet, what is the Human Head story and what does visiting the store feel like? What does Human Head do well?
HH: Hard for me to really articulate that initial feeling that people have as I have such a different perspective with it. A lot of people respond positively with comments similar to a homey kind of vibe that feels like a store “back in the day.” We do collectables of all genres but in general we are reflective of what’s indigenous to the New York area. We do a lot of Rock, Soul, Jazz, Reggae and do more Latin than any store in the city. I also travel to Brazil and our collectible selection of Brazilian music is better than any store you’ll find in North America. The quality of the records themselves are always on point across all genres and price points. We process 3000-4000 records a week so our cheap bins are always curated hard and the wall always has fresh titles. With the diversity of genres comes a genuine opportunity to get into a conversation about the love of music from someone who lives in a completely different perspective from you.
“Sharing is what people seem to associate with the love of the place and the value it brings to the community as a safe space for thoughts and ideas under the umbrella of musical exploration.
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