The feeling of relief and joy is palpable this week with the (apparent) early arrival of Spring. As if this weren’t cause enough for celebration, Northampton has been blessed with a new record store: Electric Eye. The shop, at 52 Main St. in Florence, is helmed by Andy Crespo. Its doors opened on March 1st, replacing a previous record store--Wild Mutation Records--which was run by Bill Chamberlain and in business for two years before moving to Philadelphia. Though I unfortunately never made it to Wild Mutation, it was a popular spot which I’m told boasted an excellent punk section. Reluctant to blindly abandon his space and leave it to the wolves, Bill sought a worthy successor. Andy, a friend of Bill’s, jumped at the chance. 

A native of Holyoke, musician and cultural aficionado of all musical genres, Andy lives up to this task. More importantly though, Andy is exceedingly friendly, and eager to speak with and help those who love music as much as he does, defying the stereotype of the snobby, standoffish record store worker. Offering just about every genre imaginable and specializing in jazz, soul, reggae, punk, metal, hip-hop, and blues, Electric Eye promises to be a welcome addition to an already vibrant music scene.

Featured image courtesy of Andy Crespo.