Category Archives: News

Record Stores/Retailers

News, Retailers, , , ,

It’s a shame that CDs don’t sell anymore. However, luckily, many of SoSaLa fans still want a CD. Especially after a concert. SoSaLa have a lot of respect for retailers who still try to sell CDs and vinyl. Record shops are great places to search for music of your taste, get advice from the shop clerk, meet and talk to musicians, drink a coffee, etc… Once a while SoSaLa visits his retailers to find out how his CDs have been selling. He enjoys the business side of “making” music a lot.

SoSaLa fans, retailers, music critics, peers, SoSaLa band, etc., we’re all Family, and being music lovers connects us. Don’t you agree?

To purchase CDs and vinyl, check the following leading stores in New York and Tokyo.

New York City

ROUGH TRADE NYC (1250 6th Ave, New York, NY 10112)

ONLY CDS

Ellis (ROUGH TRADE)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY (13 Monroe St, New York, NY 10002)

ONLY CDS

DMG
Bruce Gallanter (DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY / DMG)

 

Bruce Gallanther is a special specie of a music retailer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CATALYST RECORDS (88 Essex Street, New York, NY 10002)

ONLY VINYL

Gary Guarinello (CATALYST RECORDS)
Gary Guarinello (CATALYST RECORDS)
Catalyst Records, located in the Essex Market. Gary, the owner, was so kind to purchase a couple of SoSaLa’s vinyl.
Gary is a musician-friendly store owner and also a hobby drummer.
He will host MFM’s mixer on Friday, December 12th, 2025 which will be streamed. SoSaLa will be performing a short set.

 

 

 

 

PARADISE OF REPLICA (297 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002)

CDS AND VINYL

Kyle Molzan (Paradise Of Replica)

 

Owner, DJ, and filmmaker: Kyle Molzan. SoSaLa will do an in-store event in the near future. Being a DJ himself, Kyle supports musicians rights and believes in #MakingMusicIsAProfession.

 

 

Tokyo (Japan)

EL SUR Records  CDS ONLY

Okumura Bldg. 102, 1-2-7 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo – 112-0014, Japan
Phone 03-6416-9967
e-mail / email hidden; JavaScript is required
Subway station: Edogawabashi, Tokyo Metro 
Business hours: 3 pm – 9 pm, Closed on Tuesdays & Wednesdays

About The Tracks

News, Tracks, ,

1. Vor Geschlossener Tur (In Front of a Closed Door)    

The lyrics / spoken words are in German, SoSaLa’s favorite language. In 1994 he felt that his life in Tokyo was kind of boring and going nowhere. Every day he felt like he was standing in front of a closed door waiting to see it open. It was a lonely time for SoSaLa,  and he had a difficult time communicating and socializing with Tokyoites.

SoSaLa: soprano sax, organ & vocal. Mark C: guitar (right channel). Toshimaru Nakamura: guitar (left channel). David Motamed: bass. James Lo: drums

2. I’m Blind  

This song tells of SoSaLa’s dismay for apathetic people who unquestioningly believes in the status quo. In the song’s imagery, the only way to intrude into their mental ignorance is by shooting at them with a water gun.

SoSaLa: soprano sax & vocal. Mark C: guitar (r/c). Toshimaru Nakamura: guitar (l/c). David Motamed: bass

3. Dadada Dadada Daaa     

This shows SoSaLa’s love for Dadaism. SoSaLa feels that American politics lack wit and humor.

SoSaLa: soprano sax & organ. Mark C: guitar (r/c). Toshimaru Nakamura: guitar (l/c). David Motamed: bass. James Lo: drums. Peter Gordon: tenor sax.

4. Vor Deiner Tur (In Front of Your Door)          
This instrumental track evokes the story of SoSaLa imagining a fictitious person who he tries to meet, but in vain, because the door to the apartment was closed all time.

SoSaLa: organ, Mark C: guitar (r/c), Toshimaru Nakamura: guitar (l/c). James Lo: drums. Peter Gordon: tenor sax.

5. So What    

When SoSaLa was in NY in 1993, he expected New Yorkers to be (in contrast to Tokyoites) more communicative, critical, liberal, and emancipated. He was disappointed to learn that New Yorkers are not very different from Tokyoites in this respect. The atavistic aspect of New York City was a shock to him. He was also disappointed with the music scene in New York. This trilingual (English, German, Farsi) track expresses these sentiments

SoSaLa: soprano sax & vocal. Mark C: guitar (r/c). Toshimaru Nakamura: guitar (l/c). David Motamed: bass.

6. Omar Khayyam in New York    

Another multi-lingual track (English and Farsi), SoSaLa expresses his deep respect for Iran’s culture and history. In this song he imagined Omar Khayyam (1048-1131: famed Persian astronomer, mathematician, and poet) being in modern day New York and how he would fit in.

SoSaLa: flute & vocal. Mark C: guitar (r/c). Toshimaru Nakamura: guitar (l/c). David Motamed: bass

7. You Want to Be a Sex Star         

This song expresses SoSaLa’s distaste of how human sexuality is shown off, misused, degraded, and commercialized in daily American life.

SoSaLa: flute & vocal. Mark C: guitar (r/c). Toshimaru Nakamura: guitar (l/c). David Motamed: bass.

8. Khodahafez (Good Bye)  

The lyrics of this track (in English, German, Japanese, and Farsi) are a metaphor for dismissing people who need too much time to make essential decisions. With the state of the world being what it is, SoSaLa believes that doing nothing and staying passive are unacceptable.

SoSaLa: vocal. Mark C: guitar (r/c). Toshimaru Nakamura: guitar (l/c). James Lo: drums. Peter Gordon: jaw harp.