New Amsterdam Records launches relief drive in wake of Hurricane Sandy
One of my favorite discoveries of the past year has been New Amsterdam Records, a label specializing in music described as “alt-classical.”
Hurricane Sandy did a number of the label’s newly-minted headquarters in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. Despite all the precautions the staff took, Sandy destroyed 80 percent of the label’s stock as well as a furniture, musical equipment and personal items.
The label has started a fundraising drive to help rebuild. New Amsterdam pays out 80 percent of its sales to composers and artists, so they encourage people to send donations for hurricane relief directly. I’ll be donating when pay day rolls around next week.
Just to give you an idea of why I think it’s important to support New Amsterdam, I’m embedding a few my favorite releases from the label.