When the Knitting Factory gets too mainstream, you'll always have another place to go for truly alternative sounds.

by Contributor

The Scene
Keep your eyes open or you might walk past this vanguard of new music. Beyond a door distinguished by only a buzzer's modest label is one heck of an interesting loft space for new music. Once inside the second floor space, you'll need to walk past Artistic Director Jim Staley's kitchen, but don't let the hominess fool you. Roulette has an 1894 Steinway piano, state-of-the-art electronic equipment and a recording studio fully equipped to digitally preserve the music performed there.

The Draw
Established avant-gardists like harpist Zeena Parkins and toy-pianist Margaret Leng Tan have played here, as have Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and saxophonist John Zorn. But most audience members aren't coming for the names; they're coming for acoustical adventures--something this small space has been providing since 1978.