Lost Folk Vinyl Treasure Rediscovered in New York After Four Decades

An unprecedented discovery has captivated the music world after a New York City record store owner uncovered hundreds of long-lost vinyl recordings of a well-known yet mysterious folk album dating back to the early 1980s. Carefully stored for decades in a basement in Maine, these rare records by folk artists Kathleen Bloom and Loren Mazzacane Connors were meticulously restored and reissued for eager music lovers, reigniting interest in the artists’ deeply influential work.

The story began several years ago when Andy Breslau, a lifelong music enthusiast and former independent record label owner, was browsing shelves at a record store in Manhattan’s East Village. He was astonished to find an entire section dedicated to the distinctive folk singer Kathleen Bloom and her longtime musical partner, guitarist Loren Mazzacane Connors. Breslau immediately recognized the artists and told the shop owner that he had once released an album for them.

In the early 1980s, Breslau ran a modest record label that produced only a handful of releases. One of them was Bloom and Connors’ album “Sing the Children Over.” In 1982, Breslau pressed 1,200 vinyl copies, but due to limited demand at the time, most remained unsold. For decades, hundreds of these records sat untouched in the basement of his second home in Vinalhaven, a small town on an island off the coast of Maine.

The story intrigued Adrian Rew, the East Village shop owner and a specialist in forgotten musical gems. Recognizing the significance of the find, Rew offered to purchase the remaining stock. Initially expecting perhaps a single box of records, he was stunned to learn that Breslau still had around 500 copies. Breslau had held onto them with the quiet hope that the world might one day recognize the haunting beauty of Bloom and Connors’ music.

Kathleen Bloom, active mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, was a contemporary of more widely known artists, yet her work remained largely overlooked for many years. Her music gained broader recognition after being featured prominently in Richard Linklater’s 1995 film Before Sunrise, which sparked a late-career revival that led to new recordings and tours. Loren Mazzacane Connors, meanwhile, is regarded as an icon of experimental blues-influenced guitar, earning admiration from generations of influential musicians.

The album “Sing the Children Over” blends original compositions with traditional folk songs, recorded in an intimate, almost home-recording style. Its songs are marked by raw emotional honesty and what Breslau described as “radical empathy.” He emphasized its authenticity, noting that it lacks pop conventions and resists easy categorization.

After the purchase, Breslau shipped the records to New York, but a major challenge emerged: after nearly 40 years in storage, more than half of the vinyl records were badly warped and unplayable. Undeterred, Rew used a specialized machine to restore them, embarking on a painstaking year-long process that took nearly five hours per record to gently heat, reshape, and cool each disc back to playable condition.

Once enough records were restored, Rew casually announced their availability on social media. Due to their rarity, used copies had previously sold for over $100. Rew priced the newly rediscovered records at $30 each, prompting an overwhelming response. He sold 200 copies online within just two hours before halting further online sales.

Another 150 copies sold in person at a local record fair, with the remainder distributed to select record stores worldwide. Importantly, Breslau ensured that a portion of the proceeds went to Bloom and Connors, who were pleasantly surprised by the unexpected income.

One buyer, a music critic, described the album’s sudden reappearance as almost destined. He praised its lo-fi quality and emotional simplicity, calling it deeply human and free of artifice. Reflecting on the discovery, Rew described it as a once-in-a-lifetime moment, both for himself and his store.