British designer Gina Franklyn sold British fashions out of her shop 99, located at 99 MacDougal Street in New York's Greenwich Village. She began dating Ed Bahlman, who sold independent singles out of the store. During trips to England, he and Franklyn brought back suitcases of music, particularly from Rough Trade. They focused on independent and punk music, becoming a successful rival to Bleecker Bob's in the West Village. They also had a selection of funk and reggae. The store's arty appeal stood in contrast to many of the local businesses, which Bush Tetras member Dee Pop called "real Bob Dylan territory". Vivien Goldman described the store as "a milieu... a very creative atmosphere." Ed recruited his brother Bill Bahlman to work at 99. Bill had a meteoric rise to fame as the in-house DJ in many NYC clubs, including Hurrah, Danceteria, The Anvil and frequent guest appearances at just about every New York club.