I miss record shops; good record shops that have both new and used releases, on multiple formats. Richmond is lucky enough to still have Plan 9 Records, which is exactly that, but I can't always get out to Plan 9, even though it's only about a 25 minute drive. Parking in Richmond is also famously bad. So when I do get to go, it's a treat, and I generally spend at least $50. But my once a year pilgrimage is not often enough to keep them in business. They're still holding strong, and I'm thankful for that, but realistically... who knows. They're mostly used vinyl now, and that's just such a niche market. Same thing with movies. The cool mom and pop video stores are pretty much extinct, and even Blockbuster is hanging on for dear life. My buddy used to work at Hollywood Video, where I'd go in and talk movies with him and his co-workers, who turned me on to lots of cool titles. That store has been closed for years now, and nothing has taken its place. All of the original signs are still up, and the racks are still inside the store. But it's a barren wasteland.
When I first came to Richmond in 1995, Circuit City had an AMAZING music section, with import albums that I'd never seen or heard of before, and all of the new releases, as well as a well stocked back catalogue for even somewhat obscure bands, for reasonable prices. And within a short time, their music section was reduced to about two rows to make room for dvd racks. And now, Circuit City is bankrupt, and only a memory. I went to Best Buy on Wednesday to see if they had the Slumberparty Massacre collection. They didn't, which wasn't a huge surprise to me really. Their horror section is one row, and one entire shelve of that row is devoted to the latest Twilight release. And Slumberparty Massacre isn't exactly a hot title to anyone other than us horror geeks. And even then, it's mostly us horror geeks old enough to have heard of it. But what really struck me was how little dvd Best Buy carries now. Blu-Ray has taken over and is muscling out standard dvd.
That's inevitable, I suppose, but I don't intend to make the jump to Blu-Ray anytime soon, so it's disappointing to me. I prefer having options. I don't like being forced to assimilate into the latest flashy technology. Because in my opinion, while movies like Avatar are undoubtedly enhanced by Blu-Ray, do I really need to see a cartoon in high definition? Wouldn't that just be the artist coming to your house and drawing something for you? And I'm definitely not technology savvy enough to understand how movies that weren't filmed in high definition can be transferred to Blu-Ray. And frankly, I'm not sure I really want them to be. For instance, I'm a big fan of the Twilight Zone episodes. The black and white aesthetic adds to the creepy factor. And it's already obvious when watching those episodes which ones were filmed in the 60's and later, when Technicolor was the standard, and which ones were filmed before the advent of Technicolor. The later episodes just don't look natural. They look like they were made to look black and white, instead of just being black and white. So Blu-Ray, I would think, would make all of the episodes look unnatural. It's like when George Lucas decided to add crap to the original Star Wars trilogy, and re-release them as a "special edition," just because he had the resources to do so. I've kept my original VHS copies of the trilogy, because they're much, much better without all of the added bells and whistles.
But just because stores are shutting down, dvd is being replaced with Blu-Ray, and physical cds are being replaced with MP3 downloads doesn't mean that people no longer want that "old" technology. I still, and will always, prefer a physical album over a download. And if I can't buy it at a store, I don't mind waiting to have it shipped. Today I ordered a shirt from a band called the Dollyrots. They're not well known enough to be carried in the chain stores like Best Buy, so I can't run out and buy their album. I could download it on iTunes, but I don't want to. I want to read the booklet and see the album artwork. And I'm against illegal downloads, especially when it's a young band that's trying to make it, and that deserves an audience much more than many of the popular bands. Anyway, I ordered a shirt from the band's official website. And they have a deal right now that if you order a shirt for $15, you get your choice of one of their albums along with it for free. So I get a shirt to promote the band, and I get a copy of their album, and I'm buying directly from the band, so they'll see the majority of the money from the sale. And all I have to do is wait a little while for it to be shipped.
And the only reason I know about the Dollyrots is because I listen to a podcast called the Plan Nine Rock Show. It doesn't have anything to do with Plan Nine Records, oddly enough, but the host is personal friends with the band, and he plays their music pretty often. He also was the artist who was commissioned to create the Dollyrots' newest shirt design. So by buying the shirt, I'm supporting the band as well as the podcast host, because if they sell enough shirts, they'll likely ask him to design for them again. And I wouldn't have known about the Plan Nine Rock Show if it wasn't for the Rock and Roll Geek Show podcast, another of my favorites. It's admittedly a little strange that digital downloads lead to my buying physical media, I suppose. But I'd much rather spend the $20 to support two artists who deserve more recognition than to plunk down $13 "space bucks" to download it on iTunes, who couldn't care less if it's the Dollyrots that made the sale or if it's Justin Beiber.
I've tried to abstain from eBay lately, because it's very easy for me to get lost on there, and before I know it, I've racked up $100 or more in bids and winnings. But I hopped on today, because... well, because I love eBay. Instead of driving around town to the last remaining "cool" stores that might have what I'm looking for, I can just search for it on eBay, and it'll find it for me, usually with several options. Just today I found a split 7" record that I didn't even know existed, from a band that not many people outside of the local punk scene have even heard of. And I got it for $5. With shipping. And I'm in a bid for a Halloween costume that's $55 at the store. It's currently at $17 on eBay. As much as I enjoy the seasonal hHalloween stores that spring up every year (ironically enough, in an old out-of-business Christian store...), $55 is pretty steep for a Halloween costume. To think that I could get it for less than half that price...
Internet shopping can be a double edged sword sometimes though, as things that were reasonably priced in their heyday are now demanding top dollar. Especially records... I keep hoping to find White Zombie's Astrocreep 2000 album, or Primus' The Brown Album on vinyl for less than $100, but it's not meant to be. I have both of them on cd already, which is why it really doesn't make sense. I love those albums, and I have them already, so why am I DETERMINED to get them on vinyl? Especially when they're going for $100 each? The thrill of the hunt, to some extent. Insanity, perhaps. But also because I'm not likely to find them anywhere else. If I want them, the internet is my only legitimate resource. Unless I take a trip across the country, stopping at every remaining independent record shop I find, and get lucky enough to find a copy.
EBay and the internet are fantastic resources for finding old things that most people don't care about anymore. But I find myself buying most of my new music on the internet as well these days. More and more, bands are taking to Facebook and Twitter to offer unique deals to their fans. Whereas a few years ago, I rushed out to Best Buy to pick up the newest Gwar album, I've bought directly from the band's website for their last albums, and I've pre-ordered their upcoming album from the website, because they offered exclusive bonuses for buying through the website. Bonuses you can't get elsewhere, like an autographed cd booklet with the last album, and an autographed lithograph for their upcoming album. You won't find that at Best Buy or through iTunes. Although Best Buy, to their credit, often has exclusive packaging and bonus discs of live songs and such.
So I guess in the end, physical store or not, the music industry and movie industry will continue to claim my money and my soul.
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