Regarding Tower Records

[Not a music review, but something I'm proud of. Here's my obituary of sorts for Tower Records, which ran in the October 11, 2006 issue of Collegian.]

It isn’t exactly the day the music died, but news of Tower Records’ impending liquidation is still disheartening. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Aug. 20, the record chain has finally been sold to the Great American Group as of Oct. 6. In order to counter Tower’s $200 million plus debt, GAG has decided to liquidate the company and close all store locations by the end of the year. This comes not long after the March 2006 demise of fellow music retailer, Sam Goody.

Stores like Tower Records and Sam Goody, once dominant chains, are at a strong disadvantage with larger music retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart. Too big to rely on just niche markets like indie record stores can, Tower Records also can’t compete with the big yellow ticket’s intense price slashing business model for popular releases. Customers expect discounts for new releases, and where a CD from Tower could be marked down as low as $12.99, Best Buy can still shine through with a $6.99 price tag.

One thing Tower did have over Best Buy, however, was a dedication to independent music and publications. More than Sam Goody or FYE, Tower made an effort to put punk zines next to Rolling Stone and U.K. Cardigans imports right next to Mariah Carey. News of Tower’s closing, along with a recent CNN.com report claiming that there are 800 fewer independent music stores now than in 2003, certainly casts a sense of doom to underground music lovers.

Granted, Best Buy’s prices are far better (seriously, $6.99?! What’s not to like?), but, as the capitalistic playing field becomes less crowded, the amount of power Best Buy gains becomes scarier and scarier. According to PBS.org, music sales from Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart add up to about 50 percent of CD sales, while CD sales at Best Buy are only three to five percent of the company’s total revenue. Basically, record labels need Best Buy, but Best Buy doesn’t need record labels.

Though Best Buy’s music selection is far more extensive than those offered by Target or Wal-Mart, it’s still limited in terms of underground music. Indie stores are plentiful in certain cities like Philadelphia and New York City, but for kids surrounded by the Hanna-Barbera-like repetition of suburban landscapes like Lansdale, Pa., there aren’t many choices. When the closest you can come to being alternative is choke down a Panic! at the Disco disc, you know mediocrity has taken over. Breaking free from mainstream, disposable pop never seemed like such a chore.

Of course, you could just getfile everything you want.