February 10, 2004
I SO Called This
Posted by nerdling | February 10, 2004 02:51 PM
It's an interesting day in music news:
Tower Records has filed for bankruptcy, close on the heels of the demise of Wherehouse Music. It seems that the big boxes are even running the chain stores out of business. Soon the world will be one giant strip mall with Best Buys, Borders and Bed, Bath and Beyonds as far as the eye can see!
Apple is being faced with litigation over the the iPod and what users are saying were fraudulent claims about the iPod's battery life.
Sharman Networks (owners of Kazaa) are challenging the order that allowed Austrailian authorities to raid their offices last week, looking for documents to support the case against Sharman in anti-piracy proceedings.
And I totally called this protest as soon as Andre got up on stage.
Steven Bochco on the current Fear of Breasts and how it is affecting TV censorship: "To suddenly find objectionable something that three days earlier would not have been is a hysterical knee-jerk response. I can't stop them, but I think it's really lame." Amen, brother.
Purely anecdotal evidence, but Tower Records just closed up its huge World Music store on Broadway in New York, and has moved its video store from across the street to fill the space. It also lobbed off half of the world-class Classical section in the main store, and moved the Soundtracks section into the space to make room for the truncated World Music. It's the incredible shrinking Tower! This is the US flagship Tower Records, mind you.
Big box music stores are awful. And with the exception of Best Buy, the prices aren't even that good anymore, unless you happen to be interested in one of the 20 titles that they currently have on sale. Virgin Megastore used to be the best of the bunch, but their prices are skyrocketing now, too. (Hello! I can buy $9.99 albums on iTunes. I don't need you anymore. Compete!)
Posted by: scotty at February 13, 2004 04:18 PM
I'm just glad I live in a city. If I was still in the 'burbs this would be the end of my physical record shopping days, since Tower and The Wherehouse were all we had.
Hooray for online distros, mailorder and the triumphant indie record seller! Maybe this is finally the beginning of the end for the major music machine...
Posted by: Marleigh at February 16, 2004 09:50 PM
