Death by iPod, the death of record stores (Bengal News Online)

Death by Ipod
Record stores are closing everywhere in Buffalo because of recent surge in technology.
By Marcus Scott

With the ascension of iTunes and Rhapsody, along with share Web sites LimeWire and SendSpace, television and music have become impersonal and less communal.
On Jan. 20, 2007, Home of the Hits, one of Buffalo's premier record stores, closed its doors. Following the trend, Artvoice reported New World Records, another independent record store established in 1984, moved to 2304 Delaware Avenue before closing its doors for good on May 18.
Critics (like those of Artvoice) finger the blame on the recent surge in technology. Since the birth of file sharing with the creation of mp3 Napster in June 1999, downloading and file sharing have taken the world by storm.
Music stores everywhere began to close their doors rapidly. Record Theatre at 1800 Main St., is one of the few record stores in Buffalo remaining.
"Local record stores are essential to the corporate sales," said Amherst local Ashley Southard, 21, a sales representative at Record Theatre. "I wouldn't say that [local] music stores are essential, but corporate music stores [offer] less diverse music; it'll be a more conformed conservative sound. I can't imagine FYE carrying the underground films we sell or a lot of independent hip-hop artists we carry."
Maybe this is the reason several musicans and local artists have had little success breaking through national broadcast.
"People come in and they only know two words, and sometimes the Internet can't help you. Here you have people who can help you, you can come get an opinion," said Southard.
When its doors opened as a pioneering record store in 1976, Record Theatre was the largest music store in the United States. Staff say that underground artists thrived.
"If a deejay wants to get their music heard we can promote it or if a show out of town is coming, we sell tickets. In many ways, we're better than the Internet," sales representative Shawn Gomaz, 22, of Buffalo said.
With music stores falling because of technology, I believe that the Record Theatre has managed to stay afloat because of its unique fan base. Southard and Gomaz agreed.
"It's knowing your inventory that applies to where you're located," said Southard. "Our owner is also business savvy and our business understands the business is changing; a way better sound quality."
Its hard work being an artiste! I have well over 400 records and counting in my bedroom alone. There's nothing like opening the compact disc of your favorite band because it's like you have a piece of them.
"[At a record store] you get personal help, sound quality, and album art. MP3s don't sound as good as records and if you're computer crashes, you're music's gone," said Southard.