Indie record stores doing slow fade out

[John P. Cooper]

Indie record stores doing slow fade out
Aron's Records and Rhino Westwood are just a few of the shops that find themselves going the way of the dodo in the digital age.
By Geoff Boucher
Times Staff Writer

January 6, 2006

It'd be harsh exaggeration to say independent record stores are going the way of typewriter repair shops, but in Southern California it's been painfully evident of late that grand, eccentric music merchants are wheezing badly in the modern marketplace.

Rhino Westwood, a Westside landmark for more than three decades, announced its closing on Thursday, news that follows the November shuttering of Aron's Records, the storied shop that sold music for 40 years (and practically invented the used-LP sales practice), first on Melrose Avenue and then Highland Avenue.

Rhino founder Richard Foos, speaking in dejected tones, said Thursday that it "had become very apparent that it was too difficult to go on." The store's lease expired and Foos opted to lock the doors. The store plans a Jan. 21 parking-lot sale that will be part wake, part fire sale.

"But we are hoping now for a white knight to show up and buy the inventory and the name and hopefully carry on the tradition," he said. "It was a very emotional decision but this is where it's at. Now in Westwood you have no free-standing record stores. You have one of the largest colleges in the country and no inde-pendent record store. That says a lot."

The causes of death for Rhino and Aron's are numerous and unsurprising. Album sales are in decline, music consumers continue to migrate to music downloading and CD-burning. The loss-leader approach to CD sales at giant chains such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy have smothered mom-and-pop outfits. And when prerecorded CDs are sold, more and more often it's through new-approach merchants that are as varied as Amazon.com and Starbucks. Closer to home and to the heart, a new competitor arose from within the indie ranks with the 2001 arrival in Hollywood of Amoeba Records, the Bay Area brand-name that opened a colossal indie store on Sunset Boulevard that siphons offbusiness from stores far and wide.

Amoeba has learned well from the history of indie-store successes; Rhino is a significant part of that history locally.

In 1973, Foos launched the Rhino brand-name after finding success reselling the rare LPs he had cherry-picked at weekend swap meets. The first Rhino shop brought in a clientele that included Harold Bronson. The two self-avowed music geekshit it off and Bronson became an employee and strong hand in shaping the oddball charm and pop-culture safari spirit of Rhino. In the back of the shop in 1978 they launched their record label, also called Rhino, which has become a potent force in audio and video reissues, novelty projects and the musically esoteric. In 1998, Foos and Bronson sold Rhino to the giant Warner Music Group in a multimillion-dollar deal that financially rewarded their longtime fandom handsomely.

While the label grew, its retail namesake contracted. Its retail space gave way to comic books and pop-culture trinkets and then later to a row of video games. Its music inventory in recent months was far less than its imposing collection in years past. That's a metaphor for music retail as a whole, which as seen its floor-space given over to video games and DVDs as the prerecorded music CD has lost favor with consumers.

Jim Donio, president of the National Assn. of Recording Merchandisers, the New Jersey-based trade group, said the closing of Aron's and Rhino comes clustered with the shutdown of Crow's Nest in Chicago, a past winner of the trade group's retailer-of-the-year award.

"There will be more casualties, I'm sure," Donio said. "There's a conspiracy of market factors right now. It's not just one thing ... there were only two albums in 2005 that sold more than 4 million copies and there needs to be many, many more than that. In 2004 there was a small but encouraging growth in music sales after three years of decline. Then in 2005 the numbers were down again."

Donio said the loss of singular shops such as Rhino are emotionally hard to take in an industry that puts a premium on free spirits and maverick successes.

"There's a real sense of community in these stores and discovery," Donio said. "Rhino was a great place. Aron's was a special place. It's sad to see them go away and it's not good for anyone."

The group that calls itself the Almighty Institute of Music Retail, based in Los Angeles, has in its database the names of close to 1,000 indie stores that have closed in the past three years. A decade ago, according to the group's stats, there were about 5,000 music shops flying independent flags; now there are about 2,800. The woes go well beyond small and locally owned stores — large chains such as Tower Records and Wherehouse Music, for instance, have seen their fortunes battered in recent years and have sought bankruptcy protection.

"There's no secret here that times have been tough, but every time you hear about another closing, it's still hard," Donio said. "You hate to read nothing but doom and gloom into it, but it is hard, isn't it?"

http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl...home-headlines

[rollhead]

Where I live, there used to be multiple used book shops around the countryside, but these are doing the slow fade, too. Only the ones who have found some kind of "niche" and have adapted to the Internet are surviving.

One local shop owner who I am friends with says his foot traffic, at one time pretty good, has practically ended entirely.

One of my oldest daughter's first jobs was to catalog and write brief synopses of books that were put up for sale on the web.

I remember one time the owner had gone to the estate sale of a Fields Medal winner (the equivalent of a "Nobel Prize" for mathematicians) and came away with hundreds of esoteric books on math, most of which were written in foreign languages. My daughter's job was to go through them, figure out what they were about, and write a paragraph description.

Her poppa was delighted she was doing something more more challenging than putting Big Macs in styrofoam boxes.

So, for a time at least, my friend the used bookstore owner's niche was selling obscure books on mathematics in obscure (if not dead) languages on the net.

[Chris D]

I did love the Rhino store the couple of times I was there. Great clerks, fun atmosphere. I made a killing in used bop LPs at Aron's once, too. So sad.

I try to do my buying at a local independent, B Side Records. They still stock new vinyl when it's available.

[Gary Sisco]

I miss them and there isn't one anywhere near where I live.

The independents that survive, at least outside major metro areas but also including many in those areas, will be those, like DMG and others, who take advantage of the new technologies. No one ever said an independent store had to survive from walk-in traffic alone.

The music business has changed (again) utterly. Some will survive by adapting and innovating and others won't. The corporate stores like B&N are going to find themselves in the same boat if they don't adapt. It'll just take longer for them because of their much larger assets.

The music biz as formerly known has already lost its next generation of customers. The kids adapted no problem because they never knew any other historical situation. But the music biz, record stores or artists or whatever, will adapt or disappear, as no business can exist long without a new generation of customers.

[Hot Ptah]

The Music Exchange in Kansas City is also closing in the next few weeks. For over 25 years, it has been a great place to hang out and explore over a million vinyl LPs, 45s and 78s, in addition to CDs, books and assorted memorabilia from many decades. It has a unique atmosphere, knowledgeable staff, and always surprising inventory. Its closing is a great loss. There will never be another store like it.

[Jon Abbey]

the only reason the main indie stores in NY have survived are tourists (Other Music) and internet orders (DMG).

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

the only reason the main indie stores in NY have survived are tourists (Other Music) .

When in Cambridge this summer, I was sad to see the Other Music store there had closed down.

The indie store where I live, survives because of tourists and because they are much cheaper than the chains. But they used to thrive off the student population, and that's dead now because students download all their music.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

There are a bunch of successful indie music stores in NorCal, at least partly fueled by used records sales.

I was in this one just yesterday -- picked up the new Woody Shaw reissue and used discs by Sclavis and AEC.

The Last Record Store


And there's Back Door Records in Cotati, Bedrock Music in San Rafael, Viillage Music in Mill Valley, and Amoeba and Rasputins in several Bay area locations.

[Lore]

Some of the most interesting, long-running shops I've seen in my travels have two things in common: diversified offerings (ie they don't sell just music) and some kind of link to the community. I think of the record store / post office I visited in Kentucky and AIKEI PRO'S in Holly Springs, MS, which also repairs and resells car stereos and other electronics. A photo of the latter can be found here (I think it's actually more cluttered now, if you can believe it):

http://www.howlinwolf.com/mark/place...o_interior.htm

Both are also real comfortable and friendly places to hang out (actually, at AIKEI PRO'S you have to do your hanging outside since there's barely any room to stand in there), and during my visits the locals were taking advantage of that. It'd be easy to spend days in these places, talking to all old folks. (I've got plans...)

[Chris D]

Damn you, SQDCSteve. That Last Record Store site could bankrupt me!

[John L]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

the only reason the main indie stores in NY have survived are tourists (Other Music) and internet orders (DMG).

What about Kim's? Do they also do a primary business with tourists?


I am also unhappy about the decline of independent record stores. But the digital revolution is here to stay. It won't be long before record stores all but vanish, only remaining as sections in antique shops.

[John P. Cooper]

We have 3 or 4 indie shops here in Pasadena, CA

Canterbury's - which is family O&Oed and they own the building, so that takes a bigt burden off of them, but all the owners are in their latter fifteis and 60s and their kids are not interested in the business.

Poo Bah Records - in business since the 70s, I think.

Then we have a small chain op called Penny Lane. They have a few stores here and there.

I can't even remember what the 4th store might be.

My own store that sold music and video hung in there as long as possible.

There are some tiny shack stores.

It's shame that such a great place to buy and meet and talk and browse are dead or dying.

Much of this destruction was caused by the internet. What used to be 'hard to find' and sellable in one place or another is now faced with a world wide virtual store here a 20 dollar CD can be found used on Amazon for 4 bucks.

Lots of the younger buyers I know don't seem to do much real store buying. They pop into Tower or Canterbury just to see 3-D goods and they may or may not buy them.,

An era passes.......

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by John P. Cooper

It's shame that such a great place to buy and meet and talk and browse are dead or dying.

yeah, I'm not sure this is true. record stores, for all their positives, are at root another middleman between the musician and the consumer. the less middlemen there are, the more likely it is that the musician will be able to reap the monetary benefits of whatever records they're able to sell.

[John P. Cooper]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

yeah, I'm not sure this is true. record stores, for all their positives, are at root another middleman between the musician and the consumer. the less middlemen there are, the more likely it is that the musician will be able to reap the monetary benefits of whatever records they're able to sell.

You are speaking like a business man and I am not sure why that thought would occur to you in a thread that makes no mention of cheating artists.

Everyone is a middle man unless the artist sells his product himself. That makes you a middleman.

Musicians can be ripped off six ways from Sunday.

That's not the point of the loss of the record shop.

The point was, it was a great place to meet like minded people in person.

All technology has done is to introduce a new coldness into the process of buying music....more distance between body and soul.

[Jon Abbey]

you're a noxious blight on this site.

[Jon Abbey]

and I'm guessing I've spent a lot more supporting record stores in my life than you have.

Originally Posted by John L

I am also unhappy about the decline of independent record stores. But the digital revolution is here to stay. It won't be long before record stores all but vanish, only remaining as sections in antique shops.

That's most likely true, but if cds are still going to be around for awhile, then the on-line merchants better get their shit together. You can't even sample any music at Cadence, DMG, or Forced exposure. I mean, WTF? One of the advantages of the record stores I go to is I can listen to discs before buying. i can also talk with people who know music.

And I just don't see how the disappearance of record shops helps musicians and listeners. The less places we have to sample, hear about, and buy music, the worse off we all are.

[Chris D]

I know I sold a lot of Air and Wayne Shorter platters to rockers when I had the LPs on the box at good ole Whizz Records. Don't know how they would have found them on their own.

[Jason Bivins]

Good point, Chris. To me, there's nothing like going into your local, saying hello to the folks behind the counter, and asking them what's new. You may or may not like what they recommend, but I love the dynamic and the relationship.

The last good place around these parts is CD Alley in Chapel Hill, and I frequent them whenever possible.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by John P. Cooper

You are speaking like a business man and I am not sure why that thought would occur to you in a thread that makes no mention of cheating artists.

Although I like the idea of sitting around the pot-bellied stove, and jawing about music, I like the idea better of being able to give as much of my dollar directly to the musicians, or folks like Jon, who are promoting and producing a certain kind of music.

And if it comes down to giving my dollars to a Barnes & Noble or Borders or other chain -- which have done more to drive out the independent than practically any other reason -- I would MUCH rather give it to the musicians and the producers.

Today, we have the opportunity to talk to and buy directly from musicians like Ellery Eskelin and producers like Jon ... and, to tell you the truth, I never had a "friendly corner record store" I could go to and get informed opinion about jazz.

But now, the Internet has become a kind of "friendly corner record store" for me.

[John P. Cooper]

Originally Posted by rollhead

Although I like the idea of sitting around the pot-bellied stove, and jawing about music, I like the idea better of being able to give as much of my dollar directly to the musicians, or folks like Jon, who are promoting and producing a certain kind of music.

And if it comes down to giving my dollars to a Barnes & Noble or Borders or other chain -- which have done more to drive out the independent than practically any other reason -- I would MUCH rather give it to the musicians and the producers.

Today, we have the opportunity to talk to and buy directly from musicians like Ellery Eskelin and producers like Jon ... and, to tell you the truth, I never had a "friendly corner record store" I could go to and get informed opinion about jazz.

But now, the Internet has become a kind of "friendly corner record store" for me.

Record store owners are responsible for whatever record busines existrs today. W/O their skills and abilities, you would likely own litle or nothing.

Mail order existed if you wanted to buy from Sears or M.Ward, but toehr than that, it was the dedication and the LOVE of the music that had most indie record stores in the business in the first place.

Musicansd and record producers have always been accessible to the public are were among the most friendly people in the music business. You could call them up cold on the phone and they would talk to you. You could wait for them backstage or even write to them and oftimes get a reply.

Sam Goody's was a meeting place and a haven for jazz fans and musicians.

People back then got into the record business b/c they loved music. Goody's didn't have a huge Jazz section for no reason.

I have never shopped at B&N or Borders for music.

If you didn't have 'friendly local store', you missed out. I met many of my best friends and advisors in local record stores. There they were, in 3-D, niot just words on a page or tiems numbers on a screen.

I'll miss the record store and the experience of going through bins of records or cd's. Shopping on line is a chore. It's cold and it is merely a process and a ritual to me.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by John P. Cooper

If you didn't have 'friendly local store', you missed out. I met many of my best friends and advisors in local record stores. There they were, in 3-D, niot just words on a page or tiems numbers on a screen.

I'll miss the record store and the experience of going through bins of records or cd's. Shopping on line is a chore. It's cold and it is merely a process and a ritual to me.

Well, when I was a kid we did have the corner store that sold sheet music and 45s. I remember the salesman there he had one of those Dick Clark pompadors, had a pocket protector and wore reading glasses.

But I was just a kid, and really didn't make friends with him ... but he kindly directed me to my Elvis and Roy Orbison 45s.

He was very personable and articulate.. probably could have made a good living as a lawyer, but he worked in local indie record stores for 40 years or more.

Maybe he was having too much fun talking to the customers to leave.

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by John P. Cooper

People back then got into the record business b/c they loved music.

oh, horseshit.

[Jon Abbey]

just for the record, I'm not anti-record stores at all. but I do think there are pros and cons there, and I certainly don't think internet shopping is necessarily a bad thing.

there are quite a few more available sources of info and opinions about music than there were twenty years ago, no need to rely on the possibly trustworthy guys at the record store nearly as much as before.

[blawless]

In my experience, the best record stores have usually also been the least friendly, the ones with indifferent or rude or weirdo staffpeople but great selections. I thought the movie High Fidelity had a lot of lows, but it nailed that record store experience nicely. In it for LOVE? I don't know. Some of the dweebiest blowhards I've ever heard worked behind record store counters, and their love seemed to be mainly self-directed.

[Jon Abbey]

also, Mr. Cooper, I realize you pretty much live in 1950, but in the 30 years since I've started going to record stores, Sam Goody has symbolized everything wrong with them. massively overpriced, poor selection, zero knowledge from the workers there, the epitome of a corporate mall chain. yeah, we're really going to miss them.

[blawless]

The "Goody" references may be a subliminal code about who those posts are channelling.

[HenryMc]

Rhino in Westwood going?? Sheeeesh. That store rocked back in the day. Havent been there for awhile, but I have visited it everytime I was in LA. The Car lot sales rocked.

[chuckyd4]

Originally Posted by Hot Ptah

The Music Exchange in Kansas City is also closing in the next few weeks. For over 25 years, it has been a great place to hang out and explore over a million vinyl LPs, 45s and 78s, in addition to CDs, books and assorted memorabilia from many decades. It has a unique atmosphere, knowledgeable staff, and always surprising inventory. Its closing is a great loss. There will never be another store like it.

Damn... that is indeed a real loss. I will certainly miss browsing in there on my occasional trips to KC.

[John P. Cooper]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

oh, horseshit.

Bitter? Party of one? Bitter?

I got into the record business and opened my own store because I loved the music. It cost me my life.