The Princeton Record Exchange, an independent record store, is thriving in the digital era. How? This New York Times article concludes that if you’re going to be a dinosaur, be a serious dinosaur. The Princeton, N.J.-based shop boasts over 150,000 titles on a given day, with a wide — and deep — selection of music ranging from world to hip-hop, metal to Dylan, funk to modern rock, and then some.
My take on it is that people who like music like to socialize with other music fans, an experience that iTunes doesn’t provide for; nor does the concertgoing experience, which tends to be dominated by people under 30 with other things in mind than just enjoying the music, especially with bar tabs frequently funding the action on stage. And the employees of P.R.E. seem to be an accommodating bunch, happy to help customers find what they’re looking for — unlike the perennially empty store staffed by snobby hipsters in Nick Hornby’s novel-made-movie High Fidelity (pictured).
Are you an avowed downloader? Or do you find combing through bins of CDs and records — and sharing finds with other music fans — gives you a pleasure you don’t get from iTunes, Rhapsody and the like?
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I’m not a big music person, so when I bother to buy an album it’s because I want something specific, which is why I love downloading. Browsing through cd bins bores me to tears. Also, downloading music is better for the environment (no plastic, no transportation costs). I get that true music buffs prefer the communal element, but I’m happy to go the digital route.
I’ve only used iTunes to download songs, not entire albums. If I want the whole album, I need the tactile experience of having a physical item to hold (and the iPod doesn’t count). So of course I love the communal experience of being in a record store and striking up a conversation with a total stranger who also just happens to be browsing the “H” section. (Speaking of this, don’t forget Record Store Day on April 19th – recordstoreday.com)
I’m 40 years-old. I have a huge CD collection and a huge collection of vinyl in very good condition. Even more important, a turntable, receiver and speakers that are only a few years old to play them on. Yes, if you look hard enough, you can still find new record equipment. In my opinion, iTunes and CDs cannot be compared to what once was the grand pleasure and artwork of a record album, especially the gatefold ones. There is still a certain nostalgic beauty of listening to side A and then turning the record over to hear side B. Those of you under 30 will not have a damn clue what I’m talking about, and that’s tragic!
I love going to the music store!!! Damn the man, Save the Empire!
I’ve actually been to The Princeton Record Exchange. They’re *very* loosely organized by letter, but beyond that everything’s pretty tedious & time-consuming to search through if you’re looking for something specific. I don’t mind a lack of organization when it’s a few scattered record bins at a fleamarket, but an entire storeful gets fatiguing!
My favorite indie stores are ones where everything’s organized, yet there’s still an eclectic choice of old & new. I normally just sift through & buy CDs, but if you show me some used 50 cent-$2 records, I’ll poke through the LPs as well. I’m not paying $10 for a brand-new record instead of the CD unless there’s something really, really enticing about it–most newer LPs are cheap and flimsy compared to those heavyweight `60s rock records (man are those things thick!) and their packaging, so just a bigger copy of the album cover isn’t a good reason. And many newer LPs are from the same digital recordings as the CDs, anyway.
I don’t download at all… I’m old-school in that respect. I like to buy CDs so I can have the artwork and read the liner notes, and I love combing through both new and used stuff at my local independents. You can find gems that you just can’t get anymore, and best of all… vinyl! But then, I’m also into entire albums as opposed to just individual songs, so downloading doesn’t make much sense for me.
Avid downloader. I find there’s more selection online than in-store.
I tend to download music more and I find it easier, but I enjoy going to small record stores so much more, particularly for the LPs.
Anyway, I’m a big fan of PREX in particular. I’d say for the most part, it’s pretty well organized; the genre sections in both CDs and LPs are done in alphabetical order. The only disorganized part is the 1.99 – 4.99 CD wall, which is loosely put together by genre, but that’s what I like about it. I’m forced to look through everything, which means I never know what cheap gem I’ll find. And since it’s on the wall, you don’t have to bend over and sift through bins. Plus, their used DVDs are always in excellent condition and pretty cheap, which means you can often find Criterion DVDs for up to $30 bucks less than the original price.
I use itunes but prefer something I can hold in my hand and read and look at. I live in Austin where there is Waterloo Records, one of the finest anywhere. Can`t find it online, they`ve got it.
I agree with Winona. I download those one-off songs that I want but don’t care about the artist as a whole. For the music experience that’s truly pleasurable, you can’t beat spending a couple of hours browsing in a store like SF’s Amoeba, chatting with the people buying and working there.
Amoeba on Sunset is badass awesomeness and I try to go once a month to browse. Other than that, I buy a LOT of singles of itunes and will usually get about 5-10 CDs via Amazon every 6 months. I would never buy a whole album on itunes, I want the actual CD.
For some reason I think independent book/record stores smell. I like the antiseptic smell of a chain store. Come to think of it, most independently-owned stores smell. I guess it’s what called personality. I hate it. Not to mention, the staff is usually extremely helpful and knowledgeable, which is an awful experience for me, because they start talking and expect me to respond … *shudder* I don’t like interacting with people in RL. Just the occasional meaningless anonymous sex, please.
I just got back from LA where I spent a total of 7 hours shopping for movies and music at Amoeba Records. Since I’m a child of the ’80s, I love hunting down the obscure and semi-obscure music I listened to in high school. Amoeba had Panorama by the Cars, a hard to find disk by The Fun Boy 3 and an import of Pete Shelley’s solo stuff. I can’t find this stuff on iTunes. Maybe my experience is colored by the fact that I don’t really interact with the staff. Although they seemed genuinely interested in the obscure, import horror DVDs I picked up.
nix, you are the reason i’m scared for all humanity. you make me *shudder*.
LOVE the smell of old books and records! LOVE used book/records stores – nothing like going thru the stacks and coming across something you’re been looking for or even better, something totally unexpected and saying “OMG – can’t believe I found this”!!! — its the thrill of the hunt I guess
I’ve downloaded one album off of itunes and ended up purchasing the “deluxe” edition of the cd (and the Japanese import, too). I usually only download a free song or something I can’t get outta my head from itunes. So, I remain devout to the cd (and vinyl once in a blue moon). It helps to have a great indie store in town. Mine is ear x-tacy in Louisville, KY. Their catalog is deep and they cover all the genres. They always have a great selection of used cd’s, and I can always find something to buy. But my cd addiction is aided by my place of employment. I work at a chain book store, so I can order anything carried by the big two distributors AND get a discount. Then there’s the comps and in-store plays that become part of my collection.
i’m weird…i love the convenience of having gone digital – most of my collection on my ipod, and whatever doesn’t fit i can access over the web via super sneaky geek stuff and stream from home. i have a lot of stuff in general, and not having a monolithic tower of cds is nice. but i really like the actual handling of the cds (and records, if i was into that). there’s a ritual involved playing someone, or yourself, a piece of media. and then there’s the packaging & artwork, and the respect for the album format. i miss it, but it’s a trade-off in convenience.