I too mourn the passing of the indy record store — but it’s hard to be too sad when they’ve already passed me by. While traveling, I went to an old favorite that used to have great selection (and obviously a really knowledgeable buyer), but now, it seemed to have refocused on speed metal, and the clerks were useless.

On a sad note, my two favorite indy record shops in Champaign Illinois just closed. R.I.P. Disc-Go-Round and Record Swap. Curse you internet! Curse your convienent easy ordering, super low prices, and impossibly infinite selection.

The world has changed, so that there are a lot more outlets for the kind of product Tower used to be the only source for. They’re experiencing the same problems that a lot of independent record stores have succumbed to.