Comments on: I'll pass on the Pixies LP, but here's 10 bucks

CNET News.com's Caroline McCarthy, a former record store junkie, freaks out over the fact that her favorite hometown music hub now has no relevant place in her life.

[digitalhecht]

Limp Biscuits 'n Gravy

Fred Durst was never, ever cool. If there's one genre that exemplifies ClearChannel's lameness, it's rap rock (for which whiny Freddie was its chief evangelist). On a related note (ClearChannel's lowest common demoninator programming), whom exactly are Seven Mary Three sleeping with? "Possum Nation" STILL gets played into the ground on their stations. Oh wait, it mentions Jesus in the song. Never mind...

[HAL 9K]

7 Mary 3

"Possum Nation"? Are you referring to "Possum
Kingdom"?

And as for 7 Mary 3... are you referring to the
Toadies?

If so, your post starts to make a glimmer of
sense. Personally I find that your taste in
music is matched only by your love of accuracy.

[metafizikal]

wprb is not defunct

and it is based in princeton.

also there is a ton of stuff that is simply not available on the
internet or sometimes even cd. hence the record exchange is still
popular.

[caroline.mccarthy]

ah! poor wording!

I know well that WPRB is very, very alive and kicking. Was referring to two separate stations there (what was the one that eventually became G106.3?) -- added a word to clarify! Thanks!

[hunter_jc]

I can see the point.

I heaven't bought a north american cds for a long time. I use iTunes store. Believe me, I think i probably would spend less on foreign CD if they start to sell on iTunes too. I just laid down $60 for two foreign CD.

[skellener]

You are a terrible excuse for a music fan

There, I said it.

[gregorytga]

There will always be vestiges

Most dealers probably will die, good riddance Sam Goodie, but I
read that Amoba Records business is still going strong.
Whenever I'm in LA I try and hit up the shop. There's still an
endearing side of flipping through loud clunky clacking cases,
trying to score a find.

Sadly the mom and pops stores, the special interest places and
the dedicated to scenes shops will die. Music e-tailers are our
new overlords but at least there's never a sold out, never a line
and infinitely more selection. I remember buying CDs in 1992
and the limited selections but the internet revolution has really
birthed subgenring to the extreme allowing people find
themselves musically to a degree never possible before. Its not
without side effects with the indie-than-thou snobbery but I
scored the perfect age to watch my music grow up as I did, and
now there's an entire scene of indie/underground hip hop artists
that reflect more maturity, humor and wit that I wouldn't have
found without aid of the internet. There's some real causalities,
such as artists able to support themselves by sales.

Whatever the music industry is today won't be what it is in 10
years...

[Jac Koff]

Still need better quality right now

I agree that in 10 years it should all be digital. My only hope is
that they start to bring up the quality of the sound to whatever I
may want. I will not buy any music that I can't get on a CD. I one
want a copy that sounds better than anything I can currently buy
online, (legally). I currently use lossless to cut the CD in about half
and keep a good clean sound. When you start to get into really
good headphones, home stereo, or car stereo it's a must as you
will start to hear all the things you miss from 256k and below...

[snapelicious]

You wouldn't know music if it bit you on the a**.

When I was young, we had a toy called a "Close 'n' Play" that would
play 7" records (usually by bands like The Archies!) As I grew up,
and began to truly understand and appreciate real MUSIC, I realized
the importance of audio fidelity. Today's children, like Ms.
McCarthy, still listen to their "music" on toys (now called iPods) and
probably couldn't tell the difference between a harmonium and an
accordion.

[1moreguy]

Same story, different year.

...and your elders no doubt hated Elvis.

I believe it to be you who lacks understanding, so let me get you caught up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_recording_and_reproduction

This world no longer has a place for grumpy anachronisms.

[kromaethius007]

I see what you are saying, but...

I enjoyed the article and I am much older than you are so I remember the record stores and the countless of hours in them looking through the vinyl. It all started back for me in 1969 with the purchase of Led Zeppelin I, and in late that year Led Zeppelin II and it didn't stop there.

Through the 8-track and cassette era I migrated to the CD format. After dabling in the on-line lackluster quality of the horrid download bitrates of music, I felt that the record industry should pay me the $9.99 an album to be forced to listen to.

Now don't get me wrong, I think putting One's whole music collection to "digital" is great. I have two terrabytes of HD FLAC Loseless covering hundreds of artists and over a thousand albums all taken from CD and Vinyl piped and re-engineered through products like Sony's SoundForge to clean up the haphazard engineering -- Yes, I am an audiophile so it's no wonder with thousands of dollars invested into my music hardware, I want to get the best I can get without the DRM crap.

I purchase all my usic legally and like the old days, after I purchase it, I should be able to put it to any format and on any device I own for myself -- Hence FLAC and transcode only for my IPod with no less than 320 bitrate and that is as low as I can or want to go.

Even most of the radio stations out there have gone to low quality bitrates and pipe out the music at these rates through the airwaves -- Pitty.

Until places like iTunes and Amazon Music starts selling lossless bitrates I will not indulge and continue to purchase the 16 bit 44,000Khz music.

[crue24]

Gotta reply...

I have a few comments: as a 30 year old with a wide variety of
tastes, I have a few responses.

I agree with the sentimental aspect and I hope the classic stores
survive, but knowing me, I'll never be there. I'm too lazy, buy it
online.

In regards to the audio quality, personally I think iTunes quality
is great, especially iTunes+. The only time I truly notice a
difference and prefer the highest quality possible is classical.
There you (or at least I) can tell the difference. But when I'm
listening to the oldies, i almost prefer the less quality. Sinatra
shouldn't be crystal clear, it should sound like it's being played
through a scratched record player even if it is on my iPod in this
digital world.

As for the guy who said Fred Durst sucks, no way, open your
mind to other music. Limp Biskut definitely isn't an Aerosmith
or Led Zeplin, but when your at the top of the terrain park, ready
to hit the jumps on your snowboard, nothing gets you juiced like
Fred's "Hot Dog" or "My Generation".

Music is for the occasion. Relaxing or working: YoYo Ma, date
with the woman you might marry: Sinatra or Marvin Gaye, girl
you picked up at the bar: keith sweat or R.kelley, snowboarding:
Limp Biskut or P.O.D. Just about all music can be appreciated in
the right setting. Don't call yourself a true fan if you can't
appreciate it all.

[ianfollett]

Prententious

This guy is a pretentious prick. He needs to practice his faux-humble act a little more before he writes another article lamenting the state of culture retail.

[ianfollett]

Oops

Er...Girl, rather.

[Ikthog]

Snark all you like, but she's right

Whether or not some of you like Caroline's point of view, it represents the reality of the way music is experienced by her generation, and many others as well. The rampant success of the iPod and downloaded music makes one thing perfectly clear: a vast swath, probably the majority, of popular music fans are perfectly willing to trade a certain amount of quality for easy access to music.

I'm older than she is, but my experience has been largely the same: I used to love digging the through racks at the local indie record stores in San Francisco and Minneapolis looking for new bands and cheap used CDs, but I seldom bother anymore. Not only is it easier to find and obtain music online, but you never have to worry about a hot new CD being sold out, you don't have to keep track of CDs and cases (the back seat of my car used to be a CD graveyard), and it's easier to access your music in multiple locations.

Like Carolyn, I would like to support the local stores, but I don't have much interest in buying CDs at this point. It's not that CDs have no inherent value -- the cover and artwork is definitely a part of the experience that I miss, and having a physical backup is never a bad thing -- but when I can sit in my office, or in a coffee shop, and download that song I can't get out of my head from iTunes on my iPhone, it's difficult to justify CD hunting.

If you must have pristine audio quality, it's still available. But my guess is even most of those who decry the allegedly horrendous quality of commercial downloaded music still have quite a bit of it.

[kromaethius007]

Snark all you like, but she's right -- Only for her, and perhaps others...

I enjoyed your comments, though I find myself in agreement very little. The point about talking about her generation may certainly be true with the sales on online outlets made mention and the new personal music devices. I do not download the horrendous music files made available in today's market -- Even at 320 kbite is the bare minimum I choose to go.

Though I see your point about your CD Graveyard and usnderstand. I purchase all my music in CD format and mind you, its the best available through the commercial means, but far from perfect. For me it's tolerable and what I do to re-engineer to get the sound quality up to par reflects the imperfections in this media.

However, I choose FLAC lossless which is about half of a wav file on a CD and mathmatically without loss and I loathe the DRM that is put into everything.

I know exactly what you are talking about the album or CD art and that's why I opt for WinAmp and I get the album art imported in and carries over to the iPod. Since I purchase the CDs, I get the art, the good art, I scan in and make some wonderful wallpaper, but that's me.

Though I do not download music online, and all mine is legal though I am fed up with the American Music Industry and all of its thugs, I keep it legal.

Until the online music industry comes out with a lossless format, I will refrain from downloading. I, however do use the web to order CDs and especially hard to find music, or bands that over the years you cannot find in music stores anymore. I also use the Internet as a powerful music tool to find bands and music that you will never hear on Corperate Radio -- Pitty.

[rapier1]

Really sad

The problem you have Caroline is that it seems that going to the
Exchange wasn't a social activity for you. For some of us who cut
out teeth on used record stores it wasn't just a place to get music -
it was a place to have real face to face conversations with people
that really cared about music. Sure, you can sort of kind of get a
sad and lonely approximation of that online - but it doesn't
compare to the real benefits of *talking* to someone standing next
to you while slowly flipping through albums.