re: record stores

[erik reid simpson <eriks@on-ramp.ior.com>]

> well if you are going to pay $20 for a CD, "Polytown" is one that is 
>worth
> it,,i have found alot of good CD deals from ordering online,,,i mean some
> hard to find used and new ones, our little local world music etc CD store
> went belly up due to the effects of a Blockbuster music opening about a
> block away,,,Blockbuster is slack,and expensive,,,of course i dont eat at
> Mcdonalds either, why pay someone to poison my body and mind with
> mediocrity? i am capable of doing that myself.
> james rhodes

I am in total agreement with this point of view. While i would prefer to
give my business to local shops, sometimes they just can't seem to find
what i am looking for. I will shop the chain stores on occasion, but
have no great loyalty to them. Online and mailorder are definite
alternatives. I found a couple Nels Cline discs i couldn't find
elsewhere through an online outfit called Soundwire (who, sadly, just
closed up shop) and a couple discs on the em:t label through Etherworld. 
Cd Now isn't likely going
anywhere soon, however, and they have alot of stuff (but not
everything). Siren disc has a good selection of import stuff, in
particular, at decent prices. The Artists House has an incredible
selection of independent, often artist-run labels. And many labels do
online/mailorder themselves; DGM, Ralph and, yes, Alchemy (hi Jon) among
many others. I have personally done business at one time or another with
every company I have listed above with excellent results across the
board. The main drawback is that you don't get the instant gratification
of plunking down your money and taking the disc(s) home to listen to
right away. But given the battle for my "disposable income" (real or
imagined, and with 2 teenage sons, imagined is much more likely), I
would rather spend it on something I actively desire rather than
something that merely SEEMS interesting. Anyway, back to lurking. 

Bye;

Erik Simpson
eriks@on-ramp.ior.com