NOW HEAR THIS!!

I'm going to inform you of something that I just found out about yesterday, and I think it's really, really important. I'm talking mark-it-on-your-calendar-in-bold-red-sharpie important. But first, I need to tell you about a frightening statistic -- well, frightening to me, at least. Eight hundred independent music retailers went out of business in the 2006 calendar year, and 2,700 closed their doors between 2003 and 2006. That's a startling average of more than a dozen each and every week. If that doesn't frighten you, then you've obviously never experienced the unique kind of music-lover's euphoria that can only come from a visit to an independent record store.

The dizzying variety of CDs (or records, if that's your pleasure), far more than you could find at a big-box store ... the lively and personable store staff who are happy to help you find that song you heard the other day or who can almost always recommend two or three other artists you'll like based on a favorite you love ... the joy of stumbling upon a CD in the used racks that you thought you'd never find, and better yet at a fraction of the retail price ... the cozy warmth of getting to be on a first-name basis with the manager after a few regular visits -- it simply can't be compared to a dismally monotonous visit to any of the hundreds of Wal-Marts, Best Buys or Borders stores, or the cold, sterile non-experience of buying a CD from an online retailer. And the saddest thing of all is that, if independent stores keep closing at this rate, fewer and fewer people will get the chance to enjoy that blissful experience.

That's where Record Store Day comes in. It's an effort by the Coalition of Independent Music Stores, their member shops, and other interested parties, to bring attention -- and hopefully relief -- to the problem of the disappearing brick-and-mortar record stores. Hundreds of stores are participating nationwide, with in-store appearances, promotional giveaways, and the ever-popular special sales. So here's what you need to do. First, mark April 19th on your calendar, in big bold writing, RECORD STORE DAY. Next, use the yellow pages or the internet to find the nearest independent music store (remember, not any of the Borders, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy or Circuit City locations, or even Sam Goody or FYE*), and find out how to get there. Even if it's an hour's drive or so out of your way, you really should make the effort. It's on a Saturday, so most of you should be able to find the time.

To find out more information about Record Store Day, visit their website, www.recordstoreday.com, or click the banner at the top right corner of this page (underneath my blog's masthead). The site provides a list of participating stores, some comments from artists about their love of record stores, and much more. Additionally, I urge you to spread the word about Record Store Day by placing one of their graphics on your blog or website and linking it back to their homepage. Help me get the word out, people! It won't cost you a penny!!

Not only am I hoping that Record Store Day will help slow the trend of music stores going out of business, but I'm also hoping that, once you've visited one of these beautiful havens of music worship and realized its appeal, you'll want to patronize it again and again. These places might be a little harder to find now, but that's the point: they're dying out, and they really need our business now more than ever.

*unless it's as a last resort and you don't have any independent stores anywhere within a reasonable driving distance