Internet killed the record store star

In seventh grade I couldn’t have been more excited to bring home a new CD, rip open the packaging and read the jacket from cover to cover. I wanted to know everything about an artist. Discovering a band and making the commitment to bring it home with you was like forging a new friendship with someone way cooler than you were.

The accessibility of online music has quickly revolutionized the music industry and all of its components, making it far more impersonal than my junior high days. Some mainstream artists resent the Internet invasion for taking away from record sales, but for many independent artists it is a far more complicated, bittersweet shot at spreading their music far and wide without ever having to sell their souls to a big, bad label. Of course, every opportunity has its price.

Portland success story Throwback Suburbia has learned firsthand the pros and cons of streaming tunes online. 
“We can’t deny [that] the availability of music has increased with new technology,” said the band in an e-mail. “This means more music to choose from. At the same time, I think it’s started a sad trend and disrespect for art in general. No longer do people care about album artwork, no longer do people camp out for concert tickets or lineup outside of a record store on a release date. Art has almost become disposable.”

Throwback Suburbia is a 4-year-old power pop quartet known for juxtaposing nostalgic, upbeat melodies with contemporary rock ‘n’ roll. They have traveled around the country performing with everyone from The 88 to The Gin Blossoms to Rooney.

A favorite on Web sites like www.garageband.com, it’s safe to say that a significant amount of their success can be attributed to online accolades and exposure of their talent. So then, with all of the opportunity for musicians and listeners that accompanies the techno-corruption, what sort of sacrifices are being made? And just what are they worth?

Music Millennium, the iconic Portland music superstore offering every avenue of music to its browsers, also experiences firsthand the darker side.

“Downloading has had a dramatic effect on the selling of physical music,” said owner Terry Currier. “In 2002 there were 7,500 record stores in America. Now there are about 2,000, and they are mostly all struggling to stay in business. Music Millennium included. Our business has been on a nine-year slide and expenses keep going up. We have had to cut back our staff and trim our expenses to the bone. We still have one of the best selections in the country though.”

Music Millennium also offers a home to local musicians through their concert series, which will be featuring Throwback Suburbia this weekend. Independent artists can come to the shop for face-to-face support and exposure, and have been doing so for 40 years.

“We have supported the community since day one in 1969 when the store opened,” Currier said. “We were like a community center. People met their friends here, their lifetime partners here. Music Millennium is one of the best resources to find out about music in the country. There are not stores like this in all major cities. You can find a Turkish music section and at the same time find a great electronica section.”

Unfortunately, Music Millennium has already had to close one pair of its infamous doors on Northwest 23rd Avenue. Its survival now relies on the success of its original home on East Burnside Street and the support of the community it has supported since its start. With its live music performances, which pioneered in 1989 and made it the first record store of its kind, Music Millennium continues to offer fans of all ages a venue to access their favorite acts and musicians a place to gain exposure.

Essentially, Music Millennium laid the framework for everything the Internet is relied upon for these days, with a lot less streamlining and a lot more character. The biggest differences between online support systems and live venues like Music Millennium are the cultures and the community. Music Millennium has them; their Web site does not.

So is the spread of music really worth the loss of so much of its charm? You make the call. One thing is for certain: Throwback Suburbia puts on a great live show. Check it out this weekend and while you’re there, turn off your iPod, silence your cell, mingle a bit, buy a real live CD and read the jacket cover to cover.