Soundwave CDs Closing
Another independent bites the dust and a lot of local knowledge dies with it. Is the minx the only person on the planet without an iPod or a subscription to iTunes?
I shouldn’t be pretending like I didn’t play a small part in the closing of Soundwave CDs and other independent stores. I generally buy all my music from Barnes & Noble online because of a the convenience, vast selection, and free shipping (plus, it helps pay for the hosting of this website when I use my own links). And, although Soundwave proprietors were local music dudes of knowledge that can’t be duplicated, I have thousands of options for finding what I want to know about music and related information online–all I have to do is type in a few keywords and hot damn!–the music world is at my fingertips.
This is the scariest part of it all for me. According to Soundwave manager Richard Jackson:
“Gwen Stefani was the first artist to sell a million singles online (for ‘Hollaback Girl’ in 2005),” said Jackson. “It’s going back to a single-oriented world — we’re back to 45s,” he said, referencing the nearly extinct vinyl single.
“As far as releasing a full album, that’s going to be hard,” Soundwave owner Tim Schafer predicts. “The way listeners buy things now, they get really pissed when they buy an album that only has one good song. But (to me), half the thing about buying (lousy) albums is we got into them. It made us become better listeners. New listeners aren’t going to take that chance. The next time a ‘Harry Potter’ comes out, you might as well buy the CliffsNotes version.”
I personally love full length albums–they’re like books–they have a plot and structure all their own, and there’s nothing better than finding a great album and appreciating the thing as a whole. Musicians are artists who take great care in planning how their artistic vision unfolds. If what I have to look forward to is a universe of obnoxiously catchy singles without artistic context by the likes of Gwen Stefani, the minx might as well kill herself now. I like variety just as much as the next person, but what I’ve found recently, thanks to my satellite radio, is that listening to music is much more enjoyable when I can vibe along with an artist’s complete vision. Its a much more satisfying experience–like a five course meal–pleasantly long, with variety and suprises that, if done right, build to a sweet crescendo. You are left with a feeling of complete satisfaction. Can you say that about “Hollaback Girl?”
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Trackbacks & Pingbacks
[...] Oh god, that horrible day is near. We are soon to live in a world of Gwen Stefani singles. Please, only the Gwenihana can save us now by revolting against their evil master, stealing their magical Harajuku girl power back, and silencing the queen of Japanese baby doll cheerleader chic who ain’t no “holla” back girl. [...]
[...] Okay, I’m obviously biased, but has anyone else noticed that Gwen Stefani’s ad for her new perfume (I refuse to write the name) is pretty much a rip-off of two different Chanel commercials? This one and the one where the woman rises out of the perfume box. The yellow and black striped packaging even reminds me of Georgio’s. Is there nothing original about Gwenihana? Notice I’m ignoring the much too literal catch phrase altogether. This is also one of my favorites thanks to the Nina Simone soundtrack and modern aesthetic. It definitely hearkens back to the “Share The Fantasy” 1979 ad as well which I woshipped as a kid. // [...]
Comments
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I can’t believe I’ve been in Reno long enough to say, “I can remember when.”
Mirabelli’s was the only thing that could get me into Parklane Mall. Now Reno’s so big it scores a new mall but a Reno institution closes its doors. What’s next?
The instant buy on the internet is a double-edged sword. We can shop from the comfort of our home while we “spend more time with our family” (through the vale of the computer screen)and when we decide to go to the store for some expert advice… “What, when did that store close?”
Will we go so far as to one day walk outside with no local store to access? Is this when things turn full circle and we restart the clock? Or, will we all live in apartment complexes constructed by WalBuilt?
Mirabelli’s was great. I have to admit, though, that I never went to Soundwave. I bought maybe one thing there and one gift certificate for a co-worker, and that’s all in my entire time here. I’m an iTunes user all the way. I don’t even like CD’s anymore. It’s all on the iPod. But I also rarely seek advice other than from friends. Also, I only buy albums. Singles are not for me. I almost never listen to mixes, just put an album on random and go. So I’m all over the board on your assessment.