That sucks.

Man this news is depressing.

How is this bad news for music fans? I can still buy any and all music my heart desires at cdbaby.com, itunes..etc

I feel bad for Terry and the millions of others who own long time business which eventually close. I would argue the music industry is in an excellent place right now, overall. The mainstream is becoming less mainstream, indie/lesser known acts are toping the charts, more and more people are listening to music.

Yes, this has everything to do with people not buying music, and nothing to do with genderfication.

it is a shame, but shit changes.

it is sad to see local record shops dying off, but the industry is evolving and changing. i can't wait for the major labels to implode and the industry to be taken over by indie labels and artists!

Personally, I buy more music then ever. Probably 500% more. Just not at a record store which charges $13-20 for a $10-12 album, rarely has what I'm looking for and needs to act cool for the sake of acting cool.

Last week I went out to look for The Builders and The Butchers new album. Jackpot, Music Millennium, and a couple others did not have it. Wasted my precious time and energy. Instead I went online and bought it within 10 minutes.

I think your point about people buying less music is misguided. Certainly more people STEAL music which is a big problem. However, the majority still does pay for their music. The industry just hasn't adjusted very well. Look how many digital retailers there are completely replicating each other.

Lumping MM in with the "industry" is an error. Terry has long been a proponent of independent-minded players in the music business. He has stood against many corporate trends and shouldn't be corralled with the same greedy monoliths of the major labels. It is sad because a lot of great people will lose their jobs. It is sad because MM hosted thousands of amazing in-stores at that location- Joe Strummer!!!. It is sad because Terry has put his heart and soul into this and I know a huge piece of him will be heart broken to see it go.

Yes, change is inevitable but to see the loss of one of the best music stores in the country and the loss of another local business should give everyone pause.

Very Sad.
I worked at NW Music Millennium from 1988-1992 and my entire Portland posse was created out of the friendships ignited at that store.
But I also have to agree with a previous poster that I actually buy more music than ever via emusic and whatnot. I also still buy lots of cds and vinyl, but with mp3 I can take a lot more chances and not be out $18.00.
Its an odd time, access to a breadth music is better than ever, but the loss of a local connection is a bummer. Nothing beats being in an actual record store: snotty clerks, incense, dusty used vinyl bins, dark side of the moon posters, sweaty listing headphones-glorious! I hope that never completely goes away.
Johnny E

I love genderfication.

meat heads, aka white people who run this countries economic supply, do not buy music. they buy clothes, expensive vodka and organic food. ohh yeah...and shitty condos in the pearl.

note: I am white. you people are shameful.

Ok...ummm, you're the reason why we have big box stores with 150 degree parking lots serving coffee from you know who.

Did you ever think of special ordering that cd locally and not having to pay for shipping? Or hell, if you only want to move your fingers for exercise you can program M.M.'s phone number in your i phone and pick it up yourself if you're so worried over a few dollars.

Look, downloading is one thing, but if you're going to buy and "independent" cd or vinyl record online, where's the money going if your not buying it directly from the artist? Undoubtedly, away from our local economy. That's like sooo not Portland hip mannn! I don't see what the inconvenience is if you can't get it there and then. It's not like buying it online gives you instant gratification.

Oh, and your price comparison between retail and online is completely whacked from my experience. I worked for Terry 3.5 years pricing albums from both independent and major distributers. The rate of profit is reasonably standard considering the cost ALL distributers charge. You'll see very little difference comparing retail to retail prices.

Your analogy of how witnessing the demise of another independent record store is a sign that independent music is somehow better off than in the past makes no sense. Jim was correct to point out that M.M. is not a part of the "industry" at all. If Terry could back the industry into a corner he would beat it with a hammer while listenting to hawkwind. That's some serious imagery. He's helped to make life easier for independent musicians through CIMS, Burnside Distribution, in-stores, accepting consignments (without the attitude you get elsewhere), and the list goes on.

By and large, crying out that it's a good thing to see independent music on the comeback, now being available to the masses more than ever...is scary. It leaves me to wonder if "independent" music is the new mainsteam which will ultimately be gobbled up by the industry that drove us to downloading in the first place.

Scott E, I want to hug you. Your point is incredibly accurate, plus you get bonus points for the Hawkwind reference.

I agree that emusic and other online options are easier/cheaper/quicker, but in the end of the day, few thing beat the relationship between listener and artist when you have a tangible record to hold in your hands. Think of the first album that changed your life as a kid and imagine how muted its impact would be if it was just a handful of personality-less MP3 files. No dog-eared lyric books, no artwork that you stare at for days, none of that. Just a dozen or so computer files.

personally I stare at my computer files for hours on end. so maybe they just need to make computer files that you can dog-ear, oh and that start skipping after you transport them around on your portable music devise of choice. cds never held a special place in my heart like lps did.

Let's talk more about this genderfication... are females being forced out of NW? That is fucked up. I am against that. I don't know what that has to do with record stores closing, but I have to assume its because femmes by more cds.

Keep women in NW. Stop genderfication.

everyday music has a much better selection than mm. i don't see em closing its doors...

Everyday Music doesn't survive based on their selection. They survive because they reap massive profits on their used inventory. They pay very little for their used cds and dvds and only 10 cents per record. That is how they get by.

I have known Terry for years, have had the pleasure of working with him on projects for his labels and for full disclosure I have helped make sure his ads get into the paper(s).
Remember Garth Burgers? I do.
I think this is sad because ultimately it IS about people not owning music in the same way they used to. And it sucks for the people that work there most of all. I love music as much as I ever have but it just isn't the same experience. A mix tape made by your friend had their handwriting on it. That was the artwork. I love listening to music but the tactile aspect is gone. You can't reach out and touch an mp3. Well, you could but that'd be weird.

Maybe the real problem here is with fucktards like JohnE and others who, in the same breath can say "oohhh.... I'm crying my eyes out that such a cool little store is gone - nothing beats touching real records....but I'm sure as hell not going to spend my money there - I'd rather save 0.02 cents by using iTunes."

Look. Let's take a little class in basic logic and consider how insanely fucked that last statement really is. Stores require money to run, not a warm, gushy feeling in your pants when you finger their wares. So you can either go and spend money in stores and see them flourish, or you can stfu about how much you miss them when they're gone, because you are the fucking reason they are gone, you dumb shit.

This is the exact same logic by which people piss and moan that China is taking over our jobs and why can't we get paid a decent wage, and then those same people go and shop at fucking Walmart, because it's convenient and they might save $10. Do that math - if it didn't come out of your pocket, that $10 just came out of someone else's pocket.

In other words, sometimes you either need to take one for the team (buy a $15 CD - indie or otherwise), or watch the team lose. Period.

"it is a shame, but shit changes.

it is sad to see local record shops dying off, but the industry is evolving and changing. i can't wait for the major labels to implode and the industry to be taken over by indie labels and artists!"

"How is this bad news for music fans? I can still buy any and all music my heart desires at cdbaby.com, itunes..etc

I feel bad for Terry and the millions of others who own long time business which eventually close. I would argue the music industry is in an excellent place right now, overall. The mainstream is becoming less mainstream, indie/lesser known acts are toping the charts, more and more people are listening to music."

actually, the decline in record sales is hurting indie labels too. and these lesser known indie acts like the shins are on labels like sub pop, which are half owned by groups like warner bros. modest mouse is on epic. magnetic fields is on nonesuch. i guess merge (arcade fire) is still independently owned. but really, as somebody who works at a label and plays music, it is getting harder and harder for small artists to make money or even break even doing art with less people buying music, gas prices raising, and people still wanting to pay only $5 for shows.

Some blame could easily be placed on the heads of the recording industry itself. Here's a good article with a chart about recording contracts. By none other than Mr. Big Black himself
http://www.negativland.com/albini.html

When you overcharge for music for years and years and years, you're evetually going to pay the piper when alternatives are made available. Its sad that record stores are having to suffer for the industry's greed. But that's the way it goes.