Independent Film Festival Boston 2009

For anyone who came of age combing through the stacks of their area’s independent record store, it’s unsettling to imagine the digital generation growing up without them. It is that distinct possibility, and the reasons behind it, that documentary “I Need That Record!: The Death (Or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store” examines.

“I Need That Record!” delves into the history and power behind the major label system, touching on a variety of issues including payola, the homogenization of radio (especially since the passing of the Telecom Act of 1996), and the influence of MTV. The larger issue––the rise of the big box retailers (where most music is now sold), and their impact on local communities––is also covered, along with reasons behind the overall decline in CD sales since 2001.

Through interviews (with familiar faces like Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, Minutemen/Stooges bassist Mike Watt, and even Newbury Comics’ owner Mike Dreese) and nearby examples (Connecticut-based stores Trash American Style and Record Express), director Brendan Toller attempts to explain why locally owned record shops matter, why we’re losing them, and the human toll that loss exacts. Knowing that 3,000 independent stores have closed their doors in the past decade is one thing, but seeing exactly how it affects the owners and regulars is quite another.

- Brad Searles is a Boston-based musician and writer. His blog is bradleysalmanac.com.

Presented by Newbury Comics