I Need that Record! (2008)

The independent record store is quickly becoming an endangered species. Documentor Brendan Toller explores the demise of local stores amid the rise of music downloads, conglomerate radio, and music labels that look at the balance book not the artist development.

Toller's doc doesn't lament the record store as much as celebrate it. Amid interesting facts on the monied bean counters, candid interviews with indie store owners and fans reflect on the impact the local stores have made. Toller and his interviewees make the case for 'mom and pop' stores of all kinds. These stores are not only records, they are gathering places for like-minded, independent folks that refuse to be force fed the payola driven Autotune crap that makes it on the air waves.

The film doesn’t make a villain of downloads, $10 CDs or the people that buy them. Instead the finger is clearly given to the music industry suits, their poor management and inability to react to ever changing demand. Toller pinpoints the demise of record stores to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 signed by President Clinton that helped create the monopolies the act was supposed to prevent. Death to Clear Channel!

As I see it, I Need that Record! is an interesting, if meager look at an ugly industry. If anything, the film should spur you to support small, local talent and industry.