Watch I Need That Record

I Need That Record is a 2008 documentary film directed by Brendan Toller that explores the impact of the digital age on the independent record stores across the United States. The film takes its name from a song by Hüsker Dü, a band that emerged from the 1980s punk rock underground movement. The documentary opens with the dire state of the music industry in 2007. Record executives are laying off employees, record stores are closing their doors, and major record labels are struggling to stay afloat. It seems that the once vibrant independent music scene is being choked out of existence by an unwieldy and bloated corporate machine.

The film takes viewers on a journey through the history of independent record stores and the counterculture they represent. Established in the 1940s, independent record stores were havens for music lovers seeking out rare and obscure records. They provided a platform for alternative music genres like punk, alternative rock, and indie music. Independent record stores became gathering places for the underground subcultures that spawned them, and were responsible for bringing unknown artists to the attention of wider audiences.

I Need That Record features interviews with iconic musicians like Ian MacKaye of Fugazi and Minor Threat, and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. They speak candidly about the crucial importance of independent record stores to the music industry and to the cultural landscape in general. The interviews also put some perspective on what is at stake when such stores are on the brink of extinction.

As the film progresses, viewers see up close the plight of these independent record stores that are struggling to keep their doors open. The documentary covers the effects of big-box retailers and internet retailers that offer deep discounts. Meanwhile, in the background, digitization of music continues to make owning physical media seem antiquated.

Throughout the film, Toller takes us to nearly a dozen stores in various locations from a basement shop in Bloomington, Indiana, to the legendary Other Music in Manhattan that shuttered in 2016. We see the owners and workers of these stores struggling to stay afloat, trying to compete with big-box stores and online retailers. Some of them have managed to survive by catering to niche markets or specializing in rare or used records.

Many interviews with independent store owners give the documentary a real sense of urgency. They are facing stark choices between bankruptcy or abandoning their passion for selling and collecting music. Some documentary subjects sound genuinely depressed and defeated by the idea of closing up shop.

The film offers no easy answers or solutions, but rather highlights the importance of independent record stores as centers for creativity and individuality. One of the owners of a recently closed record store named the Record Exchange sums up the loss address in the film, saying, "You can't put a dollar sign on the memories that are associated with going to your local record store."

Overall, I Need That Record is an important reminder of the value of independent music stores and the crucial role they play in our communities. It shows a glimpse of the passion and the fight of those that saw the music industry grow and watched it shrink rapidly. Anyone who cares about the power of music and its place in our culture should watch this documentary.

I Need That Record is a 2008 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 18 minutes.