In his column today on Amoeba Records, the Hollywood Reporter's Chris Morris hints at another potential change in Los Angeles' fragile indie record store scene: The potential sale of Rhino (the store, not the label) Westwood.
Such a move would come on the heels of Aron's Records' announcement that it was shutting down its store (on Highland):
Perhaps a mile away from Amoeba's sprawling floor, Aron's Records, one of the most popular independent record stores for three decades, is conducting its going-out-of-business sale. Sources also say that Richard Foos, the owner of the 32-year-old Rhino Records store in Westwood, is looking for a buyer for his shop, which never regained its footing after making a move up Westwood Boulevard a few years ago.
Morris quotes Amoeba partner Karen Pearson, who bemoans the lack of any monster release this holiday season. She also hints that Amoeba is looking at some sort of digital offering, to keep up with the times.
Anyone who talks to indie music retailers has heard their end-of-days chatter. Certainly, Pearson has heard it.
"It's a difficult business," she says. "It's an uphill battle. The margins are really small. ... I hope we're not seeing an end to (record retailing) because it's such a part of our culture and our history."
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