Raleigh Schoolkids Threatened?

Is Raleigh’s largest and hippest independent music store facing extinction? News has been circulated today that the Chapel Hill location is calling it quits. Could this mean that the Hillsborough Street location may be next in the demise of independent music stores? The Hillsborough location seems to stay afloat from the fact that it is the only store to buy a new CD in downtown Raleigh. The other closest is possibly Borders on Six Forks, but students, which is probably most of their traffic, can’t walk or ride the bus easily to Six Forks. Their lease runs out at the end of this year and it seems they are thinking of changing locations. Let’s hope this doesn’t mean closing. Instead, we could propose they move a bit closer, if not into, the downtown grid. This may kill the “hip" nature of the store, but would possibly increase revenue. But is it possible that Schoolkids could afford to have a downtown store? Sad to say, probably not.

Let us hope the Raleigh location doesn’t go the way of the Chapel Hill store, but I think Billy said it best a couple of weeks ago:

“Like the great buffalo hunts, the search for killer used CDs is a calling staring its own demise square in the eyes. People aren’t buying many new CDs any more, meaning there are less to recycle. And a lot of potential second hand shoppers just head to the Web. Are they nuts??? Coming across a treasure in a row of discards is a hit of pure pleasure iTunes will never equal.

But the thrill ain’t gone yet. The Triangle’s best collection of used CDs is at School Kids Records on Hillsborough St. The atmosphere is hipster without being haughty – so even a dad feels welcome. And it boasts the key ingredients to a great used collection: volume and diversity. So there’s a good chance you’ll unearth a blast from the past and the thrill of the new in just about any pop genre you choose.”

MP3 is killing the CD star, but maybe if we all go out and buy a CD from Schoolkids this week it will show them our support. Beach House, Erykah Badu, and Goldfrapp did all released albums today as did local favorites The Mountain Goats last week. Or even the Once Soundtrack.

What are we waiting for? Let’s save our Schoolkids!

Logo Photo via Old King

(20) Comments •Permalink

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Vince Carmody02/26 03:23 PM

I just hope people realize or remember (whatever the case may be) that CD Audio and Vinyl have higher audio quality than most MP3’s you can snag from the internet. Trust me. If want a full aural experience, you buy the artifact. What good is hearing without the seeing and touching (of album packaging)?

corey3rd02/26 05:01 PM

Shopping for records on Hillsborough Street died with John Swain. Kids today no longer have to sift through used CDs. they merely have to visit their cool uncle and upload all the favorite classic rock tunes off his collection. Last few times I wandered into School Kids, it looked more like a Spencer’s Gifts than a record store.

john b02/26 05:08 PM

no. they are likely moving when their lease runs up though. this is coming from schoolkids employees.

Mr. Prueny02/26 05:34 PM

Sad. Schoolkids seems to be at a peak. The prices and selection are competitive with any on-line store. Vynil selection is the best in Raleigh. General merchandising of new and used merch is the best it’s been in many years.

How our our friends at Record Exchange holding up?

Jedidiah02/26 06:12 PM

Sadly, Record Exchange in Mission Valley is no more.

Kermit02/26 09:36 PM

“Schoolkids, this hip record store we like, is having some financial trouble. Should we suggest that they move from their current spot near campus to a boring, expensive location downtown?”

Gee, I dunno. It’s a guessing game really…

Joe02/27 10:47 AM

The music industry (as we know it today) is dying a slow death anyway. Most people don’t really care that mp3 is lower quality than CDs. Sadly, physical cd stores (yes, used ones too) are becoming irrelevant. If I owned one of these stores, I’d get out now before the business starts losing even more money.

corey3rd02/27 11:06 AM

When did NC State become “downtown Raleigh?” That’s pretty long walk from the Convention center to School Kids.

There’s not too many pure record stores left in this area. Is there still a record store at Crabtree Valley Mall? Is there one store in The Triangle Towncenter? CDs are now the domain of Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Circuit City. The days of Camelot are over.

What’s the point of opening a record store in downtown Raleigh, proper? Unless you’re using it as front for illegal substances.

A few years back while working on a photoshoot in Chapel Hill, I was amazed at DVD piles in dorm rooms. Rarely did I see a CD. Instead of playing music, the students would just put a DVD in the player and run the movie as if it was a record. One shiny disc overtook the other.

Far as School Kids in Chapel Hill goes, it was great when they first moved across the street from that slim space that’s now Pepper’s Pizza. They had an amazing selection in the pre-internet ordering era. But it fell apart . They cut back on stock. You’d walk in and the clerks were watching basketball on TV and eating pizza. They had that “you can’t seriously want help” look on their face whenever anyone approached the counter. Sad to see it go, but it’s been gone to me for quite some time.

JZ02/28 10:34 AM

recent article about the #1 and #2 retailers of music in the country....Wal Mart and iTunes....
reflecting a lack of range in taste and a lack of interest in quality, respectively.....

when in doubt, buy vinyl....after that CDs....

iTunes number 2

Mark02/29 12:08 PM

Schoolkids Records on WUNC’s State of Things today at noon.

Here’s the link where you can download the mp3.

RaleighRob02/29 07:22 PM

Wow. I remember when there was like 5 Schoolkids in the area. Two in Raleigh and one each in Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary.

Can’t say I usually supported them much...they never carried much at all in my preferred music types. I’m surprised they’ve lasted this long though.

I think getting instant mp3s at home is taking away pretty much any incentive to go to a store and shell out much money for a CD...especially when you only wanted a couple of songs, as opposed to a full album cd which probably has less than half really good songs.

And some online stores are selling them at higher bitrates (320 kps+) which, for most folks, is hard to tell the difference in sound quality. Heck, a few sites (like beatport) are even selling them in .wav form...which IS cd quality.
Guess this is the direction for the next century.

Vince Carmody03/03 03:25 PM

Rob, “than most MP3s you can snag from the internet”, meaning that there is limited access to full audio quality mp3s. However, I will say, that as an enthusiast who knows many enthusiasts, there’s nothing that can take away the magic of vinyl. They’ll never be able to take that away, unless Apple develops iVinyl, which will be a 12” screen that caters to artwork, that you can plug into your iTunes and look a nice digital version of something that old farts like me will never get into because we’re too set in our way and we don’t have the financial means to purchase iTunes and iVinyl.

corey3rd03/03 03:35 PM

iVinyl? I’ve been using the Ion turntable to make wav files out of my old vinyl? Does it sound better than mp3s ripped from CDs? I don’t know. but I enjoy getting to hear the space between the songs. And does anyone really want to see 12 inches of Good Charlotte artwork?

anyone see the old report from 22 news about how Chapel Hill was poised to be the new Seattle in the early 90s?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4224570554380069679

Vince Carmody03/03 03:53 PM

Umm....iVinyl was intended as a joke. If Apple actually did invest in that, well...I’d probably be mortified. I’ll just say nothing can take away from a historical artifact. Some people just like music and leave it at that but I guess I like to get all nerdy and shit. Whatever.

I guess, in the end, its what you want to commit yourself to; convenience or posterity.

JZ03/03 04:01 PM

I think what Vince is trying to say is that Vinyl goes unparalleled in terms of audio dynamic range.

CDs and hi-quality digital files will always run a close 2nd because it is digitizing the sound spectrum. This literally means that tones and colors that ride the fence between a “Zero” and a “One” must be shifted slightly to one side or another. It is the most infinitesimal notion of compression. This is particularly true with lower end frequencies.

I’m not a sound expert, but I know somebody with a listening room in their house (hi, Dan!) and I’ve learned an incredible deal about sound from him. I admit that I don’t grasp all the details and would concede a misunderstanding if someone knows more. But that’s what I’ve heard....

Carl03/27 08:34 PM

I can understand college kids being on a budget (except when it comes to spending money on drinking, of course). But kids today have little common sense when it comes to actually owning their music versus risky downloading. No matter what other medium you transfer it to, the potential for loss is greatly enhanced. You also have no liner notes which include artist(s), dates, or track times, and sound quality stinks. NOTHING beats a good record shop for new or used CDs. And when I used to frequent The Coop in Cambridge, I would always find whatever was NOT available in the smaller shops. Disasters were the loss of Tower Records, The Coop, and HMV; great places to buy your music, whatever the country, and whoever the artist.

Regardless of the expected “usual” reasons for store closings, it all comes back to GREED. A CD costs $1.63 to produce. So for many years now, why do (did) stores destroy themselves by pricing them in the vicinity of $18.00? People buy online (myself included) for the same album more realistically priced. Hard-to-find items? Go to Songsearch (.com). Prices are good; service is great. What’s more… I OWN it.

corey3rd03/27 08:41 PM

my recent chats with the kids shows that they are iPod oriented. The ones into classic rock have already uploaded their parents CD collection. They don’t need to clutter up their dorm rooms with piles of CDs. They do buy shiny discs, but only as DVDs. Back when i went to college we didn’t have the DVD, but I can imagine that if they existed, my entertainment dollar would have gone towards them more than music.

School Kids was were you shopped when John Swain couldn’t stock it at the Record Hole.

JZ03/27 09:03 PM

Something else that’s on the wane that may be more important than the recorded format of any music: The Live Show.

If you buy the crappy MP3 or steal it from friends, the least one can do is go to the band’s show when they come through town, especially the small bands....more money goes directly into their pocket that way anyway.

I’m just as guilty as the next guy of not gettin’ out...(but i still buy the CDs)....reason for not getting out: the f-ing late shows. Would it kill the Pourhouse or Slims to start a show at 8.30 or 9pm, ON TIME? I hate to say it, but if the main act is getting out on stage at 1pm, the reason half the audience has left is not because they suck. Maybe I sound old...its true, I’m beyond the golden years of staying out til 2am and getting up at 7am to be at work by 8.30, but I remember seeing the Pixies with openers Happy Mondays (and I think it was Screaming Trees before that...great bill) at the Ritz in NYC....i drove in with friends from the NJ suburbs....i was HOME by 1am......

Mark04/03 10:42 PM

FYI to all the fans of Schoolkids in the triangle...Howlin Rain is playing a special in-store performance at the Raleigh store on Friday, April 4th @ 4pm before their show later that night @ Local 506.

Definitely worth checking this band out!

Bamford05/29 07:14 AM

Too bad. The last time I set foot in schoolkids was back in 1994 when I was at NCSU. Dillon Fence played a free acoustic set from their then new album--Living Room Scene.

Jedidiah Tuesday, February 26, 2008