Back Alley Discs is closing. How friggin' sad. I'd heard the rumour last week, but I heard it from the man himself today. I've been going there for years, ever since the true back alley pot-scented days. True, I've been buying a little less there lately, but mostly because the store's focus shifted a while back.

At some point, Chas seemed to get a little less hands-on. There wasn't nearly as much good indie stuff from Canada (or anywhere), not as much selection in some genres, etc. For some reason (his son, maybe? maybe sales?) he decided to deal with more punk and heavy stuff. So, instead of going in and finding some Joel Plaskett vinyl on the shelf, it'd be some "cool" crap punk band I'd never heard of. Chas still has lots of good stuff, and always has, but... I guess, there was some slow transition away from more of the stuff I like.

I'll miss going in and listening to him playing guitar. I'll miss going in and listening to him play something cool I'd never heard (the last time this happened was Sam Philip's "A Boot and a Shoe"... a great CD). Where else will I get my musical tips? Where else will I get my Exclaim!? Where else can I hear the clerk make fun of someone after they bought a bad CD and left? Where else can I find such a good and wide mix of stuff on CD and vinyl, with an opinionated and really knowledgeable person at the desk? Where else will locals sell their wares? Who else will label a smashed Ace of Base CD taped to the wall as "quality control"? It's all just too sad.

As a farewell song of sorts, I was going to offer you this great musical nugget: Tom Waits' "Picture in a Frame". I think, for this, it sounds and fits just right. However, I couldn't find an online version. In its place, I leave you the most recent thing that I tipped Chas on (a while ago), Feist. Here she is, with Mushaboom.