God forbid if you asked Bruce about any of his pictures with rock stars: He acted like it was the invasion of Poland! I was like, "Wow, is that Trent Reznor?" And Bruce replied, "Yup, you need anything else or is that it?"
That store had an attitude. I'm happy to see it go. Now if you will excuse me, I'm off to burn CDs for all of my friends.
Name withheld by request
Houston
Shortsighted: The only thing sadder than seeing a decades-old establishment go out of business is having to read the owner's lame little interviews where he blames it on everything under the sun but his own failure to adjust to changing business conditions. If you're a struggling record store, would it kill you to expand your genres a little?
Sure, we all remember the glory days of in-store appearances by Morrissey, Front 242 and the like, but when was the last time the Record Rack did anything like that?
I'm sad to see the place go, but to blame its closing solely on the Internet and the lack of talented bands like we had "back in the good ol' days" is evidence enough of the owner's stubborn shortsightedness.
Michael Bell
Houston
Wigged Out
Nightfly foul:As a young professional and avid music fan, I write to echo the sentiments of Andy "Champa" Moore [Letters, "Swatting the Nightfly," November 7]. Despite being the fourth-largest city in the nation, Houston lacks a consistent musical environment conducive to nurturing talent. One need only look to the flight of several top-notch local bands and the absolute ban on any event/venue associated with electronic music (e.g., the recent closing of the venerable Hyperia). City and local government perpetuates this oppressive environment, based purely on ignorance.
The citizenry of Houston, for some strange reason, seems to tolerate this ignorance. What's more important, the Houston Press contributes to this ignorance, especially through the writings of Craig D. Lindsey.
In his promotional blurb on a Baltimore rapper, Mr. Lindsey refers to the artist as a "wigger playa" -- the use of the term "wigger" in reference to a white rapper is patently offensive. Mr. Lindsey's reference to Scarface fans as "those who don't give a fuck about the rest" of the Houston Music Festival attendees ironically perpetuates "the bullshit of this culture that sometimes seems as rife with mayhem and murder as it is with creativity" ["Damn, That DJ Made My Day," by Matt Sonzala, November 7].
Music is about bringing diverse people together to share their respective cultures and to celebrate life. The Houston Press needs to be a part of that experience and report on the local music scene in an educated and intelligent manner. While "Swatting the Nightfly" was a step in the right direction, it is time we shoo him out the door.
Blaine Hummel
Houston
