Support your local RECORD SHOP

A documentary about independent record shops called 'I Need That Record!' has become one of the success stories of Record Store Day in the US.

Rolling Stone reports that the movie, made by rising American filmmaker Brendan Toller, was released on DVD in indie retailers on April 17 but quickly sold out.

The film charts the changing fortunes of record shops in the face of digital downloads. It sees Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore (pictured), Fugazi singer Ian MacKaye and Minutemen/Stooges bassist Mike Watt, as well as philosopher Noam Chomsky, reminisce and argue the case for supporting independent outlets.

Toller reckons that record shops offer a communal experience that the digital world can't hope to replicate. "Sure, you can find any music on the Internet," he said. "But there's a part of that experience that's lonely. For music fans, going to stores is the centre of your social universe. It's the same community of people that sit in sports bars or bookstores. We're social beings, but it's harder and harder to support local business if prices aren't affordable."

Toller studied documentary filmmaking and the music industry at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., where notable alumni include the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith and Grizzly Bear frontman Ed Droste. He has previously worked with Meat Puppets and Sonic Youth, but 'I Need That Record!' is his first feature. You can watch a trailer here. It gets a wider release on July 27.