Buffalo Boy's Blog

New World Records will be closing its doors soon. For those of you who have been big music fans here in Buffalo and even into Canada, you have probably been to New World Records at some point over the last 24 years. For years for the indie music lover in Buffalo it has been Home of the Hits which closed down last year and NWR.

Recently, NWR announced they will be closing this month. They originally moved from the Elmwood strip to Delaware Ave. and Hertel saying that rent was too high and it would be cheaper to be in their current location. However, the music industry isn't what it used to be. Fans are getting the music from other places and soon, NWR will leave music fans with one less option to buy music in Buffalo.

Many who frequented NWR over the years weren't going for the Mall record store or the Media Play/Best Buy big store experience, they went because they could get music that wasn't always easy to find. The independent scene is huge here in Buffalo and there is a huge influence from Canadian artists that increase demand for imports here as well. For my Canadian readers who have never been there, its probably the equivalent of Toronto losing Sam The Record Man.   

In a few weeks when NWR closes its doors it will take with it a huge slice of the Buffalo music scene. If there is a silver lining, one record store owner who I talk to frequently said that he is doing well with used CDs. Frizb's for many here in Buffalo may fit the bill as a cheap and logical replacement. However, I think even the owner of Frizb's would agree, we would rather have NWR and Home of the Hits back than not at all as they both tended to make the music scene a little more interesting.