Just today this news item was released by NewMediaAge in the UK:

Music chain Tower Records is up for sale having filed for bankruptcy for the second time in two years.

It's reported that the company's debts have mounted due to the rise in digital music sales, sparked by the popularity of Apple's iTunes music store and its iPod player.

A court document filing released today confirms the Sacramento-based chain will be sold in 60 days.

The troubled retailer, which has 89 stores in 20 states across the US and overseas, is reported to be up for sale having not paid bills, prompting three record labels; Universal, EMI and Warner Music to stop shipping to the retailer.

Now there was a time, not so long ago, when artists would come to us asking for nothing more than distribution. A channel. A way to get their CDs into the mainstream and in front of consumers. Distribution, many thought, was the key to the kingdom.

Distribution may still be important, but with Tower going down for the second time in two years it is clear that distribution is not what it used to be.

For all the complaining by Tower and others about iTunes and other digital download mechanisms, it is still true that more music is sold on CD than in any other medium. A lot more. As time goes on that balance will change, and someday I'll be writing that "today digital download sales exceeded CD sales for the first time." Not yet, but it is coming.

For the moment, though, hard good distribution through retail is still a very big business. I'm a little sad about Tower, to tell you the truth, but big box retail is no longer the gatekeeper it once was.

So how about it? Do you want to get a group together and buy Tower?