Tower Records’ long death march is entering its last week, but that hasn’t stopped readers from sending their favorite deals–along with price info and MP3s–to tips@idolator.com. Today, we have a pair of tipsters letting us know about finds at Tower’s Portland outpost, which is set to shut its doors tomorrow:

Went shopping yesterday at the Portland, Oregon branch of Tower, which is way way out in strip-mall hell at the outskirts of Portland, and is the only music chain store in the city, really. (We have a lot of amazing mom ‘n’ pop stores, though.) Heavily picked over, but the import section still had a lot of great stuff in it. They claim they’re closing Tuesday.

The best deal in my 9-CD, 1-book, $53.58 pile: probably the “Rigour, Discipline & Disgust” compilation, of which they had a bunch left. $3.90 for a collection of singles from the early British post-punk label Fast Records, including the Mekons’ “Never Been in a Riot” and “Where Were You?,” the Fire Engines’ “Discord,” Gang of Four’s “Damaged Goods,” Scars’ “Adult/Ery,” the Human League’s “Being Boiled”… wow.

Very good CDs they had a ton of: the Buzzcocks’ “Singles Going Steady,” Sonic Youth’s “Rather Ripped,” Al Green’s “The Belle Album,” Liz Phair’s “Exile in Guyville.”

Yesterday I braved the Portland suburbs for the next to last day of Tower’s existence. Despite everyone telling me they had been there and it was entirely picked over, here’s what I managed to walk away with:
Herbert-Scale ($5.70)
Slowdive-Souvlaki Reissue ($3.90)
Coachwhips-Double Death ($4.80)
Boris-Pink ($4.00)
Hot Chip-The Warning ($5.40)
ESG-Keep on Moving ($1.50!)
Arthur Russell-World Of ($7.80)
Japanther-Yer Living Grave ($3.90)
Larry Levan-Journey Into Paradise ($6.60)

Hot Chip, Slowdive, and a solid postpunk compilation? With 24 hours to go? Wow. This is all starting to sound to us like a rock-geek episode of Supermarket Sweep.

Gang of Four – Damaged Goods [MP3, link expired]
Slowdive – When The Sun Hits [MP3, link expired]
Earlier: Bought For A Song archives