Tales of Minnesota’s Electric Fetus record stores are plentiful in these parts. Even back when Union Records was still somehow scraping by, kids always heard about these amazing indie shops right across the border (Minnapolis, St. Cloud, and Duluth). And weekend pilgrimages are still the norm for locals looking for that non-Best Buy music buying experience. Well, that might change a little bit.

The Electic Festus has started an indie-tastic digital download service by partnering with a distributor called ThinkIndie. And they’re really trying to keep local with it. Downloads are $1.11 apiece, which is competitive with iTunes and the like for sure. Andrea Swensson at City Pages says …

• Scanning the site, there are a few highlights that pop out right away: the Lifter Puller album Fiestas + Fiascos, which has long been out of print on CD; the old Babes in Toyland album Minneapolism; and new local albums by bands like Dosh. And all of the music purchased on the site goes to support the local record shop.
• "We're not just a site," said Chris Hall, the Electric Fetus' webmaster. "We have 40 years of record-store experience here. That's what's been missing from the digital stores."

Check out the Electric Fetus store … online. It’s kind of a beta version, as the Fetus is adding more and more music. As we speak. Something to think about.