Despite recent efforts to get the big record store concept working again, Tower Records filed for bankruptcy over the weekend, reports the Associated Press. In its glory days, the chain used to have a major outlet on Maryland Parkway near UNLV and it only opened a new store in the valley last year as part of the revamp.

Last November, Tower Records’ CEO E. Allen Rodriguez told the Business Press: ”Vegas is a growing town. Our brand is still quite well recognized. One of our top-five fastest growing stores is here in town. It was just a natural for us.”

But not any more. Between the Web and retailing giants like Wal-Mart, the traditional record store of a generation ago has been suffering. Even Virgin Megastores went to the Internet and the stores survive only because they’re always in high-rent disticts downtown or where the foot traffic of vacationers with time to browse is guaranteed. Even at the Forum Shops, the Virgin store struggled and is no more.

Tower hopes to sell its stores by October, which would give the new owner the best of the Christmas season but analysts are skeptical about the chances of finding a buyer. No wonder when the bankruptcy filing notes: “The brick-and-mortar specialty music retail industry has suffered substantial deterioration recently.”