Scissor Sisters’ second album Ta-Dah was released today, but the flamboyant, electronic pop group’s new disc isn’t being sold in over 1,000 record stores (including FYE, Sam Goody, Strawberries, Wherehouse, Specs and Coconuts). Why? All those stores are owned by Trans World Entertainment, a powerful conglomerate that has taken issue with a comment made by Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears. Last month at a retail convention, he remarked that the price of the new Raconteurs album being sold at FYE was too high, $18.99. Since he refused to apologize for badmouthing the store, the parent company has resorted to this ban.

Of course, Mr. Shears is correct. $18.99 is a ridiculous price for a CD and certainly one reason why piracy became so rampant on the Internet. The best thing that could come out of this, though (and this is a wild fantasy, I know), is if big name artists got offended, rallied to Scissor Sisters’ defense and somehow convinced their record labels to pull their CDs out of these overpriced chain stores. With enough momentum, the retailers would have to fold or reduce prices. Yeah, I’m dreaming, but it would be excellent.

The good news is that Ta-Dah is being sold by all the affiliates of this site (barnesandnoble.com - $9.78, iTunes - $9.99 and djangos.com - $10.88) and pretty much every other major and independent record store in the country. With those prices, there’s plenty of hope for the music industry.

To Scissor Sisters: Good luck and keep fighting the good fight.