Where to get Mike Keneally CD's
Brad Warner
Hi all... I'm a rabid Mike Keneally/FZ fan and I work in a little
independent record store in West L.A. After much coersion, I have
convinced my co-workers/bosses that there IS INDEED a market for
Keneally stuff and have been able to stock them. Now all I need is some
needy fellow(s) to come in and prove me right. If you need ANY of the
Keneally CDs (excluding the Mistakes) we have them in stock, and boy,
did I price 'em cheap! ;) Hat and BTDS are $13, and Half Alive In
Hollywood is but $17. And, If I'm there (ask for J), and you tell me you
saw my post on this here newsgroup, I'll give ya a discount. The address
is 12204 Venice Blvd., near the corner of Grandview, inbetween the
tattoo parlor and the shady video/CD-ROM palace.
Phone number: (310) 390-3132
Sorry if this is too blatant an advertisement for some of you, but I
really want to get some Keneally fans in my store. What can I say?
Keneally came in himself once, so it's the least I can do to repay him.
Thanks,
*J*
Sam &/or Karen Rouse
In article <3329E4...@earthlink.net>, Brad Warner
<nan...@earthlink.net> wrote:
This raises a question I've been wondering about (Mike, Zoogz, Biffy, &
anyone else out there with music for sale - please respond):
For indy/edgewise musicians, is it better (for the artist) to buy CDs
direct, or from a record store (assuming they have them, or will order
them)? On the one hand, I imagine direct sales have a higher profit margin
for the artist - but on the other hand, buying from e.g. Tower (esp. if
they have it in stock) might keep the CDs on the shelf and available to a
potentially wider market. Maybe the answer differs depending on the
artist's situation.
Anyway, I'd like to get some perspectives on this for future reference.
-Sam
--
Sam and/or Karen Rouse
ro...@teleport.com
http://www.teleport.com/~rouse/
Zoogz Rift -- The Liquid Moamo
ro...@teleport.com (Sam &/or Karen Rouse) wrote:
>
>This raises a question I've been wondering about (Mike, Zoogz, Biffy, &
>anyone else out there with music for sale - please respond):
>
>For indy/edgewise musicians, is it better (for the artist) to buy CDs
>direct, or from a record store (assuming they have them, or will order
>them)? On the one hand, I imagine direct sales have a higher profit margin
>for the artist - but on the other hand, buying from e.g. Tower (esp. if
>they have it in stock) might keep the CDs on the shelf and available to a
>potentially wider market. Maybe the answer differs depending on the
>artist's situation.
>
>Anyway, I'd like to get some perspectives on this for future reference.
>
>-Sam
>
>--
>Sam and/or Karen Rouse
>ro...@teleport.com
>http://www.teleport.com/~rouse/
If you buy the CD through a retail outlet or mail-order distributor,
the industry sort-of keeps track of the sales, and you potentially can
make an impression. For a struggling or up-and-coming artist, this
can be especially beneficial, because it helps to build the artist's
standing and credibility in the business.
However, since many of the smaller labels are notorious for not paying
royalties to their artists, by buying a CD "through the system," it's very
possible that the artist won't see a penny of your money. If money is
the primary issue, you'd be serving the artist better by buying the CD
directly from him/her/them. The industry won't know about it and
the brownie points won't be there, but the artist is actually being paid
for his work.
It all depends on what you think is more important to the artist
(immediate profit or industry credibility), and your own personal
shopping preferences.
--ZRTLM
mailto:<moam...@primenet.com>
http://www.rlabs.com/zoogz/index.html
news:alt.fan.zoogz-rift
Biffy the Elephant Shrew
Sam &/or Karen Rouse wrote:
>
> This raises a question I've been wondering about (Mike, Zoogz, Biffy, &
> anyone else out there with music for sale - please respond):
>
> For indy/edgewise musicians, is it better (for the artist) to buy CDs
> direct, or from a record store (assuming they have them, or will order
> them)? On the one hand, I imagine direct sales have a higher profit margin
> for the artist - but on the other hand, buying from e.g. Tower (esp. if
> they have it in stock) might keep the CDs on the shelf and available to a
> potentially wider market. Maybe the answer differs depending on the
> artist's situation.
Interesting question. Theoretically it's better in the long run to
develop a demand for through retail outlets, even if you make
considerably less money per unit. But as FZ himself noted, if you're an
independent, you never know if you're going to get paid. I had so
little expectation of getting into Tower-level stores, and I was running
on such a shoestring budget, that I didn't even pay the $200 to get a
bar code on The Brandnewbug Concertos. The CD is being sold by a few
specialty mail-order services, and one or two actual stores, some of
which have paid me and some of which haven't. One service paid me for
the first batch and not for the second. Another service which paid me
promptly never reordered even though they sold out fairly quickly.
So in the case of my EXTREMELY small-time operation, trying to get any
"real" distribution is always a risky proposition, and it works out
better if people order the merchandise directly from me.
BTW, I read Tony Levin's interview in Elephant Talk, and he speaks about
being a one-man record label and refusing to deal with distributors, and
thus not getting his CD into any stores. So how come I see it for sale
at Tower?
Your pal,
Biffy the Elephant Shrew
http://members.aol.com/biffyshrew/biffy.html
And you can get Elephant Shrew Music t-shirts, too! (Note: almost out
of stock on XL)
overcooked
That was a very precise answer. Careful not to answer more than the
question. Hence, the following Q:
Which way do you artists prefer?
@ @
v
||'ŚŚ'|| ************---overcooked
obscure fact #1755:
ASCII does not stand for
Anarchy, Socialism, and Communism International, Inc.
Sam &/or Karen Rouse
In article <332D88...@aol.com>, Biffy the Elephant Shrew
<biffy...@aol.com> wrote:
> Interesting question. Theoretically it's better in the long run to
> develop a demand for through retail outlets, even if you make
> considerably less money per unit. But as FZ himself noted, if you're an
> independent, you never know if you're going to get paid. I had so
> little expectation of getting into Tower-level stores, and I was running
> on such a shoestring budget, that I didn't even pay the $200 to get a
> bar code on The Brandnewbug Concertos. The CD is being sold by a few
> specialty mail-order services, and one or two actual stores, some of
> which have paid me and some of which haven't. One service paid me for
> the first batch and not for the second. Another service which paid me
> promptly never reordered even though they sold out fairly quickly.
My sister has just gone thru a similar experience with the original
distributor of her book (self-published); she ended up losing a lot of
money on the deal (but has been doing reasonably well via other channels -
it was fortunately not an exclusive distribution deal).
> So in the case of my EXTREMELY small-time operation, trying to get any
> "real" distribution is always a risky proposition, and it works out
> better if people order the merchandise directly from me.
I don't know how others feel, given that self-promotion on newsgroups
without pissing folks off is a bit of a tightrope act, but I'd appreciate
knowing the individual preferences of those who do have music for sale
(maybe a note buried somewhere on your webpage is the best way to handle
it, I don't know). Anyway, now I know your preference.
I tend to be somewhat impulsive when buying CDs, & generally when I decide
I want to shop I go to Tower or Blockbuster (I like to rumple and fetish
them before deciding on a purchase) - but if armed with some info on what's
best for one of you folks, I could drag myself home & place an order while
the decision to buy is in mind.
> BTW, I read Tony Levin's interview in Elephant Talk, and he speaks about
> being a one-man record label and refusing to deal with distributors, and
> thus not getting his CD into any stores. So how come I see it for sale
> at Tower?
One of the things that prompted my question was being surprised to find
works by some other on-the-edge folks that post to this group at Tower,
when my impression had been that direct mailorder was virtually the only
way to get them. Hell, your CD may be at Tower too; I haven't looked
because when I'm there I can never remember what your real name is.