Digital Downloading has KILLED the Music Business! Read this;

http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=46980_0_2_0_C

Sad, but TRUE! We are at the END of an Era!

Dave said:

Also, stores are buying very little qty nowdays. Stock isn't moving like it used to. I've noticed that stores will pick up maybe 3 copies each of an album (not including one stops) and then restock over and over. Stores are being extremely cautious, they don't want to be left with anything that can't be returned (ie; vinyl) As strange as it sounds, our cd sales have skyrocketed in 2011, and I think a big reason for that is that cds are returnable to the distributor, most distributors do not take returns on vinyl, so stores are picking up very few copies, and only restocking when the last copy is gone. Cds are returnable, so stores are more liberal with the purchasing.  Stores may pick up 20 of a cd format, and only take 2-3 of the same release on vinyl format.

 It's getting rough. But if you have a great back catalog, great bands that are touring and are active, and a decent promotional budget, there are distributors out there that will pick you up.  Not sure if you give advances to bands? But that is a way to break in and get some bigger bands, if you have one decent sized band that has a solid sales history worldwide, and is active, that can be enough to boost your overall label sales, and that would be time to approach a distributor. D

Distributors are also being extra cautious now also, so finding a distributor among the very few left, is a bit more difficult, and gone are the days of distributor advances to labels.

 

No worries! It took me a while to read through all the old posts and figure out what I had said almost 4 years ago! I barely come here anymore. Sometimes it takes me a few days to find time to reply. Read my previous replies to other responses.

Dave said:

Damnit, again! I just realized that I replied to a question from 2007!

Sorry about that. I'm brand new here, and sorta old :)

Dave, I barely come here anymore, so forgive my delayed response. In answer to your first question, "how long have you have your label for?";

Since 1989! There was another label from California that came along in 1990/91 and started using our name! Long story short (as it is an EPIC story) We tried to fight them, but it became a money losing stalemate. I still have to deal with their Bullshit! PITA! We are still slugging it out (kinda) just for SPITE!! Fuggem!!

In answer to your second question, "What kind of music do you release?";

My criteria for putting out music is as follow (so all you band who are reading this PAY ATTENTION!!) I gotta see ya play; I gotta like yer music; we gotta GET ALONG (both Personally & Musically) You gotta be MOTIVATED to Play and Tour (a lot) and most importantly you gotta have INTEGRITY and wanna stick to it in the Hard Times (like now!). A ltta band don't know what they want in the Long Run. They have no PLAN. Unfortunately, this is a Business and without a Business Plan your band is doomed to failure in the long run. I come off like an ASSHOLE sounding like this, BUT it is the TRUTH! Anyone who has put out a record and had a band break up on them AFTER they have put things out (and spent lots of $$!) KNOWS what I am saying.

So to answer your question, I put out the MUSIC I LIKE by bands I know and TRUST will NOT screw me over and they sell enough for me to recover what I put into it. Sometimes it is Pop, sometimes it is Noise, Sometimes it is Jazz, sometimes it is Spoken Word, sometimes it is Punk, etc... Does that make sense?

Lately I have been doing my own music (as Howlin' Houndog!) Kinda a Beefheart/Sam the Sham/Tom Waits/Velvet Underground/Big Band Blues thing. It has been working out finacially for shows and product to a degree. It is still HARD though.

I also run a recording studio in Seattle Washington (another HARD Business to be in right now!) Being creative is NEVER EASY!!

THANKS for the Kind Words of Encouragement! Sometimes we all lose sight of WHY wh are doing this stuff!

Dave said:

If you don't mind me asking Erik, how long have you have your label for?

It took my label many years before we started breaking even, and eventually having enough profit to barely survive off of.

Nowdays, all indie labels are broke. Three out the five biggest independent(punk) distributors shut down all within 3 months. There are a bunch of distro's and smaller distributors still out there. We are fortunate to have great distribution both in the U.S and overseas, but it took a lot of money a lot of releases and many years to get to that point.

 I could go on for hours about the complete suck of running a label (remember Lumberjack Mordam? We were victim to that whole mess) within 3 months, we lost around 25,000 bucks, which is a ton of money for a small label. I almost threw in the towel as well, but decided to perservere. Everyone is having a hard time right now, so your deffinitely not alone.

 As much as it kind of sucks to have to do it, you have to try to pick up large national act's that are already doing really well. Once you get a few larger bands on your roster, it gives a boost to the smaller bands and releases.

 What kind of music do you release?

Mick & the Shambles - Lonely Nights Again 

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2elDAA94t6U

The L.A. Teens - Saturdays Child 

a wrist slashingly moody moaner.

Hi.  I just found "Soundation Studio" yesterday.  I used it a little, but I haven't read the manual, so I don't know how to use it well, but I think you can try some effects (including phaser) at there.  It means that you can use it without downloading!!

The Striped Bananas said:

What would we need?

Hey ho... i'll friend you - i'd be interested in sticking my drums on that (I'm in Paris by the way).

I'll ask if I can find a female voice around - you got any lyrics for that?

Hey there,

Thanks for your interest guys. Can you both "friend" me on here so I can email my demo. Can that be done via this system? If not, get in touch with your email addresses.

Cheers!

Chris

Hi Chris,

I'm a bassist primarily (and half-assed guitarist who plays acoustic & electric). I've been playing some form of instrument for the past 15 years. I'm heavily into Ramones, and quite a lot of other Punk, Pop Punk, Punk Rock etc...  I'm quite interested in this. Gimme a shout if you want more details, or contact info.

Brian

EDIT: btw, it's not entirely relevant but I'm in Dublin, Ireland.

hell yeah i'd love to lay some bass on that

Hey there!!

I want to make a 7" very soon - this is a recording only project so your location doesn't matter! I have guitar tracks and guide vocal, but need female vox, bass and drums! Music is fierce garagey new-wave in the vein of early Donnas, Loli and the Chones, Ramones. Really rough guitar with great tunes! I will finance the pressing of 500 copies. Join me!!! Age, inexperience etc irrelevant!

Thanks,

Chris

NMdT S13E03 .: One of these days we'll walk in the woods
http://nmdt.blogspot.com/2011/11/nmdt-s13e03-one-of-these-days-well-walk.html

01. Tortilla. old friends [SG/Belter/1971]
02. Friend and Lover. I want to be free [SG/Verve Forecast/1968]
03. Yankee Dollar. sanctuary [SG/Dot/1968]
04. Morning Sun (aka Mourning Sun). dark hair [SG/National General/1969]
05. Mortimer. dedicated music man [SG/Philips/1968]
06. Colours. love heals [SG/Dot/1968]
07. The Thousand Faces. a thousand faces [SG/ERA/1968]
08. The Roosters. one of these days [SG/Progressive Sounds of America/1966]
09. The Roosters. you gotta run [SG/Progressive Sounds of America/1966]
10. Morning Sun (aka Mourning Sun). let's take a walk in the woods [SG/National General/1969]
11. Sounds Unlimited. nobody but you [SG/ABC/1966]
12. The Frowning Clouds. all night long [SG/Saturno/2011]
13. The Guilloteens. wild child [SG/Columbia/1966]

I have a "Fender 30". Yes, that is the name of the amp. Great push-pull nobs, good crunch and very versatile. Lots of tube power and can plug into 8ohm cabs for bigger shows. Love it!

Hey you guys! Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for all the info!

VERY Cool video Id kill to see the lyres once idn if they ever make it close to nebraska

Here's a link to a cool radio show called Real Cool Time (hosts are on this board) where there's some video of The Lyres from the above mentioned Toronto show...Brian Young on bass, Rob Toad on guitar and probably Marky Toad on the drums and of course Monoman!!

http://realcooltimeradio.blogspot.com/

hahah thats good i will check it out

I just realized my cut and paste didn't work, Instead of Manby's Head's Hideout page link I posted the serial number for the belt on my vacuum cleaner.

Here's the link: http://garagepunk.ning.com/profile/manbyshead

Jeff just played a show in Toronto this past weekend w/Crummy Stuff as his backup band...doing Lyres stuff i would assume as that's the way the show was billed.

Mitch Wilwerding said:

wow man are you missing out off the top my favorite song has gotta be "The Way I Feel About You" I really like em i wonder what jeff "mono man" is doin these days

Ben Simon said:

I need to listen to the Lyres more. I just know "Help You Ann" and "Don't Give It Up Now."

That live Lyres album on Crypt is a must-have, too.

Alexander said:

Yes,"The way...." is a great song-I like most the cd"the early years79-83"(Crypt records),because it has this raw garage sound.I saw them once in Berlin in the 80`s-it was amazing-LYRES rule!!!But DMZ are also VERY VERY good.

hell yeah ameh brother

Alexander said:

Yes,"The way...." is a great song-I like most the cd"the early years79-83"(Crypt records),because it has this raw garage sound.I saw them once in Berlin in the 80`s-it was amazing-LYRES rule!!!But DMZ are also VERY VERY good.

Yes,"The way...." is a great song-I like most the cd"the early years79-83"(Crypt records),because it has this raw garage sound.I saw them once in Berlin in the 80`s-it was amazing-LYRES rule!!!But DMZ are also VERY VERY good.

wow man are you missing out off the top my favorite song has gotta be "The Way I Feel About You" I really like em i wonder what jeff "mono man" is doin these days

Ben Simon said:

I need to listen to the Lyres more. I just know "Help You Ann" and "Don't Give It Up Now."

I need to listen to the Lyres more. I just know "Help You Ann" and "Don't Give It Up Now."

but £££

Wow, so now yesterday we opened for them, and they were so fucking great! Can't believe they made such a huge and interesting sound with only two people. And nice guys they are, too! I hope they come back to Southern Germany again, it was a blast!