Indie Dispatches: Down the Rabbit Hole; 10 Essential Things To Do This Week
Sleigh Bells Debut LP Out this Week on Mom & Pop; Streaming on NPR
1. Listen to the debut Sleigh Bells LP Treats that is streaming on NPR’s First Listen
2. Check out the bountiful slate of great shows coming up in LA at the Hollywood Bowl this summer – She and Him with The Swell Season (July 18), Chemical Brothers, Yacht & Chromeo (August 29), Phoenix, Grizzly Bear & Girls (Sept 18), Vampire Weekend & Beach House (Sept 26) and of course Pavement, Sonic Youth & No Age (Sept 30)
3. Be thrilled that the latest albums by the Hold Steady Heaven is Forever (Vagrant Records), The New Pornographers Together (Matador) and Minus the Bear Omni (Dangerbird) all cracked the top 50 this week
4. Wish you were in the UK hanging out in your chalet with your music friends going to the latest ATP festival
5. Watch the debut video for “What’s In It For” by Avi Buffalo
6. Marvel at the fact that 1000 people came out to the recent Broken Social Scene instore at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles and buy a copy of their new album Forgiveness Rock Record on Arts and Crafts
7. Read Mike McGonigal’s excellent oral history of seminal nineties act Galaxie 500
8. Visit your local vinyl emporium to see if there are any more Record Store Day goodies floating around (you may be pleasantly surprised)
9. Download the new track “Lights” from Interpol and rue the fact that bassist Carlos D has left the band
10. Purchase the much praised new album High Violet from The National
11. Mark down the date for the 2010 Siren Festival in your calendar (July 17!)
-Cool Hand Luke
05.6.10Indie Dispatches: Many Questions, Few Answers… A Look at Growing Indie Label Rosters
Dangerbird Records Signs Milwaukee's Maritime
Last week Dangerbird Records announced another new signing, adding Milwaukee’s Maritime (featuring ex-members of The Promise Ring) to their growing roster. This follows the L.A. label’s recent inking of locals Fitz and the Tantrums in late April, and a slew of other high profile acts (Minus the Bear, Delphic, Hot Hot Heat) earlier this year. Sub Pop has also been on a signing spree of late, inking deals with Jaill, Coco Rosie, Papercuts and others so far in 2010. Looking at the Seattle label’s upcoming line-up of releases, it numbers at least two or three (often high profile) album releases per month; June alone has forthcoming records from Blitzen Trapper, Foals and Wolf Parade. This begs the question for some, if an independent label has an overflowing release slate, can they still guarantee the attention to detail that is expected?
Traditionally one of the main upsides to signing with an independent label is that they are able to dedicate the time and manpower to individual projects, concentrating on marketing an artist in the long term; a strategy opposite of the storied one and done scenario that is all too familiar on major labels. So is there such a thing as too many artists for an indie label?
Over at the Beggars Group – which is now comprised of 4AD, XL, Matador, True Panther, Rough Trade and more – the volume of releases is even more pronounced, releasing at times five albums per month. Their forthcoming schedule shows new records from The National, New Pornographers, Holy Fuck, Ariel Pink, Ratatat, Karen Elson and more… Is it despite, or because of this non-stop stream of releases that business at the Beggars Group is solid? According to Beggars head Martin Mills in a piece this week in The Register, the indie label group invests in 20 new acts a year, sees digital revenues around 50% of total and they’re moving albums, not just tracks. It seems their recipe includes serving many niches, not just a few or one, as past indie labels have… For now many are surely watching to see if recent independent records like Minus the Bear’s Omni and the Titus Andronicus Civil War opus The Monitor will meet their hefty sales potential. Only time will tell…
- Cool Hand Luke
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Indie Dispatches: L.A. gets Waved Out & Dangerbird’s Signing Spree
Dangerbird Records Signs Manchester's Delphic
The balmy Los Angeles weather had a whole stack of music fans and industry folk checking out bands on the rise, eating bacon-wrapped hot dogs and generally hanging out in historic Echo Park for the recent inaugural Waved Out Festival at the Echo/Echoplex. Kudos to the folks at Spaceland, who with help from Aquarium Drunkard put on the eastside event that was full of good vibes and from what we’re told is the first of what will be a series of similar affairs coming in 2010. Think of a mini-version of NY’s Siren Festival. The ‘one admission’ ticket across the two venues encouraged people to check out acts that they otherwise might have not investigated. This included local up-and-comers Gamblehouse and Atlanta’s The Coathangers, who came out with classic Pacific Northwest 90’s Riot grrrl rock swagger. The surprise of the day was San Francisco’s psychedelic Moon Duo – the two-piece is buzzing after some Pitchfork love for their recent SXSW shows. The all-day event was topped off with sets from Best Coast, the nom de plume of L.A. local Bethany Cosentino who has over 20k digital downloads and more than a couple premier indie labels in pursuit, followed by one of this year’s most-talked about acts at SXSW, Surfer Blood. The latter played to a packed room, including a heavy contingent of top brass from Warner Bros. Records. Their release Astrocoast has sold over 20k on Kanine Records, and many are wondering if they will be the next act from the indie to be launched onto a major label following Chairlift’s promotion to Columbia Records…
More from the indie label front as Dangerbird Records continues their signing spree. After recently announcing the addition of both Minus the Bear and Hot Hot Heat to their expanding roster, this week they added more international flavor by signing Manchester’s Delphic. The combo’s new album Acolyte debuted in the UK top 10 earlier this year and will see a June release in the states.
- Cool Hand Luke
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Fresh Ink: Me Talk Pretty, Christian TV & more…
Christian TV Signs to Universal/Motown
NYC rockers Me Talk Pretty have signed with newly minted Eight O Five Records/Universal. Jesse Beer Dietz with The MGMT Co. is handling management duties for the four piece ,who will see a release of their debut full-length We Are Strangers this spring; the album was produced by Noah Shain (Atreyu, As Tall As Lions, Nico Vega). The band has been hitting the road hard, with stints on last year’s Warped Tour and SXSW performances under their belt, we hear The Agency Group has nabbed the band for booking… Get more info and listen to a couple songs from the new album at www.metalkpretty.com… It looks like Universal/Motown has picked up Christian TV, beating out others who were vying for the electro-dance act whose new video for the barely-legal jam “When She Turns 18″ was pricking ears and turning heads… Jumping to another branch on the Uni tree, Universal/Republic has signed the San Diego-based Dynamite Walls… In slightly more dry ink, Jive is gearing up to take a big-rock swing with Miami’s Atom Smash, and local label Dangerbird Records has added Minus the Bear to their impressive indie roster.
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