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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "MTN HIGH" <mtn-high@msn.com> |
| Subject | Re: obscure critic reference points and Stewat's soapbox |
| Date | Thu, 17 Jul 2003 21:57:30 +0000 |
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>From: Stewart Mason <flamingo@theworld.com>
>Reply-To: audities@smoe.org
>Erm...I think you're significantly overstating the amount of legwork
>involved in discovering these bands -- or any bands, for that matter. I
>didn't know a single one of these bands at the time -- bear in mind that in
>1988, when all of these groups were active, I was living in San Angelo TX,
>a perfectly pleasant little town but not a hotbed of musical activity --
>and I discovered them all simply by virtue of rooting around in the
>remainder bins. You don't have to be in some hip college town to do this.
>In fact, the best trolling grounds are often mall record stores in small
>cities like...well, Fort Collins, a city that's big enough to have some
>fairly large record stores but not so big that a lot of people have gotten
>to the bins before you. It's really simple: go to the mall and duck into
>FYE, Sam Goody, Musicland, Hastings, whatever you've got. Towards the back
>of the store, there will be a large unorganized bin marked "Clearance."
>Dive in and look for albums with covers that look interesting, or by bands
>you've heard people talk about on Audities, or on labels you know you like,
>or produced by people you know. Most of these discs will cost anywhere
>from 10 cents -- if you're in a Hastings in January, when they're having
>their annual clearance sale -- to $4 apiece, and if you're buying a pile,
>you can usually say to the guy behind the counter "I'll give you $25 for
>the lot" and he'll take it, because that keeps him from having to ring them
>all up. It gives you an enormous pile of new-to-you music to check out for
>the price of a couple of list-price CDs, and if there's some stinkers in
>the lot, you can either trade them in at one of your local used record
>stores or simply toss them out!
Again...I don't live in a major metropolitan area. There are 3 disc stores
in my area. 2 carry nothing but Classic Rock, the latest kid/trend bands,
and the Billboard Top 100. The other, while definitely possessing more
selection in a wide variety of genres, languages, etc. carries very little
pop/powerpop (i,e. whatever might make it to the radio). Hell...I couldn't
even get 'em to bring in Todd cd's back in the day because I was the only
one in town who bought 'em...
FWIW, I've never seen a Hastings in CO...although I could of easily been
stoned and missed it. The nearest Sam Goody is 45 miles away...and I was
there yesterday and couldn't find anything I'd heard discussed here lately
beyond Liz Phair. (Sloan's "Navy Blues" was the last disc that I found there
that amazed me that they had it) Musicland *was* also 50 miles away before
it closed recently because the "mall" it was in is dying a slow/painful
death. (K-Mart is the largest store...giving the term 'anchor store" an
entirely new meaning...)
On another point: None of the local stores have a "Clearance" section (a bit
of used here and there, but not much pop ever surfaces) . At $26-30+ dollars
per sq ft and up for rent...the stores here are small and can't afford to
stock/take up space with anything that isn't $15 and up/doesn't sell
multiple copies. Most discs are full retail...and while they'll knock 10%
off for being a "local"...all that does is negate the 10%+ tax that is added
onto the sale. Additionally, I'd bet $100 that the owner wouldn't know who
Vomit Launch was...and she's been in the retail biz for 25+ years and has
stocked/sold a lot of CD's. (she obviously didn't go to college in the 80's
either...just like me)
Oh yeah...and the clean air and mountain views are the only things free
here. (the best things in life)
Anything else of a retail nature is 100+ miles away. (in both distance and
stocking of audities type tunes) Ft. Collins is 150+ miles away. (and I know
which store to hit there without being told)
So...I take it that you regularly travel 45-150 miles one-way to buy your
tunes? (that's only a *bit* of legwork...right?)
>It might be easier
>to simply continue talking about how there's no good music to be found
>where you live and everyone on Audities talks about bands you've never
>heard of rather than make this kind of relatively small effort.
I've gleaned a lot of new selections from this list...and in turn...have
spread the word as best I can when I find something that I feel that others
may like. No, it isn't on a grand/overblown scale...and yes it *is* a small
effort compared to your in-depth offerings here...
BTW...thanks so much for the shopping lesson. I started digging in the bins
at age 6 (in 1964) and I cringe now to think of all of the music I must have
passed up/missed before you so kindly explained to me how it was all done.
What a guy. (applause)
P
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