Record Store Day: A Celebration of Independence and Music Fandom

The staff at Sound Fix seems a bit perplexed by the crush of customers, spilling into the back corner of the north Brooklyn music boutique on what might otherwise be a slow weeknight. “We’re not the band”, offers up a store clerk, half-jokingly, at the faces staring expectantly over the counter. Curiously, when Scott Hutchison and Gordon Skene of Scottish band Frightened Rabbit arrive, the crowd keeps a respectful distance, despite the band’s notorious approachability and rapport with their fans. With time to kill, the band meanders a bit, until pressed by anxious handlers aware of the need for a quick getaway for the band’s gig at Webster Hall, a few hours later. In an instant, Scott and Gordon pick up and go, and an artificial barrier between performer and audience melts away. Scott, the primary songwriter and leading figure in the band, jeers several absentee bandmates who never made it out of their hotel room, and then cheered by the crowd’s enthusiasm, encourage requests, declaring, “This is your moment.”

The crowd, most holding tickets to the band’s sold out show, respond in kind with a cacophony of requests. Scott hears something that he construes as questioning his manhood. Scott teases the fan, then riffs on his own manhood, leading Scott to declare that if he were in fact to give up on women forever, he would settle on the dapper lead from Mad Men. Launching into the band’s well-known tune, “Keep Yourself Warm”, Scott’s mood switches from giddiness to feigned horror. “You know we’re going to play this song as the headliner, and if I go up there thinking about the guy from Mad Men, I won’t be able to keep it together and the show will be a disaster.” The crowd roars appreciatively, feeling that they’ve been let in on a little pre-show secret. After nearly an hour with their fans, the band’s reps finally succeed in whisking them away.

In the midst of a prevailing mood of doom and gloom for the music industry, the spirit of independent artists, along with their counterpart, the independent record record store, continue to offer a beacon of hope in the midst of a prolonged recession. The End of Days for the independent record store would seemingly occur with the emergence of national record chains such as Tower Records and the ubiquity of music at brick and mortar book stores like Barnes & Noble, while digital downloads foretold the decline of CDs, and the complete evisceration of vinyl.

Yet, in the most puzzling development for industry observers, it has been the national record store chains and brick and mortar stores that face obsolescence, while independent record stores have not only weathered the recession, but have prospered, demonstrating a resilience in line with the DIY spirit that has allowed independent artists to thrive despite conditions that have resulted in major hits to the top line major labels and entertainment conglomerates, the cancellation of numerous tours, and ongoing consolidation as labels pare artist development budgets.

Record Store Day: A Celebration of the Independent Record Store

The independent spirit is best exemplified by Record Store Day, a day where artists and retailers find common ground with music fans through a special day of new releases, promotions, and in-store performances, occurring simultaneously worldwide. The fourth annual Record Store Day, set for this Saturday, April 16th, the brainchild of a collection of independent music retailers, fosters an appreciation for a more nostalgic time, when the record store was the focal point of interaction and served as a primary channel, before iTunes, hype blogs, and satellite radio for discovering new music. Record Store Day occurs at a fortuitous time in the music calendar when artists typically are ready to introduce new material and prepare for the summer festival season.

Michael Kurtz, Executive Director of the Music Monitor Network, a coalition of independent music stores, and one of the co-founders of Record Store Day, credits the success of the day to the tireless efforts of local record stores, who “don’t want to feel beholden to anyone and want to cut their own path”, along with the enthusiasm of artists who were critical in both promoting, and creating special product for the event. The enthusiasm of artists in giving back by participating in Music Store Day is a shared appreciation by artists, fans, and retailers alike, and is a reflection of the inner music store geek within every musician. One can imagine a teenaged Michael Stipe striking up a quick friendship with Peter Buck, at a campus record store in Athens, Georgia, communing over their shared love for Patti Smith and Television.

Last year, Record Store Day, reached new heights in terms of participation by retailers, quadrupling to over 1,600 stores, with stores nationwide generated their largest day of sales since 1991, and the biggest day of sales for vinyl in history, according to data released by Neilson Soundscan. Record Store Day continues to grow both in scope and ambition. What started out as perhaps more out of a spirit of defiance demonstration has evolved into a widespread celebratory mood, embraced by a diverse range of artists, both emerging and established, who recall a more innocent time when the Saturday morning visit to the record store was a voyage of discovery.

If Record Store Day 2011 is anything like last year’s event, it should be a blast. In a scene replicated across the country, the environment was part Easter-egg hunt, garage sale, and open mike night. A festive mood prevails at Generation Records in New York, as a steady flow of shoppers laden with vinyl and swag clogged the sidewalks. While commerce flourished upstairs, with exclusive new releases flying off the shelves against the backdrop of the constant din of the cash register teletype, the loose vibe of the basement, a cross between the Cavern Club and That 70’s Show rec room, was fueled by a free flow of beer. Local heroes Cymbals Eat Guitars take time off from breakout festival appearance to kick things off around noon. Despite a seemingly makeshift setup with musicians in the corner by the rotting budget vinyl, and fans squeezed between racks, the latest the latest round in the battle royale between cymbalist Matt Miller and guitarist Joseph D’Agostino, resonates well, a testament to Generation’s prudent investment in a PA built into the basement.

Rusty, Generation’s buyer, attests to the go with the flow nature of the day. “Andrew WK strolls in to store and very nonchalantly says, ‘Hey, I’m Andrew, I’m here to spin some records.’” Andrew WK poses for camera phone shots, while showcasing diverse tastes ranging from Johnny Lydon’s screed against the evils of EMI, to the riot-grrl intensity of the Runaways, an elegiac Gary Numan number and a sunny ditty by the B52s. The excitement continues as world beat collective Budos Band keeps the capacity crowd bopping into the evening.

The mood at Other Music, near Washington Square, is more reverent, more geek than chic. Customers race against time, as the list of available Record Store Day releases is continuously redacted. Celebrity DJs such as Avey Tare of Animal Collective and Scott from the National establish an ambient shopping mood. A shopper observes David Fricke of Rolling Stone shopping, circles his prey, and then exasperated at not quite being able to place him, sputters “I know you’re famous, I’ve seen you on TV.” The store closes and then reopens for in-store performances by local heroes the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and the Drums. Kip Berman, the lead singer of Pains, summarizes the artist/fan bond of the day by sharing one of his first memories of the city as a kid: taking the train with his dad and shopping at the store, only to be playing the store ten years later.

At Reckless Records in Chicago, an independent store located in the heart of Wicker Park, steps from the fictitious location of John Cusack’s store in High Fidelity, fans line up around the block, but are extremely sympathetic to the crowds, cool to the prospect of a very rare in-store performance by trumpeter Phil Cohran, one of the original members from Sun Ra Arkestra, who lingers around to sell his own merchandise.

What has made Record Store Day special is the degree of collaboration between artists and retailers, much initiated by the artists themselves. The industry, quickly recognizing the value that a new generation of fans (and older fans who are rediscovering the vinyl of their youth) have in collectables, now views Record Store Day as an opportunity to build upon the momentum of the resurgence of interest in vinyl. The National Association of Record Manufacturers (NARM) was an early supporter.

The industry upped the ante significantly, with $1.5 million of wholesale products made especially for Record Store Day worldwide, compared with a scant $15,000 in 2009. Popular special collector edition releases ran the gamut from Rolling Stones release of a 7-inch with an unreleased track from Exile on Main Street, to the Beastie Boys, to breakout artists such as the Dum Dum Girls and Beach House. The range of goodies included a John Lennon bag and Devo domes. The major labels made a wide range of artists available for in-store performances, and threw their marketing and street team muscle behind the day on an unprecedented level. EMI took a PT Barnum approach with its “High School Battle of the Bands” contest, awarding the winner equipment, the services of producer Jack Ponti, and placement on a Record Store Day release. Labels got behind the day with celebrated in-store performances including Smashing Pumpkins at Amoeba Records in Hollywood, and a performance by Drive by Truckers at Harvest Records in Asheville, NC which was streamed live. One of the biggest supporters was WEA, which had over 70 commercial releases, tied in with marketing campaigns, and had 82 artists participate through in-store appearance or at the Zia Coachella tent. The results have justified the industry’s investment. While record store day produced a steady increase of sales by 135.4% compared to 2009, vinyl sales increased by a whopping 370%.

Despite topping all expectations, can Record Store Day serve as more than a rallying point for independent record stores? Is there a future for independent record stores, once deemed obsolescent by digital downloads, as part of a critical series of strategies reconnecting fans to artists? Opinions within the industry are mixed.

Independent Records Stores: Model for Success?

In the past, record stores have worked with local artists through consignments. Reckless Records buyer Dave Hofer notes that Reckless will generally work with anyone that‘s willing to work hard to support their release, so as to counter the reputation of the elitist record store. Hofer points to local artists such as local alternative marching band Mucca Pazza that labored to promote sales of their debut CD through word of mouth referrals. Ultimately success is dictated by how much effort the artists contribute. Reckless extends its support to the local community by partnering with local home grown music venues such as Empty Bottle and Schubas to offer free tickets for select shows at the venue if customers purchase work by the artists. Reckless views these arrangements as critical to building good relations with local establishments and local artists, and in giving back to the community.

Other Music in New York has played an active role in the career development of emerging artists, through consignments, not surprising given the high density of bands in the area. Other Music tends to draw a lot of musicians so tends to sell a lot of vinyl. In general, New York is a competitive place where artists have to work hard — local artists such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol labored tirelessly at pushing sales of their first works.

Independent record stores that are thriving are the specialty destination stores catering to the hard core fans and collectors. While digital downloads continue to eviscerate sales of physical product, vinyl sales are offering consumers a tangible product. The linking of MP3s, digital download versions of tracks, and bundling of special offers like merchandise and additional tracks serving as a boon to collectors.

Michael Kurtz is bullish about vinyl’s prospects, and the success of vinyl to the overall success of the industry. While the fortunes of the music industry will still be tied to the sales of CDs, the success of select artists such as Animal Collective and Wilco on vinyl have alerted the industry to vinyl‘s potential. It is part of an explosion in interest that has placed a spring in the step of the artists and retailers alike, which has grown organically, capitalizing on the realization that fans valued ownership of physical product as a way of “making a connection” with their favorite artists. While initially it was about being able to acquire digital downloads of music, fans realized that “there is not much exciting about having ownership of a digital file”. This sentiment is shared by the artists themselves. Michael Kurtz notes that artists like vinyl releases, which in many cases they sell directly to record stores, as they offer a much higher margin per unit.

On the one hand, the demise of large music chains such as Tower and Virgin, has actually served as a boon to local independent record stores. The plummet in sales of physical product and decreased overall revenue have had a bit of cleansing effect. The universal sentiment among independent retailers is one of the cream rising to the top: destination record stores thriving largely at the expense of chains and big box stores which didn’t really know what they were doing with their music departments. In a sign that imitation may be the best form of flattery, big box stores, which have used sales of music as a loss leader for sales of higher margin items, have been selling vinyl and turntables in increasing numbers.

On the other hand, Dave Hofer of Reckless Records notes that the overall climate looks grim. While major releases and artists with deep support such as Wilco are available on vinyl, the major labels are generally reluctant to support vinyl and CDs. There has been some movement with reissues of catalogs on vinyl, particularly given the appeal of including download versions of the music, with the success of collectors edition versions creating a sense of urgency that has trickled over to some other soul and jazz vinyl releases. CDs generally are the major driver of business. While a major release like Vampire Weekend will sell a lot of copies, CD sales continue to shrink every year, and the increase of vinyl has not come close to offsetting the losses due to digital. “Record store day is not about to save the industry. The key is what happens with digital. Increases in digital sales explains why we continue to be down.”

In sum, it remains difficult to generalize from trends when it comes to local indie music stores. While the Coalition of Independent Music Stores offers coordinated support to record stores, record-store co-founder Kurtz notes that many local stores remain resolutely independent.

Indeed, Bill Daly, the owner of Crooked Beats, an indie record store in Washington, DC epitomizes this independent spirit. Bill has carved out a niche with a core independent community that harbors a which has a deep appreciation for the roots of the independent music scene of Washington, DC, symbolized by the DIY success of Fugazi, Minor Threat, Bad Brains and the free shows at Fort Reno that served as a coming age of experience for a generation of indie music fans. Bill initially experienced success working with a similar niche in North Carolina, where he cultivated a friendship with Mac McCaughan of Superchunk, founder of Merge Records, one of the most successful indie labels. Knowing his customer base, Bill gradually phased out his inventory of CDs. He has sold more vinyl than CDs for the last five years in a row, and his business has evolved to the point where 99% of all sales are on vinyl. While he will still sell CD releases on local labels like Dischord and a top 25 of indie pop, but his dedication to vinyl makes him a destination for customers, and for labels. Recognition by indie labels such as a top seller have forged a special relationship that allows him to get as many of 30 copies of highly sought vinyl releases such as the Magnetic Fields. For Bill, Record Store Day was a validation. “I had 200 people lined up on the sidewalk when our store opened. It was the best business we did in 13 years.” His dedication to the local scene continues with consignments with local artists and close friendships to the artists that helped build the scene. “Ian Mackaye lives a few blocks away. He comes by the store on a regular basis. Usually he’ll come by here first to tell us when he’s planning a new release or when he’s planning to do a show. Not surprisingly, if you look at our top sellers, it’s some combination of Merge artists like Cat Power or Ian’s work with the Evens.” Not surprisingly, he sees vinyl’s resurgence as enduring, noting that he’s sold 100 turntables in the last year.

Record Store Day’s Legacy: the portrait of the Artist as a Young Fan?

While Record Store Day remains a once a year phenomenon, its success points to a shared appreciation of preserving the person-to-person contact. Michael Kurtz has ambitious plans for Record Store Day, including international coordination through work with partners such as Rough Trade to get releases available in as many countries as possible. He also sees it as more of a recurring event. The success of the Record Store day tent operated by Zia at Coachella opens up the possibility of working at other festivals. The Coalition of Independent Record Stores, a national network of independent stores, has been working through the year to provide a united front to major labels and through its ThinkIndie offering, offering coordinated releases.

The vinyl revolution is consistent with the emerging business model for both enterprising DIY artists. The industry has always valued touring and audience exposure. But whereas promotions were viewed as a means towards the end of selling product, artists and labels are recognizing that fans are placing a tangible value of opportunities to interact directly with their favorite artists. Despite the impact of the recession on the top line and large scale tours, indie artists continue to thrive with continuous touring. In a sense, the traditional label driven business model has been turned on its head. Touring, once a loss leader to get people to buy product, has become the end in in itself. With digital distribution rendering physical ownership of the music inexpensive, enterprising artists are making music readily available, giving much of it away, and then cultivating a loyal following online and then recouping revenue through sales of merchandise and touring.

The independent artists that have thrived are the ones that have cultivated strong ties with their fans, utilizing social media to complement the direct contact with fans at the merch table and through mailing lists. An encouraging sign of greater independence, paralleling the resurgence of the indie record store, is the mastering of technology by artists who utilize social media as the means for organizing continuous contact with fans characterized by non-stop touring, local meet and greets, and instant fan polling in decisions ranging from cover art, track selection to new music. A sign of the times is the pop-up show, with a band making a non-advertised surprise appearance, with the intent of debuting the public performance of unreleased tracks, only to be serenaded by fans, already familiar with the new material.

In the end, the ability to realize the creative potential for artist-store-fan collaborations lies with the creativity and energy of the artists. Rusty, a buyer at Generation Music marvels at the lengths to which the band Fucked Up promoted a special custom 7-inch of its Daytrotter session by inviting record stores across country to submit pictures, illustrations or concepts for covers. The band ultimately awarded ten stores with special covers, including Generation Music (see attached). The success of vinyl sales, Rusty notes is linked to the tangible quality of vinyl, which allows people to show off the artwork, not the same as simply owning rights to a digital copy of a track. One of the more unique Record Store Day releases was hardcore legend Sick of It All’s release of its first single, which featured original covers left over from the original limited printing.

Collaborations between independent artists and retailers through in store performances now occur year-round, allowing fans the opportunity to enjoy unprecedented up-close and unscripted access to their idols. But whether the independent spirit represented by record store day can serve as a bellwether for the industry is yet to be determined. In the meantime, musicians and fans are enjoying the renaissance of interest in independent record stores, and the renewed support by the industry for vinyl and special releases. Rusty of Generation Music sums up this spirit: “It’s the independent labels that continue to think like fans, made up of people who are very passionate about music, that bringing excitement back to music.”

As I leave Generation, Rusty is having an animated discussion with a customer, debating the value of a rare 7-inch metal single, with the ardor of comic book fan boys. At the end of the day, the indie spirit lives on, through these everyday one-on-one interactions. On Saturday, April 16, on Saturdays to come, make it a point to visit your local record store and rekindle the excitement.