Will Sonic Youth bother to sign a new label?
 

n/a

they have their own labels they can use, Ecstatic Peace, Smells Like Records, but what is neede for a band as big as sonic youth is distribution. That distribution deal is the crucial one.

DON'T GO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WUV YOUUUU!!!!!!!!!!

I got the impression that Radiohead's "new trend" is simply an anti-leaking thing. Chasing Rainbows, or whatever it's called, is going to get a record company release some time in early 2008, isn't it?

Ecstatic Peace has a sweet distribution deal... you can buy Awesome Color CDs in HMV.

don't shop in HMV, unless you absolutely have to. Its the devil.

I know. I was just saying, thats how good the deal is.

From what I remember from a feature heard on NPR the "new Radiohead idea" is indeed an attempt to stop anti-leaking and free file sharing that is on the internet for their album. but to me is only a temporary solution and certainly not long term.

No, they will put out records through Starbucks. How cool is that? And it's a trend too, so it's cool and trendy to match. Caramel-flavoured noise 7'' singles are on the way.

Why is HMV the devil, s/skull? Explain yourself.

I beg your pardon???? What's that all about?

the radiohead album is being sold without any copy protection, so ayone can download it for a buck and make a million copies and sell them if they so wish.

any large music store chain is the devil. i only shop in little independent places now.

And with shots of mp3's

Doesn't sound like something Sonic Youth would do, their love of physical releases is well known. Nine Inch Nails, however, just fulfilled their contract obligations and seem exactly like the band to follow Radiohead's example but with probably more fanfare on their side as opposed to Radiohead's "oh, we finished it, here yah go."

(to s/skull)
I'm not sure that there are any record shops that I would really think of as warm and fuzzy. The ones run by musicians (Boa Melody Bar and Mimaroglu, for instance), come fairly close, but, at the end of the day, no matter how good the intentions at the start, all record stores are there so that someone can make a living.

Yes agreed sonicl, I have no qualms at shopping at a regular store than an independent one. I usually go to the independent to find something I am looking for.

its just the independent places are cheaper, and they almost always have what you want. I'd rather keep them in business. i hate for them to close down.

I agree with you on the point about not wanting small businesses to close down, but not the one about price. There's a lot of stuff that you still have to pay silly prices for at the independents.

Anyway, I'm off now. I'm going to see Cowboy Junkies play this evening - a band that has a remarkably good business model, selling it's "major" releases though "The Man", but also selling other releases exclusively through its own website at very reasonable prices.

One name: Rough Trade. Not exactly a cheap record shop.