Generally, the glory 90´s with the big big sales are over ! 

The Pearl Jam vs album sold 1993 nearly one million physical copies in the FIRST week. Today you are in the top 10 of the Billboard Charts with nearly 40 000 sold copies ( sales as total sum).

Back to the roots and maybe anyday a garage punk band will be in the Top 10 with 1000 sold copies !

Store distribtion is not of the same importance that it used to be, and becasue of the increased cost and work needed many labels would prefer if they didn't have to do brick-and-mortar (phsyical) distribution at all!  Of course it is cool to see your record at a good local store -- but it just plain isn't as practical as it used to be.

With a niche product like garage-psych, mailorder is the best way to go for a limited release -- and then making sure a dedicated audience like the one here at the Hideout knows that it exists! Whether that can be done effectively by the band alone or if there is more advantage to partner with a label is my real question.

I have had dozens of releases on small labels and almost all went very wekll for the band -- but times have really, really changed, lol. Still, I like the idea of being on a label with other bands I really dig.

And finding like-minded people to partner with is certainly the key, I agree. Thank you for your thoughts!

 
kopper said:

I guess it depends on the sound, more than anything. There are lots of great labels out there still putting out vinyl (In The Red, HoZac, Goner, SS, Birdman, Trouble in Mind, etc.). Most of them are very small but have good distro and some even have pages here on the Hideout. The key is finding one that will like what you do and want to release your record and be able to get it in the most stores.

Ah yes, we were proud to be on Get Hip for our 2nd 45 and 2nd & 3rd album "back in the day."

A great label still, but with all the work needed for the Cynics, it can be difficult to get something going with them...but a great suggestion. Thanks!

Yes, I think you summed it up:  this kind of limited release is for the hardcore collector enthusiasts -- those of us who really love this kind of music, and for people like us the combination of a digital/CD release with some vinyl makes it more special.

Of course the fact that garage "fans" themselves are making it so difficult for indie bands (by sharing/downloading so much gdigital stuff for free) is another story!

But I am determined to have a vinyl 45 made, one way or another, to go with our CD box set! :)

I agree that vinyl is the best way to go to have a release that is truly special -- but should a band now go-it-alone to press their own stuff or still partner with a label? I never considered that when we were releasing records regularly in the 1980s and 1990s, but as was said above, it's now a lot more difficult...

Thee Retroman said:

I think vinyl is the only way to truly enjoy garage music!

I still remember in my early teens flickin' through the 60's section in my local record store,with shakey hand's in anticipation of comin' across a Kinks or Pretty Things pic sleeve.

I felt the same way when i held our first singles.

"CD's?" Nah,not for me i'll stick with the vinyl......or so i thought back then.

These days i'm not so sure of how much publicity comes from a release.Alot of the record companies we used in the 90's hit hard times and no longer exist (or now put out very limited runs of their releases)

It pains me to admit it but digial is prob. the way forward though my love of vinyl will never fade.("aaaahhhhhh")