Re: (New) Rock Is Dead, Lifehouse video & a small plug

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

> Heard this rumor going around lately?

Keets:

As a music-seller, I feel I should comment on this (which certainly relates
to The Who).

> Isn't this where we discussed whether music should be "free" a little 
> while back?  Seems like that philosophy is catching on.  Implications? 

Implications? No more Rock/Pop artists, since they would not be able to do
it for a living anymore. Not good.

> That's the survey's spin.  But music retailers in this county aren't 
> seeing that trend.  

I see they've failed to take into account the rise of the used CD stores in
their survey. I can only tell you this much: I've been open just over 3
years, and was able to open a second store after a year, and my sales have
been rising pretty much from day one. Of late, I've been selling so much
that we now close on Mondays and go out into the state shopping for more
stock. So we're open one less day and making more money.
And there are more music stores in the area than when I opened, mainly in
high-rent areas like Malls, which would indicate to me that overall sales
are increasing.
On the other side of the coin: my average customer is not the 16 or 18
year-old, but between 20 and 40. Probably an even split between men and
women. Actually, I'd have to say that there are more young women than young
men. Course this could be because I'm so charming...

> Though the MP3 technology, computer users are able to sell or trade 
> copies of songs through the Internet, an activity that's causing major 
> headaches now for the music industry.

MP3's so far aren't quite up to the CD quality of sound, but they are
close. It helps if you decompress them a bit. It has been said the labels
intend to market the music via the internet rather than through retailers,
and MY prediction is that if they do the music will cost the same amount it
does today despite no manufacturing and distributing costs.
However, the idea here is that the music is "locked" and you pay for the
key. This will be hacked very quickly, I imagine, and that would end this
particular marketing idea. After the cat has been let out, unfortunately. I
fear that it will kill their business and retail also.
As for my particular used business, I see the effect coming a LOT slower. I
still get requests for 8-Tracks and LPs, after all, and while my prices are
lower than what they will be selling music for via MP3's I should still do
well. The biggest problem will be the lack of product after this selling
trend grows.
And that is why I've started carrying used DVDs.

> The size of the young age group is shrinking, Rosen said.  The 
> industry also has heard from many young people who didn't like much of 
> the new music put out last year, RIAA spokeswoman Alexandra Walsh 
> said.

Now THIS is certainly a factor. I sell more Classic Rock than anything
else, to young and "old."

> Some of the biggest rock stars of the past decade, such as REM, Pearl 
> Jam and U2, have discovered their influence on music buyers is 
> dropping dramatically.  

That is because (with the exception of Pearl Jam) their latest efforts have
sucked. In PJ's case, I think they hurt their career with a series of
lackluster albums and now must win back their reputation.
Ask me about the sales of artists like Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, 311,
Phish, Prodigy, Creed, Godsmack, Smashing Pumpkins, Widespread Panic,
Metallica...I can tell you that I have them in my racks just until someone
sees them.
This is also true of many Classic Rock artists, like the Stones, Pink
Floyd, Ozzy, Allman Brothers, & Led Zeppelin. Oh yeah; Lynyrd Skynyrd
shouldn't be forgotten, no matter how hard I try...

> Rock sales are highly dependent on radio airplay, and more stations 
> are playing oldies instead of new music, Rosen said.

That is because it's safer, since the Program Directors KNOW people like
these songs, and it's easier than taking a chance with new music. Too bad
it's so incredibly boring. Four of the five Rock stations here play mostly
if not all Classic Rock. I advertise on the fifth.

> Rock also is losing its dominant status to rap and rhythm 'n' blues.  
> Rap's stake in the marketplace has doubled over the past decade.  Rap 
> and R&B together accounted for 23 percent of sales last year, up from 
> 16 percent in 1989.

I find this figure to be the "odd man out," if you will. Rap, and to a
lessor degree Dance, have a very short shelf life. With a few exceptions,
after 6 months the hottest new bands are no longer sellable. Which makes it
damned hard for a used store. As a result, mine is two-thirds Rock music.

> Latin music also is booming.  It's sales went up 25 percent last year, 

Gee, maybe it's because an estimated 1000 Mexicans come over our border
every day? Ya think?

> Cost-cutting retailers such as Wal-mart and Best Buy are taking up a 
> larger share of the marketplace.

That, more than anything else, proves that price matters. Although again we
see used sellers being left out of the mix. And Wal-Mart (at least) raised
their prices just before Thanksgiving last year, to within a dollar or two
of the Mall price. Seeing as how they force artists/labels to censor their
music or risk not being sold in a Wal-Mart, I'm surprised ANY free-speech
advocate supports them by getting music there.

> seem "right" - anyone know if these films are still around (if they do
> exsist), and if so, will they be incorporated into the new Lifehouse
> project?

Kathy:

Have you heard the music? It's a substandard performance. Do we really want
to see the video?

As far as I know, none of it has ever gotten out either legitimately or
otherwise. Much like the `71/72 tour tapes (other than the four songs
officially released).

And I'd just like to throw this in, as Keith Moon was such a surf music
fan: I got the Surf boxed set from Rhino (COWABUNGA) on Monday, and
recommend it to those who would have an accurate history in their
collection of Rock music. It's excellent, although I miss the inclusion of
several non-surfing songs by the bands represented here. The first three
discs are the songs from 1960 to 1967, and the fourth is devoted to newer,
mostly Surf Punk bands between 1977 and 1995 (which is nice to get; I had
none of these songs).
While listening to the early stuff, it's easy to hear what Moon found
attractive in these songs. The sound quality, as should be expected from
Rhino, is fantastic.


            Cheers                           ML

"I play guitar all night and day/Just don't ask me to think.."
                                                                           
 Nils Lofgren