...

I needed some little plastic things that only Woolies sells, so I popped over there this lunchtime. <snip> I went over to the record section - <snip> to look at the Woolworth's Top 75 to find TW*TTYBUS at number...ermmm...it wasn't there at all! <snip>

when we were shipping out the pre-orders of the album a strange thing came over us, a weird desire came over us to help the little indie stores and to not give a shit about the big chains who hadn't stocked b&s before and were now doing so just to make the moeny and not because they cared for the music.

so when woolies asked the distribution company for a similiarly ludicrous discount that they get from EMI and Sony, (i.e. cheap and include the album in a buy 2 get 38 free type offer!), we just told

umm.... I take sort of serious issue with the following.... I mean, supporting indie stores and all is great, yes, but the unfortunate truth is that most Mom + Pop record stores don't exist outside of major urban centers around the world anymore. In my hometown, in the United States, your only option to get any music AT ALL was to drive for an hour and a half to get to a Woolies-style establishment. Driving to an indie store takes anywhere between six and twelve hours round trip. In other words, not an option. Point being, Belle and Sebastian have made records that could not only conquer the world but bring a measure of unvarnished goodness into it, and I think the merchandising department's hobbling them is not only a sin but a darn shame. If love of music was what really drove your department you'd be selling your CD's at the price it cost you to manufacture them.... no? Of course not. I think that it would be wise to jump on every chance to get their music out there now, before their talent dries up and goes away and they become an embarrassment to their former selves like the Average White Band or something. Driving back to my hometown (nine hours each way) I put in "If You're Feeling Sinister" and my PearlJam/Dave Matthews-obsessed traveling partner was nearly in tears at having a whole new, better world revealed to him, joyous and unbelieving. This is no shit, brothers and sisters. With a "Fox In The Snow" He Was Healed. Anyhow. Nuff tirade. Get the word out. them

to go get screwed and pay the dealer price without whinging.

we gave what discount we could afford to places like 'rough trade', 'fopp' and 'missing' who are all lovely stores and actually love the music.

woolies should've gone back on their decision to not buy any since we hadn't given them discount, since we had got into the official charts. but who cares if woolies have it or not - if you've yet to buy it or need to buy more in the run up to christmas, then give your money to an indie. go to 'rough trade' even if it means an extra bus ride or something.

when you buy an 'indie' record you help to support new music and a label that trys to bring new music to you. but if you buy from a major store then you're only helping them to dictate what you'll buy next through supporting their policies - so buy through an 'indie' store too and help support the outlets for the new music that's created.

you know it's the right thing to do :)

david kitchen

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