Revisiting: Hold On, I'm Coming: The Independent Record Labels of Memphis, TENN.

 

   I'm not into self-promotion but I do think that I was on the money when I wrote this post about the independent record labels of Memphis Tennessee back in 2007 (based on a few books I'd read at the time).  Some of the stuff I say at the end has proven to be more true since we've learned more about the nature of the music streaming ecology, which, in 2007 barely existed.   I stand by all of what I wrote here back in 2007.

Originally Published 2007
Hold On, I'm Coming: The Independent Record Labels of Memphis, TENN.

Sun Studio Logo from Memphis Tennessee

Stax Records Logo

     It's a sad fact that those who like to wag their gums about what independent musical acts are 'good' or 'bad' are hugely ignorant of the actual history of independent music. Indie music didn't start with punk rock in the 70s- it extends back in time to the beginning of the music industry itself.
   

    I've been reading up on Sun Records and Stax: both from Memphis. Both were true indie record labels. Both had a decade plus long 'hey day' followed by descent to obscurity. And you know what? They had hits- for a time- then they didn't, and they disappeared. But man could they sell records back then.

    

     Take Stax- Stax sold almost entirely through mom and pop record shops located in "urban" neighborhoods- but the records sold. Here are some take aways from both stories: Hit records sell for a long time, a successful artist is someone who can sing a song written by someone else and make it into a hit, easy access to a recording studio is important.

      It's funny, because neither Stax or Sun had what you would call a "scene." In fact, if you actually look at the history of the independent music industry, you see that the idea of geographically specific "scene" doesn't reflect the reality of what independent records used to succeed.

   You can tell it's not the location that gives rise to the label, because indie labels typically disappear after the cluster of artists that rose to prominence either dies (Otis Redding, Buddy Holly) or is absorbed by the "major" labels of whatever era.

   Time and time again, independent record labels release a hit record, have trouble with expanding or being absorbed, fail to maintain their relationship with the artist who had the original hit, fail to duplicate the success with different artists over time and generally lose the personnel who were around during the glory days.

   I think the aspect of that is most applicable to the blog rock/indie scene of today is the relationship with the artist who has the original hit. I would hypothesize for the average independent record label starting in 2010 viability is an either/or. You either have an artist who sells or don't. I can't think of a single indie band where I would say it's the record label that "broke" the artist.

    Almost every independent label of today wants an artist to "walk in the door" with a finished product. In that sense it is analogous to the 50s-60s Sun/Stax mode of production where artists would come from the surrounding hinterland to record, and the labels would cherry pick the best, and the records would then sell. That is almost exactly what happened with bands like Wavves, Crocodiles and Dum Dum Girls.

   Neither Sun nor Stax had anything resembling "A&R": They literally relied on people coming in off the street. Another similarity between then and now is the phenomenon of sales independent of the largest institutional players in the music industry. Perhaps this sounds circular- but all you need to sell records is a place to sell records and a reliable postal service. The places that sell records are always looking for records to sell- it never ends.

   I would refer to this phenomenon (then and now) as a "fragmented marketplace." By fragmented marketplace I mean a marketplace geographically dispersed, unclear preference for format, no common sources of information, etc. While the disadvantages of a fragmented marketplace are obvious (Um- no one buys physical media, large sellers of physical media disappear) some of the advantage are less obvious.

    For example, one of the advantages of a fragmented marketplace is something I call an "infinite roll out." I'm using "roll out" in it's public relations/advertising period as in

ROLL OUT: The time period in which a new company, service or product is introduced to consumers.

     My thesis is that fragmented marketplaces give you basically an infinite amount of time to introduce your product/album/etc to the market place. Independent labels exist in a place that is beyond quantifiable time in that regard. They are not on the schedule, not on the list of "new releases."

   Here's the conclusion: In this context the label is just a conduit for the artist- it doesn't extend beyond whatever artist has a hit. But it's the environment provided by the label to the artist that allows the artist to have the hit, in that sense the label is both wholly unnecessary and completely indispensable at the same time.