avalanche records

Archive for March, 2014

I’ll monitor sales and delete as stock runs out

Payment by PayPal avalancherecords@hotmail.couk

P+P for LP/12″ £3, 2xLP £4, box sets £7, CD £1, posters £4

Multiple orders take most expensive p+p and then add half of p+p for other items. If in doubt just ask !

All second hand vinyl in great condition (ask if you need more details)

New vinyl

Frightened Rabbit / Manchester Orchestra / Grouplove RSD13 12″ £4

AGARR Fun While It Lasted II red vinyl LP £3

Beirut – Gulag Orkestar LP £12

White Stripes – S/T, De Stijl + White Blood Cells £16 each

Boards of Cnada – Music Has The Right To Children 2xLP £18 + The Campfire Headphase 2xLP £16

Maximo Park – Too Much Information LP £15

The National – Trouble Will Find Me box set £35

The National – Boxer, Alligator + The Virginia EP £15 each

Mogwai – Rave Tapes box set £55

The Postal Service – Give Up box set £25

Low – Christmas LP £10

Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Aeroplane Over The Sea CD £5

Biffy Clyro – Blackened Sky 2xLP £20

Pixies – Wave of Mutilation (best of) 2xLP £18

Radiohead – The King of Limbs £15

Second hand vinyl

The Beatles – 1967 – 1970 2xLP blue vinyl £20

The Beatles – 1967 – 1970 2xLP black vinyl £15

The Beatles – 1962 – 1966 2xLP black vinyl £15

The Beatles – Live! at the Star Club in Hamburg 2xLP £15

Aphex Twin – Donkey Rhubarb 12″ + Digeridoo 12″ £12 each

Posters

Nirvana – In Uturo 20th anniversary 60″ x 40″ promo fly poster £20

Metronomy – Love Letters 60″ x 40″ promo fly poster £10

And as they say you weren’t expecting that ! I’ve always maintained that RSD was about celebrating with record shops and the product really should be secondary. We have had some amazing performances while we have been in the Grassmarket and frankly I didn’t feel we could top it. I wanted a celebration and something a little different. Luckily being in a constant state of flux at the moment gave me the opportunity to do something different.

We will settle down I promise you but for the four days around RSD we will be based at the Ceilidh Culture Street Fair on Castle Street / Princes Street. The location could not be more central and hopefully we can bring the Avalanche way to a new audience and not just those queueing for whatever their favourite artist is and then politely leaving never to return until the next RSD.

There is a stage and slots for five bands and Avalanche will be curating the whole day’s entertainment. Those who want a pre RSD look around can come along on the Friday and of course there will be plenty of time to come along on the Sunday and Monday if you can’t make it on Saturday. There will be music every day and stalls promoting the very best of Scottish crafts, fashion, jewellery, food and drink. We aren’t looking to top what we have done before but I’m confident we will achieve something different.

Unlike other years when folk have just turned up, got their limited editions and then disappeared I’m really hoping people will take the opportunity to look through not only the fantastic selection of vinyl and posters we carry every day but also spend time seeing what else is on offer in the marquee. We have always been lucky with plenty of people coming along for the bands and a browse and I’m sure that will continue.

Hopefully this year the RSD vinyl will be cheap enough that kids can afford one each but if not we wil have plenty of great albums starting from £1.

Also in clearing the shop I’ve found some amazing posters covering all genres that will be on sale on the day. As this was literally only finalised yesterday, and thanks to handupmedia for all their help with that, there are no bands yet to announce. Before you ask Dan is somewhere between Manchester and Cardiff on the day so will not be reprising his Lana Del Rey cover.

 

 

All those tweets in one place.

Whenever you see official figures saying how well “indie stores” are doing you think it means independent high street shops don’t you ?

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Actually “indie stores” include the “indie” labels + their distributors + online sellers who sell releases for artists.

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So when “indie stores” are doing so well now it is because artists, labels + distributors are doing a great job selling direct to customers.

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Shops are in fact selling less + less + in many cases none at all as they are not allowed stock.

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Of course once a year this all changes for RSD. But for those selling exclusive releases directly for the rest of the year every day is RSD

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@avalanche_edin

So Avalanche’s focus will be shifting considerably and things are well in hand. While I will indeed be tidying up and adding to the website I also needed this time off to finalise our label and merchandise plans. With announcements very close I won’t give you a series of  ifs and buts now but wait for things to be finalised. We do indeed have a worldwide label deal agreed for the Avalanche label founded in 1989  but my focus for the last three years has been to get our best new bands to a far wider audience and while I am close that side of things is by no means as yet a done deal.

We still get many visitors to the shop based purely on our reputation for releasing some seminal New Zealand music and 80’s and 90s Scottish bands. I have no idea if this discogs list is definitive  http://www.discogs.com/label/43917-Avalanche-Records-2 but it will introduce those unaware of Avalanche’s history to those artists we supported. Believe me everything about running a label today is easier given today’s technology and in particular email and mobile phones. However now there are new challenges to actually get great music out to those who want to hear it and this is my focus.

I have had some very generous financial offers to help with the shop and they will be considered in due course given the current situation with HMV and FOPP already well documented. I really had every intention of being open for Record Store Day and still do but one more list of ridiculous releases or the announcement of a Boyzone/Westlife split single and I may change my mind.  

Given Saturday was by far our busiest day I’m very pleased to announce we will in the meantime have a stall at the Grassmarket market selling our usual range of new vinyl, our best second hand vinyl along with some bargain boxes and of course a selection of our best posters. There will even be the odd CD and DVD.

Many, many thanks for all the kind words and apologies to those I haven’t acknowledged yet. Also a big thank you to those who have sent often very helpful advice with regards to the website and social media. Again I do hope to find time for more personal replies.

As I have said already as a label I will never underestimate the value of the support of the remaining shops in the UK and of course Avalanche’s many friends worldwide. There will hopefully be more label news and indeed more news too on our ever expanding range of posters and prints very soon. There may even be news on those 30th anniversary celebrations !  

Sunday at the latest I promise. Going with classic good news / bad news / good news combination with the bad news not being that bad hopefully ! What is needed in the meantime is two days of Record Store Day proportions. So what is there to tempt you ? 14 boxes of vinyl at £1 each and 2,000 great LPs from £5 to £10. Nobody who has been through them has failed to be amazed with every genre represented. There is a very special offer on the dance 12″s 0f 50 for £25 and also 25 x 7″s for £5.

Most of the DVDs are now £1 each including some box sets. There are over 1,000 CDs at £1 each and  two large racks of classic CDs at 3 for £10. Best of all is the 3 for £15 CD section of mostly full price CDs. Many of the fly posters are at £5 or less and I’ve just put out a bunch of newly discovered posters. 

There is a crate of reduced new vinyl on the counter which is again all good stuff and all the classic Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire, Biffy Clyro, Mogwai, The National, Pixies etc titles are all in stock along with the new White Stripes reissues on Third Man.

We are down to one large green Avalanche t-shirt I’m afraid. Such is the demand I’m going to do a presell for our next order. There are a few hoodies left but not many. I’ve also dug out all the books and magazines we have which are available for £1 to £3. 

Something for absolutely everybody so do come along and send us off in style. Cheers !

Great news in that the large container + toilet parked outside has been moved around the corner thanks to Georgia @GrassmarketEdin

I was reliably informed that nobody cares about a sale these days unless it is a closing down sale + so far that has proved true.

We have an amazing amount of stuff at fantastic prices (one French guy today bought 26 CDs, a DVD box + poster). Another 14 LPs at £1 each.

We really do need to clear the CDs + DVDs in particular + at least make a dent in the vinyl. Turning stock into cash ASAP is the priority !

Everything else is going so well + more on that very soon I promise but the cash raising bit has been a disaster despite our best stock ever

So if you could all just pretend it is a massive closing down sale + come along tomorrow that would be great 1000s of CDs DVDs + LPS £1 each

Obviously a few of you will be praying it is a closing down sale but for rest our last day in this shop is still planned for next Saturday.

I’ll be as clear about future as I can be by next Friday. There is a lot of very good news but I really do need to get shop finances sorted

For those asking we do also have a fantastic selection of posters on a buy 3 and get a 4th free. Great offer as most buy 2 or 3 posters.

And yes the deal applies to the fly posters already reduced to £5 and under.

Borrowing from our American cousins here is an opportunity to help finance the shop’s move and save some money especially if you are somebody who spends big on Record Store Day. Buy an Avalanche gift voucher which will be valid from Saturday April 19th and gain an extra 20% free so a £12 voucher costs only £10 etc.

Available in the shop of course but also online 

http://vsilly.com/avalanche_shop/index.php?id_product=136&controller=product