Neko Case to Fans, Indie Stores: F*** You

Do NOT buy the new Neko Case record. At least, don't buy it at Best Buy. I was at one of the few independent record stores in DC looking to buy Ms. Case's latest, Middle Cyclone. They didn't have it. The reason? Her label, ANTI-, struck up a deal with the IKEA of consumer electronics to buy and distribute the album in mass volume. Best Buy is now selling the album for $7.99. This sale will be going on for two weeks. This would be fine if it wasn't for one thing. In those two weeks you probably won't see Middle Cyclone at most decent record stores because right now ANTI- is offering to sell it to independent record stores for $11.99. Therefore, if they wanted to compete with Best Buy, they'd only have to lose $4 a pop. Not bad, huh? Some people are going to laugh this off as not a big deal, something that happens all the time. Well, let me just say, it's usually not this extreme ($7.99?!), it doesn't happen all the time, and it's a growing trend amongst labels and artists that want the "cred" of being under the "indie" umbrella, but don't want to act the part. Given their past, I was surprised Pitchfork and some of the other outlets haven't reported on this, but then I remembered they tend to protect the artists they like. So shame on you, ANTI-. And shame on you, Neko Case. Rest assured, we'll have more on this soon. But I wanted to get an emergency red-faced rant in first. Now that I have, let me leave you with this quote from the queen pornographer herself:

"I hope I can comfort people a bit—maybe show people that making music is fun and accessible to them as well. I'm not out to become Faith Hill, I never want to play an arena, and I never want to be on the MTV Video Music Awards, much less make a video with me in it. I would like to reach a larger audience and see the state of music change in favor of musicians and music fans in my lifetime. I care very much about that."

Uh-huh.

--Alex