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SXSW post-mortem: End of an Ear’s SXSW sales report.
End of an Ear just released their SXSW sales figures and not only did they have a recession-beating SXSW, the product they sold matches anecdotal tales of the continued fall of the CD and rise of vinyl among hardcore music buyers, who are of course End of an Ear’s most loyal customers, not to mention the sort of folks who might stop by a SXSW in-store there for, say, Texas psych cult figure Powell St. John.
End of an Ear store managers said sales were up 26.5 percent for the SXSW week over last year’s SXSW. Year-to-date the store is now up 7.2 percent over last year. Sales of new CDs were down 26 percent this SXSW over last year’s; new CDs sales are down 13.7 percent this year over last. Used CD sales are up 61 percent over last year’s SXSW. Economic belt-tightening (and a well-curated used section) might be helping there.
However, new LPs sales were up a whopping 84 percent this SXSW over last; LP sales are up 42.4 percent this year over last. It should be noted that many new LPs come with a coupon for a free digital version of the album. Used LP sales are up 53 percent.
Top 15 sellers during SXSW were:
Bonnie Prince Billy “Beware” (Drag City)
Balmorhea “All Is Wild All Is Silent” (Western Vinyl)
Various Artists, “Dark Was the Night” (4AD)
Strange Boys “And Girls Club” (In The Red)
Pains of Being Pure at Heart “s/t” (Slumberland)
Black Joe Lewis “Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! ” (Lost Highway)
Alela Diane, Alela “To Be Still” (Rough Trade)
Death “For the Whole World To See” (Drag City) (Managers notes that three out of their 15 biggest spenders during SXSW bought a Death CD or LP. The collection of unreleased songs by an extremely obscure Detroit proto-punk band has been a critical and hipster hit. It is also totally awesome and deserves to go platinum.)
Case, Neko “Middle Cyclone” (Anti)
Here We Go Magic “s/t” (Western Vinyl)
Wavves “s/t” (Fat Possum)
Vivian Girls “s/t” (In The Red)
Vetiver “Tight Knit” (Sub Pop)
Bon Iver “For Emma, Forever Ago” (Jagjaguwar)
Gui Boratto“Take My Breath Away” (Kompakt)
So, how did everyone else do? Austin retailers, STAND UP.
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