is anyone else pissed about asian man/hot topic

[travis]

Ok I actually do the buying of music for Hot Topic. You can think what you want about the chain of stores but the truth is that the people buying the music here are all huge fans of independent music and love to support the bands we love. We also have to cater to a mall crowd since well, the stores are in malls. So thats why you see the ICP stuff, new metal stuff, pop stuff and so on. We arent the big bad greedy corporation that everyone thinks we are. Im a big fan of vinyl so Ive made it a priority to get a nice vinyl selection in the store. We need to be profitable tho so we cater to a wider range of people than just people who are punk or hardcore or whatever. People never wanna see their favorite bands stuff end up in Hot Topic but then they want that band to tour all year. Bands need money to do that so getting their stuff in Hot Topic REALLY helps the band make money to be able to go out and tour and get the things they need. Like its been said before, we always pay for stuff on time which has really helped out lables we work with like No Idea, Suburban Home, Asian Man, Asbestos and others. Which helps them make some money to press more records for YOU to buy. 9 times out of 10 if we get something exclusive we tell the vendor that they can sell it to indie record shops anyways so its not like Hot Topic is to blame for indie record shops going under. Exclusive colors of vinyl are another thing tho since indie shops can get copies of whatever vinyl to sell anyways without having to have the Hot Topic exclusive color. Also Ive been able to get labels to press vinyl they might not have thought about pressing like the first 2 A7X albums. If Glassjaw - EYEWTKAS gets pressed that will be because of Hot Topic too. Hot Topic has always carried vinyl but just in the last few years that Ive personally started collecting vinyl have we been really into carrying the punk, hardcore and metal stuff rather than the electronica/DJ stuff. If the people running these respected hardcore and punk lables like Fat, Asian Man, No Idea, Deathwish, Bridge 9, Suburban Home want their stuff in Hot Topic, I dunno why anyone should be complaining about them trying to make a little money to help keep their labels going and to continue putting out records.

[randysxe]

i guess it doesn't fully surprise me that kids on this board don't care. no offense, but what happens when they vinyl trend is over? when hot topic and best buy realize vinyl isn't worth their time, but the indie stores have been killed off completely because of the big chains? like everything in the music industry, it's only a matter of time before the current trend rise in vinyl dies back down.

personally, i like being able to go to a local record store and buy records, and special order items, and browsing used bins. mailorder is fine, but there's nothing like actually being able to flip through records and touch them before buying them, and discovering new bands based on cover art, etc. what happens when there aren't those opportunities because the chain stores have killed off the mom and pop's?

why do people always assume that everyone here is kids...pretty lame!.....agree with above post

[wannabepunktony]

i am just saying mike park specifically says if you are going to buy asian man stuff from stores, support your local mom and pop store...but then gives hot topic exclusives.

also, chain stores ARE killing the mom and pop stores. this is a fact of the matter. nothing new.

Then the mom and pop stores need to do something different. You can't just sit in your perch and bellow "We're indie buy from us only!" and use that as your business model. Either way NO record stores are doing all that well AND I've never seen a Glass and Ashes record in Best Buy or Hot Topic.

Exactly. Boo fucking hoo. You can always find ways to compete if you are creative and willing. I'm sure any other store could land an exclusive with most of the indie labels if they ask and have the cash - that's how we landed all of ours for our store.

[scottheisel]

Ok I actually do the buying of music for Hot Topic. You can think what you want about the chain of stores but the truth is that the people buying the music here are all huge fans of independent music and love to support the bands we love. We also have to cater to a mall crowd since well, the stores are in malls. So thats why you see the ICP stuff, new metal stuff, pop stuff and so on. We arent the big bad greedy corporation that everyone thinks we are. Im a big fan of vinyl so Ive made it a priority to get a nice vinyl selection in the store. We need to be profitable tho so we cater to a wider range of people than just people who are punk or hardcore or whatever. People never wanna see their favorite bands stuff end up in Hot Topic but then they want that band to tour all year. Bands need money to do that so getting their stuff in Hot Topic REALLY helps the band make money to be able to go out and tour and get the things they need. Like its been said before, we always pay for stuff on time which has really helped out lables we work with like No Idea, Suburban Home, Asian Man, Asbestos and others. Which helps them make some money to press more records for YOU to buy. 9 times out of 10 if we get something exclusive we tell the vendor that they can sell it to indie record shops anyways so its not like Hot Topic is to blame for indie record shops going under. Exclusive colors of vinyl are another thing tho since indie shops can get copies of whatever vinyl to sell anyways without having to have the Hot Topic exclusive color. Also Ive been able to get labels to press vinyl they might not have thought about pressing like the first 2 A7X albums. If Glassjaw - EYEWTKAS gets pressed that will be because of Hot Topic too. Hot Topic has always carried vinyl but just in the last few years that Ive personally started collecting vinyl have we been really into carrying the punk, hardcore and metal stuff rather than the electronica/DJ stuff. If the people running these respected hardcore and punk lables like Fat, Asian Man, No Idea, Deathwish, Bridge 9, Suburban Home want their stuff in Hot Topic, I dunno why anyone should be complaining about them trying to make a little money to help keep their labels going and to continue putting out records.

I think you and I might be the same person, I just spend my days making sure good music gets into a magazine, not a store. Kudos to you on your continued vinyl push -- my local Hot Topic (in North Olmstead, Ohio) recently expanded into two six-foot-tall vinyl racks, and they're stocked to the brim with good stuff. Very impressive!

[travis]

i am just saying mike park specifically says if you are going to buy asian man stuff from stores, support your local mom and pop store...but then gives hot topic exclusives.

also, chain stores ARE killing the mom and pop stores. this is a fact of the matter. nothing new.

Then the mom and pop stores need to do something different. You can't just sit in your perch and bellow "We're indie buy from us only!" and use that as your business model. Either way NO record stores are doing all that well AND I've never seen a Glass and Ashes record in Best Buy or Hot Topic.

Actually Hot Topic has carried Glass and Ashes. If you can still find the CD in any of the stores its on clearance haha.

[sherlock]

i mean hot topic is traded on the stock market... :-/

but there really are no other indie stores that i can reach on a daily basis. and in the past few months i've bought:

off with their heads- from the bottom

have heart- songs to scream at the sun

set your goals- mutiny

paint it black- new lexicon

now if those bands made money off these great records because hot topic is willing to stock them i have no issues with it.

[jhulud]

I like how this thread has quickly devolved into Hot Topic = The Evil Empire.

Someone mentioned it earlier, but before you start bitching how much Hot Topic sucks and blah, blah, blah...stop and think for a moment that an HT may be the ONLY recource some kids (using the term loosely) have for music.

In my 33 years of existence, I have little to no need to set foot in an HT since I'm no longer within their target demographic (yeah, a little self-deprecating humor here). But if they're standing behind pushing vinyl and exposing the format to more of the impressionable youth, more power to them.

[zak138]

North Olmstead, I spent a week there one night.

[sherlock]

Ok I actually do the buying of music for Hot Topic. You can think what you want about the chain of stores but the truth is that the people buying the music here are all huge fans of independent music and love to support the bands we love. We also have to cater to a mall crowd since well, the stores are in malls. So thats why you see the ICP stuff, new metal stuff, pop stuff and so on. We arent the big bad greedy corporation that everyone thinks we are. Im a big fan of vinyl so Ive made it a priority to get a nice vinyl selection in the store. We need to be profitable tho so we cater to a wider range of people than just people who are punk or hardcore or whatever. People never wanna see their favorite bands stuff end up in Hot Topic but then they want that band to tour all year. Bands need money to do that so getting their stuff in Hot Topic REALLY helps the band make money to be able to go out and tour and get the things they need. Like its been said before, we always pay for stuff on time which has really helped out lables we work with like No Idea, Suburban Home, Asian Man, Asbestos and others. Which helps them make some money to press more records for YOU to buy. 9 times out of 10 if we get something exclusive we tell the vendor that they can sell it to indie record shops anyways so its not like Hot Topic is to blame for indie record shops going under. Exclusive colors of vinyl are another thing tho since indie shops can get copies of whatever vinyl to sell anyways without having to have the Hot Topic exclusive color. Also Ive been able to get labels to press vinyl they might not have thought about pressing like the first 2 A7X albums. If Glassjaw - EYEWTKAS gets pressed that will be because of Hot Topic too. Hot Topic has always carried vinyl but just in the last few years that Ive personally started collecting vinyl have we been really into carrying the punk, hardcore and metal stuff rather than the electronica/DJ stuff. If the people running these respected hardcore and punk lables like Fat, Asian Man, No Idea, Deathwish, Bridge 9, Suburban Home want their stuff in Hot Topic, I dunno why anyone should be complaining about them trying to make a little money to help keep their labels going and to continue putting out records.

this is good to hear. for some reason i believe you. i guess i owe you a thanks for the good records i've gotten from hot topic.

but you should definitely get even more vinyl for the hot topic in the palisades mall in west nyack, ny.

[martyk36]

i guess it doesn't fully surprise me that kids on this board don't care. no offense, but what happens when they vinyl trend is over? when hot topic and best buy realize vinyl isn't worth their time, but the indie stores have been killed off completely because of the big chains? like everything in the music industry, it's only a matter of time before the current trend rise in vinyl dies back down.

personally, i like being able to go to a local record store and buy records, and special order items, and browsing used bins. mailorder is fine, but there's nothing like actually being able to flip through records and touch them before buying them, and discovering new bands based on cover art, etc. what happens when there aren't those opportunities because the chain stores have killed off the mom and pop's?

I full back your opinions. I feel most of the people on this board are new to vinyl collecting (ie, the past year or so) and are more concerned with tracking down the 8 color variations of a RE-RELEASED record than stopping and thinking about supporting local vinyl stores and business ethics.

Also, not many on this board can take ANY negative criticism, even in it's purest, most constructive form and that's sad.

okay, I've read this thread through, and it seems to me that it's just a debate. both sides make valid points and everyone is entitled to their opinion-I'm not really seeing the "responding negatively to criticism" thing...I think people felt the need to stick up for mike b/c he's a good dude who puts out records by really great bands....and if someone wants to post something that we don't agree w/ we're just supposed to roll over and take it? Everyone has their opinions and I see nothing wrong w/ debate..and that's exactly what's going on in this thread, I don't think it has anything to do with any of us "not responding well to criticism."

initrecords, (sorry I don't know you're name) you've obviously put out records by bands you love and that's something admirable-probably something I'll never get to do. But don't begrudge mike for making a business decision that will keep his business afloat so he can keep putting out records by other awesome bands that he loves, not to mention put food on his table, I'm pretty sure he's married w/ a child as well. (you might be too for all I know)

I don't necessarily agree w/ your argument but that doesn't mean it's not valid. there's nothing wrong w/ a little good-spirited debate...and it's obvious that we're all extremely passionate about music/collecting and giving back to the scene that has shaped our lives and made us the people we are...so debates like this are always gonna happen I think.

I have no problem w/ anything anyone has said, I guess I just had to weigh in. sorry for being long winded.

[kurtz]

I get what init is upset about. It's not a big deal that they are carrying these records. It's upsetting that they are getting exclusive colors. That draws people that might have otherwise went to a mom & pop store into Hot Topic for these records. Even if the mom & pop store can order the HT exclusive, people don't really know that when it is advertised as a HT exclusive.

My local record shop closed up not long after my local mall got a hot topic. I don't think that's a coincidence, and it's one of the many reasons I refuse to shop at HT.

[flood]

Hey Travis!, didnt know you posted here

Tell Jay he needs to come home for Thanksgiving so he can come see the Pilfers with me.

[dante3000]

OH SNAP! Burn. Mike called today and said he was gonna mail em. Sorry, I got way lazy. And you've already had them longer than I had that test...so there!

I'll start shining my shoes.

i wanna go bowling!!!

Me too! Skylar needs to get on that.

[sgoodcore]

Then the mom and pop stores need to do something different. You can't just sit in your perch and bellow "We're indie buy from us only!" and use that as your business model. Either way NO record stores are doing all that well AND I've never seen a Glass and Ashes record in Best Buy or Hot Topic.

Actually Hot Topic has carried Glass and Ashes. If you can still find the CD in any of the stores its on clearance haha.

I was just trying to pull out a semi-obscure band people around these parts like to make the point the folks at VC can't buy what they love exclusively at HT.

[initrecords]

i don't care about colored vinyl so much as getting the vinyl to begin with. no distributors have had "maybe i'll catch fire" reissue on vinyl yet, but hot topic has copies already.

the record store i do the buying for has been around for 25 years. in fact when i was in high school, i purchased a copy of "for your lungs only" on both cd and 7" from the store when it was a new release, in 1998. that is why i am bummed. i don't care about exclusive colored vinyl, but why can't i even get the product? we've carried pretty much every asian man release in the store since the label started. and dill records releases before that... and as much as it is an excuse, i order from 6 distributors, i shouldn't have to contact labels direct to get product when distributors carry the same record labels.

as someone who has also run a record label for 8 years, i understand the whole getting paid up front and distros not paying (although last i checked asian man is exclusive through lumberjack still, so i would HOPE they don't have to track down payment from them)

[privateeye]

I know the reason has already been said but it explains on the Asian Man Website why they deal with Hot Topic:

"Alkaline Trio "Goddamnit Redux" 2nd pressing vinyl is finally back in stock. Here's what we got available for mailorder: 227 copies on 180 GRAM BLACK VINYL and 261 copies on WHITE w/ red swirled in. The shipping history is as follows:

1,000 180 GRAM BLACK VINYL

1,000 WHITE w/ red swirl

1,000 BLACK w/ white swirl (This is a hot topic exclusive... yeah, I know what you're about to say, but they've been nothing but good to us)

Everything else has been shipped out to VINYL COLLECTIVE and record stores across the globe. The first pressing only went to a handful of stores, so this second pressing was mostly done to appease our retail accounts and that's why there's so few for mailorder."

Here:

http://www.asianmanrecords.com/newsletter.php

[travis]

Hey Travis!, didnt know you posted here

Tell Jay he needs to come home for Thanksgiving so he can come see the Pilfers with me.

haha Yea Ill tell him. Dont think he is tho. He'll be at The Fest tho.

[travis]

i don't care about colored vinyl so much as getting the vinyl to begin with. no distributors have had "maybe i'll catch fire" reissue on vinyl yet, but hot topic has copies already.

the record store i do the buying for has been around for 25 years. in fact when i was in high school, i purchased a copy of "for your lungs only" on both cd and 7" from the store when it was a new release, in 1998. that is why i am bummed. i don't care about exclusive colored vinyl, but why can't i even get the product? we've carried pretty much every asian man release in the store since the label started. and dill records releases before that... and as much as it is an excuse, i order from 6 distributors, i shouldn't have to contact labels direct to get product when distributors carry the same record labels.

as someone who has also run a record label for 8 years, i understand the whole getting paid up front and distros not paying (although last i checked asian man is exclusive through lumberjack still, so i would HOPE they don't have to track down payment from them)

Not sure why this would make you upset with Hot Topic. We didnt ship the records early to ourselves. Maybe our exclusive color was done first so we got them earlier. I dunno.

[initrecords]

a lot of the people on here are missing some of the points.

1. i don't care that hot topic carries alkaline trio vinyl. i don't think hot topic is necessarily "evil" per se.

2. the particular record i have mainly been referring to is "maybe i'll catch fire" not goddamnit.

3. i don't care about colors of vinyl, just the fact that i'd like to stock the damn records in the store i order for at the same time as hot topic.

4. i don't think mike park is a bad guy. i've actually dealt with him many many times in the past 10 years (mailorder, bands on comps, promo for the store, booking asian man bands, and i played baseball with him in chicago once). it just angers me, that indie stores aren't being able to get product the same time as hot topic.

i really wanted to see if anyone else was frustrated like i am. i've always supported asian man in my store.

[initrecords]

the only thing i'm upset with hot topic about is that they sell the records like $1 over wholesale from everywhere else is. but that isn't probably hot topic's fault at all (buying direct obviously gets them a discount). never once did i say i was pissed at hot topic directly because of this.

[travis]

a lot of the people on here are missing some of the points.

1. i don't care that hot topic carries alkaline trio vinyl. i don't think hot topic is necessarily "evil" per se.

2. the particular record i have mainly been referring to is "maybe i'll catch fire" not goddamnit.

3. i don't care about colors of vinyl, just the fact that i'd like to stock the damn records in the store i order for at the same time as hot topic.

4. i don't think mike park is a bad guy. i've actually dealt with him many many times in the past 10 years (mailorder, bands on comps, promo for the store, booking asian man bands, and i played baseball with him in chicago once). it just angers me, that indie stores aren't being able to get product the same time as hot topic.

i really wanted to see if anyone else was frustrated like i am. i've always supported asian man in my store.

1. Thats not even close to your original post in this this thread

2. Sometimes retailers get product at different times. VC is basically an online indie record store. They get stuff before Hot Topic all the time. These things just happen.

[initrecords]

I think you and I might be the same person, I just spend my days making sure good music gets into a magazine, not a store. Kudos to you on your continued vinyl push -- my local Hot Topic (in North Olmstead, Ohio) recently expanded into two six-foot-tall vinyl racks, and they're stocked to the brim with good stuff. Very impressive!

scott, this is what i've been doing for 8 years at a mom and pop store. stocking bands and labels i think are good. that's why it's a bummer to me when after stocking releases on labels for 8 years (+X years before i was buyer) i am having a hard time getting the stuff in my store.

[initrecords]

actually it is close to my first thread. i DO think it's hypocritical for asian man to always write "support your mom and pop stores" on their mission statement and give hot topic an exclusive...

[dante3000]

I'd like to add I've typed like 4 messages in this thread and then not posted them. Not sure why.

On a side note, I bowl a pretty consistent 90. That's good, right?

[flood]

dude i just logged onto my distro account with Mordam, and they have MICF listed for sale.