The Sound of Colorado Music + Selling Your Local Music

The Sound of Colorado Music

By Paul Epstein of Twist & Shout

So you have probably noticed that our local section is now called Colorado Music and that it is about two or three times bigger than it was a month ago. We decided that we should stop treating this section like a musical ghetto and start treating it like the most important section in the store, which it really is.

Since the beginning of Twist & Shout, the promotion and sales of our homegrown Colorado bands was always of primary importance to us. Starting a couple of years ago with the runaway success of The Fray and Devotchka we started to see the sales of this section match our commitment to it. Now, with it being moved to the front of the store, and with a lot of nationally recognizable names there, we are really starting to see some sales.

It’s funny to me that that the great Colorado singer Judy Collins sold slowly until we put it in front of people’s faces - HEY this incredible artist is one of us. She grew up in Colorado, went to high school here. Judy Collins helps define what it means to be a Coloradan. Extraordinary jazz guitarist Bill Frisell always sold pretty well for us, but since we moved his section to Colorado Music, I am reordering his stuff every week. Also, many people didn’t even know that members of Earth, Wind and Fire went to East High, as did India.Arie and many others. Did you know C.U. named their ballroom after Glen Miller because he attended school there and grew up in Colorado? How about Jello Biafra? He worked in my first store in Boulder when his name was still Eric Boucher. Punk band All, jazz genius Joe Bonner or Avant prog experimentalists Biota? All based in Colorado!

This kind of information never fails to widen people’s eyes. We live in a very cool place that inspires all kinds of artists to create.  It sort of proves that everyone is actually proud of their hometown and is always looking for meaningful ways to show civic pride. It’s not corny, it’s not old-fashioned, it is simply one of the most direct ways to enhance that sense of belonging we are all looking for.
 

 
Consignment at Twist & Shout:
We carry Colorado Music on consignment. Our rules:

--With any local band we encourage you to bring down three (3) CDs or LPs to begin with (non-CDRs, full artwork, etc).  Any consignment person can walk you through the contract and pricing structure.

--After you have brought down product to Twist & Shout it is a good idea to let people know where to purchase it. Add it to your posters, myspace, facebook, twitter and website.

--We do not deal with consignment through the mail.

--If we have not sold any product in 6 months, we will ask you to come and pick it up.
 
--Any questions, contact natasha@twistandshout.com