[UPDATE With Comment From Polyvinyl Owner Matt Lunsford]: Rioters Torch Sony Warehouse and Burn Many UK and Ireland Record Stocks to the Ground
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| BBC |
Of course this doesn't address the fact that independant labels will have to scurry to manufature more product and ship it across the Atlantic.
Matt Lunsford, who owns Polyvinyl Record Co., known for its work with indie bands such as Of Montreal, Braid and Pele said from what they've been able to gather about the fire, none of their product is salvagable. "Insurance is only able to go so far when it comes to being able to cover the actual product," explained Lunsford. "But the time invesment in remanufacturing things as well as getting it all back over there is going to take us on the newer releases a few weeks and some of the older catalogue a few months."
This comes at an inopportune time for the label who is set to release seminal emo band Braid's album Closer to the Closed next wee, the band's first 13 years. Its UK release was cheduled for next Monday. "We're still trying to figure out if (the fire) occured at that pivotal moment when the shipment was going out (to stores)," said Lunsford.
Original Post August 9, 2011: Rioting in the UK may have some grave implications for music fans on the other side of the pond as well as record companies over here according an article posted on Pitchfork's Web site yesterday.
The music blog reported hooligans torched a distribution warehouse owned by Sony entertainment containing CDs and LPs from a long list of record labels stateside. The Arctic Monkeys are among the bands affected. Many record labels, such as Thrill Jockey and the Beggars Group, a conglomerate of labels (which includes Matador records), reported significant losses.

































