No KristeenYoung Merchandise?

I think that is pretty damn cool. I'd rather have one of their postcards that she made or a KY-designed flyer. You know what I mean? I don't think she is anti-merch - I just think she's selective of what represents them.

I have to agree. It seems every aspiring musician and band, even the ones that haul their equipment to the local club in the back of their Jeep, has some sort of merch offering. I'm hoping to just get a pic with Kristeen and Baby Jeff at the Indianapolis show. I think the true fans make their own wares like evelynchrist would make a shirt. I have my own sign business and randomly have song titles, quotes or kristeenyoung.com on my vehicle windows. Always changing them and getting ready to apply one that says "KY? BJ? KRISTEENYOUNG!!!". I say make it personal.

Chris In Indy

i kind of agree, i don't particularly get the tshirt drama.
if its well-designed (self-designed?) and represents their 'aesthetic', is that crass?
every great band has a visual aspect. that is sometimes for sale, like CDs.
just my opinion. maybe there's some other issue i am not aware of though.

I think that's another thing that makes them special. They opened for Morrissey, and

still

have no record deal... or even shirts.

I do believe, though, that if they did make shirts, KY would have to design them herself, because she is amazing... yet, then again, why would we want to mass produce her amazing vision?

....for the same reason we'd like her to 'mass produce' her music?
still dont see the difference.
anyway, it IS shocking that they have no record deal, isnt it?!
can't understand it.

Because it would be an amazing vision. I think a shirt or two wouldn't hurt anyone and everyone loves showing off their most adored bands on their tits (don't they?). In my OP. I think it's half (maybe 1/3rd) the fun of music. There are so many beautiful designs for band t-shirts, it's just like another art form you get to wear.

Have any of you made your own DIY KY 'MERCH'??

I knoooow! I wish they were signed millions of years ago. They could do so much with the help of a label, even a popular indie one, even if KY doesn't think so.. Isn't this her managers job to find a label?

The world won't listen.

now i just want to take a stencil and throw copius amounts of glitter and some blood onto a shirt to spell out kristeenyoung.

hmm what would the world be like if KY was signed to a label? I dunno. I still love kristeens notion of the music business crumbling like old hollywood and that its only a matter of time where the labels are just not necessary. shes got the right idea.

Who's blood? :-)

But aren't the labels essentially the money-fronters? Maybe I just don't get it, but without a suit behind you financing your promotions/production/touring then where does it come from? The label looks at KY as a potential investment. They would put money in, and want to see more money generated by sales to go back into their pocket. I'm just playing Devil's advocate here, I really hate the idea of the artist as a commodity. But I don't know how it would work if labels didn't exist anymore.

Well as she said in an interview once, the indie labels think she sounds too mainstream and the mainstream labels think she sounds too indie. That, mixed with her hatred of indie labels (grr... damn you world domination... and n-records, really) means that she'd have to be signed to a major label; yet I can't honestly see Interscope signing her either.

If I became famous I'd sing her praises (literally), then talk only about her in interviews until the world did listen! MUAHAHAHAHA...

cough

.

...shirts would be nice.

I never quite got where the 'music biz is crumbling' thing came from. There's tons of indie labels completely thriving and are doing just as well as any major label. I don't know if labels will ever disappear because isn't DIY music production pretty costly if you want it to sound nice? That's what labels are for! Maybe I just have too much faith in the indie labels I like.

Yes, that's what I mean. The label is a backing. They pay you, they produce your stuff, money up front. It would seem difficult without one. Maybe that's what KY meant by she is putting her big girl pants on and booking the tours herself. It makes me appreciate her more - but I wish she didn't have to do everything herself. Maybe she needs a volunteer? I'll do it! I mean what else would a KYKeeper be for.

Yes it's quite sad that she has to do it all herself (tisk tisk harley), but yes, it makes me appreciate all she does for herself. I mean, pretty much putting out four albums without a label is impressive. She deserves so much respect!

God, I would totally devote myself to her.

She is the DIY queen.

She needs a street team! I'd totally volunteer, too.

Well, you don't HAVE to have a label to MAKE music. You can create awesome and great sounding music without it costing thousands of music. Labels just help get the records get made and represent.

Enemy is even an example. She only had a engineer on three of those songs and didn't have a producer or label. They help yet aren't a necessity.

But of course, it would do a world of good for her.

...and the

mainstream

music industry is crumbling, but I agree that there are tons of great indie labels.

Yes she is! ;)

I should make a shirt...

I don't know if it would ever completely disintegrate because, obviously, the world loves shit music.

right....at a certain point, you have to wonder where the $$ comes from to finance future projects.
i tend to doubt even something like the morrissey tour is real lucrative, so i guess thats where selling t-shirts becomes the necessary evil.