If President Obama can’t come up with his long-form birth certificate to run in Arizona, his circumcision papers might be sufficient to pass the state’s ‘birther bill’ requirements —if he has any. Arizona’s bill, passed by the state Senate, initially insisted that only a long-form birth certificate would suffice for…
Continue reading …It’s not clear whether Alaskan hunters have actually been using Tasers on grizzly bears or bull moose, but the state’s Board of Game has outlawed the practice anyway. Officials describe the ban on hunters using stun guns on wildlife as a “proactive measure” intended to prevent “catch and release’” hunting,…
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A complaint over tax payments by a Glencore subsidiary could prompt the Zambian government to undertake an audit of all mining companies to assess how much tax they owe Mining firm under fire over tax payments in Zambia The contrast between the poverty of most people in Zambia and the natural riches of our country was highlighted this week in an incident that is highly embarrassing for one of the companies profiting from our mineral wealth. The company – Swiss commodities giant Glencore – has just announced its intention to launch itself on to the London Stock Exchange . So it will have been less than happy about the timing of the formal complaint which my organisation, the Centre for Trade Policy and Development, and four others filed on Tuesday with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The complaint is about the behaviour of a mining company , Mopani Copper Mines (MCM), which is largely owned by a Glencore subsidiary and which operates in Zambia’s copperbelt, near our northern border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Put simply, our concern is that Mopani may be selling Zambia’s copper to Glencore at prices which favour Glencore and which reduce the amount of tax the company pays in Zambia – a desperately poor country, where life expectancy is 46. Specifically, our complaint alleges that Mopani is violating the OECD’s guidelines for multinational companies, which require trade between subsidiary and parent companies to follow the “arm’s length” rule. In other words, related firms must buy and sell with each other at open market prices. The basis of our concern is a leaked auditors’ report that highlighted a series of “problems” in Mopani’s figures for costs and revenues, including a failure by the company to show that its copper sales were done on an arm’s length basis. The report was commissioned by the Zambia Revenue Authority. Glencore, for its part, has strongly disputed the auditors’ findings, saying the report contains factual errors and is based on flawed analysis and assumptions. For me, the leaked report lends some support to Zambian civil society organisations’ claims that mining companies are depriving us of social and economic benefits which are rightly ours, through tax evasion and avoidance. I hope that the leaked report – and now our complaint to the OECD – will prompt the Zambian government to do a financial audit of all mining companies, so that the Zambian Revenue Authority can update its assessments of the tax they owe. Donor countries such as the UK – which gave Zambia almost £50m in aid last year – should support our government in such an exercise. I also hope that our complaint to the OECD will draw attention to the existence of a much bigger problem – tax dodging by multinational companies – which stretches far beyond the copperbelt and indeed Zambia itself. According to Christian Aid – one of my organisation’s UK partners – developing countries lose some $160bn a year in tax revenue to the manipulations of multinationals. That is considerably more than they receive in aid each year. A major part of the solution to this global curse is for governments to require companies to reveal more about their finances, with details, such as profits made and taxes paid, published for every country in which they operate. This sort of information would help tax authorities – including Zambia’s – to identify suspicious cases where companies appear to be artificially shifting their profits out of poor countries and into tax havens. It would not transform the balance of power between tax collectors and a company’s army of tax accountants and lawyers, but it would help. The EU is looking into just such a country-by-country reporting standard for all companies listed in member states. If this resulted in the disclosure of payments to governments, it would help civil society to hold governments to account when they are misusing money. But to shine a light on cases where companies are flouting the OECD’s critically important arm’s length rule, we need underlying financial information. If Europe were to require this kinds of disclosure, then here, in Lusaka, we would applaud. • Savior Mwambwa is executive director of the Centre for Trade Policy and Development, Zambia
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A complaint over tax payments by a Glencore subsidiary could prompt the Zambian government to undertake an audit of all mining companies to assess how much tax they owe Mining firm under fire over tax payments in Zambia The contrast between the poverty of most people in Zambia and the natural riches of our country was highlighted this week in an incident that is highly embarrassing for one of the companies profiting from our mineral wealth. The company – Swiss commodities giant Glencore – has just announced its intention to launch itself on to the London Stock Exchange . So it will have been less than happy about the timing of the formal complaint which my organisation, the Centre for Trade Policy and Development, and four others filed on Tuesday with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The complaint is about the behaviour of a mining company , Mopani Copper Mines (MCM), which is largely owned by a Glencore subsidiary and which operates in Zambia’s copperbelt, near our northern border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Put simply, our concern is that Mopani may be selling Zambia’s copper to Glencore at prices which favour Glencore and which reduce the amount of tax the company pays in Zambia – a desperately poor country, where life expectancy is 46. Specifically, our complaint alleges that Mopani is violating the OECD’s guidelines for multinational companies, which require trade between subsidiary and parent companies to follow the “arm’s length” rule. In other words, related firms must buy and sell with each other at open market prices. The basis of our concern is a leaked auditors’ report that highlighted a series of “problems” in Mopani’s figures for costs and revenues, including a failure by the company to show that its copper sales were done on an arm’s length basis. The report was commissioned by the Zambia Revenue Authority. Glencore, for its part, has strongly disputed the auditors’ findings, saying the report contains factual errors and is based on flawed analysis and assumptions. For me, the leaked report lends some support to Zambian civil society organisations’ claims that mining companies are depriving us of social and economic benefits which are rightly ours, through tax evasion and avoidance. I hope that the leaked report – and now our complaint to the OECD – will prompt the Zambian government to do a financial audit of all mining companies, so that the Zambian Revenue Authority can update its assessments of the tax they owe. Donor countries such as the UK – which gave Zambia almost £50m in aid last year – should support our government in such an exercise. I also hope that our complaint to the OECD will draw attention to the existence of a much bigger problem – tax dodging by multinational companies – which stretches far beyond the copperbelt and indeed Zambia itself. According to Christian Aid – one of my organisation’s UK partners – developing countries lose some $160bn a year in tax revenue to the manipulations of multinationals. That is considerably more than they receive in aid each year. A major part of the solution to this global curse is for governments to require companies to reveal more about their finances, with details, such as profits made and taxes paid, published for every country in which they operate. This sort of information would help tax authorities – including Zambia’s – to identify suspicious cases where companies appear to be artificially shifting their profits out of poor countries and into tax havens. It would not transform the balance of power between tax collectors and a company’s army of tax accountants and lawyers, but it would help. The EU is looking into just such a country-by-country reporting standard for all companies listed in member states. If this resulted in the disclosure of payments to governments, it would help civil society to hold governments to account when they are misusing money. But to shine a light on cases where companies are flouting the OECD’s critically important arm’s length rule, we need underlying financial information. If Europe were to require this kinds of disclosure, then here, in Lusaka, we would applaud. • Savior Mwambwa is executive director of the Centre for Trade Policy and Development, Zambia
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The failure of politicians like David Cameron to see immigration as neutral perpetuates a circular debate of numbers, controls and blame David Cameron’s speech on Thursday was a perfect example of everything that is wrong with the debate on immigration. He starts off by identifying “concerns on the doorstep”, “myths have crept in”, pays a bit of lip service to “benefits of immigration” and then launches into “controls”, “cuts” and “abuses”. He, of course, leans into lazy Brits on welfare who do not want to do dirty jobs and his speech is full of anecdotes about immigrants abusing the system. These are all very familiar arguments about the phenomenon of migration. But one thing that most politicians miss is that migration is neither good nor bad. It just is. Adding value judgments becomes problematic because when we talk about immigration, we are in fact talking about immigrants. When the prime minister, or others in power, talk about immigration as bad, abusive, criminal and threatening, they pass judgment on every person that migrated to this country. They are undercutting the work of every migrant that has made this country great. Is it a surprise that people are so afraid of the other? So if you have a foreign-sounding name (like me), look and sound a bit different (like me), the message is: you will never belong here no matter how hard you try to integrate, because you should not have been here in the first place. While you were cheating your way into our country, our universities, our marriages and taking away our benefits, you were also too hard working, and willing to do our dirty jobs, and making our poor British-born welfare claimants lazy. The truth is, like everything that has to do with human beings, migration is complicated. Migration is an experience, and most people once they reach their destination just want to get on with their lives, work, study and raise their families. This government has fallen into the same trap as the previous one – it is making policies based on negative perceptions and fears rather than addressing immigration as a neutral social phenomenon that can be as beneficial or as damaging as we make it. Sadly our government has a fantasy that if it can prevent people from coming and staying here, it will solve all our social problems. Constantly talking about immigrants as the problem detracts from the real reasons behind the shortage of social housing, unemployment and cuts in public services . As long as we think that immigrants can somehow be stopped before they reach our shores, we will be stuck in this circular debate of numbers, controls and blame. The citizens of Britain, including migrants, are caught in a crossfire of mixed messages that does not increase understanding about the issues most important to them. Migrants are left to deal with the backlash that has serious consequences for our treatment and rights and we are left with no voice, regardless of how well we speak English. A true debate will be possible when we all accept that immigration is an inescapable global phenomenon. For this to happen, we need visionary leadership to distil and address other serious issues that fuel emotions behind the smokescreen of the tough immigration debate. Immigration and asylum David Cameron Conservatives Race issues Zrinka Bralo guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The budget deal President Obama hammered out with Harry Reid and John Boehner appears to have been the last straw for many Democrats—especially in the House. The Democratic caucus, including Nancy Pelosi, who voted against the budget deal, is feeling ignored and disappointed, and some have even begun discussing…
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Small retailers buck an industry trend that has seen the closure of mainstream chains such as Zavvi and Borders At the Truck record store in Oxford’s student heartland, light streams in through huge, spotless windows, while customers lounge on hessian covered window seats, or listen to new music on a shiny CD player. It is as far from the stereotypical dusty old record shop as it is possible to imagine. “We wanted to create a hub for the local community, and for the local music culture – somewhere bright and welcoming,” said co-owner Robin Bennett. “Oxford has such a strong music scene but people who are into their music have nowhere to go unless shops like ours open.” The travails of the record industry are well known. Zavvi and Borders have disappeared while the last remaining chain, HMV, continues to struggle, issuing profit warnings and recently announcing that it would close 40 stores as music buyers migrate online. But Truck is evidence of what is perhaps a surprising trend: it is one of a dozen new independent record shops that have opened around Britain over the past year. Numbers of independent stores reached a low of 269 in 2009, but last year that had grown to 281, the first increase in a generation, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association. More than two thirds of them have joined forces with independent labels and artists for Record Store Day on Saturday, a 24-hour celebration of the independent music scene. Rare exclusives are on offer, from a Lady Gaga 12″ picture disc to a special 7″ vinyl single of Ozzy Osbourne’s Flying High Again, while stores throughout the UK will be hosting performances from bands such as Wild Beasts, Frightened Rabbit and Chilly Gonzales. Organiser Spencer Hickman described the event as a grassroots celebration of stores that are pulling through a difficult economic environment. “Record Store Day is everywhere now. There are performances in every part of the UK. It’s like an urban Glastonbury.” After years of decline, independent record shops had raised their game and found their niche in the music market, he added. “The fact that we have seen new stores opening this year shows that there are still music lovers who want to buy physical music from people who are just as enthusiastic as they are. There are lots of people who still want music as an art form not just a download.” Sipping a coffee in Truck, Bennett, who founded the local independent Truck festival in 1998 with his brother Joe, said modern stores had to provide something special. “Record shops have realised that you can’t carry on doing the same thing. You have to offer more – hold in-store gigs, offer coffee and stock incredible music,” he said. “You also have to have exceptional staff. We are trying not to be too elitist and just be a place where people feel welcome.” Customer Ally Jones admitted to buying his CDs on Amazon because “it’s just too cheap” but had come into the shop to browse its vinyl and comics. “You know they are going to know more than the lad in HMV, and you can buy something a bit different like an LP with great artwork.” Vinyl has provided an unlikely lifeline in the independent music market. Of the 232 exclusive releases as part of Record Store Day, 220 are on vinyl with just 10 on CD and two on cassette. Pointing out a Pet Sounds reissue he covets, Bennett said that 40% of Truck’s sales come from vinyl. “It’s insane,” said Bennett. “But they are beautiful things. Music fans love the artwork and the solidity of vinyl.” Other factors have given a boost to independent record stores, said Graham Jones, author of Last Shop Standing, a history of the rise and fall of the independent record shop. Record labels are giving independent shops better deals, while the price of CDs in supermarkets has increased, he said. Chancellor George Osborne has also vowed to tackle a loophole that allows Channel Island-based companies to avoid paying VAT on CDs and DVDs when they are ordered from the likes of Play.com and Amazon. “If that happens then record shops will no longer be playing at a 20% disadvantage, and that could make all the difference,” said Jones. Despite falling album sales – which dropped another 8% last year – independent music remains in robust health, with independent artists such as Adele dominating the charts, said Martin Mills, chairman of independent label Beggars Group. Mills, whose group is home to artists such as Thom Yorke and Jarvis Cocker, said it was easier for fans to find new music online. And unlike pop music sales, which are driven by singles, indie music fans were still loyal to the album. “Independent music is flourishing, because it is so much easier to discover new music, and album buying, including in digital form, is the way that those fans connect with the artists,” he said. “Album sales are increasingly skewing towards independent artists.” Independent stores are unlikely to reach levels seen in the 1980s, when there were more than 2,200 in the UK, but some record shop lovers, like Jones, are cautiously optimistic about the future. “When I wrote Last Shop Standing I thought I was writing the obituary for the independent record store,” he said. “It turns out that may have been premature.” Record Store Day Retail industry HMV Zavvi Borders Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk
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Small retailers buck an industry trend that has seen the closure of mainstream chains such as Zavvi and Borders At the Truck record store in Oxford’s student heartland, light streams in through huge, spotless windows, while customers lounge on hessian covered window seats, or listen to new music on a shiny CD player. It is as far from the stereotypical dusty old record shop as it is possible to imagine. “We wanted to create a hub for the local community, and for the local music culture – somewhere bright and welcoming,” said co-owner Robin Bennett. “Oxford has such a strong music scene but people who are into their music have nowhere to go unless shops like ours open.” The travails of the record industry are well known. Zavvi and Borders have disappeared while the last remaining chain, HMV, continues to struggle, issuing profit warnings and recently announcing that it would close 40 stores as music buyers migrate online. But Truck is evidence of what is perhaps a surprising trend: it is one of a dozen new independent record shops that have opened around Britain over the past year. Numbers of independent stores reached a low of 269 in 2009, but last year that had grown to 281, the first increase in a generation, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association. More than two thirds of them have joined forces with independent labels and artists for Record Store Day on Saturday, a 24-hour celebration of the independent music scene. Rare exclusives are on offer, from a Lady Gaga 12″ picture disc to a special 7″ vinyl single of Ozzy Osbourne’s Flying High Again, while stores throughout the UK will be hosting performances from bands such as Wild Beasts, Frightened Rabbit and Chilly Gonzales. Organiser Spencer Hickman described the event as a grassroots celebration of stores that are pulling through a difficult economic environment. “Record Store Day is everywhere now. There are performances in every part of the UK. It’s like an urban Glastonbury.” After years of decline, independent record shops had raised their game and found their niche in the music market, he added. “The fact that we have seen new stores opening this year shows that there are still music lovers who want to buy physical music from people who are just as enthusiastic as they are. There are lots of people who still want music as an art form not just a download.” Sipping a coffee in Truck, Bennett, who founded the local independent Truck festival in 1998 with his brother Joe, said modern stores had to provide something special. “Record shops have realised that you can’t carry on doing the same thing. You have to offer more – hold in-store gigs, offer coffee and stock incredible music,” he said. “You also have to have exceptional staff. We are trying not to be too elitist and just be a place where people feel welcome.” Customer Ally Jones admitted to buying his CDs on Amazon because “it’s just too cheap” but had come into the shop to browse its vinyl and comics. “You know they are going to know more than the lad in HMV, and you can buy something a bit different like an LP with great artwork.” Vinyl has provided an unlikely lifeline in the independent music market. Of the 232 exclusive releases as part of Record Store Day, 220 are on vinyl with just 10 on CD and two on cassette. Pointing out a Pet Sounds reissue he covets, Bennett said that 40% of Truck’s sales come from vinyl. “It’s insane,” said Bennett. “But they are beautiful things. Music fans love the artwork and the solidity of vinyl.” Other factors have given a boost to independent record stores, said Graham Jones, author of Last Shop Standing, a history of the rise and fall of the independent record shop. Record labels are giving independent shops better deals, while the price of CDs in supermarkets has increased, he said. Chancellor George Osborne has also vowed to tackle a loophole that allows Channel Island-based companies to avoid paying VAT on CDs and DVDs when they are ordered from the likes of Play.com and Amazon. “If that happens then record shops will no longer be playing at a 20% disadvantage, and that could make all the difference,” said Jones. Despite falling album sales – which dropped another 8% last year – independent music remains in robust health, with independent artists such as Adele dominating the charts, said Martin Mills, chairman of independent label Beggars Group. Mills, whose group is home to artists such as Thom Yorke and Jarvis Cocker, said it was easier for fans to find new music online. And unlike pop music sales, which are driven by singles, indie music fans were still loyal to the album. “Independent music is flourishing, because it is so much easier to discover new music, and album buying, including in digital form, is the way that those fans connect with the artists,” he said. “Album sales are increasingly skewing towards independent artists.” Independent stores are unlikely to reach levels seen in the 1980s, when there were more than 2,200 in the UK, but some record shop lovers, like Jones, are cautiously optimistic about the future. “When I wrote Last Shop Standing I thought I was writing the obituary for the independent record store,” he said. “It turns out that may have been premature.” Record Store Day Retail industry HMV Zavvi Borders Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Small retailers buck an industry trend that has seen the closure of mainstream chains such as Zavvi and Borders At the Truck record store in Oxford’s student heartland, light streams in through huge, spotless windows, while customers lounge on hessian covered window seats, or listen to new music on a shiny CD player. It is as far from the stereotypical dusty old record shop as it is possible to imagine. “We wanted to create a hub for the local community, and for the local music culture – somewhere bright and welcoming,” said co-owner Robin Bennett. “Oxford has such a strong music scene but people who are into their music have nowhere to go unless shops like ours open.” The travails of the record industry are well known. Zavvi and Borders have disappeared while the last remaining chain, HMV, continues to struggle, issuing profit warnings and recently announcing that it would close 40 stores as music buyers migrate online. But Truck is evidence of what is perhaps a surprising trend: it is one of a dozen new independent record shops that have opened around Britain over the past year. Numbers of independent stores reached a low of 269 in 2009, but last year that had grown to 281, the first increase in a generation, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association. More than two thirds of them have joined forces with independent labels and artists for Record Store Day on Saturday, a 24-hour celebration of the independent music scene. Rare exclusives are on offer, from a Lady Gaga 12″ picture disc to a special 7″ vinyl single of Ozzy Osbourne’s Flying High Again, while stores throughout the UK will be hosting performances from bands such as Wild Beasts, Frightened Rabbit and Chilly Gonzales. Organiser Spencer Hickman described the event as a grassroots celebration of stores that are pulling through a difficult economic environment. “Record Store Day is everywhere now. There are performances in every part of the UK. It’s like an urban Glastonbury.” After years of decline, independent record shops had raised their game and found their niche in the music market, he added. “The fact that we have seen new stores opening this year shows that there are still music lovers who want to buy physical music from people who are just as enthusiastic as they are. There are lots of people who still want music as an art form not just a download.” Sipping a coffee in Truck, Bennett, who founded the local independent Truck festival in 1998 with his brother Joe, said modern stores had to provide something special. “Record shops have realised that you can’t carry on doing the same thing. You have to offer more – hold in-store gigs, offer coffee and stock incredible music,” he said. “You also have to have exceptional staff. We are trying not to be too elitist and just be a place where people feel welcome.” Customer Ally Jones admitted to buying his CDs on Amazon because “it’s just too cheap” but had come into the shop to browse its vinyl and comics. “You know they are going to know more than the lad in HMV, and you can buy something a bit different like an LP with great artwork.” Vinyl has provided an unlikely lifeline in the independent music market. Of the 232 exclusive releases as part of Record Store Day, 220 are on vinyl with just 10 on CD and two on cassette. Pointing out a Pet Sounds reissue he covets, Bennett said that 40% of Truck’s sales come from vinyl. “It’s insane,” said Bennett. “But they are beautiful things. Music fans love the artwork and the solidity of vinyl.” Other factors have given a boost to independent record stores, said Graham Jones, author of Last Shop Standing, a history of the rise and fall of the independent record shop. Record labels are giving independent shops better deals, while the price of CDs in supermarkets has increased, he said. Chancellor George Osborne has also vowed to tackle a loophole that allows Channel Island-based companies to avoid paying VAT on CDs and DVDs when they are ordered from the likes of Play.com and Amazon. “If that happens then record shops will no longer be playing at a 20% disadvantage, and that could make all the difference,” said Jones. Despite falling album sales – which dropped another 8% last year – independent music remains in robust health, with independent artists such as Adele dominating the charts, said Martin Mills, chairman of independent label Beggars Group. Mills, whose group is home to artists such as Thom Yorke and Jarvis Cocker, said it was easier for fans to find new music online. And unlike pop music sales, which are driven by singles, indie music fans were still loyal to the album. “Independent music is flourishing, because it is so much easier to discover new music, and album buying, including in digital form, is the way that those fans connect with the artists,” he said. “Album sales are increasingly skewing towards independent artists.” Independent stores are unlikely to reach levels seen in the 1980s, when there were more than 2,200 in the UK, but some record shop lovers, like Jones, are cautiously optimistic about the future. “When I wrote Last Shop Standing I thought I was writing the obituary for the independent record store,” he said. “It turns out that may have been premature.” Record Store Day Retail industry HMV Zavvi Borders Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Small retailers buck an industry trend that has seen the closure of mainstream chains such as Zavvi and Borders At the Truck record store in Oxford’s student heartland, light streams in through huge, spotless windows, while customers lounge on hessian covered window seats, or listen to new music on a shiny CD player. It is as far from the stereotypical dusty old record shop as it is possible to imagine. “We wanted to create a hub for the local community, and for the local music culture – somewhere bright and welcoming,” said co-owner Robin Bennett. “Oxford has such a strong music scene but people who are into their music have nowhere to go unless shops like ours open.” The travails of the record industry are well known. Zavvi and Borders have disappeared while the last remaining chain, HMV, continues to struggle, issuing profit warnings and recently announcing that it would close 40 stores as music buyers migrate online. But Truck is evidence of what is perhaps a surprising trend: it is one of a dozen new independent record shops that have opened around Britain over the past year. Numbers of independent stores reached a low of 269 in 2009, but last year that had grown to 281, the first increase in a generation, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association. More than two thirds of them have joined forces with independent labels and artists for Record Store Day on Saturday, a 24-hour celebration of the independent music scene. Rare exclusives are on offer, from a Lady Gaga 12″ picture disc to a special 7″ vinyl single of Ozzy Osbourne’s Flying High Again, while stores throughout the UK will be hosting performances from bands such as Wild Beasts, Frightened Rabbit and Chilly Gonzales. Organiser Spencer Hickman described the event as a grassroots celebration of stores that are pulling through a difficult economic environment. “Record Store Day is everywhere now. There are performances in every part of the UK. It’s like an urban Glastonbury.” After years of decline, independent record shops had raised their game and found their niche in the music market, he added. “The fact that we have seen new stores opening this year shows that there are still music lovers who want to buy physical music from people who are just as enthusiastic as they are. There are lots of people who still want music as an art form not just a download.” Sipping a coffee in Truck, Bennett, who founded the local independent Truck festival in 1998 with his brother Joe, said modern stores had to provide something special. “Record shops have realised that you can’t carry on doing the same thing. You have to offer more – hold in-store gigs, offer coffee and stock incredible music,” he said. “You also have to have exceptional staff. We are trying not to be too elitist and just be a place where people feel welcome.” Customer Ally Jones admitted to buying his CDs on Amazon because “it’s just too cheap” but had come into the shop to browse its vinyl and comics. “You know they are going to know more than the lad in HMV, and you can buy something a bit different like an LP with great artwork.” Vinyl has provided an unlikely lifeline in the independent music market. Of the 232 exclusive releases as part of Record Store Day, 220 are on vinyl with just 10 on CD and two on cassette. Pointing out a Pet Sounds reissue he covets, Bennett said that 40% of Truck’s sales come from vinyl. “It’s insane,” said Bennett. “But they are beautiful things. Music fans love the artwork and the solidity of vinyl.” Other factors have given a boost to independent record stores, said Graham Jones, author of Last Shop Standing, a history of the rise and fall of the independent record shop. Record labels are giving independent shops better deals, while the price of CDs in supermarkets has increased, he said. Chancellor George Osborne has also vowed to tackle a loophole that allows Channel Island-based companies to avoid paying VAT on CDs and DVDs when they are ordered from the likes of Play.com and Amazon. “If that happens then record shops will no longer be playing at a 20% disadvantage, and that could make all the difference,” said Jones. Despite falling album sales – which dropped another 8% last year – independent music remains in robust health, with independent artists such as Adele dominating the charts, said Martin Mills, chairman of independent label Beggars Group. Mills, whose group is home to artists such as Thom Yorke and Jarvis Cocker, said it was easier for fans to find new music online. And unlike pop music sales, which are driven by singles, indie music fans were still loyal to the album. “Independent music is flourishing, because it is so much easier to discover new music, and album buying, including in digital form, is the way that those fans connect with the artists,” he said. “Album sales are increasingly skewing towards independent artists.” Independent stores are unlikely to reach levels seen in the 1980s, when there were more than 2,200 in the UK, but some record shop lovers, like Jones, are cautiously optimistic about the future. “When I wrote Last Shop Standing I thought I was writing the obituary for the independent record store,” he said. “It turns out that may have been premature.” Record Store Day Retail industry HMV Zavvi Borders Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk
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