Retail is Ready

With “Why Do You Love Me” championed by numerous modern rock stations and a second single (the title track) on the way, retailers have high hopes for “Bleed Like Me.” Good news indeed, particularly after the lackluster sales of of “beautifulgarbage.” According to Nielsen SoundScan, the 4 year old album has sold 384,000 copies-compared with 1.7 million and 2.3 million for “version 2.0? (1998) and “Garbage,” respectivley. “There is a definite buzz surrounding this album,” says David Shebiro, owner of specialty retail shop Rebel Rebel in New York. “People, especially the groups hardcore fans, are really anticipating its release.”

He credits this to the album’s guitar enhanced sound. “With other rock bands currently looking to electronic beats and studio technology for inspiration, Garbage appears to have done the opposite,” Shebiro explains. It’s like ‘Been there, done that, let’s make a rock record again.’”
From a lable viewpoint, anticipation for this album could not be better. Jock Elliot [R.I.P.], the product manager for this project, was optimistic. “You hope a band can sustain itself in its downtime-especially when not coming off a hit album. Ang Garbage does this.”
“Garbage fans form an incredibly active community,” Shebiro notes. “They want to know what the band is up to. People have been inquiring about this album for more than a year. And now they’re talking about the band’s recent live shows in Europe.”
On March 19, Garbage-which is booked by Jenna Adler at Creative Artists Agency-embarked on a three-week promotional tour in Europe, which included shows in Paris and London.
After its European visit, Garbage commenced a brief North American tour April 8 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. It wraped May 10 at the Agora in Cleveland. Then, its back to Europe for the band, whose career is managed by Gayle Fine of Q Prime.
In addition to Garbage’s own Web site, Geffen has partnerd with several other sites-including MSN, MTV, VH1, and AOL- for a variety of online initiatives. Radio Free Virgin has created a Garbage radio station that also plays in Virgin Megastores.
Offline, the label has hired Filter and Fly Life to assist with listening parties and lifestyle marketing, respecitvely.
Sophie Muller, who directed the video for “Why Do You Love Me,” also shoot the video for “Bleed Like Me” April 12 in Los Angeles.
In addition to running in more than 3,000 movie theatres, the “Why Do You Love Me” video is playing on TV walls in such stores as Macy’s Steve Madden and JC Penney.
The track is also included on the Victoria’s Secret CD sampler “Pink.” A gift with purchase, “Pink” is played in all Victoria’s Secret Stores.
“After the past couple of years, to see it all come together like this feels good,” Elliot says. “and the band is really behind everything that’s going on.”
Vig offers his own take: “Because we were on the verge of losing it all, we made the album of our career. We feel completely rejuvenated.”
[source: Billboard – thanks to hammeringinhead]