Derek™

Just now, Sad Heart said:

Awesome. Noticed after my post the Amazon listing is black and priced according. Thanks for the heads up. Easy choice. 

No problem. 👍

Just now, thesecrets0308 said:

Are you sure that's the EU pressing at Amazon?

Not 100%, but 98% or so?  There's no US listings on Discogs at least.  Lots of reviews on the 2014 US listing are talking about a new cut / new press with some obvious giveaways on the packaging.  If it's not the EU press, it's a painless return.

6 minutes ago, lostcrimes said:

They probably go with the most accessible/cheaper colors. No time to waste when there's an entire fanbase to cash out on.

Should've done an "Silent Earth eco mix" variant to just sweep those leftover color pellets into the mix and charge max MSRP.

2 minutes ago, Sad Heart said:

Waiting on a standard black, but at $40+ I might be out. Unless Numero puts it out I just don’t care anymore. 

Got you covered.  $25 PPD.

Probably the route I'm going since I think it's a way better match than current variants.  Discogs reviews are glowing as well so far.

These colors are ass.  Is anyone going to put out a variant that makes sense?

Early Discogs comments are insisting that the sibilance issues from the 2014 press are fixed.  There’s photos floating around of an indie store purple variant for RSD Essentials, scheduled for 10/6.  Still imagine the band is gonna’ do something for their own variant.

5 hours ago, N8TRU said:

The COVID hobby idiots are ruining it for everyone. In the new vinyl releases group a bunch of clique morons keep saying a $30 12" with 18 minutes of music is totally fine. Then they double down and say "oh aftermarket is $50 so this is good." Meanwhile someone replied with the new Pure Noise EPs on a 12" for $18 and we're sitting there like, you wanna keep making this point??? And they do. $30 single LPs are so exhausting and sadly becoming the norm and pushing me out. I'd much rather have money for anything else than a fucking $30 LP or a $40 2xLP.

 

Edit: sorry if this was unhinged or random it's just been annoying me a lot the past day.

You’re not wrong about any of that.  I won’t say that it’s 100% the fault of new (pandemic) collectors, but so many of them had no baseline when they got into this hobby.  Many still don’t realize when they’re being gouged.  And yeah – you best believe that labels are taking notes.  It just makes me respect labels like Kranky or anyone else keeping double LPs under $30.

And I can stomach $30, $35 out the door.  But when you start piling on tax, and this new trend of $8-9 “Media Mail”?  Half a hundo to own the most inconvenient format for a music album.  I think that needs to sink in for way more people.

Anyways, I’m not shaming anyone for pulling the trigger on this.  There are bands and exceptions that will have me [reluctantly] fork over $40, $45 PPD once in a while.  I’m not going to pretend that I’m completely above it or whatever.  But that was never the argument – I just think it’s fairly inaccurate to say all 2LPs are more or less $40 today.  Maybe shit from big labels, especially sold through their web-store.  But for me anyways, I do think the vast majority of the double LPs I’m buying in 2023 are way closer to $25-$31 before shipping.  With prices on the trend they’ve followed, I’ve found myself way more selective with my purchases this year, opting out of stuff that would be neat or nice to own… but not when it’s pushing $50 out the door.

I guess that's why it's important to draw a line in the sand and vote with your wallet.  Because that shit's a slippery slope.  We can balk at Chino and the gang asking $75 + shipping for a double LP with a folded poster, and assume it's just an outrageous exception that surely wouldn't become the norm.

But inevitably, a few more artists and labels will get inspired to follow suit.

And before you know it, 2024 rolls around and it's "welllll it's not $90 for a double LP, so $50 is much more reasonable.  Seems normal for today's economic climate."

The technology behind a vinyl record and how it's played isn't improving.  The packaging nor presentation are being reinvented to justify these prices.  And press quality is more hit-and-miss than ever, especially as pressing plants continue to scramble to meet demand.  There should be no real reason that prices are inflating this bad.  Straight up.  It's greed, and too many people are game to comply in an effort to prove their fandom or avoid missing out [😨] and paying resale prices.  Labels know this.  I imagine that in the history of vinyl production, profit margins have never been fatter than they are right now, for any artists getting away with $40-70+ for a single LP / double LP.

I just think it's a dangerous game to play.  At what point do we call it?  When a double LP is $50 on average?  $60?  $70?

22 minutes ago, JohnMatrix said:

In today's economic climate $40 is pretty standard for a 2xLP

1 minute ago, JohnMatrix said:

$40 isnt bad for a 2xLP

Wish they had swapped their songwriting and pricing.  Mid pricing for insane material could’ve gotten me to roll the dice here.

The poster in that $75 version is goofy as hell too.

It sort of depends on what you’re after.  I track a lot of new releases, so I’ll often buy directly from labels or bandcamp, or Google around for a shop / distro that offers the best price.

If you’re not into newer bands, then Discogs is the way to go.  I’ve yet to get scammed, personally.  Just avoid prices that seem too good to be true, especially when they come from New Sellers with no feedback or lousy feedback.

Can’t speak for everyone else… but to me, this has felt like a devastating year of hard goodbyes.  Just so much more loss and grief than any year prior, seen firsthand through my circle of loved ones, friends, and coworkers.  I’m sorry to hear that’s a loss you’re now facing too.

I hope it wasn’t too sudden of a development.  I know I’m not anywhere near ready to process the loss of a parent, myself, but it’s got to be (even) tougher when there’s little or no time to mentally prepare.

I’d say it gets easier bit by bit if you can hang in there, but I also know I’d be numb and dumbfounded if it were me in your shoes right now, so no soapbox speech from me.  I’ll simply say that I hope you and everyone else are coping as best as you can right now.

Sounds to me like you got the authentic boot experience.

21 minutes ago, RadDonut said:

I feel like Spencer and Aaron’s vocals are stuck in the 2000s or something. That’s the best way I can explain it. They still sound like 18-20 year olds. It’s a shame too because musically the other members could make some cool shit. This stuff is just garbage. I’d love a full album like Casting Such A Thin Shadow. Just unleash Tim and Chris and let them make a great post rock album. Unfortunately James isn’t in the band anymore.

I always felt like 2006-2010 Underoath was super capable of writing a really cool instrumental record if they wanted to.  Haven’t really been interested in them since 2010 but fully agree that everything they’ve done post-hiatus has been pretty embarrassing.

5 minutes ago, Sad Heart said:

I went pink. Think it fits nicely. But that blue was very tempting. Only didn’t since I ordered the Native Nod LP in blue just a few days prior. 

Both are nice colors, I agree.  But something about that white splits right down the middle of them and feels like a great match with the art and packaging, too, even if it's the "boring" / safe / obvious match.  I'll have to think about it.

Genuinely torn on what variant to go for on this.

8 minutes ago, prowl20 said:

Has anyone in the US received their copy of the new record yet? I can’t find any info if they’re delayed or not and Forced Exposure hasn’t responded to my email 😕 

Ages ago, yeah.  But I'm also 99% sure that I never actually cancelled my Drift PO – I think it was? – to save the $2 or $3 through Forced Exposure.  That being said, the few times I've interacted with FE, I got the impression that they take their sweet time replying to inquiries and also seem to miss their projected shipment dates (while also failing to update their site descriptions to reflect new ones)... but they still consistently come through.  From my experience(s).

Just now, prowl20 said:

I think it might be their finest yet. And that’s coming from someone who ranks their super early stuff as their best. 

It’s really dope.  The super melodic moments are so good that I don’t even feel surprised by their contrast to the heavier and noisier bits.  Album feels like it covers a really nice variety of sounds and styles for clocking in at only half an hour and change.

At least with Apple Music, I’ve been noticing that singles seem to play at a different quality / volume?  Definitely going to track down a quality rip for future listens while I wait for the vinyl to show up.  But already eager to go back for round 2 with it tomorrow.

7 minutes ago, drewberinger said:

no shipping here but I can tell you that this may be their best record ever

Stoked.  Can’t wait to hear it tonight.

Too bad the Newbury variants are too gross to justify owning even on clearance.  Though I suppose I'd actually be more annoyed if they got an enticing variant, only because I hate the idea of supporting them.

Definitely in for a copy though.  I don't know about anyone else but this album has aged really well for me, I still think it's a blast.  On top of that, I still spin that Eve 7" and dug it out probably just 1 week ago.  Killer track, I'm stoked to have it on an LP with additional material I haven't heard.

Pricing feels relatively fair for including an accompanying art book and mirror board finish.

1 column for a “main” genre that neatly feeds into a graph with 7-10 values, and then a column to its right for sub-genres.  Which is the one I filter when I’m on the prowl for a specific sound.

Did they not run the PVC sleeves by you before submitting the paperwork for production, or what?

I think the biggest draw is the 3 exclusive songs, to be totally honest.  Rearranging everything around them feels more like a "let's get this to fit neatly on 2 LPs" decision, more than an artistic one, but that's just speculation on my end.  I just know I'm not the biggest fan of completely rearranging an album I've been consistently listening to in its original sequence.  But I guess it's better than just re-releasing it and having 3 songs tacked on the very end or something.

I gotta' agree with Shelby, I think – with that price-tag, a little teaser video would go a long way.  It's possible that this could blow your dick off once you've got it in hand (the packaging, not your dick) – but based on the photos above, it reminds me of something you'd see from someone who works at a print factory and won a test press of this album.  Kinda' neat, but also super bare-bone.  If they're going for a hyper minimal thing, they could have at least taken a page from mwY and made the vinyl clear or white or something, I dunno.  It sounds like that would have driven the price up even further but once you're in $60+, you may as well go big or go home I suppose.

1 hour ago, Sad Heart said:

Went all out on the packaging

Did they?

1 hour ago, OldKentuckyShark said:

This one coming out on Dead Oceans too?

Yeah, that mock-up is 100% a Dead Oceans shop render... but I also believe I read that confirmed, too.

Crazy.  I’m 3 listens deep and really enjoying it, and I wouldn’t necessarily call either of the singles highlights.  I suppose we’re just looking for different things in a new QOTSA record.