kurtz

Although most people won't be able to hear a difference on their walls, I know Cartel has access to the masters for Chroma.

Just the fact that you call other labels "competitors" is symptomatic of a mindset so incredibly out of step with the spirit of independent music that you should have your "this is a one man operation, please support the little guy, I do it for the love" card revoked forever.

Now we gotta get Aaron from Copeland to defend this statement - "That is not my experience with ETR. Other labels have released our records on vinyl. What he was trying to do was illegal."
 
INTERVIEW TIME.

This is something people need to understand, so I am glad that you - a member of the band - mentioned it.  It's not a matter of ethics (coughjasontate).  Communication errors or not, ETR did everything legally.

solution: Press you own stuff. Rehashing  old pop punk from major labels is a bogus way to sell records. ETR is more like a copying machine than a label. Take an old ass cd, put it on big colorful format, pay the major (who likely doesn't give a shit about the band in the first place) press 500 copies at Pirates Press=profit.
 
It may be monetarily beneficial to run a "label" like this. But it's far from an actual label. To think that this guy makes money off this horseshit is depressing. Is there really that little of a demand for new music?  Instead of paying licencing fee's he could pay for an awesome band to hit the studio and put out a great new record at a reasonable price. 
 
also lol at folks that think the bands get paid first when they sign to a major. most bands leave majors in major debt. On the flipside should a label own the rights of a release that they advance recording, touring, promotional and numerous other cost's? Hell yes. Otherwise all labels would not for profit ventures.  I know most people here don't know anything me or my label. But we retain rights for 5 years, or until the album recoups, whichever comes later, and then revert it back to the band (if they want to). 
 
Also Fuck Absolute punk and the douche fucker that runs that place.
 
Like Scott said also, licencing original recordings from bands works out great for all parties involved as well. Especially nowadays. 

Aaron Marsh:
 

That's cool. We just disagree. I think morally right vs. legally right are two different things.

Yeesh. Didn't realize how many wannabe Gordon Gekko types frequented this board.
Clearly if a band takes issue with someone they don't know putting out their music it's because they want to make money (whereas a guy who puts out a disparate range of nostalgia-rooted releases is just doing it for the love, man). Clearly if you establish communication with a band about putting out their album and they stop responding, you should go ahead anyway provided you really want to do it and it's something a lot of people want. Clearly it's stupid to side with a band vs. the reissue label just because the band made the music that you apparently neeeed on vinyl. I mean, the ETR version is on splatter, it's scary to think what boring color the band would've picked themselves. This should be in the hands of professionals.
I know nothing about Cartel other than the fact that Dr. Pepper paid to put them in a bubble, but it's disheartening to see people buy into the "it's a music BUSINESS" mindset just so it guarantees them big versions of their CD collection. There are thousands of bands, labels, communities, etc. that have built their art & livelihood on personal connections and do just fine without the corporate mindset of "cover your legal bases and after that, it's on them for being tooooo slowwww".
And of course Ross is a good dude backed hard to his customers. You don't get a medal for being nice to the people who give you money. It really has no bearing on this scenario.

Your right - you probably don't have the slightest idea what the mark up is.  HYPOTHETICALLY speaking if ETR is to net $5,000 dollars off of this release (my guess would be less) what do you think that breaks down by hour?  A project over a year in the works.. Also assuming this is a one or two man operations and they have homies helping pack / ship / etc.  Wouldn't call this a money grab or even close to it.  Done arguing with you about this, like I mentioned before you don't have a clue. 

Just stop.

Default VC position: defend the guy who licenses whatever will sell, shit on band that's bummed about their record being released without their knowledge. Fill shelves with albums from high school at any cost.

$25 for a huge CD.

I'm not a big fan of ETR and their business practices. 
 
That said - I was giving him the benefit of the doubt on this. And then this happened.
 
And I really hate the supposed innocence he tries to pull off.
 
I don't think this being a 'secret release' had to do with the store being overloaded. He knew the band was not behind this and wanted to put it up in a manner guaranteed to sell copies as quick as possible before the band had a chance to respond.
 
It's just the same shit over and over. His records are overpriced because people pay it. His shipping is overpriced because people pay it. He doesn't care (to an extent) if bands give their approval if he's already put the time and money into a release. 
 
I feel:
 

 
I know it's a 'don't like - don't buy situation.' Which is fine. 
 
   
I happen to think this is an awful way to look at things. I don't believe in 'whatever it takes as long as I have my vinyl!' attitude. Yes they signed to a major label so it might be their fault - but there are right ways to treat people. Will has said in at least one interview that he cared a lot about this album and wanted to do something special for the vinyl release. He might be an asshole, but being an asshole back so you can 'finally own this' doesn't justify it.

Dammit. Woke up to this. Asking for a refund.
I had a bad feeling about it after ordering: hence the reason I questioned it. The whole "secret release" strategy. The band not positing about it. The band previously saying in an interview they wanted to do something deluxe for Chroma.
Sending request for refund now. Sorry Ross.

Sitting behind the band is one of the worst places to be if you are looking to get a decent recording. 
 
Standing in the center of the room or near the sound guy will give you the best results.

Weird thread.
 
I've been buying records for years and can probably count on one hand the number of single LPs that I spent more than 20 bucks for.
 
The licensed major label stuff that this board seems to go nuts for doesn't interest me though, so maybe that is the difference.

This should be VC's slogan these days.

Ordered the Pissed Jeans record from 1234 Go!
 
Only RSD release I cared about getting.

You have to wait til download code day to get it.

You have to wait til download code day to get it.

there will definitely be a number of people who are willing to buy disney soundtracks on picture discs that will someday stop buying vinyl because they realized they wasted a ton of money on them and it's not making them happy anymore. 
 
but for those of us that don't have to have every expensive variant and mostly buy them to listen to them because they sound great on a proper set up, i think we'll continue to buy them. 

Fuck No!  I think you guys are nuts.  Maybe I'm just too old to understand that garbage.