When I bought my special edition 180gram virgin vinyl edition of, "The Moon & Antarctica" by Modest Mouse...I had not ever heard one chord of it! On "record store day" I so desperately wanted to purchase a new LP. Especially because I had Matthew Spill and Dylan with me. I was not about to take them into MY stomping grounds....my Record Store...and not buy an LP! Not only did I NEED to get an LP but something cool, indie, and hip!
How else would they have known how awesome I am? Duh!
Now I am not a COMPLETE tool. I do like Modest Mouse. Like much of the world I was a listener of their more recent album entitled, "Good News for People Who Love Bad News". It was a great album. I also keep my iPhone at arms length and it told me that 'Antarctica' was very high rated! Even more so than "Good/Bad News'. So I wasn't completely going into a blind trap. Nor would I.
I bought the album...and as it turns out I love it. While I was irritated with myself for my motivation in buying that LP... I can't help but be thankful for that day because I feel like it took me back in time! When my mom was a youth...she had no internet. There was no iTunes to hear 30 sec clips of each song. You had a radio single (if you were lucky...). Then you either bought the record or you pussed out. Our digital age has turned us into a bunch if wimps. Record labels are so terrified nobody is going to buy an album that they post the entire fucking thing on Myspace a week before it comes out! The whole album!
Sure they take precautions so you won't download it. Plus we all know the hardcore fans are going to buy it anyway. But you completely destroy the element of people "taking a chance". Buying an album and not being thrilled with it barely exists anymore because our technology has spoiled us.
This practice has always irritated me. Plus my insistance for good quality music as caused me to swear off listening to "Myspace throttled bullshit versions' of albums. I either wait for the vinyl to be available...or I turn to torrents for a good version of the music to be available (note: I prefer the vinyl...).
I was very excited for "The Young Veins" debut album because of their roster. I heard not ONE SINGLE TRACK before release day. I pre-ordered the record and I loved it! I also loved the fact that I could go on the journey with that LP. The journey its creators had planned...I had full ability to take in all of its glory. No advertisements in between tracks...no limited quality...it was me and the LP. Stylus to vinyl. The way it should be.
Sure I could've found "The Leak" on MTV or something and heard it in advance but you know what? To me...'a leak' is taking a PISS. Nothing else.
I wish the music business would have some faith in us. If you do a good job letting us know who is in the band, and the DJs to their job playing it...we'll buy the shit. Spend a little effort getting a band on TV if you must. But only give us a tease!
Throwing shit on myspace is just begging for people to "listen and leave". I feel like as much as the music industry bitches about people stealing stuff...they are giving it away just as fast.
I call upon my peers to do your artists and their industry a favor right now...walk into your local record store...look around for something new and slap a $20 dollar bill on the counter! Pick something out that you have never heard before...but 'someone' told you it was good! Take a shot. If you don't like it....give it to someone who will! Or trade it in to a store that takes used merch.
We almost killed it all with Napster...the labels freaked and fucked it up even more...its up to us to throw the biz a bone. You dig?
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