pitchfork is dumb (#34985859340293849494 in a series.)

I mean, of course printing any run of physical media in 2021 is a gamble. I get it. And I totally can understand why a small label wouldn't want to take on the risk. It's fair. But in my experience, it's even mid-size labels that presumably have warehouses and distribution channels that are printing tiny runs.

My annoyance kicks in when I read or hear about an album that came out two months ago, only find out it's already out-of-print and going for ridiculous money on discogs on both LP and CD format. I just don't see how that serves any artist to have something go out of print that quickly. I'm not talking about some obscure record from 17 years ago that I can't track down, I'm talking albums that are still currently in their promotion period, getting published reviews, that are already completely out-of-print. I don't see how that works well for anyone.

it’s another case where the review is better than the score but peewee deserves better

xps

My annoyance kicks in when I read or hear about an album that came out two months ago, only find out it's already out-of-print and going for ridiculous money on discogs on both LP and CD format. I just don't see how that serves any artist to have something go out of print that quickly.

the cynic in me sometimes wonders if there are labels that do this on purpose to flip their own stuff at an OOP markup out the back door. the temptation has got to be there.

xpost - don't quote me on those numbers haha

My annoyance kicks in when I read or hear about an album that came out two months ago, only find out it's already out-of-print and going for ridiculous money on discogs on both LP and CD format. I just don't see how that serves any artist to have something go out of print that quickly.

think the secret here the artist/label might keep a few back and discog/ebay the records themselves wink wink

xpost w one eye open but yeah

anyway god bless all those putting out obscure stuff in physical form in 2021!

I'm not talking about some obscure record from 17 years ago that I can't track down, I'm talking albums that are still currently in their promotion period, getting published reviews, that are already completely out-of-print. I don't see how that works well for anyone.

― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, January 27, 2021 8:41 AM (forty-nine minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

was really hard recently to track down a new copy of Magik Marker's "2020" - a very well reviewed album that just came out, finally found one

friend of mine who owned a small label once told me

if you press 1,000 you'll sell 400

if you press a 500 "limited edition" you'll sell out

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, January 27, 2021 9:17 AM (one hour ago)

creating artificial scarcity is basically business 101

Yeah, that's a good example! It just feels so weird that in 2021 I'm doing for brand new releases what I was doing five years ago for obscuro weird shit - i.e. trawling various online shops and discogs until I hit on the magic one with stock. I guess the days of walking into a record store with a list of new releases you want to buy really are dead. And, as much as I love and utilize Bandcamp, I gotta imagine that's not helping local record shops either.

At this point the record store experience is very much “I’m here with no real expectations, let’s just see how lucky I’ll get.”

(Also glad to see there are others questing for CDs.)

At this point the record store experience is very much “I’m here with no real expectations, let’s just see how lucky I’ll get.”

Never a bad thing either! But I'm not going to lie, in the pre-COVID times I was still very much a, "hey it's Friday, I'm gonna hit the shop and grab some new stuff" kind of guy too.

(Also glad to see there are others questing for CDs.)

pre-pandemic, CD thrifting was one of my favorite activities.

It’s been a while - months? - since I last visited a physical record store, but for some time now it’s been more keyed to older items, used or not. You know, is there a copy of “No Pussyfooting” in the racks? And if so, awesome, fill in the blank with your own example.

The tough part comes with looking for something just released, because the store under ordered or barely ordered or the label was like “hey, we did a digital release Friday but physical versions come out in two months, probably.”

(I realize that this isn’t entirely a Pitchfork-related discussion.)

yeah sometimes with record stores I wish everything was disorganized like a new arrivals bin lol

I'm cynical but I think if any record store acquired a copy of No Pussyfooting in 2021 it would never see the sales floor

You’d think, right?

No Pussyfooting Blues

record stores really suck now, and I blame Discogs for a lot of these problems. Hell, buying records used to be a lot more fun than it used to. It's like collecting comic books/action figures etc now

otm

I mean, of course printing any run of physical media in 2021 is a gamble. I get it. And I totally can understand why a small label wouldn't want to take on the risk. It's fair. But in my experience, it's even mid-size labels that presumably have warehouses and distribution channels that are printing tiny runs.

And to my point. . . *purchasing* physical media has become somewhat of a gamble/horse race. The market is flooded with shit and reissues and Record Store Day stuff, who can keep up with it all. . . so much so that when *good* stuff gets reissued, it's easy for that stuff to slip by. Case in point here, I only knew this came out b/c some friends posted about it on Facebook. And it's like a lost Little Richard record??? WTF

https://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/southern-child/

Yeah, RSD has a lot to answer for. I don't want to rehash the argument again and I'm legit glad it helps a lot of stores stay afloat, but the effect it's had on record stores is going to be felt for a long time. I remember one day, shortly before the pandemic, I stopped in a small local bookstore that also sells a limited selection of vinyl and I swear half of their "new" section was RSD represses of shit you used to find in bargain bins for $2 a pop, but suddenly is worth $29 because it's on, I don't know, watermelon colored vinyl.

i'm just waiting for watermelon flavored vinyl.

"wow, i love this song! it tastes so fresh!"

Breakbot: 'By Your Side'
French producer / DJ Thibault Berland, better known as Breakbot, released a 2012 single 'By Your Side' that was noted for its animated music video directed by Irena Dakeva, but even more notable was the decision to issue a limited run of 7” singles pressed onto chocolate.

Only 120 copies were ever made and Ed Banger Records, Breakbot's label, issued the record along with the helpful advice “play it before you eat it”. Presumably it's quite a difficult thing to store, and it was only ever designed to be played once, but it does actually play back on a turntable and sounds better than you'd imagine. Still, we'd bet it tastes even better...

out.

standing.

I'll find out for myself next month...hope your friend is right! (My break-even point is somewhere in the 225-250 copy range, but obviously if I only sell that many I'll have a roomful left over, which will suck from a living-space standpoint.)

Your post reminded me, I just got my pre-order in for your first two releases this morning, so doing my part. Good luck!

I saw that - thanks! (The printer had a minor COVID outbreak and had to shut down for two weeks, so physical discs may be SLIGHTLY delayed, but they'll come out one way or another. I'm actually calling on Monday to get a status update.)

Ha, no worries. Understandably things are slower now, just happy to support and I'm really excited for both offerings so far and I hope these lead to much more down the road.

the goat girl review definitely read like one of those "7.1s" that the author clearly wanted to be higher

this is really cool

why is this headline cracking me up:

Cardi B Tosses Barbs With Humorous Confidence on "Up"

is it because it sounds like it was written by eustace tilley

tbf, it's actually "...Tosses Humorous Barbs w/Confidence"

nicki subtweeting methinks

is Barb the new Karen or smth

I was shocked to find that the Dua Lipa overrated/underrated video was posted a mere month and a half ago because it feels like it has been autoplaying every time I visit the site for a period of years or decades.

Before that it was the one song Devendra Banhart wishes he wrote.

There are many videos on your website - - mix it up a little why don't you?

why do you have your browser set up to allow autoplay videos

I don't know. Audio is disabled and I guess that was good enough for me. Nevertheless, even with it completely disabled, the same video is always there taking up more than half of the screen.

I hope they never take this down.
https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/5e8219981c7d5e0008fee806/2:1/w_180/pitchfork_over-under-megan-thee-stallion.jpg

permanent front page

hahahaha that is funny, as soon as I read your post I realized I just take it as a regular part of the site now

https://twitter.com/pitchfork/status/1362768664399904771?s=20

Let's try that again...

https://twitter.com/pitchfork/status/1362768664399904771

maybe they deleted the tweet? what was it?

assuming it was this tweet?

When Pitchfork tries to cover Country or Americana 😂🙄 pic.twitter.com/60JcSFRfhU

— Chris (@ctrauty) February 19, 2021

"Well any female country singer that isn't Kacey Musgraves is in that group, right?"

Maybe The Highwomen and Pistol Annies are the new version of Bad English / Damn Yankees.

Damn English

tbh it took me a second to register what was wrong with that tweet

tbf I don't think the actual article mentioned either The Highwomen or PA but it's a funny little self-own given the country/Americana community's years of griping with p4k.