Clear Sleep

I have mentioned before on this blog that I am a big fan of The 1975, and since their newest record landed a few days ago, it seems about right to talk about it. I've given it a couple of listens and I'm really impressed by both the musical content and the packaging. As I'm writing this I'm giving Vile Art by Ritual Mess a spin, and it feels a world away but we'll see how we get on. 

The 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It - Dirty Hit // Interscope // Polydor - 1st Press - Clear - /? (2 x LP // 180g W/ HMV Exclusive Slipcase) 

This is the slickest packaging I've seen for a double LP in quite some time. It definitely feels worth the jump compared to it's CD equivalent which you sometimes don't get from major labels. The records are housed in a nice thick gatefold sleeve with lovely printed inners, but more on those a little later. 

The LP comes housed in a pink O-Card. It's completely plain and was marketed as a HMV exclusive. I think there was an Indie Store exclusive postcard set, and then an Amazon exclusive variant on White instead of Clear wax. 

Sticker on the shrink, I guess with having nothing on the O-Card this is handy. However, if you went into a HMV looking for this record, I guess even without the sticker you could have an educated guess right? 

The cover is obviously similar to the first album, only in colour as opposed to Black and White of the self titled. The album even kicks off with a reinterpretation of the opening track from the debut. 

The back cover is the album title written in lights, an artistic theme throughout the record. 

The centre labels are fairly identical for all four sides, but they look great with the circular text. 

The inserts are used for the lyrics only, and so it seemed a little pointless photographing all sides when you can get the idea from this small section of the A-Side insert. 

All four sides of the insert come with the text THE 1975 - ILIKEITWHENYOUSLEEPFORYOUARESOBEAUTIFULYETSOUNAWAREOFIT along with the respective side letter A-D. 

The strip lights come into play again with the album art, as they spell out the track titles for all 17 songs on the record. The lights are all in different locations, and I believe the Indie exclusive postcards were a few of these photographs. 

As there are 17 tracks and 18 squares 'The 1975' gets used twice. 

To keep the inserts for lyrics alone, the credits fit inside the gatefold under the photographs. There are all credits, individual and band thanks. 

Finally, the record came with a couple of download codes. They got a little bent inside the gatefold, but they're still pretty great looking. 

I know they're not everyone's thing, and I guess a good percentage of the readers here aren't big fans. But you can't deny that this is a really well thought out package. I kind of wish I dived in on the boxset, but you can't buy everything right? 

Cheers!

The Stranger // Creepin' Live

So yesterday (26/2/16 if you catch this post late) I went to see Creeper in Peterborough. The drive was absolutely horrendous due to road closures, and at one point I had nearly convinced myself to just turn the car around and call it a bad job done. But I'm definitely glad I persevered driving down back roads I didn't know looking for diversions that weren't there as they were incredible. For those that follow Creeper, this is their first headline run and it was a special affair for sure. I managed to grab a couple of minutes with Will, and he was lovely as always. It's also the first time in a long time that I've walked up to a merch stand and spunked all the money I had in my pocket without hesitation. I could've bought more for sure, but here's what I ended up with. 

To kick things off I bought a Callous Heart back patch. I've wanted one of these since The Honeymoon Suite video landed, and I can't wait to get this on the back of a jacket. I had to photograph this on my kitchen worktop as the purple just wasn't coming through and it looked odd. 

And back to the horrific lighting in the living room. This is a small enamel pin with the same logo.Although my camera hasn't done it justice, this thing crams in a lot of detail in a small space. 

Next up, I picked up a copy of their newest EP 'The Stranger'. It came out a week before I saw them, but I assumed they would have them for sale there so held off. I've heard that 750 (all on White) were pressed, but Discogs appears to say 500. I know 500 of The Callous Heart were pressed, and I'm fairly sure that's all sold out now, so bumping up the number would make sense but I'm not sure? The artwork on this is great, and works with the previous EP, with the Callous Heart making an appearance in the top right corner too. 

The Stranger as a character is a creepy looking guy right? Apparently he's based on Tick Tock from Peter Pan, and acts as another chapter in the story told within the EP's. 

Sticker on the shrink, much in a similar fashion to the one found on The Callous Heart. Sadly, much like that EP there is also no download code or lyrics sheet/ insert. Last time, I emailed Roadrunner about a download code and they were super nice about the whole thing so I'll give that another go. Apparently if you order direct from them they send you a link? 

Lastly, I bought a shirt. I already have a Creeper shirt from before the debut EP saw a vinyl release, but this was too good to pass off. And if I didn't need more convincing, it worked out that you saved a little money buying a combo of the shirt/enamel pin/EP too. I love the Creeper font for a start, but the back print is something else. 

This is about as creepy as this band have been with their merch, and this character is a great way to make that happen. I wish I knew who was responsible for this art, and maybe they designed the other tour shirt too? I like how it kind of has a children's book kind of feel to it, and almost reminds me of the Art of Drowning in part. I'm just really glad I bought this. I'm glad I bought all of it. I'm glad I got to see one of the best bands in the UK doing their thing. 

Obligatory mushy photo of everything in one go. 

Cheers!

Fight Off Your Demons Pt. 2

So anyone that keeps up to date with this blog will know that a couple months back I bought the Red Shell copy of the 2006 Leaked Demos by Brand New. If you didn't see it you can catch up here: 

http://23rotations.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/fight-off-your-demons.html

Anyway, I like this collection of songs a lot. In fact I liked it enough to dip into the other variant. 

Much the same as the red copy, no information with regards to pressing info is available and it's a first press. The cover is changed up a little, changing out Leatherface for a character from a Julio Perez Tabernero film from the 1970's. The rest of the insert is the same identical to the other copy, much the same as the text on the shell. 

This was marketed as a retail exclusive, and I picked it up from the Run For Cover Store. However, the real reason I was lurking the RFC store was because I got an email notifying me of an item returning to stock... 

I've been lusting after this Adventures longsleeve for a while, and Supersonic Home was my favourite record of 2015. It went out of stock around my birthday last year and finally they made up some more, so I dived in quick this time.

The back print is the illustration found in the gatefold from the LP. This quirky little thing looks great, and the print down the sleeve is similar to a Turnover longsleeve I picked up on their recent UK run. 

And finally, back to the original point, both cassettes together. I'm committed now, as long as they keep up with shell variants and horror movie J-Cards, I'll be buying these. Br& New forever. 

Poly(kinda)vinyl

Polyvinyl have rapidly become one of my favourite US labels. For a start, you have a decent look at what they have put out and then think about how important some of those releases are. Also, from a shipping perspective it's cool that you can get a tape or 7'' to the UK for a super reasonable price; especially coming well packaged and with free sweets. 

Now, I didn't really need this at all. I have the LP twice, and a CD copy. I also even have a bootlegged cassette of it that I made myself when I bought my first car that came with a cassette deck. However, I just wanted it and this record is a true classic that you can never have enough copies of. As an added bonus, this has all of the deluxe tracks on too. The art has been squashed down a little, and I like how it looks in this context. 

If you buy the cassette from the label, you get the full booklet as a PDF; but there is enough in the J-Card to keep you entertained too so I really don't mind. The different coloured text on the shell is a nice touch. Also, I know nothing about the pressing info of anything here. I know they are all 1st presses and most likely still in print/ easy to find. 

The lyrics for the LP are also in the J-Card which is nice to see. However, the font is (necessarily) small and my eyes can't follow it. I guess it's good to know it like the back of my hand though. 

At the time of ordering, Polyvinyl were doing a Buy One, Get One Half Price deal I believe and so I took a dive on this Owen cassette. For years I've had The Rutabega split on CD but never ventured past that. Since grabbing this, I've fallen in love with Owen and am slowly but surely grabbing a copy of each full length on vinyl. Sadly, I will end up grabbing this again I assume as just having one record on one format that doesn't fit the others will do my head in. This is one of my favourite record covers from Owen, and the title L'ami Du Peuple is French for 'Friend of the People' and I suppose it refers to a newspaper written by Jean-Paul Marat during the French Revolution. 

Neil Strauch produced the record, and has worked with a bunch of great dudes like Iron & Wine and Dads, to Polyvinyl roster Owls and Joan Of Arc. Kevin Leary is the tattooist who designed the cover. If you're into tattooing, he's a great artist worth checking out. No lyrics this time around, but the printed shell is neat so I don't mind too much. 

Finally, with my order came a free White Reaper cassingle and sticker/ temporary tattoo. This was to promote their newest LP, and contains a remix on the B-Side by Deerhoof. Housed in a wrap around O-Card. It's a cool song and I should probably check out their record. 

There we have it. I also ordered another few things from Polyvinyl recently, so expect another post in the not too distant future! 

Millennial Whites

Find me a band that gets me a similar feeling to a band like Latterman, and I'm in. Like I'm really in, knee deep in it. There is a big place in my heart for any band that shouts it like they mean it, and play with everything they have. This release has not really got the attention it deserves, and with the label that released it going completely under the radar I'm sure thinking it won't get much push from there. So if this post gets one person to check out a bandcamp link, or buy the LP then I think this blog is doing what it should be going. 

As is the way with Secret Audio club there are a bunch of colourways available. This is from the first press and is /108. There is a /1, /6 and of /54 variant all a great deal harder to find than this, but this matches the art nicely and I picked it up from Alan at Different Kitchen so I'm happy to own whatever he hands me. 

I like it when bands correspond the sides of a record other than A//B or 1//2. Side Prank // Side War has always been a personal favourite. Anyone know what that's from? 10 tracks, and I'm sure none of them top 3 minutes and I'm also pretty sure that all of them rage hard. 

So I mentioned that this record was /108. It is also hand numbered on the A-Side centre label. I ended up with number 20/100. I'm not sure why they are only numbered to 100 if 108 exist. Maybe the first 8 are kept un-numbered for band members and the label? In the end I'm sure it doesn't matter too much. 

Finally, here is the insert. I tried to photograph the back, but it looked so blurry every time that I gave up and hopefully you'll pick it up and see for yourself right? 

podacter.bandcamp.com 

http://differentkitchen.bigcartel.com/product/podactor-plays-the-millennium-blues-lp-white-vinyl-108-pre-order

I'm sure Different Kitchen ended up with a decent chunk of this variant, as I think he's the only UK stockist of Secret Audio Club stuff? 

Cheers!

Pink Promises

I almost didn't post about this record; not because it doesn't sound great because it really does. I nearly didn't post because I just assumed that everyone reading this blog has a copy, knows that it's great and the colourway is neat and don't need me telling them so. But something cool happened; I showed this record to my Mum when I visited her a week or so back and she fell in love with it. I have a lot to thank for her, being the cool lady that introduced me to everything from Suede to Counting Crows to Rancid to Alanis Morrissette. So fuck it, if it's cool enough to tell my Mum about, you lot can hear it too. 

Basement -Promise Everything - Run For Cover Records - 1st Press - Baby Pink A-Side + Hot Pink B-Side /1000 (Banquet Records Exclusive) 

Before we go any further, the odd placement for photographing is due to having no natural light in my house where a flat surface resides so this will have to do for now. Sorry about that. The art is super weird, and I'm feeling it as it kind of works and looks like it should be there. The variant is super impressive too, if somewhat inaccurately described. The record is cut at 45rpm and sounds beautiful too, but we're not here to hear about that. 

Back Cover // B-Side 

The centre labels are a nice little feature, using little excerpts from the artwork really well; almost to the point where these small sections stand on their own without need for a wider context. 

The insert is a 24''x24'' foldout poster that has this new logo across it. It looks a little weird at this size, but seeing it up close made me notice the PE written inside it (it looks really obvious to me now and I can't believe I ever missed it). 

The other side of the insert is a bunch of photographs of the band (mostly looking like tour shots) with the lyrics and credits around the outer edge. Following the lyrics and having to rotate the insert as you go along is no easy task, especially with all the photos to distract you from the small print! 

Artwork by R.V 1972 is pretty intriguing, I've had a quick lurk online to find more but it's a bit of a dead end for me sadly. If anyone knows anything more than I do then please let me in on it? 

So there we go, it's a great record and Banquet still have copies. I always preferred Colourmeinkindness to any of Basement's previous work, but I've listened to this record pretty much daily with very few exceptions in full, and some of the songs are irresistible.

With the pre-order at Banquet there was also an option to grab this 7'', and aside from the RFC store I think all bets were off for buying this so I dived in. The cover art seems to be from the same guy/ gal and the sketch work centre labels are a cool touch, though I think they may be from a different artist. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of pressing info on this, but I know another variant on Gold(?) also exists that came with a deluxe bundle of some sorts.

Funny side note. I got talking to Alex Henery from Basement last time I saw them about Red Hot Chili Peppers as we were both wearing RHCP shirts. He had a great One Hot Minute era tour shirt, that I'm still trying to find. The swirl in the background reminds me of the Office Of Future Plans' Self Titled record. 

The insert kind of looks like an RFC newsletter with the busy layout, and here you can see where the centre label art came from. Also, the demo of Halo is the real winner of this release and I'm glad I dived in. 

Finally, this arrived separately and hence why it's not photographed in the same place. In fact, I haven't had time to flick through it yet, but I have an old Basement zine or two that I've enjoyed so I can only assume I'll get the same thing here. 

It's been a bit of a long one so thanks for sticking it out. 

Kane

Darkness Glows

I wrote a little post a while back about the newest H2O record, and how I got the digital long before the vinyl, over-listened and was kind of underwhelmed when it arrived as it no longer felt new. 

Well, the other delay that really bummed me out was this record. Thankfully, I strayed away from the download as much as possible, and as a result this still feels a new record. On the downside, I think a few of us received slightly shitty service from Awesome Distro but a bit more on that later. 

The Saddest Landscape - Darkness Forgives - Topshelf Records - 1st Press - Red Glow In The Dark /200 

This is the first record with Daniel Danger joining the fold. Much in the theme of the box set artwork he did for the band, he also made a pre-order sleeve with a drawn interpretation of the art. I didn't see this in the flurry or ordering this LP, but emailed Awesome Distro not a few hours later to ask about amending my order. They emailed back saying that I couldn't, but instead cancel this order and end up with the /800 variant with a PO cover. It seems to me they still had spare covers, and weren't willing to make the change. There was the whole free patch thing that never happened too, though I'm not sure if that was a label issue, or just a lack of communication. 

Back Cover // B-Side 

You can see the red come into play a little more here. Although it doesn't glow quite as vibrantly as I thought it might it still looks great and I'm more than happy with this variant. Thankfully the artwork is incredible, I heard the woman on the cover may be going out with someone from TSL but that may just be a rumour. 

The insert uses the same art as the Souls Worth Saving 7'', and so I thought I'd pull this one out and include it with this post. 

Nick Dinatale captured some beautiful images of the band playing live, and included them on this fancy fold out insert. Art and presentation wise, this is my favourite TSL record; musically I could never pick a favourite but this is still being played daily here so that can only be a positive thing in my eyes.  

More from the insert. 

Credits and thanks, along with a mailing address. More mailing addresses in record sleeves. I've been picking up early Ramones records lately, and seeing a mailing address for their fan club really puts a smile on my face. The fact that this kind of thing still lives on, alongside a physical format like this is really something right? 

And lastly we have the lyrics. I know that they will be hard on the eye with the dark text on a dark background, but the effort put into this release (in every aspect) urges me to include most of what I can see from holding it in my hands. 

If you haven't heard this record yet, then assume you're fucking up big time. Music is rarely played with such passion, and bands rarely work this hard to make something new and interesting each time. Get into it. 

Thanks!