Sunday 27 October 2013

108 Test Fail

Ever buy the wrong record by accident? I just did. I watched Lost & Found Records sell 2 or 3 copies of this 108 'Songs Of Separation' LP Test Press before I stepped in & bought one. I actually bid on the first 2 or 3 copies and got outbid. But finally I got one, and at about half the price that the first copy sold for. Stoked.

The problem was, it was only when I received it that I realised that I had got confused. This is 108's second LP. It originally came out on Equal Vision. I knew that because I bought one when it came out. But somehow I ignored the record title when I saw this on eBay. I actually thought that this was the third LP, 'Threefold Misery' as that LP came out on Lost & Found Records on CD and picture disc only. The description on this test on eBay read as follows:

Note: released as picture disc only, but 10 testpressings were made on black vinyl.

So I read this bit and assumed it was a test of the third album, which I don't own on vinyl because I hate picture discs. It was only when the test arrived & I actually put it on the turntable that I realised my mistake. I honestly I never knew that the second LP was also released on Lost & Found as a picture disc. I feel like an amateur. FAIL.

Despite my mistake though, it's still a test press. That's 41 this year so far.

Saturday 26 October 2013

The Weight

Sometimes, yuo see something listen on eBay and you know right away it will be yours. It's then just a case of having to wait for the auction to end. Such was the case with this Seaweed 7" test press. But despite knowing I was going to win this, I was still surprised that I turned out to be the only bidder. I mean, $25 isn't that much is it?

This is a test of the 7" that came out on No Idea Records a couple of years ago. There were 20 of these tests in a photocopied sleeve. It says in words '1 of 20' but they are all the same, i.e. this text is not numbering.

40/52. 9 weeks left.

Thursday 24 October 2013

Flip Your Wig

Today’s update is another addition to the Hüsker Dü collection. This LP is called ‘Flip Your Wig’ and it's on purple vinyl on SST Records. As you can see, the shrinkwrap contains the usual ‘color vinyl’ sticker that SST used to use so that you knew that there would be no need to freak out when, on removing your plastic disc from it’s paper wrapping, it turned out to look more like a giant skittle rather than a record.

I know so little about this band that it’s crazy. I mean, it’s been a while since I started to get into them (after trying and failing about 20 years ago), and I’ve picked up a few of their records, but I have no idea what order they came in or which are generally regarded as the best. I just feel like I know nothing. Now, clearly in the internet age this is my fault as all of this information is available at my fingertips whenever I want it. But I guess the truth of the matter is that I’m not really fussed enough to find out. Sometimes it’s cool to just buy records and listen to the songs and try to figure it all out yourself.

Wednesday 23 October 2013

When I Get Old

I was pleased with myself recently for bagging a bargain. I watched one of these Descendents 'When I Get Old' 7"s end on eBay.com a couple of weeks ago for $49. Kinda funny to me that it could go for so much, as this just looks like one of those cheap, mass produced records. No doubt when this came out it was in every record store in the world for a standard 7" price. Now, it sells for a lot even though it looks awful. I guess that's how it goes. Anyhow, I said I got a bargain. About 24 hours after the $49 copy sold, another copy ended on ebay.co.uk, which I won for £8.50. That translates to about $13.50... which is clearly significantly cheaper than $49. I was feeling pretty good about this, until the record arrived in what I can only describe as 'dipshit packaging', resulting in badly bent corners.

The record looks like cheap plastic in normal conditions. But holding it to the light it takes on a life of its own and makes for a much more interesting photo:

Unfortunately, due to the condition, I now need to find another copy. Ugh.

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Floral Green

LP number three in my parcel of three is a modern-ish release. It's an LP by Title Fight called 'Floral Green'. This is the band's second album and came out last year. I had never heard this band until Revelation announced the pre-order for the 7" they are just about to release (or have just released). Given that I still (perhaps stupidly) trust Rev, I figured I'd give this band a chance, so I downloaded their two albums, and this one got me hooked pretty quickly. So I figured if I had chance I'd buy a copy. So I did.

The 'sleeve' is an oversized affair. It's cool though. The sleeve is a gatefold sleeve, but it comes in a big 'slipcase' which, to be honest, looks better than the record cover, as you can see in the photos. Oh yeah, and also I got some 'floral' colour vinyl. No idea on the pressing info on this. I just like the look of this thing so I'm happy with it.

What I like about this band is that they are definitely at the poppier end of the spectrum, but they're hardcore kids. Check out the Free Spirit hoody on the back cover. I don't think I can be bothered to get into collecting this band's entire catalogue as there are about 400 7"s, but I'll gladly hang on to this LP. Good stuff.

Monday 21 October 2013

Born To Expire

So when I bought the No Warning LP, I also picked up a couple of other LPs from the same dude. For some reason, it didn't feel right to blog about all of them in one post, even though I would have always done this in the past (I guess I'm becoming more like Mike with this). Anyway, here's the second LP of the batch of three, a great looking copy of the Leeway 'Born To Expire' LP. Like other records of this period, there were a lot of these made but it is real tough to find one in good condition. This one has a slight seam split and dinged corners, but it's good enough for me.

And again, like other records of the same era, there was no limited edition pressing. But this is as close as you can get - a promo copy with special white labels (the regular labels are black):

I've never owned a copy of this LP before. I don't really know why. I guess mainly because until a couple of years ago I had never listened to it thinking it was basically metal. I was wrong. This LP rules, and I'm a fool for missing out on it for so many years.

Sunday 20 October 2013

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Some releases just seem to get better with age, and the first No Warning LP is proof of that. I remember ordering it when it came out just because it was a new Bridge Nine release. I mean, I had the 7" at the time but wasn't blown away by it. It was just ok. But when this LP dropped, well, it was certainly a step up. The world really sat up and paid attention, I remember that much. And the legacy hasn't gone unnoticed either. This LP has remained highly sought after, and is one of the few releases from the 00s that consistently sells for big money.

And speaking of big money, after many years of searching, I have finally managed to get hold of one of the Peanut Butter & Jelly versions. The label ordered 'blood and shit' vinyl and this is how the pressing plant interpreted that request... so the label kept 50 copies and sent the rest back.

Clearly, one of the best hardcore LPs of the era and only 50 copies makes for one hard to find record. Plus if you can find one, finding one in the hands of someone who will let it go is not easy. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself!

The red (or 'jelly') colour does look dark, but if you hold it up to a light source it looks much prettier. In fact, I think this is a pretty good interpretation of 'blood'.

Also, after picking this up it made me dig my other copy out. I kept the note that the label sent. I thought I'd put the picture up purely for nostalgia's sake:

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Worn Through The Layer Of Purple

I am a fool at times. I have so many records in piles around the edge of my room that things get mislaid at times. Things form their own piles and after a while I have several piles with no order to them. All piles start with an order, e.g. records by artist from A-M... but then eventually it goes wrong. I'll get a record by an artist with a name starting with 'S' and, in a moment of laziness, put it at the front of the 'A-M' pile. After that, it's all ruined, and the pile loses any sense of order.

So anyway, I received a few 7"s almost two months ago, and some of them got missed from this blog due to getting sucked into one of my piles. So now I'm catching up with old new stuff. Ugh.

I don't imagine too many people are still interested in Harvest records in 2013. Their day was mid to late 90s. This here 7" was, I think, their first release and came out on Ferret Records. I heard once that all Ferret releases had a very limited pressing on purple vinyl. I don't know for sure if that's true or not, although I do have a Converge 7" on the same label on a limited purple wax, so I think it's certainly likely. Well anyway, I always liked this band, and I was happy enough to grab this limited pressing of their first 7" for pretty cheap. And I'm sure that whilst not many people care about this band in 2013, someone would definitely want this enough to pay much more than I did.

I have to say, purple vinyl is a great colour. It comes in many different shades. It's nearly (but not quite) as nice as pink vinyl. Nearly.

Sunday 13 October 2013

Police & Thieves / Remission Split Test

I've had this a while but am only just getting around to posting it because, quite simply, I forgot all about it. It got put in the wrong pile on my floor. And believe me, there are a few piles. Anyway, this is a test press of the Police & Thieves / Remission split 7" on Amendment Records. It comes in a nice handmade card sleeve.

The labels are stamped and it is hand numbered out of 20 copies. I got number 17.

That's 39/52 tests done with 11 weeks to go.

Sunday 6 October 2013

Studies In Emerald

It's taken me a while to get around to posting this one as I felt that I needed to take a lot of photos to capture exactly how special this package is. This is a new 7" by Rot In Hell entitled 'Studies In Emerald'. Although these songs have previously been released, they were on two different CDs, so this represents their first appearance on the superior format of vinyl. And what a way to do it... although sadly, not many people will experience this as there are only 31 copies in existence.

It arrived sealed in a green (emerald) envelope:

For us nerds, this represents a dilemma, as straight away you have to consider whether you actually want to see or listen to the item you have paid for, or whether you want to leave it unspoiled. Well, to cut a short story short, I managed to open it without damaging the packaging. So here's what I found inside...

The envelope contains a 7" in a slip case. I don't think I have ever seen one of these before.

And of course, the record itself slides out of the slip case sideways...

The black acetate sheet above is actually an x-ray. I've seen a couple of these and it seems that all of the x-rays are different.

Underneath the x-ray is the 7", in an orange dust sleeve.

The 7" itself is a lathe cut thing which has an x-ray of a fly printed on it.

And behind the 7" is a small booklet which is part of the sleeve.

This is seriously one of the most amazing pieces of packaging I have ever seen on a 7", and believe me, that's saying something. I just wish more people could see (and appreciate) it in real life, but alas, that cannot be so. Overall I feel both lucky and honoured to be one of the 31 special few.