How to Justify Buying Records When You Don't Need Them

When a single reason to buy a record exists, you buy it, even if you don't need it.  Need of course is relative.   Who really needs records (the VVers obviously)?  Isn't it nice to have a little extra push when it comes to trying out new music?  Even better is a trifecta of reasons.

In this case, two weeks out from Inauguration this past January, the VVers were feeling pretty down about the state of the world.  In response to the White House travel ban, online music community Bandcamp, announced they were donating 100% of their proceeds to the American Civil Liberties Union to support its work for immigrants and refugees.  [Reason #1: Your money goes to a good cause.]

While using Bandcamp rather frequently (usually to stream albums from new artists), the VVers recently noticed that you can actually buy vinyl from them (WHOA!).  In the meantime on social media, Savannah's Graveface Records & Curiosities also posted about the Bancamp/ACLU event.  This got VVer #2 thinking that there was new music on Graveface's label that looked interesting.  Since going to the label tour last year, the VVers have followed Graveface a bit.  They are a plucky little label that not only puts out interesting music, but also oddball horror soundtracks from yesteryear, and even the occasional zine.  [Reason #2: Supporting a small, indie label.] 

Coincidentally, Closeness, which is a collaboration of Todd Fink (The Faint) and his wife Orenda Fink (Azure Ray) released their debut EP, Personality Therapy, this month on Graveface.  With no idea what they sound like, what risk is there when you are sure that you like half a band's music (The Faint)?  In this case, the 50/50 chance paid off.  Personality Therapy is a strong, six-song set of driving, well-produced tunes.  The EP has a nice blend of romance, darkness, and even a hopeful streak.  There is a very atmospheric quality running throughout several tracks.  "End of the Maze" is a standout that mixes the duo's futuristic, distorted harmonies and pairs them with doomsday synths.  [Reason #3: Familiarity with half the band.]

Boom! Added bonus, it's a limited edition color 12", buttttt .... this one nearly breaks the Naked Butt Rule in the House of VV.  You see, there is an awesomely horrific cover to this EP, which is not full-on butt nakedness, but comes damn close.   This VVer heroically overlooked this arbitrary rule to support a few good causes (and the vinyl is good stuff too)!  "Need" fulfilled.

Download Card Conundrum

The Download Card: You love it and you hate it!  Well, which one is it?

You buy a new record, rip off the shrink wrap, pull out the record sleeve, and one of three things might happen: (1) a little card comes floating out onto the floor, inconspicuously never to be seen again, you don't even care because you are so focused on your new vinyl; (2) a little card comes floating out onto the floor, you pick it up, you are happy, you return to be focused on your new vinyl; or (3) you shake the record sleeve in disappointment looking for that little flimsy slip of paper, but alas there is none.  In the last scenario, you panic.  Wait, maybe it fell out when you took out the record?  Where is it!?!   In actuality, most new vinyl will advertise this special bonus with a sticker on the front.  Some artists (for example, Puscifer) never include them.  Is this a problem?  A statement?  Are they just lazy?  Where is that little f^%@ing card!?!  Have the VVers spent too much time thinking about this?  Clearly.

Room for Debate: Why include the download card?

Portability.   The "free download" included with many newly pressed records is a nice gesture, a little extra incentive that appeals to those that want their music to travel with them.  Once you've got your greasy little mitts on those little ones and zeros (00101101011101001111) you can get more familiar with them anywhere and on any device!  The sound is often wildly different based on the media, but whatever, right?  The VVers have found that digital versions tend to sound faster compared to the vinyl version; it's also possible the VVers need a new turntable.  More importantly, why shell out for music on vinyl if you are going to spend most of your time listening to those digitized and compressed tunes on lackluster earbuds that sound awful?  This is a surefire way to make you forget how good the music is.  Isn't this the main point to your vinyl devotion?  Good acoustics and nice plush cover art.  You aren't seeing that from a download card or on the screen of your mini device.  Music in the car does have its merits...  Music on the go has its merits...  But is this really why you bought the vinyl?  With the advent of smart phones, streaming music, and cloud-based systems, music is everywhere at all times.  You bought the vinyl because you care about something more.  Nice job.

Familiarity.  If you listen to an album so much digitally because you love the music, you may forget to listen to it on record, so what is the point of having the record?  This happens to VVer #2 often.  She will listen to those albums she loves that are in the vinyl collection that also have a download: Jack White Blunderbuss, Crocodiles Crimes of Passion, The Faint Doom Abuse.  The VVers are glad that they reside on an iPod to jam out to when on the train/bus/walking, but sometimes feel it takes away from how much time is spent appreciating the vinyl itself.  It is actually a treat to listen to these records on vinyl, they really do sound different.  Not having a download card will force you to listen to the album on vinyl.  Not the worst thing.  Not at all.

Source Material.  If the album was recorded digitally anyway, ok, include the download.  But then ask yourself why you are buying the vinyl in the first place?  There better be some damn good art work, plush packaging, or snazzy colored wax.  A download card included with an analog recorded record makes less sense.  Unless you are getting access to high fidelity versions of the digital, you're basically getting garbage.  Record labels give you low bit versions of digital on purpose so there remains more than just a lingering incentive to get the physical media.  Shop wisely.

Lasting Value.  When re-selling vinyl online, on Discogs for example, people want the download card that came with the album.  This is silly in the VVers' view for three reasons: (1) it's damn hard to keep track of those cards and they are often lost or recycled years after the record is bought; (2) the download codes often times expire either after a period of time or after a certain amount of downloads; and (3) are you paying for the vinyl or the digital?  The download card itself is usually a scrap of paper with not much going on.  There are some exceptions that are slightly artful, and even occasionally a bit exciting.  Still... more than the vinyl itself?  Never.

Example.  The VVers are big The Faint fans.  They recently went to see them and danse at 9:30 Club.  Spectacular.  The Faint has a new(ish) album just released, CAPSULE: 1999-2015, which is essentially a greatest hits, plus one new track and a bonus 45 of two additional new songs.  Why not buy it?  Score! VVer #2 found a little download card floating out and took the initiative to download it; ever since, it has been on constant repeat on the iPod getting to and from work.  Songs are oh so addictive and must be listened to again and again.  What is nice is that some songs were familiar, but VVer #2 has developed a newfound appreciation for them.  This sparked an interest in listening to the older vinyl from whence the songs came.  For example, "Paranoiattack," "I Disappear," and "Southern Belles in London Sing" are constantly stuck in her head, and all happen to be from the album Wet From Birth, which the VVers have on their record shelf, but are not entirely familiar with.  Upon revisiting, not only are these particular songs great, but the rest of the album has a newfound fantastic-ness.  Wet From Birth still has The Faint's electronic sounds, but also strings and orchestra instruments throughout.  What should be taken from this?  Sometimes digital is good for a re-invigorated interest in all of that other vinyl sitting on the shelf.

Words of Wisdom: If the digital version is so important for you to have, just buy it digitally.

For the VVers, there is no conundrum.  The vinyl is what they want and if there is also a download, that's ok.

The Faint - Doom Abuse - 2014

Listening to The Faint on vinyl is a must and this clever band actually makes albums that fit into LP format.  Not a double LP; how novel!  The Faint make a brand of industrial, dance pop that is hard, fast, and direct; it begs to be played LOUD (sorry neighbors)!!!  The VVers have seen these guys in concert a few times and it's insane how well the records match up with the intensity of their shows.  For the most recent concert at the 9:30 Club the VVers had a few reasons for some built-up excitement.  First, they were just simply pumped to see the show (why else buy tickets ya underwear face!?!).  Second, there was a chance to score the new record, Doom Abuse, straight from the band.  Now this might not seem like such a big deal, but from the perspective of the band, they typically make a much bigger profit when they can sell directly to the fans without a middle man.  Third, and most importantly, was a high expectation to hear teased tidbits from the last show in full developedness.  An explanation - step back to the prior The Faint show (a mere year and a half before this one) where VVer #1 was fortunate enough to snag a copy of the small-batch tour 12" EP (the copy is stamped with 988 of 1000, whew!).  Two of the four EP tunes were performed that night and were absolutely highlights of the show.  The tour disc is a house favorite, but totally spare with no artwork, no title, no frills.

Back to Doom Abuse!  This LP includes brand new versions of those two coveted EP tracks that were amazing live and have been played over and over in the House of VV.  "Evil Voices" is a song about being caught up in your own negativity/misperceptions.  It also happens to be extremely fulfilling to shout/sing along with.  The version on the LP is basically the same as the EP, with the new version throwing in a few more abstract synths and sharper production.  DEVO influences are apparent in the use of bleeps, bloops, and electronic noise.  "The Unseen Hand" is the other extremely catchy one that got reworked from the tour disc.  The Doom Abuse version sounds like it's been amped up considerably and a bit overproduced.  Consider this one the kitchen sink version.  It's loaded with a ton more effects, cracked-out beats, and is a good deal faster.  Both versions are interesting in their own way, but the tour disc is a lot creepier and darker - the version the VVers prefer.

"Animal Needs" and "Help in the Head" on side A are both quick tempo bangers that are relatively straight forward at first listen.  While "Animal Needs" seems to just simply list things that humans don't "need" it actually does a pretty nifty job of getting the listener to contemplate how deeply civilized we've made ourselves; how far the human race has strayed from what our basic needs truly are.   It's an interesting reflection that somehow manages to fit into the package of a tightly paced track. "Help in the Head" seems to simply be a "tell off" song, but as the listening piles up it's hard not to think that as a famous singer you must meet a lot of highly deranged fans who may take things the wrong way.

"Lesson from the Darkness" and "Damage Control" help close out side B.  Both are insanely catchy.  The VVers continue to find themselves humming, whistling, singing these well after the disc has stopped spinning.  Did The Faint write the Doom Abuse track "Mental Radio" for this sole purpose?  "Damage Control" takes it distinctly slower than the rest of the album, which after all of that thrash and dancing is somewhat a relief.  The song has some weird, high pitched slinky synth line that repeats up and down the scale throughout the track.  Singer, Todd Fink, recounts conversation gone wrong with the closing refrain "Last night was the worst, I said a million things I shouldn't of said" as the slinky synth distorts into oblivion.

Unlike many albums, Doom Abuse holds up on multiple formats.
Also, this pie chart sort of looks like a record, right?

While listening to Doom Abuse you may have a hard time concentrating on anything but the most mundane activities.  VVer #1 has found it to be a quality garden weeding soundtrack.  The music will likely have you air-drumming, head-bobbing, and your personal tempo will increase dramatically.  In less skillful hands this record could easily go wrong, but The Faint have a knack for sharp production, sly writing, and originality that works extremely well here.  Each beat, blorp, and crunch sounds like something new and retro all at once.  Lyrics about anti-consumerism and mental health are all over this album.  How the band manages to say as much as they do with all the music's noise and chaos is impressive.  Usually a waste, the download card has come in handy for some mobile listening and lyric parsing.  The Faint's album artwork is not subtle, but continues their trend of using interesting and somewhat jarring collage to adorn their LP covers.  It should be added that this is no b-list collage; the plush photos and words are englossed against the lipstick red background.  Shiny.

The initial excitement for the show and anticipation for the LP was so high it seemed impossible for The Faint to meet expectations, but somehow they did.  The VVers salute The Faint for not being underwhelming.  "Kudos Gentleman!"

Best of 2012

Best New Vinyl: Puscifer Conditions of My Parole
Honorable Mention: Jack White Blunderbuss

This was a tough call between two heavyweights:  Jack White vs. Maynard James Keenen (Puscifer; also you may have heard of his other bands: TOOL and A Perfect Circle).

Conditions of My Parole is our album of the year.  Without question.  It gets a lot of table time.  As a complete, cohesive album, it has a good variety of tones, tempo, and lyrical experimentation.  Each and every track is sonically pleasing.  In fact, there will be a full blog post about this one soon.  Only major drawback is the 2 LP format which may indeed provide great sound, but leads to many record flips. Just when it's really getting going you got to get up and flip it.  Thanks for the extra cardio Maynard!

Props to Jack White for keeping his amazing debut solo album Blunderbuss to one single record; for new vinyl that is more of a rarity these days, and the VVers appreciate it.  We even played his rendition of "I'm Shakin'" at our wedding this year.  Quite a hit on the dance floor.

Best Used Vinyl: Fleetwood Mac Vintage Years
Honorable Mentions: Sir Shina Adewale and the Super Stars International Verse 7, King Oliver and His Dixie Syncopators

Weird to be writing about Fleetwood Mac, as they are not really a band that has never done much for me.  Going into a quality record store will learn you something for sure.  We happened upon an interest in the Mac whilst browsing at the small but well stocked El Suprimo! in Baltimore.  The store owner was blaring some sick blues and blew our minds when he told us it was early Fleetwood.  The vinyl itself was not ours to have until a month or so later when we picked it up at Joe's Record Paradise in Silver Spring.  Every tune on this two LP set is from "the vintage years" which means what exactly?  The sleeve has no insight on this kind of important info; just a goofy essay from the music producer about the band first getting together.  Having spoken with people in-the-know, we find that the tunes are all late 60s; or in terms of musicians rotating in and out of this band - the years of Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Jeremy Spencer and recorded on the Blue Horizon label.  Apparently these fellows were deeply into Chicago blues and that was the focus of this era of Fleetwood Mac.  Unfortunately, lead man Peter Green got to be a bit mentally unstable and had to depart the band in 1970 which led to the pop dreck and double pop dreck eras.

Best 45/12": The Faint 2012 Tour 12"
Honorable Mentions: Feistodon, Gary Clark Jr. Presents HWUL Raw Cuts Vol. 1, Lenorable The Prince

VV1: What's our best 45 this year?
VV2: Definitely The Faint 12"
VV1: You just got it, how do you know it's that good?

VV2: Well I've listened to it 12 times, one for every inch!

...which is entirely possible because this EP is full of heavy bass, psychedelic guitar flourishes, computer blippity bloops, "bouch bouch bouch," and chanting lyrics that can put you in a trance and find a way to replay itself in your head after just the first listen.  Only tiny drawback is no artwork.  This one looks as raw as possible with only the crudely stamped info on the all white label.  C'mon The Faint!  Hook me up with a glam cover!

Our honorable mention in this category features a mash-up of Feist playing Mastodon and Mastodon covering Feist.  They've done a sharp job of swapping tunes for this little 45er.  An interesting combination of genres along with a eye-popping collage cover.

Best Concert: Puscifer at the Lyric Opera House, Baltimore; Neil Young at the Patriot Center, VA; The Faint at 9:30 Club, D.C.

Three way tie?  Is that a cop out?  Each one was so good in its own way.  Musicians well into their careers, playing with carefree abandon to a sea of appreciative fans.  Good show(s)!

Best Record That's So Good We Bought It Twice:  Fat Boys (click for full review)
Honorable Mention: Queen II (click for full review)

Yes, there are now two copies of Queen II on our shelf.  I bought the duplicate in hopes that it would sound a bit less distorted than the first copy.  While the sounds are quite similar and I may have wasted my money, I have quelled my curiosity.  The record must have been recorded and pressed that way, and it's not that my copy is grungy.  Fingers crossed for a someday fully remastered version!  Not only will it probably sound and look amazing, but it will also fit nicely into next year's "Best Record That's So Good We Bought It Thrice" category.  2013 is the 40th anniversary of the first Queen album release... c'mon guys, do not let the VVers down!

Our clear winner in this category has to be the 2012 re-issue of Record Store Day and while not seeking it out specifically, it was on our mind to buy since our original copy has seen better days.  While at Joe's Record Paradise, I picked up their last copy merely to ogle the utter silliness of it.  As I stood there wavering over buying it (my self-imposed limit to spend on it was $30, and here it was marked for $29.99) in walks a guy who asked the clerk if they still had the copy that he called about earlier in the day.  Both sets of eyes turn to me in tandem.  PANIC - now I definitely should buy it.  IT'S MINE!  I did feel bad for the other customer, but I got my grubby paws on it first.  And that is the story of how the pizza box came to live in our record collection.  Did I mention that it sounds a million times better than our original copy?  Happiness.
the Fat Boys self titled album.  This re-issue is not only beautifully remastered, but is on 180 gram vinyl (who cares how heavy the vinyl is?  what am I trying to do arm reps with it!?!).  It's also a stunning picture disc of a pizza (pepperoni on the A side and crust on the B, mind you), with bonus tracks and a plush book.  This would have sold us; no problem.  Did I mention that it's all packaged up in a pizza box.  Yes, it is quite deluxe and also takes up a deluxe space in our record collection.  This savory little gem came out for Black Friday

Best Record That Was Not Meant to Be: Neil Young Psychedelic Pill
Ok Neil, we love you, but what the heck is with the insanely expensive vinyl?  Your latest (a triple record) is priced at $75 and even priced at a whopping $80 at the concert.  Now I get that this is a heavy record and that you don't skimp on the sound quality, but this is plainly prohibitive to vinyl junkies who happen to not be wealthy.  Please Mr. Young: stop being mean to us.  I take no pride in having a ripped version of this.

Best Gift Vinyl: A Place to Bury Strangers Exploding Head
Honorable Mentions:  Nirvana Nevermind, Orion Rockabilly

Exploding Head wins this one thanks to my brother picking this up for a random holiday present.  It's totally loud and distorted, but all done with a driving musicality.  Pressed on clear vinyl, which obviously matters, it's the kind of record that is so interesting that we'll need some more time to soak it in before the full review comes.

Rockabilly gets an honorable mention only because we would probably never have the cojones to buy it ourselves.  It showed up as a wedding gift which is pretty stellar.  People must know us or something to be buying us vinyl for our wedding! Did I mention the golden translucent yellow vinyl? Ha.

How about Nevermind for crying out loud!?!  Great record that really sums up my musical leanings for most of the last two decades.  The pressing is on blue vinyl and sounds sharp as ever.

Most Painful Gift Vinyl aka "The Levitated Stylus Award": Isaac Hayes And Once Again,
Honorable Mention: Orion Reborn

To accompany the best vinyl gift of the year, my brother also purchased me Isaac Hayes And Once Again because he "liked the cover."  Haven't we learned anything about buying records just because you like the cover?  This also suffers from the extremely dangerous "Naked Man on the Cover" syndrome.  Is there anything to say about this album?  "TURN IT OFF NOW!!!"

Orion Reborn wins the consolation prize.  It's bad in a way that just defies so much.  Funny that this showed up along with one of our better vinyl gifts, Orion's Rockabilly (thanks Dustin!).  Unlike that fun and light hearted album, Reborn sounds like "Schmaltzy Elvis Shit" - you know that 70's barf inducing type.  I've got nothing to say about the party masks and the shiny jumpsuits.  It was the 70's; I'm willing to forgive.  Pressed on golden translucent vinyl; like putting make-up on a pig.  It does help somewhat to listen to it at 45 speed.  Not enough to salvage anything.  Do not lower that stylus!