Eve 6 – Grim Value (1st Press)

A band nobody thought they would hear from again, Eve 6, released a new EP in 2021. Their last album came out in 2012, and having already broken up once, not much was heard from anyone in their camp until December 2020, when their twitter account started becoming active again.

Figures it would take a restarted label, Velocity Records, to release Grim Value. A five song EP that is upbeat (wouldn’t exactly call it poppy) and falls in line with Speak In Code (which is poppy) compared to the band’s far more popular albums.  Maybe it was the pandemic (I’ll hedge my bets that it was) because this EP sold extremely well… on vinyl at least.  Granted it was not a large pressing by any stretch of the imagination, but I figured this would be something that would sit around for a long time. There are only four variants in total.

One catch with this selling well may be the fact that the variants were released gradually. Not exactly right after ones sold out (which is something more and more bands and/or labels are starting to do), but a third and then a fourth variant were announced after the first two sold out. Also, initially the only place to buy/pre-order this was directly from the band/label’s web store. The third variant (which is featured here in the gallery below) eventually became available from other retail outlets. The fourth variant was exclusive to a livestream event the band did

The first two variants released were clear w/ blue splatter limited to 100 copies and half blue and half cloud clear limited to 300 copies. The splatter variant sold out in less than a day. At that point I stopped paying attention to when the half/half variant sold out, because I wasn’t pre-ordering an Eve 6 record in February 2020 with a release date of June 2021.

The third variant announced was orange vinyl, which is limited to 300 copies. The next, and fourth one was tied to the aforementioned livestream event, on tri-color vinyl and limited to 250 copies. The tri-color is blue, orange and white, which is done horizontally straight across from top to bottom. The tri-color variant might have actually been the best deal, because it cost $27, which included a ticket to the live stream, which cost $12 on its own. The livestream was held April 2, 2021.

All copies come with a download card/code. Which, is sadly refreshing as the vast majority of labels have stopped including digital downloads with their records. The download card nets you high quality 320 kbps MP3s. All copies also come with the same hype sticker, which does not denote color of the record, but does say it’s part of the “limited edition first pressing.” So does that imply a second pressing? Not necessarily, but it obviously leaves the door open to future pressings. Lots of labels have used similar terminology on their hype stickers and marketing material for their releases, and it’s just that; a marketing ploy.

It’s important to note that some copies come with an additional sticker that does denote the color of that particular copy. I say most, because the copy I received did not have said sticker. It’s the type of sticker that many retail outlets use to mark prices on items. I’m assuming all copies should have said sticker, and my copy fell through the cracks. I have seen copies of the orange variant with the sticker.

One cool thing that I don’t think was announced to the public at any point prior to the records shipping is that the b-side of every copy with etched. The etching is not anything spectacular; it’s simply the band’s new cigarette logo. Other than that this is a bare bones release. Just a single LP stuffed into a single pocket jacket; no insert or printed dust sleeve.

Once I realized this record was essentially OOP, I decided to take advantage of a key sale ebay ran, which I combined with an existing deal from a seller, which also happened to be one of my go to retailers; the one that pretty much has a monopoly on media distribution. So while I spent a bit more than I’d have liked to on this, around $17 shipped, it still beats $21 plus shipping, which was retail price.

Eve 6 – Horrorscope (2nd Press)

Horroscope has now undergone two pressings. I balked at the first one due to the price, and it eventually did sell out despite it. Two years later the second pressing was released, apparently to commemorate the album’s 20^th anniversary. Not much changed between the two pressings. Both come in a tri-fold jacket, which is unusual for most records, but even more so for a single LP. Other than the color the LP is pressed, the most obvious difference between the two pressings is the hype sticker.

For the first pressing there is a large square/vertical rectangle hype sticker advertising that it marked the first time the album was released on vinyl. It also denotes the color of the record and the pressing info for that respective variant. The hype sticker on the second pressing is a tiny white circle that simply denotes the color of the record and the pressing info. Another difference between the first and second pressing is that the first came with a note from Tony Fagenson, offering up some tidbits about that period in the band’s history. I have not seen pics of this note so I can’t describe it any further.

I mentioned above the price of this, which was $28 before shipping. All for a single LP. Yes, it comes in a tri-fold jacket, and there are licensing fees involved, but that price will always be too much for a single LP. But I guess I ultimately paid the price, quite literally, because I spent $38 on it just to make sure I got a copy. In the grand scheme of things it’s not that much more than a copy from the first pressing, because after shipping it came out to around $34. I got free shipping with my order because it contained a few other items.

The first pressing fetches upwards of $75, while the second pressing is going for around $50 on the secondary market. The first pressing is obviously long sold out, but the second pressing is getting harder to find. The label, WARGOD, has been sold out of copies for a long time.

The album was re-mastered for vinyl and sounds pretty good. Not great, but not as bad as many records that are licensed out or stuff that is hastily pressed on vinyl to cash in on the trend. The label opted to go for a tri-fold jacket instead of the more traditional gatefold jacket in order to fully capture the original artwork from the album’s release, which was done by Randy Green.

Here is the pressing info: first pressing – 300 copies on blue/orange split (half blue/half orange) and 700 copies on blue splatter(according to the item page on MerchNow). This splatter variant is better described on the hype sticker, which has it being white w/ blue splatter. The second pressing was only done on one color; clear/white split with splatter (according to the item page on MerchNow) limited to 700 copies. The hype sticker for the second pressing has the color more well defined; clear/white with blue & orange splatter. In reality the second pressing is half clear/half white with blue and orange splatter.

Eve 6 – The Fly Record Live

I’ve learned to prioritize certain records. Fear of missing out does not impact me as much as other people. My wallet is the loudest factor in not only what I purchase, but when. This record was not a big priority for me, and the fact that I was somehow able to find a copy of it in an indie record store after over two years since its release kind of baffled me. Granted I bought this online, so I didn’t stumble upon it. But I was still surprised to find it and have it ship unstead of being cancelled because it was a stock error.

After years of seemingly being inactive, Eve 6 has seen a resurgence in popularity and/or relevance of late. Their first new release in almost a decade was a live album, which happened to be their debut self-titled album played front to back. Initially it was only available from the band on clear vinyl, but was later released as part of Record Store Day (RSD) in 2020. This was the height of the pandemic, so RSD was employing their Drops system, and The Fly Record Live was released as part of the third drop that happened in October of that year. The official RSD release list does not reflect this, as the list was released before the pandemic unfortunately became a sad reality. So it still has all the releases coming out at the same time, as scheduled in April.

The band’s variant was pressed on clear vinyl limited to 200 copies. The RSD variant is pressed on black vinyl limited to 1200 copies. Both have a gigantic RSD sticker slapped on the bottom right corner along with a small (tiny by comparison) black circle hype sticker affixed to the top right corner. In a moment of foreshadowing, this is a similar sticker Velocity Records has been using for their releases since lately. None of the hype stickers indicate the color of the record, and as far as I can tell, there are no other indicating factors like bar code numbers. An insert is included but there is no download card/code.

There may be, depending on how you look at things, an additional variant among the clear copies, as all the pre-orders had the jacket autographed. As such those copies did not ship sealed, but still came with the shrink wrap on, just slit down the side. You may be asking yourself, how did they pull off this feat? Signing a bunch of jacket but still having the shrink wrap on it. Simple. They opened all the copies that were to be autographed by slitting the shrink down the side, only sliding out the jacket part way, and signing the extreme right hand side of it, then sliding the jacket all the way back into the now opened shrink. An important fact about the clear copies is that during pre-orders they were only available in a bundle that included a free poster and the customer’s choice of a t-shirt, hoodie, or both.

Because of the gap in the release of the two variants, it leaves room for discussion as to whether or not there are two pressings of this record. The fact that the packaging is the same and they were originally scheduled to come out on pretty much the same date pretty much squashes that discussion. It’s not the band’s fault the pandemic happened and disrupted RSD.

There’s no confirmation of what shows/cities the songs on the record were recorded during/at, but Seattle and Portland are mentioned during some of the tracks. The album was recorded during the band’s 20^th anniversary tour for the s/t album though, which took place in 2018.

Retail price on this is all over the price thanks to the clear variant. The cheapest option for the clear during pre-orders was $60 for the t-shirt bundle. Prices went up to $90 for the hoodie bundle and to $100 or the t-shirt and hoodie bundle. After the reord was released, leftover copies of the clear were put up for sale, with the poster (minus the clothing) for $35. The math is obviously way of here, because logic would dictate that if the hoodie bundle cost $90, and the hoodie and t-shirt bundle cost $100, that would mean the t-shirt costs $10. Because of the savings offered by buying a larger/more expensive bundle, it skews the prices of the individual items. The black variant cost around $20. Prices on the secondary market are not crazy for either variant. Obviously the clear variant is fetching more, but only slightly more than retail.

American Fail – s/t

Other than The Money Pit, which released their debut and lone album to date in 2015, not much has been heard from the guys that were in Gatsbys American Dream. Nic Newsham has done guest vocals here and there. Bobby Darling and Casey Bates started a new project in 2020 named American Fail. Their debut, self-titled album features a whopping 22 songs, but all of them run at a blistering pace. The shortest song is literally 30 seconds long. There is even a mash up of a Saves The Day and Portugal. The Man song. If you’ve enjoy any Gatsbys related project over the years, you will enjoy this album.

Little Elephant Records released the album on vinyl, which is the only physical format the album has been released on as of posting this. And yes, it is the same Little Elephant that was, and still is, doing exclusive live sessions and cutting them to disc lathe. They started a more traditional label which has released a handful of new releases of late.

Only 200 copies were pressed, all of which are on “eco mix” vinyl, which has every record from this run made by taking leftover pellets from the plant’s (in this case most likely GZ Media because there is a sticker on the back of the jacket that says “Made In Czech Republic) projects run during that day and/or week. So no two records will be alike, and random colors resulted. My copy is on a brown mix, which I have affectionately dubbed sewer water. Other colors I have seen are a blue mix and a grey mix.

All copies comes sealed and include a double sided insert, which has the lyrics printed on both sides. There is no download card/code included with physical copies, and you are not sent one after ordering from the label. Which is a bummer. Little Elephant is the only place to buy this record from, and they are charging $17 before shipping. They rarely run sales so my advice would be to just go buy this if you want this record before is goes OOP.

Portugal. The Man – Oregon City Sessions

Portugal. The Man has been quiet for a while now. They haven’t released a new album in over four years; and in that span have only released a covers EP consisting of only two songs and a one off horrid collaboration with Weird Al Yankovic. You’d think they’d want to capitalize on their new found main stream success after their most recent album, Woodstock, but nope. Keep selling out charging $35 for some of their older albums on vinyl. At this new live album harkens back to their better days, in not just mine, but most of their fans’ opinion.

Oregon City Sessions features songs going back to Waiter: You Vultures! up through Censored Colors. Which had some hoping it was an indication there will be future live albums that focuses on some of their later studio material. But once you realize the songs on this album were recorded way back in 2008, those hopes are most likely dashed. So this live album was not recorded during the pandemic, when so many bands were doing live streams and subsequently releasing the audio from them at some point. So the sell out philosophy continues by releasing an over a decade old studio session on cheap quality vinyl with a terrible mastering job.

I just hinted at it above, but this record is severely lacking in terms of quality. The records are lightweight and they sound horrible. But can’t exactly pinpoint the source of that problem; whether it’s a poor mastering job or the audio source used for the album lacks enough quality in order to sound well on vinyl. The record does not come a download card, and I’m not sure if those who ordered directly from the band were sent one digitally at any point. It’s a double LP, but it comes in a wide single pocket jacket. The records themselves do come in printed dust sleeves, but they are on thin glossy paper. And even then, 3 out of the 4 sides of these dust sleeves are pretty much the same exact image; only with a different color background and slightly different colors on the imagery itself.

In a greedy move, the band and/or label decided to do a colored variant, but with a twist. This colored variant, which is on clear vinyl, was limited to the first 24 hours of pre-orders. Limiting this variant to a time window is purely a sales tactic meant to drive up demand/sales.  The black variant was up for sale at the same time as the clear. So unless the band or label comes out with how many copies there are it can literally be any amount. And even then, that number will likely not be the exact amount of pre-orders made in that first 24 hour window because say there were 734 copies purchased; odds are most plants won’t let you order that odd of a number. Also due to standard overruns that typically come out to 10% on top of whatever amount you did order. Most pressings where you see the numbers are 112 on this color, 387 on this color and 530 on this color; it means that is exactly how many copies were received from the plant after a label ordered a nice round number on each color.

The greed doesn’t stop there either, because apparently some people who paid extra for priority mail shipping had their orders shipped via media mail. Keep in mind that the cheapest shipping option was $15. Retail price on this is between $20-$25. The highest a copy on clear vinyl have sold for, as of posting this is $66. But with that said, for whatever foolish reason, a copy on black vinyl has sold for over $37 when it is still readily available for almost half that price.

Maxim Mental – Fucking

Max Bemis has a new project, Maxim Mental. It’s a huge departure from Say Anything, well at least the Say Anything most people enjoy. There are elements found in some of the later Say Anything albums. This EP was about as under the radar as you can get, especially considering it’s from one of the more high profile frontmen in this scene. When the official Record Store Day (RSD) release list comes out I typically scour it pretty thoroughly. For example, I check out the track listing for all the comps and soundtracks to see if there is anything of interest to me on them. But sometimes releases slip through the cracks, and this record is one of them.

As far as I can tell there was very little promotion for this EP. Admittedly, I’ve pretty much spaced on following the social media pages of the involved parties. I actually stopped following Say Anything because they are no longer an active band, never bothered to follow Max Bemis, and stopped following Dine Alone Records because up until now their roster doesn’t have anything left to press of interest to me. I had no idea Max was up to anything. So when the RSD list came out I just skimmed over Maxim Mental as I was not looking for anything by that artist/band.

Eventually I discovered that Max had this new project, but by the time I did it was after RSD. So when I placed my online order for the few releases I wanted this year, this was not part of it. Initially I was kicking myself; not because I wouldn’t be able to score a copy, but because I’d likely have to pay more for it by not including it in a larger order that qualified for free shipping. In the long run I won out, as I bought a copy for $14 shipped. Retail price on this was around $20, with plenty of stores charging more than that.

For whatever reason, the official RSD list does not have the pressing info listed for this EP, despite it being printed on the hype sticker. There were 1,000 copies pressed on pink vinyl with an etched b-side. So obviously this is a single sided 12”. It comes housed in a picture disc sleeve, which I despise. It’s one thing for a picture disc to come in a picture disc sleeve (still not a fan of that), but it’s inexcusable for a record that is not a picture disc to come in a picture disc sleeve. This is a RSD first release, implying that it may be re-pressed in the future, or even have a different variant be released in the immediate days or weeks after RSD. Considering there is already a full length album coming out, I have my doubts the label will re-press this EP, especially considering how poorly it sold.

With that said, yes the label sold this entire pressing, but that is only due to the fact it was an RSD release. RSD releases can’t be returned to distributors, which is one of the faults of RSD. Indie record stores are stuck with tons of unsold releases that they eventually have to take a large loss on in order to clear them from their inventory. Which is how I was able to get a copy for $10 before shipping; which is essentially 50% off. So even though this RSD pressing is marked sold out in the books for the Dine Alone, I’m sure they’re well aware that this EP is in clearance bins only a few months after RSD.

Perma – Fight Fair

Say what you will about Max Bemis, and to a lesser extent Say Anything, but he has steadily churned out music. The most recent of which is an album with his wife, Sherrie Bemis (née DuPree) of Eisley fame, under the Perma monker. Released in 2019, Fight Fair was released by Dine Alone Records on only one variant; half blue/half green limited to 300 copies.

This can be a tough record to find on the cheap for those of us in the states. It‘s not distributed, and Dine Alone is the only place selling it. The record itself it not terribly expensive; it’s the shipping price. The exchange rate will be in the U.S. dollar’s favor, but the shipping price essentially doubles the overall price. It’s 20 Canadian, plus 17 Canadian for shipping as the cheapest option. All for a single LP that is just stuffed into a single pocket jacket with nothing else. There is no download card/code included in any form and there is not insert or printed dust sleeve.

New Found Glory – Makes Me Sicker 7″

Sometimes it’s absurd how long you have to wait until a record becomes not only somewhat readily available, but also for a price that is not ridiculous. This is the main reason why I am not a fan of not only tour exclusive releases, but even more so VIP ticket package exclusive releases. It’s one thing for a variant to be exclusive in this fashion, but an entire release can often times be a middle finger to some of your biggest fans.

New Found Glory has done this twice, and it has nearly kept my complete (what I choose to collect) collection from being complete. And while it’s not the end of the world, it can be incredibly frustrating. Their most recent VIP ticket package exclusive release was put out back in 2018, which seems forever ago by any standard, but even more so considering the last two years the world has endured. And it wasn’t until early 2022 that I was able to finally add this 7” to my collection.

This VIP 7” is even more of a slap to the face of fans as it features three songs that would later be released on the re-release of the band’s album Makes Me Sick Again, thus making it an irrelevant release and a painfully obvious cash grab. The band even had the audacity to advertise this 7” as having “unreleased” songs, despite the fact that Makes Me Sick Again would be released literally one day after the tour started, and it was even included in the VIP ticket package. This 7” is entitled Makes Me Sicker, and was pressed on black in yellow vinyl. Pressing info has not and likely never will be released.

A little more details on the VIP aspect of this. VIP ticket packages cost over $100. It included the aforementioned 7”, a signed poster, a copy of Makes Me Sick Again on CD, a sound check party, a general admission ticket (which cost around $30) and a vinyl slip “cover” (which never materialized and was actually a slip mat. The ‘cover’ part was an egregious and misleading typo that legally was false advertising). So you factor in say $15 for the 7”, $30 for the GA ticket, $10 for the poster,$12 for the CD and $15 for the slipmat, and you’re left with paying around $18 for watching sound check.

Something suspicious happened in 2022, as dozens of copies flooded onto the secondary market. Some people even had multiple copies listed for sale. There was no announcement or chatter about copies appearing in the band’s own web store, like what happened with their previous tour/VIP exclusive release a few years ago. I’m pretty on top of things; I would’ve at least known about leftover copies going up for sale to the general public. So the question begs… where did all these copies suddenly come from?

The Offspring – Greatest Hits (1st Press)

The Offspring’s first Record Store Day (RSD) release also marked the first time the band’s Greatest Hits album was pressed on vinyl. Lots of people don’t see the need to buy a Greatest Hits comp for the obvious reason that for the most part all of the songs have already been released. But sometimes these comps feature previously unreleased tracks or even brand new songs. The Offspring’s Greatest Hits falls into that category, as there is a song that is not found on any other album, “Can’t Repeat,” which opens the album.

This comp was originally released in 2005, so it only includes songs up to that point in the band’s career. Which is not a bad thing since the bulk of their good material falls into that time frame. All the obvious choices are there, from “Self Esteem” to  “Gone Away” to “The Kids Aren’t Alright” to “Original Prankster.”

Greatest Hits is a RSD First release that has already been put up for pre-order outside of the initial variants available from indie record stores. Yes, variants. Unbeknownst to everyone before hand, there were two separate variants available, though not officially. Advertised as simply being pressed on blue vinyl, in the hours after shops started opening on RSD, it became known that some copies are transparent while others are opaque. Some are also reporting some swirling in their translucent copies.

Some people are also speculating that the U.S. received opaque copies and the rest of the world received translucent copies. Some apparent facts that might point to the credibility of this is that copies bought outside of the U.S. have the hype sticker in the bottom right corner, while copies bought in the U.S. have the hype sticker in the top right corner. Also that each variant was pressed at different plants; with the translucent copies done at GZ Media and opaque copies done at Precision Record Pressing. Which makes a bit more sense when you realize GZ Media is based in the Czech Republic, but when you learn Precision Record Pressing is based in Canada it doesn’t make as much sense. Why would Canada manufacture something and export the entire alotment only to import the same thing from overseas. But without knowing how distribution networks work, that could be the only option for Canada shops and/or distros is to import from overseas if they ordered this release. It’s obviously wasteful in multiple facets. But then once you discover Precision Record Pressing is a subsidiary of GZ Media, things start to be slightly less cloudy while at the same time circling back to why the records were pressed different blues.

Since the actual color blue both variants turned out being are pretty similar to each other. As in one is not navy blue and the other baby blue, another possibility is that it’s a pressing error. Maybe the plants couldn’t get or use pellets that were the same exact shade of blue, or they didn’t use the same amount or enough pellets. Keep in mind nobody knows what the RSD release was intended to look like. It would actually be both sad and hilarious if the label did not intend the blue to turn out like either variant did.

What we do know is that the RSD release is limited to 7,000 copies worldwide. And the opaque and translucent variants are counted in that figure. I mentioned hype stickers above and the different placement, but there are also other differences. The translucent copies make mention of “Can’t Repeat,” while the opaque copies make no mention of that song. Another interesting aspect of the hype stickers is that the one on the translucent copies is a lighter shade of blue, while the opaque copies have a darker blue sticker. Each respective hype sticker matches the color of the record closely. Both are vertical square/rectangle in shape.

The blue variant(s) came out in late April 2022, and a about a month later additional variants started popping up for pre-order. There is a band exclusive done as a picture disc, which appears to come in a picture disc sleeve, and another variant on black vinyl that appears to come in the same jacket as the blue variant(s). Both the picture disc and black variants have a anticipated release date in late July 2022.

Now we get into the debate of whether or not RSD First releases and variants that are released a few months after RSD constitute separate pressings. While it’s illogical for a label to place two separate orders for the identical release, it’s not improbable. Like on Mythbusters, when they can’t confirm or bust something, they call it plausible. Same goes here. While it’s entirely unlikely the RSD First variant is a first pressing and the black and picture disc variants is a second pressing; it’s still possible. The pre-order aspect mentioned above of the picture disc and black variants really plants the seed for the debate.

At least the blue variant(s) come in a single pocket jacket which has a silver foil finish on all the imagery. Odds are the black variant will have the same jacket, but until it’s released we won’t know for sure. A full color double-sided insert is included, but there is no download card.

Retail price on the RSD blue variant(s) was around $30. The band is charging $36 before shipping for the picture disc while only charging $28 for the same record on black vinyl. While it’s not unusual for picture discs to cost more, what is somewhat concerning is that Round Hill Records, who released this comp, is part of Universal Music Group (UMG). UMG announced a controversial price hike on vinyl in May, which ranges from a mere $1-2 on some catalog titles all the way up to $15.

V/A – Go Ahead Punk… Make My Day

I touched on it with greater detail in the entry for Taking Back Sunday’s greatest hits album, but Concord Music Group bought out Nitro Record’s catalog (along with plenty of other labels), which used to be home to The Offspring, among others. Nitro Records was formed and owned by Dexter Holland, frontman of The Offspring. After Concord assumed control, they have utilized their re-issue arm, Craft Recordings, to re-issue back catalog releases, which is where this comp falls in.

Go Ahead Punk… Make My Day was originally released in 1996, on CD only. For whatever reason Concord/Craft decided to press this comp on vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day (RSD) 2022, having it fall into the second drop released in June. The comp was part of the RSD first category of releases as well, which implies it may be re-pressed or have a different variant released at any point after RSD, but does not guarantee or ensure it will be. Craft has already released an additional variant of their other RSD release featuring The Offspring, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this comp follows suit sooner rather than later. But seeing how poorly this comp sold on RSD, if Concord/Craft doesn’t already have more variants pressed, they may refrain from ordering a new pressing.

Retailing for around $25 (take that price with a grain of salt. Many stores will charge less while some may charge a higher price),  this comp is already plaguing record stores. Less than a month out from RSD and I was able to easily buy a copy for $14. Even after shipping the price was significantly lower than retail. Craft decided to press a whopping 5,000 copies of this comp; all on orange splatter. The hype sticker and the official RSD release list both state orange splatter, with the base color being more of a transparent and the splatter being black and white splatter.

I felt The Offspring’s Greatest Hits release was overpriced, but at least that came with an insert. This comp is just a standard weight record stuffed into a single pocket jacket. A hilarious thing about this comp from when it originally came out is that on the back of the CD inlay (part that is visible through the back of the jewel case), it says “don’t pay more than $3.82.” Yes, I understand that was over 25 years ago, but it harkens back to an era where comps were a crucial promotional tool that were cost effective for labels, bands and fans/consumers. They typically cost $5 or less, or were even free. They weren’t some commodity or collector’s item cash grab.

This comp featured all Nitro bands, most notably of which were The Offspring, AFI, and The Vandals. For whatever reason, this comp is touted as having an exclusive track, which is false, and always has been. The cover of “Hey Joe” by The Offspring is that track, but it had been released on the band’s Baghdad 7” that was released in 1991. As aforementioned, Go Ahead Punk… Mae My Day came out in 1996. You can make the case this comp is the first time the song is widely available, but even that is pushing the boundary of “previously unreleased,” “first time” and/or “exclusive.”