V/A – 1 Love

Lots of things have been done to raise both awareness and funds for the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. I say conflict simply because I don’t think a formal declaration of war has been declared by Russia, who is clearly the aggressor in this situation. One of the many benefit/charity compilations released is this one, 1 Love, which I think is one of the few to actually see a physical release. This comp was arranged by British magazine NME and War Child Records, which is a charity with the aim to protect, educate and stand up for children of war.

This comp was originally released in 2022, but was re-released in 2022 to support Ukraine. 2022 marks the first time this comp was released on vinyl, and it was pressed on three variants; red, yellow and black. Pressing info has not been released, and it probably never will be. If you’re that hell bent on pressing info for a charity comp you’re barking up the wrong tree entirely. But with that said, both colored variants are being advertised as “limited edition.” Both the red and yellow variants are opaque.

Prices vary depending on where you buy the record from, but the colored variants cost more than the black variant. The official War Child web store is selling the red variant for $36 and the black variant for $34, both before shipping. I stumbled upon this comp from Juno, a UK record store, for $17 plus shipping. Juno is also selling the yellow variant for a little over $22 before shipping.

To be perfectly honest, I bought this comp for one song, which I already own on its original format/release, a split 7” released back in 2001. It’s Jimmy Eat World’s “Firestarter.” This comp is billed as a who’s who of British music. So I have no idea how and why Jimmy Eat World appears on it.

Jimmy Eat World – Live At Metropolis Studios

When you have a practically complete collection, especially one that has some insanely rare records in it, you tend to push the boundaries of sanity. This release is a prime example. Ordinarily I would not (I can’t say never anymore unfortunately) spend this much on any record of this caliber. And by caliber I mean a two song 10”.

Jimmy Eat World is a band I actually have a love/hate relationship with. Their early work is awesome, some of the definitive albums of the genre. And while they have consistently churned out music throughout their career, the quality of some of it leaves a lot to be desired. Then all of a sudden they hit it out of the park with their latest album that was released in 2019. Enter in this 10”, which is one of my least favorite type of releases; a live one.

When I heard about this record’s existence, I thought the odds of me getting one, let alone for a reasonable price, were slim to none. Then after a year and half, copies finally started becoming available to the general public. That last half of the opening sentence of this paragraph REALLY hits home now, which I’ll touch on more a further on in this blog post.

Live At Metropolis Studios is the title of this record, and as it implies it was recorded live on October 20^th, 2019 at Metropolis Studios in London. It’s not exactly a live record, in the sense that it was recorded during a live performance on stage. It was recorded live in the studio however. There were multiple takes to ensure the ideal recording. Everyone in attendance to the event was mailed a copy of the record. The band apparently had complete control over the artistic direction of this release; the songs chosen, the takes used, the cover art, the color of the record.

Some more background about this record and its source material. The audio was 100% recorded during a live performance, which was rather exclusive being that it was tied into a MasterCard promotional event. Again, not sure how intimate the show was, but it was extremely limited. Those who were lucky enough to obtain tickets were treated with themed cocktails (to songs off Surviving) a guided tour of the studio, viewing of the band recording the tracks, a Q & A session after the recording session and a meet and greet where the band signed autographs.

This record was recorded in 2019, during the release week of Surviving. Leftover copies eventually became available to the general public in 2021. Not sure what the holdup was, but it is what it is. After so long I assumed I would never be able to get a copy of this, let alone for a reasonable price. The second half of that remains the reality.

The band sold copies via their web store [hosted by Kings Road Merch (KRM)] for $50. Yes, you read that right; fifty dollars. “A portion” of the proceeds would be sent to Musiccares, which is a charitable foundation meant to provide financial assistance to “music people in need.” I don’t like to be pessimistic, but when terminology like “a portion” of proceeds will be donated, it tends to mean such a small amount that the donator is embarrassed by how little is actually being donated. If they weren’t, they would just say how much they are donating, say like 10%, 20%, half, etc. For something that cost $50, as little as $1 could be donated out of that when they say “a portion.” And considering the band sold 240 copies (that number is direct from their social media), you really get to see how little was potentially donated, while the powers at be reap most of the profit.

That mini rant stems from what I had to pay in order to get a copy of this. It’s one thing If I chose to pay this much on the secondary market, but this record was exorbitantly marked up. And yes, it was still my decision on whether or not to buy this for $50 or just pass completely on it. But I think everyone can agree that the band should make some money, and consumers should be charged a reasonable price up front.

I mentioned above that it took about a year and half for the remaining copies of Live At The Metropolis to be put up for sale to the general public. The band, or KRM, decided to release the remaining copies in batches apparently. The first batch sold out in a matter of hours after they were made available. Then about two months later, with no fanfare or announcement, more copies became available. Which is when I bought a copy. I was grateful that first batch sold out iso quickly, because the decision to spend $50 was made for me. But I couldn’t pass up the temptation the second time. As of posting this copies are still available for purchase for the whopping $50 price tag, before shipping of course!

Apparently it was “recorded live to vinyl,” with every member of the audience apparently receiving a copy as they left the venue. But take that with a grain of salt. While that may be true, at least for the master recording/record used for the pressing; it’s literally impossible to press a couple hundred records in real time. So I have my doubts about the authenticity of that statement, especially without knowing the capacity of the event. Also add in the fact that the “real time” pressing was not cut off after the amount of audience members, raises some more questions.

Yes, it’s possible to cut records in real time. Little Elephant does it, but they use a lathe, and it’s not exactly a vinyl record in the traditional sense using a stamper and press. And I do remember the episode of CSI where they used acoustic archaeology to solve a murder, where audio of the crime was recorded into a piece of pottery. That is not purely fiction; if you have the setup, you can record live audio onto a piece of malleable material, Whether it be a blank vinyl/acrylic disc, a piece of clay pottery, or a wax cylinder.

Pressing info has not been released. But all copies were pressed on gold vinyl. No insert or download card/code is included with physical copies, nor were customers sent a download via e-mail after ordering. It’s just a record stuffed into a single pocket jacket. I mentioned the retail price on this 10″ above, but in the interim being released and becoming released to the general public, prices on it were all over the board. High point was $120, low point was a little under $50. Odds are this will never sell for far below $50 at any point, save for extreme circumstance. Like a fire or flood damaged copy, or say someone used one for target practice.

Jimmy Eat World – Surviving

Jimmy Eat World hasn’t slowed down at all over the years, consistently churning out albums. The band’s latest, Surviving, is their best work since Chase This Light. Every album can’t be perfect, especially for a band that has already churned out ten of them. And even then, there is a sharp divide amongst diehard fans as to which of those two is best. With that said, Surviving probably won’t be to the liking in the Clarity camp as opposed to the Bleed American camp. But that sax solo will throw everyone for a loop.

Surviving was pressed on two variants, with pressing info not released for either of them. There is a white indie store exclusive, and black, which is widely available. Prices on both variants are the same, around $20, which is nice to see as more and more labels/bands start to charge more for colored vinyl. All copies come housed in a gatefold jacket, which has the lyrics printed inside. The inside of the jacket pocket is coated orange instead of the plain white card stock. More and more releases are starting to use colored or patterned pockets, and I honestly don’t see the point to it because it will only drive the price for consumers ups. A download card/code is also included for high quality 320 kbps MP3s, which is great to see considering this is a major label release.

 

Jimmy Eat World – Love Never b/w Half Heart 7″

Jimmy Eat World released two new songs to kick off their 2018 world tour, with the only physical release being in the form of a 7”. “Love Never” and “Half Heart” are the titles of the two songs, and it’s unknown whether or not they will be a part of any forthcoming new album from the band.

The Love Never b/w Half Heart 7” retails for $6. Initially it was only available via the band’s official web store, but as time wore on indie record stores around the country started carrying copies of the record. If you’re looking for an alternative to buying it, maybe in hopes of finding it cheaper, your best bet is to buy it from you local record store. The band’s web store is hosted by Kings Road Merch, who charge more for shipping than they should. Copies can be found on secondary sites like ebay and Discogs, but again, you’ll have to pay shipping on top of the small markup up sellers are charging to cover selling and/or Paypal fees.

Pressing info was never officially released, and it appears all copies were pressed on black vinyl. No download code is included with the record, which is lame considering the 7” was released on the band’s own label; Exotic Location Recordings.

V/A – Yo Gabba Gabba! Hey!

Just when I thought the embarrassing additions to my collection were done with; bam… more Yo Gabba Gabba records. Enjoy The Ride Records (ETR) had a hand in these. The guy behind ETR started another “label” called Enjoy The Toons, which seems to deal only in soundtracks of various degrees.

Because this Yo Gabba Gabba! Hey! record is part of ETR’s stable, it’s severely overpriced; $23 for a single LP in a regular single pocket jacket with a gimmicky “insert” in the form of a sticker sheet on lightweight vinyl. And because this is an ETR associated release, there is a vast amount of variants. There are six variants for this, and all of them are exclusive to some place or another.

ETR has three exclusive variants for this record, and there are three other exclusives out there spread out amongst three different retailers. The ETR web store exclusives are “Yo Gabba Gabba! Logo FunSplosion” limited to 100 copies, “Foofa themed” limited to 150 copies and “Muno themed” limited to 200 copies.  The “Yo Gabba Gabba! Logo FunSplosion,” which is featured in the photos below, is yellow/orange swirl with blue and pink splatter. The “Foofa themed” variant is pink with white circles and the “Muno themed” variant is clear red with solid red splatter. The “Muno” variant also has an exclusive b-side center label, which is Muno’s cyclopes eye. The pink in the “Foofa” variant is baby pink, and the white circles appear around the center label, as if they’re coming out from the label. These “circles” are also more like brush strokes than circles.

The other, non-ETR exclusives are a “Brobee” split limited to 250 copies, which is exclusive to Turntable Lab. “Brobee” split is half clear dark green and half solid mint green, which is split vertically right down the middle. Next up is a solid red/milky clear split limited to 500 copies, which is a Books-A-Million (BAM!) exclusive. This BAM! exclusive cost $35 before shipping, which is completely absurd considering all the other variants are already overpriced at $23 before shipping. If that $35 price tag was not high enough for you, the last variant cost $40 before shipping. And considering this variant is a UK exclusive of sorts, expect shipping to be expensive. This variant is a Zavvi exclusive, which is a UK based retailer, and it’s on “Toodee Blue.” Limite to 500 copies. “Toodee Blue” is a color in color, with the most likely color(s) being blue of some sort.

All copies of Yo Gabba Gabba! Hey! come with a “repealable” (that is how ETR spells “repealable” on his official web store, “repealable” is not actually a word) sticker sheet, consisting of 12 different stickers that range in size. You get a sticker of each of the four characters from the show, along with speaker cabinets and microphones, and  even a sign for the crowd. The stickers are meant to be used to re-create a scene with the characters playing live on stage, which is the cover art for this record. Which brings me to the next facet of these Yo Gabba Gabba records.

If you bought both Yo Gabba Gabba! releases (Yo Gabba Gabba! Hey! and Yo Gabba Gabba! Fantastic Voyages) from the ETR web store in the same order, you received an exclusive fold out insert. This fold out insert has four different scenes/backgrounds from the show, which you can also use the “repealable” stickers with. Regarding those “repealable” stickers, I don’t think they are actually “repealable.” I tried pealing one off the sticker sheet, and it felt just like a regular sticker with a very tacky back. And if I were to actually use them, it would be rather difficult to get the stickers back on their appropriate space on the sticker sheet, let alone getting them off whatever I stuck them to.

The track listing on this comp is pretty extensive, and features some great bands/artists. Because most of the songs are kept to two minutes or less, way more tracks than you ever thought could fit on a single LP are crammed onto this comp. There are 19 songs in total, 10 on the a-side and nine on the b-side. I bought this for the Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday and My Chemical Romance songs. Here is the track listing:

Side A
1. Yo Gabba Gabba! Theme
2. Weezer – All My Friends Are Insects
3. Jimmy Eat World – Beautiful Day With My Best Friend
4. Taking Back Sunday – We All Love Our Pets
5. My Chemical Romance – Every Snowflake Is Different
6. Rocket From The Crypt – He’s A Chef
7. Mariachi El Bronx – Friends Can Make You Smile
8. The Aquabats – Pool Party
9. Gogo13 ft. Alex Desert – Pick It Up
10. DJ Lance Rock – DJ Lance Says

Side B
1. Metric – Everybody Has A Talent
2. Hot Hot Heat – Time To Go Outdoors

3. Devo – Watch Us Work It
4. Money Mark – Robo Dancing
5. The Apples In Stereo – That’s My Family
6. George Clinton ft. Madame Mims – Atomic Frog
7. Weird Al Yankovic – Circus Parade
8. Yo Gabba Gabba! featuring Jack Black – Goodbye Song
9. Biz Markie – Biz’s Beat Of The Day #1

 

 

For Sale: Set Prices – Circa Survive, The Killers, Alkaline Trio, New Found Glory, Senses Fail, Thursday, Gogol Bordello, Fake Problems, Look Mexico, Lifetime, Third Eye Blind, 311, Sonic Youth, Springsteen, Tom Petty & More

While I normally don’t sell stuff on this blog, or in general, I need to get rid of some things. This is the start of a thinning out process of doubles I’ve accumulated over the years along with getting rid of things I no longer listen to. Prices are set on all this for the most part, but feel free to make offers. So here are the ground rules:

Only the things on this list are for sale. Do not ask about anything else featured on this blog or anything that is not on the below list. Deals will be made for anyone who buys more than 1 thing. I will only ship to the USA. Paypal as payment only. So no bitcoin, Stripe, Venmo, Apple Pay or any of that other nonsense. If a color is not mentioned then it’s on black vinyl. Most of this stuff is either factory sealed or in NM condition. If it’s bad shape I’ll make note of it. If you’re concerned about condition ask for pics and I will provide them.

If you’re interested in anything please leave a comment with what you’re interested in and your email address, and we can work out a deal. I will not make the comments public (I have to approve every comment before it goes appears on the blog), so people will not get your email address or any other info, but I will be able to see it in order to reply to you via email. The subject line of such email responses will be “Stitches and Grooves Record Sale.” Any questions or concerns about anything up for sale feel free to ask. I’m pretty firm on prices but if you don’t like a price comment with an offer and we can try to work out a deal.

Everything will be mailed in either an LP or 7″ mailer. I should have plenty to go around, but if I run out I will let you know before making payment. Opened records will be shipped outside the jacket to avoid seam splits. Factory sealed records will not be opened under any circumstances. I know how to package records for shipping, plenty of bubble wrap and/or cardboard inserts will be used to try to minimize damage as best as possible. Not responsible for any damage that occurs during shipment; once it leaves my hands in the stated condition below I can not guarantee or foresee how the USPS will handles the package.

 

– 311 – Hydroponic 10″ (still sealed, jacket has seam split along top edge) = $20 ppd

– Alkaline Trio – Help Me 7” (still sealed) = $7 ppd or $4 if bought with something else

– At The Drive-In/Burning Airlines – Split 7″ (no insert) = $10 ppd

– Back To The Future Trilogy Score Mondo box set exclusive jackets (only the 3 jackets, which all have seam splits. no records are include with this) = offer, would prefer to sell all 3 jackets together

– Bandaid Brigade – I’m Separate ( still factory sealed, not sure on color. is NOT Hot Pink w/ Splatter. will NOT open to check color) = $10 ppd

Bear vs Shark/Bars Of Gold Collection – Would Prefer To Sell As Complete Lot = $110 (shipping to be determined later)

– Right Now (Purple & White swirl /250, U.S. 2nd press) = $20

– Right Now (UK red w/ black haze /250 hand numbered w/ exclusive alternate cover) = $30

– Terrorhawk (yellow /250, 2nd press) = $25

– Bars Of Gold – Of Gold (clear green, 1st press) = $20

– Bars Of Gold – Wheels (comes packaged w/ CD) = $15

– The Catholic Comb – Vampire Life 7” (w/ poster) = $7 ppd or $4 if bought with something else

– Circa Survive – The Amulet (Merch Limited Alternate Screen Printed Covers, Set of 4,  Designs #1, #2, #3 and #4. ALTERNATE COVERS ONLY, NO RECORD(S). INCORRECTLY FOLDED JACKETS W/ CREASE THROUGH COVER ART. Ask for pics if interested.) =$40 ppd OBO

Circa Survive – A Dream About Love (clear w/ splatter) = $40 OBO

-Dead American – The Shape Of Punk Is Dumb (orange) = $25 ppd

– Dead American – The Shape Of Punk Is Dumb (blue) = $50 ppd  OBO

– Dead American – The Shape Of Punk Is Dumb (purple) = $50 ppd  OBO

*** All Dead American Records for $100 ppd. ***

– Bob Dylan – Must Be Santa b/w ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas 7” (red, still sealed) – $12 ppd

– Faction Of The Fox – Mannequin Hand 7” = $7 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

– Fake Problems – How Far Our Bodies Go (clear, Euro pressing) = $12 ppd

– Fake Problems – How Do You Spell Here E-V-E-L 12” (picture disc) = $9 ppd

** $14 ppd for both Fake Problems records **

– Gene Defcon – Baby, Hallelujah 7″ (red) = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Gogol Bordello – Crack The Case 7″ = $10 ppd

– Gogol Bordello – Pura Vida Conspiracy (white, only record & insert, NO jacket or valid download card) = offer, not looking for much, not sure what someone is willing to pay for just the record without a jacket

– Hailey, It Happens – Aurora = $8 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

–  Head North – Bloodlines = $10 ppd (still factory sealed)

– Hellogoodbye – S’Only Natural (not sure on color. won’t open to check color) = $15 ppd or $10 if bought w/ something else

– The Killers – Hot Fuss (2018 box set pressing on black vinyl) = $15 ppd

– The Killers – Sam’s Town (2018 box set pressing on black vinyl) = $15 ppd

– The Killers – Sawdust (2018 box set pressing on black vinyl) = $15 ppd

– The Killers – Day And Age (2018 box set pressing on black vinyl) = $15 ppd

– The Killers – Battle Born (2018 box set pressing on black vinyl) = $15 ppd

– The Killers – Wonderful Wonderful (2018 box set pressing on black vinyl) = $15 ppd

*** Buy all 6 Killers Records as a lot = $80 ppd ***

Lifetime Collection – Would Prefer To Sell As Complete Lot = $145 (shipping to be determined later)

– Background = $25

– Hello Bastards (mint, 2nd press, 2010 No Idea pressing, 1st pressing on No Idea) = $15

– Jersey’s Best Dancers (white, 2nd press, 2010 No Idea pressing, 1st pressing on No Idea) = $15

– s/t (pink, 2nd press, 2008 No Idea pressing, 1st pressing on No Idea) = $20

– Dwell 7″ (1st press) = $10

– Dwell 7″ (2nd press) = $7

– Tinnitus 7″ = $20

– 2 Songs 7″ (blue) = $7

– Boys No Good 7″ = $10

– It’s For Life comp LP (red /552, 2nd press on Victory w/ different cover, 1st pressing on Victory) = $15

Look Mexico Collection – Would Prefer To Sell As Complete Lot = $100 (shipping determined later)

– This Is Animal Music = $30

– To Bed To Battle (salmon) = $20

– You Stay. I Go. No Following 7″ (blue, hand numbered screened cover) = $10

– Real Americans Spear It 10″ (blue) = $13

– So Crucialtine (green marble) = $15

– Gasp Asp 7″ (green) = $7

– Gasp Asp 7″ (white w/ red foil stamp cover) = $10

– Moneen/Alexisonfire – Switcheroo Split 12″ (picture disc) = $30 ppd

– Mixtapes – Somewhere In Trinsic 7″ (white, No Sleep Sub exclusive) = $15 ppd

– The Music – Take The Long Road And Walk It 7″ (blue) = $6 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Muskets – Violent Paradise = $10 ppd (still fatory sealed)

– New Found Glory – Tip Of The Iceberg 7” (picture disc) = $7 ppd or $3 if bought with something else.

– New Found Glory/Dashboard Confessional = Swiss Army Bro-Mance (pink or purple, your choice) = $50 ppd

– No Devotion – Stay b/w Eyeshadow 12″ (white, factory sealed) = $10 ppd

– No Devotion – 10,000 Summers 12″ (factory sealed, start of small seam split along top edge) = $9 ppd

** $14 ppd for both No Devotion records **

– Onelinedrawing – Departure 7″ (eco color, did not come sealed but never played) = $10 ppd

– Peace’d Out – Peace’d Out 10” (blue, still sealed) = $10 ppd or $6 if bought with something else

Phony – Songs You’ll Never Sing (still factory sealed, not sure on color, will NOT open to check color) = $10 ppd

– The Police – Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic 7″ (U.S. pressing, A & M Records w/ picture sleeve) =  $6 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

– The Police – Message In A Bottle 7″ (w/ poster sleeve) = $7 ppd or $4 if bought with something else

– The Police – Message In A Bottle 7″ (no picture or poster sleeve, generic paper dust sleeve) = $6 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

– The Police – Synchronicity II 7″ (w/ picture sleeve) = $6 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

-The Police – Every Breath You Take 7″ (w/ picture sleeve) = $6 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

– The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me 7″ (w/ picture sleeve) = $6 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

– The Police – De Do Do Do, De Da Da da 7″ (w/ incorect die cut picture sleeve) = $6 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

** All 7 Police 7″ singles for $25 ppd **

– The Police – Outlandos D’Amour (2014 Euro Back-To-Black re-press w/ grey cover) = $20 ppd

– Portugal. The Man – Woodstock (standard vinyl version, 180g in gatefold jacket, still factory sealed) = $15 ppd

– Razorlight – Golden Touch 7″ (gatefold jacket) = $7 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Senses Fail – If There Is Light, It Will Find You (yellow, still sealed. has seam split along top of jacket) = $15 ppd

– Sonic Youth – Murray Street (2016 re-press) = $75 ppd

– Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped (2016 re-press) = $50 ppd

*** $20 ppd for both Sonic Youth records ***

– Bruce Springsteen – Dancing In The Dark 7″ (U.S. Pressing, Columbia Records) =$ 6 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

– Bruce Springsteen – One Step Up 7″ (U.S. Pressing, Columbia Records) =$6 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

** Both Springsteen 7″ single for $10 ppd **

Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (2015 USA pressing) = $15 ppd

Bruce Springsteen – The Ghost Of Tom Joad (2018 USA pressing) = $15 ppd

Bruce Springsteen – In Concernt MTV Unplugged = $20 ppd

*** All 3 Springsteen albums for $40 ppd ***

The Suicide Machines – Awake 7″ flexi = $10 ppd (never played, does not come with a cover/jacket. flexi is not 100% flat. Playing surface is not warped, flexi itself is not perfectly flat like a piece of paper)

– Third Eye Blind – Ursa Major – (clear w/ black & white splatter – 1st Press) = offer

– Third Eye Blind – s/t 20th Anniversary Edition 3xLP (still sealed, bad seam splits across top) = $125 ppd

– Thursday – Kill The House Lights (still factory sealed, has crease in jacket) = $15 ppd

– Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – A Woman In Love (It’s Not Me) 7″ (w/ picture sleeve) = $6 ppd

– What’s Eating Gilbert – Cheap Shots (half tan/half black) = $10 ppd

What’s Eating Gilbert/Octaves – SXSW Split 7″ (red) = $10 ppd

*** Both What’s Eating Gilbert 7″s for $12 ppd ****

– The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? = $18 ppd

– V/A – Yes L.A. comp (2nd press – picture disc w/ green and red ink) = $20 ppd

– V/A – While No One Was Looking: Toasting 20 Years Of Bloodshot Records 3xLP (still factory sealed, pretty bad seam splits along top edge) = $15 ppd

– The 4 Squares/Toucan Slam – Doin’ Snuff With Roy Scherer split 12″ (still sealed) = $8 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

– V/A – Brushfire Records 12″ Sampler Volume 1 (still sealed. feat. Jack Johnson, Mason Jennings, G. Love & Special Sauce, Matt Costa) = $8 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

– Curtain Call – s/t 7″ = offer

– Hamilton/Malakhai/With Arms Still Empty/Just For Kicks – Forever Compilation 4-way Split 7″ = $6 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Old & In The Way – Old & In The Way LP = offer

– Grateful Dead – For The Faithful (Pair Records) = $10 ppd

– Grateful Dead – Wake Of The Flood (cut corner, Grateful Dead Records) = $10 ppd

Other Random Stuff  Slipmats, Pins, Books, Tote Bags, Posters, DVDs & CDs)

– Ryan Russell – Continental Obscura: Birmingham To Bellingham photo book =$13 ppd [shipping is high because book weighs 4 pounds. Book is still in shrink wrap (shrink is cut along bottom) and does NOT come with bonus 7″]

– The Simpsons Complete Season 9 DVD w/ Lisa plastic head case (still factory sealed/taped)

– MxPx – B-Movie DVD w/ The A/C EP CD = offer

– The Early November slipmat (from Twenty bundle) = $15 ppd

– Fake Problems – Live At Park Ave CD (still sealed) = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Anthony Green Would You Still Be In Love pin set (3 pins – all metal/enamel) = $10 ppd

– Circa Survive – A Dream About Love slipmat (brown/orange) = $15 ppd

– Circa Survive – A Dream About Death slipmat = $15 ppd

** Both Circa Survive slipmats = $20 ppd

– Circa Survive – A Dream About Love pin set (3 pins) = $10

– Circa Survive – A Dream About Death pin set (3 pins) = $10

*** Both Circa Survive pin sets for $15 ppd

– Gogol Bordello canvas tote bag = $15 ppd

– Arctic Rodeo Recordings cloth tote bag = $10 ppd

– Ghost Ramp enamel pin = offer

– Spirit Club – s/t CD (still factory sealed) = $10 ppd

– July – What We Signed Up For CD (still sealed) = $6 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– The Promise Hero – Deja Vu CD (still sealed) = $6 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Brett Detar – Bird In The Tangle CD (still sealed) = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Rock Against Floyd comp CD = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Hail The Villain – Maintain Radio Silence EP CD (still sealed) = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– We Are Augustines – Rock The Vote EP CD (still sealed) = $6 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Drive Thru Records Winter 2003 Sampler CD = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Drive Thru Records Summer 2004 Sampler CD = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Drive Thru Records/Rushmore Records Sampler CD = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Fueled By Ramen Spring 2005 Sampler CD = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

– Keuning – Mild Case Of Everything CD (still factory sealed) = $10 ppd

– Senses Fail – Skull Logo slipmat (still sealed in original, re-sealable flap poly bag) = $15 ppd

– Senses Fail – Hell Is In Your Head bundle slipmat = $15 ppd

** Both Senses Fail slipmats for $20 ppd **

– Senses Fail – Hell Is In Your Head tote bag = $15 ppd

– Tooth & Nail Records Spring 2004 Sampler CD = $5 ppd or $2 if bought with something else

-Wildhoney – Your Face Sideways CD (barcode punched) = $6 ppd or $3 if bought with something else

– REM Unplugged 1991-2001 lithograph poster (12″ high x 36″ wide) = offer

– Teagan and Sara tour poster from Starland Ballroom show on September 27, 2013 (silk screened)

– Mystery CD Grab Bag: 10 CDs chosen at random. could be anything listed here OR could be literally any random CD I have in my house not listed here. All CDs will be playable, with minimal to zero scratches, and come in their original packaging, which may be a digipak, cardboard sleeve or plastic jewel case. CDs may or may NOT be factory sealed and will be in brand new OR used condition; may include promo items that have the barcode scratched or punched out. There will not be any duplicate CDs given, no guarantee on genre of music. = $10 ppd

Jimmy Eat World – Integrity Blues

Jimmy Eat World’s eighth studio album, Integrity Blues, was released on October 21, 2016, with the band doing a ton of promotion for it. The band played a couple in-stores in the weeks leading up to the album’s release, gradually released songs from the album to drive up anticipation and released what has become their usual free promo 7″. This album is the band’s heaviest sounding to date. It’s still has its Bleed American influences/sound in sparing instances, but it’s a heavier album all around. It’s not a bad thing, but this album is definitely a grower rather than an instant favorite.

The album was put up for pre-order in early September, and something very unusual for Jimmy Eat World; there are variants for this album. It’s the first time the band has had variants for their album on initial offering. Before people jump down my throat feeling that “first time variant” statement is incorrect, realize I meant for the first pressing of an album and an album that wasn’t licensed out by some “label” to capitalize on the vinyl craze by re-pressing an album on fancy colors to make more money. To date there is only one variant however, so the band and label (RCA) didn’t go overboard trying to milk the album with four or five variants.

That one variant is turquoise limited to a whopping 3,000 copies. That might not seem like a lot for a band like Jimmy Eat World, but when you think about it most variants released are typically limited to 1,000 copies max.  Turquoise was exclusively available from the band’s web store hosted by Kings Road Merch (KRM). And from the few photos I’ve seen so far, I’m not sure turquoise is the most apt color to call the variant. I’ve seen one copy that looks blue and others that look translucent green; close to turquoise, but still not turquoise. Turquoise is a very unique and recognizable color to most people, it’s not straight blue nor green, but a mixture of both.

In all likelihood turquoise is the only variant, but Bull Moose listed their pre-order as “tar colored black vinyl.” What they meant by that is anyone’s guess, but I’m sure they suckered some people into buying/pre-ordering the album from them thinking it was another variant. Think about it people, what color is tar… But whatever their intent, I’m losing more and more faith in Bull Moose of late, as this is not the first stunt they pulled with misinformation. Turquoise is the only color with pressing info released. There are an unknown amount of black copies out there, but if RCA pressed 3,000 copies of turquoise then it’s safe to assume they pressed far more black copies.

The album is pressed as a single LP, and comes housed in a gatefold jacket with a full color insert. In another change of pace from past Jimmy Eat World releases, the record has a stock company center label, in this case RCA Records. This is the first time one of the band’s record has stock center labels since their debut album, Static Prevails. A download code is included with the record, but there is no separate card. The code is printed on the insert itself. This is the first record I’ve come across that has the download code printed on the insert, and it’s a move I can see many labels making to cut costs while not passing it on to the consumer.

This record is on the cheap side, costing $19 (before shipping) from KRM and Bull Moose, $18 (before shipping or any applicable taxes) from Amazon and around $20 from most indie record stores. If you shop around online you can find some distros that have it cheaper by a dollar or two. I can’t believe I’m saying that $20 is “cheap” for a single LP, but that is the harsh reality of record prices today.

Jimmy Eat World – Sure And Certain 7″

In advance of Jimmy Eat World’s eighth studio album, Integrity Blues, a 7″ single was released, or at least it was anticipated to be released. The 7″, entitled Sure And Certain, was announced back in late August 2016 on the band’s official website, which also listed a pre-order link through Amazon with a release date of October 14, one week before the album’s release. I’m sure quite a few people pre-ordered the 7″ through Amazon as it was the only place to buy/pre-order it. But as time went on the 7″ was pulled from Amazon with no explanation.

As time wore on people forgot about the 7″ until Amazon pulled it and started cancelling orders on the 7″‘s release date of October 14. That move sent people scrambling on how to get the 7″. Lots of incorrect info was being spread from various sources; including the band themselves, their merch guys on tour, indie record stores, message boards, etc. Most of the incorrect info came from people who were misinformed, while others purposely lied to drive up business. Here is all the incorrect info out there. It was reported that the only way to get the 7″ was at a show on the band’s Integrity Blues tour if you pre-ordered the album (CD or vinyl) from an indie record store, but no mention of how to prove you pre-ordered it was made. Same people also said they bought a copy of the 7″ at a show. I contacted some indie record stores and was told it was a tour exclusive 7″. An indie record store owner (not one of the stores I contacted) said during an in-store the band played there that the 7″ was exclusive to them, no not an indie store exclusive promo like most of these free bonus items are, exclusive to his specific store.

All that was despite the fact that people at the Northeast in-stores the band played leading up to the album’s release were either given the 7″ at the in-store or would get it when they went back to pick up the copy of the album they had to buy in order to gain entry into the in-store. And that I got this 7″ on the album’s release day (October 21) for free from my local indie store with purchase of Integrity Blues, which also coincidentally held one of the pre-release in-stores earlier in October. So supplies of this 7″ seem to be not even close to exhausted, as my local store got more copies of it well after the in-store they held with about a 100 peeople capacity. So the only definitive way to get this 7″ that I am aware of is/was from an indie record store after buying the album Integrity Blues.

The 7″ features “Sure And Certain” on the a-side and has an exclusive b-side from Integrity Blues on the b-side; “My Enemy.” The 7″ comes in a regular 7″ jacket, but it’s made out of very thin card stock. No download card/code is included with the 7″, so the only way to get an MP3 of the exclusive b-side is to have a USB turntable or wait for somebody to rip it and post it online (which already happened, but the guy deleted the file after a few days and not many people took notice, but I did). It’s clear why “My Enemy” was left off the album, as it doesn’t really fit the vibe of Integrity Blues. But it’s still a good song regardless, it’s more reminiscent of older Jimmy Eat World albums.

Jimmy Eat World – Stay On My Side Tonight

The only outstanding Jimmy Eat World release to not get pressed on vinyl finally saw the light of the day in early 2016. The Stay On My Side Tonight EP was pressed on 150 gram black vinyl and comes with an insert and download card. The only reason I make mention of the record being 150 gram is because the hype sticker on the perforated poly bag the 12″ EP comes sealed in makes mention of it. All copies come with a download card. No word on pressing info, but expect it to be in the thousands because it’s a major label release.

There are some big question marks surrounding this release as some people received copies of the record with glaring errors. The biggest problem lies with the track listing on the back of the jacket, which has the track listing broken down wrong. Instead of the proper two tracks on Side A and three tracks on Side B, the copies of the record in question have three tracks listed on Side A and two on Side B. The records have the correct track listing however. Mark Trombino’s (EP’s producer) name is also spelled wrong on the insert. It’s important to note that people receiving copies like this are in America and multiple people have reported having the same errors. Some people are dubbing this an error pressing, which is obviously the case, but more light needs to be shed on it. Some people are speculating these error copies were meant to be distributed in Europe or were pressed in Europe to be sold there. But that can’t be correct because there is no Euro pressing of this EP.

The likeliest answer to the error pressing is that it’s simply an error that was caught somewhere in the middle of production. This release had quite a few delays, with the release date pushed back multiple times. These delays likely stemmed from the errors with the track listing on the back of the jacket. So what likely happened is that a small amount of copies with the error mistakenly got sent out to distributors. This release has not been recalled, but the problems has obviously been corrected since my copy, and plenty of other peoples’, do not have the error. So far the label has been mum about the situation, but I don’t know if anyone has contacted them or the band about the problems.

My copy does not have the track listing error but does have Mark Trombino’s name spelled wrong on the insert. Instead of Trombino it reads Trobmino. People who have the CD version of Stay On My Side Tonight say this same spelling error is on the CD credits as well. So the layout was taken directly from the CD version and just upscaled to fit an LP. It’s the third mention of Trombino’s name that is misspelled, under the percussion credit on “Disintegration.” I have included pictures of both the correct and error jackets below, with the correct jacket picture coming first.

A few days after posting this a pink variant was announced, which is limited to 1,000 copies and only available through Jimmy Eat World’s web store hosted by Kings Road Merch. Whether or not this new pink variant is a new pressing, which would be the second overall is unknown. It’s either that or the label held on to these pink copies for weeks. If that is the case it’s somewhat surprising they didn’t put it up for pre-order along with the black copies, but holding back the pink copies could be a sales tactic to drive up sales of the black variant. It’s up in the air right now which scenario is correct.

I advise everyone to not buy anything from Kings Road Merch (KRM) from here on out because they now only ship records via priority mail, which costs at least $11 depending on where you live. They are not offering media mail any longer. And we all know you can ship a record from anywhere to anywhere in the country for under $4 via media mail. I first noticed (most people noticed when these new colored Jimmy Eat World variants were announced) KRM made this switch around the holidays (2015) and I hoped it would be only for the holiday season, but turns out it’s permanent. KRM claims it’s to prevent damage to records and keep impatient people at bay. This is their statement regarding it: “We are no longer offering media mail due to its incredibly slow delivery times and high rate of damage to orders.” Complete BS; 90% of the time records arrive undamaged via media mail. And guess what KRM, records can still arrive damaged via any method of delivery. We all know this is profit driven. It’s also sad, pathetic and a little hilarious that you can order from KRM’s European distro and shipping will be cheaper than buying domestic.

Jim Adkins – Hell 7″

Jim Adkins, lead singer of Jimmy Eat World, released his first solo studio material of his career in 2015. He has done solo tours and one off shows here and there over the years, and there was Go Big Casino, but these three 7″ singles mark his first true solo efforts. They were released as part of a singles series of sorts, because if you ordered the physical records instead of the digital files only you received all three 7″ singles all at once in one shipment. All singles in the “series” feature a new, original song on the a-side with a cover song on the b-side.

You could not buy any of the singles in the “series” separately, you had to buy all three in order to get one of them. There was also a bundle option that included a polyesters 7″ carrying bag. I have not seen pictures of the actually finished product, but from the mock ups in the web store the bag is black with pink lettering, has a zippered opening and a strap. This bag tacked on an additional $10 on top of the $20 for the 7″s themselves, and it also jacked up shipping price to over $11 from $5. By all accounts from people who bought the bag bundle it is pretty much pointless, so it seemed like a wasted $20 odd dollars. So I’m glad I passed on the bag despite me typically being a sucker for things like bags, boxes, slip cases etc.

The third single in the “series” was Hell. The title song is on the a-side with the b-side being a cover of the Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.” The third single was pressed on red vinyl limited to 1500 copies.