The Killers – Pressure Machine

The Killers have always treated their fans to vinyl releases, both across the pond and stateside. They may be one of a handful of contemporary, U.S. bands who still offer up UK exclusive singles. For their latest album, Pressure Machine, the band did not one, but two UK/Euro exclusive variants. They have done lots of cover variants, and this album once again goes that route.

Let’s touch on the main details of this record before delving into the finer details. All copies, regardless of country of origin or variant, are pressed on black vinyl. Pressing info has not been released for any variant/pressing, which is not surprising considering this is a major label release. All copies also come with the same jacket, which has a white cover. That is where the different variants come in; a different color slipcase.

There is an indie record store exclusive, which comes in a grey slipcase. The other variant is an HMV (UK entertainment chain store, not an indie record store) exclusive, and comes in a black slipcase. Neither comes with any sort of hype sticker(s). As mentioned above, both slip case variants will have the regular white cover jacket tucked inside. The cover art for the jacket and both slipcases is the same. The only difference with all of them is the background color.

Already at a disadvantage if you’re ordering from the U.S., there is an added obstacle to easily obtaining a copy of the HMV exclusive; they don’t ship to the U.S.. So unless you have a buddy in the UK, the only way to get a copy of the HMV variant is on the secondary market. One somewhat decent thing is that the UK economy has been on the skids of late, with the exchange rate hitting a record low.

The weakened British Pound resulted in me being able to buy a copy of the Euro indie store exclusive for $25 shipped, instead of closer to $35. But because of the hard to come by nature of the HMV exclusive, it’s inherently more expensive, as I suspect sellers on the secondary market are fully aware it can’t be shipped directly to the USA, so they’re marking it up accordingly. Even with that said, the more favorable exchange rate meant I was able to find a copy for $35 shipped. But I actually got it for less after redeeming an eBay gift card.

After finally finding somewhat affordable copies of the tow slip case variants, and somewhat splurging on them, the deluxe edition vinyl release was officially announced. My luck can be like that sometimes. But it’s not the end of the world because I would still want to add the slip case variants and the deluxe edition to my collection. My main fear is that the deluxe edition might drive down the prices of the regular, single LP pressing. But only time will tell on that.

Now on to an important aspect of the vinyl version of Pressure Machine, at least the single LP pressings; they do not have the spoken word introductions/interludes. They were omitted from the vinyl version likely due to run time issues. In my opinion this omission is not the end of the world. Simply because personally I am not a fan of spoken word sampling, or any sampling from movies, tv shows, etc. like what was popular with pop punk in the early-mid 2000s. Not sure if the deluxe edition will have the spoken word portions or not until it’s actually released. Mainly because the fact the spoken word portions being omitted from the single LP pressings was not advertised/announced or made clear when it was originally released. But according to the track listing included with pre-orders for it, it will have all the bonus tracks included with the deluxe version that were not found on the album’s original release from 2021.

The Killers – Imploding The Mirage

Imploding The Mirage is The Killers’ sixth studio album and the first without Dave Keuning, who departed the band shortly after Wonderful Wonderful, only to rejoin in 2021 for the recording of the band’s newest album; Pressure Machine. And to cope without a lead guitarist the band brought in guest musicians where needed (most notably Lindsey Buckigham), but mainly opted to use keyboards and various other stringed instruments to fill the void.

This album is on par with a lot of the band’s earlier works, and for my personal taste is a better album as a result. I was not a big fan of Wonderful Wonderful or Battle Born. Imploding The Mirage would slot in flawlessly after Day & Age in the band’s discography.

As with most Killers albums, there are no variants for this record, and it was only pressed on black vinyl. Being a major label release, pressing info will likely never be released. All copies come housed in a gatefold jacket, which actually has both pockets open; an unusual move for a single LP release. The first pocket (left side) has the insert inside while the second pocket (right side) contains the LP. No download card/code is included, which again, is not a surprise being that Island Records 99% of the time does not include them with physical copies anymore.

Retail price on this single LP is on the very high side; at least $25 no matter where you buy it. But with that said, this record is getting harder and harder to find. The band isn’t even selling copies anymore in their official web store. It’s not even listed as sold out; there is no longer an item page/listing for it anymore. I held out for over a year waiting to buy this record, but had to bite the bullet and buy a copy when I stumbled upon one at Barnes & Noble. It was the first and only time I saw a copy out in the wild.

The Killers – The Killers Career Box Set

When box sets like this are announced I tend to wait to see if any records in them that I want are released outside of the aforementioned box set. As of posting this no such luck, and at this point I’ve made my bed and will be stuck with this box set. Personally I could have taken or left the studio albums in this box set. But there was one key factor that make the purchase of The Killers’s Career Box Set a bit easier to swallow.

I got a pretty good deal on it, costing me a little over $115 shipped instead of the full retail price of $215. At that price point each record in the box set comes out to roughly $17. But when you factor in the box itself, and the booklet that comes with it, that price gets knocked down a bit. Yes, I’m aware The Killers’ store is selling for less, and already marked it down. But the price I paid still beats that deal, and likely any future marks downs on this box set, because any lower than I paid and they’re pretty much giving some of the albums in it away.

The main reason I was torn on buying this was because I already own all The Killers albums on vinyl, first pressings to boot. Some I own variants of too. The only thing in this box set I absolutely needed due to not having it was Live From The Royal Albert Hall. That record is exclusive to this box set. Considering they haven’t released it outside of the box set at this point means they probably won’t, as this exclusive record was likely the key selling point the marketing department used in order to get more people, like myself (I’m the perfect example actually), to buy the this pretty much completely unnecessary box set. The Killers catalog has been extensively re-pressed at the point of posting this.

Not only was this a crash grab in the first place, the label did variants for the box set. It’s only two, but further proves the cash grab aspect. One is on colored vinyl (clear) with the other being on black. The colored variant saw a drastic markup, costing $40 more than the black variant. The clear variant is exclusive to the band’s official web store, and initially cost $250 (has since been marked down to $230) before shipping and tax (should it apply, but lots of states charge it now on all online orders). Neither variant has pressing info released, and the clear variant is being marketed as “limited edition.”

The only difference between the variants is the color of the records found inside it. Everything else is identical. The box set it itself is a slip lid of sorts. I honestly don’t know what to call it because the top slides off, vertically. The cover is glow in the dark, something that the band and label make no mention of, which is odd because you’d think it would be another key selling point. All the albums themselves are held in a large sleeve made of the same thick card stock material as the box, which ins’t surprising considering this sleeve makes up the bottom of the box set itself. Also included with all copies of the box set is an exclusive slipmat, which has the Killers ‘K’ logo printed on it. No download card/code is included in or for any of the albums in the box set, yet another cheap move by Island/Universal Music Group.

I can only speak for the copy I own on black vinyl, but apparently not all copies come with sealed records inside. None of mine were. I’m not sure if this is only found with the black copies, or if it’s spread across both variants, or if it depends on where you buy it. I bought it from a distro in North America (Canada to be exact) and received it this way. There was also no hype sticker on the front of the box, which is supposed to be there. The box I received appears to have never been intended for distribution, as it was shipped in its original packaging that it shipped from the plant in. Not exactly a promo, but a weird circumstance where only certain copies got all the frills, in this case a hype sticker. Odds are many copies don’t have sealed records in them because as the individual albums were pressed they were used to fill the box set, and never went through the line to get them shrink wrapped. This all screams of penny pinching productive cost savings.

For the gallery below I am only including photos of things exclusive to this box set and/or things I have not posted photos of previously. For the albums Hot Fuss, Sam’s Town, Sawdust, Day & Age and Wonderful Wonderful; check out the dedicated entries for them.

  

The Killers – Day & Age (10th Anniversary Edition)

The Killers are no strangers to doing special or deluxe releases for their albums. They, or at least several labels, have cashed in since the beginning. Starting with a 7” box set version of their debut album Hot Fuss along with a special foil stamped cover for select employees and friends. Up through their latest album Wonderful Wonderful which has a deluxe edition spread out across two LPs instead of one.

For the band’s third album, Day & Age, Universal released a 10^th Anniversary Edition that comes in a hardcover book with alternate artwork done in a reflective foil finish. It’s pressed as a double LP with three bonus tracks, which can all be found on the d-side. These bonus tracks are (in order of appearance) “Forget About What I Said,”  “A Crippling Blow” and “Joy Ride (Night Version).” All of these bonus tracks have been previously released, but this is the first appearance on vinyl for them.

Aside from the bonus tracks, the album has been re-mastered as well. Since the album is spread out onto a second LP, the sound is noticeably better than the original pressing  that was done as a single LP. Not that the original pressing sounds bad; this double LP version of the album just sounds better. There are some complaints out there about copies of this being “filthy.” Just a heads up people; this is not uncommon. You should be cleaning all your records before playing them even if you bought them brand new. Is it nice to have a record be covered in dust, hair and vinyl pellet dust? Absolutely not. But this is not something that is unique to this release.

The 10^th Anniversary Edition of Day & Age was pressed on two variants, with pressing info not being released for either of them. There is a band web store exclusive that is on silver and is dubbed the “collector’s edition.” This variant is being sold for $50, while the main variant, which is on 180 gram black vinyl, is being sold for $40. Other than the color there is nothing different between the variants. So you’re paying $10 more for pretty much nothing, other than a second hype sticker saying “Limited Edition Color Vinyl.”  Yes, the hype sticker has “Color Vinyl” in italics, stressing the importance of it.

I just mentioned prices for this. Don’t buy this for full retail price. At least not the black variant. Brand new, still factory sealed copies can be easily found for under $20 on the secondary market. Which is where I bought mine. And of course there are flippers trying to sell the silver “collector’s edition” on ebay for $90 when it’s still available from the band’s web store for $50. After getting my copy I feel like the original MSRP of $40 was way overpriced. I was expecting a much nicer package.

Something along the lines of the 10^th Anniversary Edition that was done for Sam’s Town. All things considered that wasn’t all that nice or have any real substance to it. But what was done for Day & Age makes Sam’s Town look like one of the best packages ever released. Day & Age is literally just a hardcover book with six “pages” in it. Two of which are glued to the inside of the front and back covers. The sleeves are fixed into the spine of the book, and they have the drawings of the headshots of each band member, you know the ones that were heavily used for the artwork and picture disc singles that were released from this album. The first page is literally the original cover art, and the final page in the book is a promo shot of the band with the track listing printed along the top right corner is very small print.

As is now the norm with Universal releases, a download card/code is not included with this release. Original retail price on it was $40 or $50 depending on the variant. As far as I can tell you don’t even get a download code e-mailed to you if you buy this record from the band’s official store.

V/A – Revamp: Reimagining The Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin

When I see records priced at ridiculously high prices I just laugh now. Because at this point I know prices will eventually drop. And with this compilation, oh how did they drop. When Revamp: Reimagining The Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin was first released retail price on it was $35. Absurd. Fast forward over a year after release, and my go to distro (which is a borderline monopoly at this point) slashed the price on this all the way down to $9 in an obvious attempt to unload dead stock. So I jumped on it. I understand the two schools of thought when it comes to business: sell less at a higher price or sell more at a lower price. Premium vs. volume. Over the past several years I have been reaping the benefits of premium’s failure.

The aforementioned price tag was an even bigger hinderance seeing as I was only buying this comp for one song; The Killers’ take on “Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters.” Queens Of The Stone Age contributes a good spin on “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” but I’m not a big enough fan of them or Joshua Homme to collect them. With everything said, this comp is nicely put together. It comes in a thick gatefold jacket, with full color glossy paper dust sleeves for each record in the double LP set. A download card/code would be proper for the price the major label deemed fit to overprice this at, but it’s just another example of how they’re slowly killing the music business. If an indie label can charge $15 for a single sided 12” EP with an etched b-side and include a download card/code, there is no excuse for a major label to not include download cards/codes with their releases.

All copies of Revamp: Reimagining The Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin were pressed on black vinyl, with pressing info never being released. And I’d be shocked if it ever will be.

 

V/A – George Fest: A Night To Celebrate The Music Of George Harrison

Last year the audio for the one night tribute concert to George Harrison was finally released for the first time. The tribute concert was held in Los Angeles on September 28th, 2014 at The Fonda Theater, with the accompanying DVD and audio (CD and vinyl) compilation entitled George Fest: A Night To Celebrate The Music Of George Harrison. The CD is released with a DVD as well, but the vinyl version of the comp does not come with it. This album and concert is not to be confused with the different George Harrison tribute concert and associated live album entitled Concert For George.

The vinyl version was pressed as a triple LP on 180 gram black vinyl. It’s housed in a triple panel/tri-fold jacket, with each LP in a full color, printed dust sleeve on thick card stock. It’s a well put together package, with the each dust sleeve have its respective track list printed on one side, and either liner notes or live photos (black and white) printed on the reverse side. Inside the triple panel/tri-fold jacket, when completely open, are color photos from the tribute concert.  One inner panel of the jacket has what I believe is the gig poster/ hand bill promoting the tribute concert. A download card is also included with the record. All copies have a blue circle hype sticker on the cover, placed on the top left corner.

The tribute concert featured a star studded, eclectic lineup, including Brian Wilson, Weird Al Yankovic, Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Conan O’Brien, Norah Jones, Butch Walker, Perry Farrell, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Dhani Harrison, The Flaming Lips, Ben Harper and also features songs performed by several of the aforementioned artists/singers as a makeshift super group. The songs performed range George Harrison’s entire career, including Beatles songs he wrote and/or sang lead on.

Pressing info has not been released, and it probably won’t be. This comp was a joint release between HOT Records and Vagrant Records. Yes, that Vagrant records. Since this is a triple LP this comp was initially on the pricey side when it first came out, around $35. It took a while, but prices are starting to come down. You can find copies of this comp for closer to $20 now. Could be multiple reason for the price drop, but my guess is that places selling it are having a hard time moving copies.

 

 

The Killers – Wonderful Wonderful (Standard Edition)

After a lengthy break, the longest break in-between albums of their career, The Killers released their latest album, Wonderful Wonderful, in late September 2017. If you’re expecting another Hot Fuss, Sam’s Town or even Day & Age you’ll be disappointed with this new album. And I think you’ll be disappointed with all future Killers albums as well because this is most likely the direction the band will take from here on out. Wonderful Wonderful continues in the vein of Battle Born, but I think it’s a better album than Battle Born.

Pulling a dirty trick out of the past, Island Records released two different versions for   Wonderful Wonderful; first the standard edition followed a few months later by the deluxe edition. There are many differences between the two versions, and enough of them that will get people like me to buy both of them. Islands Records intentionally delayed the release of the deluxe edition to sucker people into buying the standard edition. It’s an old school marketing strategy that I hoped would stay in the past. But that is not the only dirty trick Island Records (along with a handful of other major labels) are pulling these days.

Aside from any visual and format differences between the standard and deluxe editions, unarguably the biggest, and worst difference is that the standard version does not come with a download card, while the deluxe edition does, at least in some form. You see, Island Records, along with a handful of other major labels, are starting to not put download cards in physical releases anymore. Instead, they are opting to only issue them to those who order the record from either the label’s or band’s official online store. The digital downloads are either delivered via e-mail or are redeemable after placing your order through a link on your order form/receipt. It’s yet another shady marketing strategy aimed to get people to buy records for a higher price in the form of full retail price, if not for a mark up on it, and directly from the label/band so they make even more money by not having to pay middle man like a distributor to get copies out to say Amazon, Best Buy, indie record stores or other online distros. I know Island Records and Interscope Records, which are owned Universal Music Group, and Reprise Records, which is owned by Warner Music Group, employ this no download card strategy, so it wouldn’t surprise me if every label under those respective umbrellas do the same.

Now that my rant is out of the way, here are the differences between the standard and deluxe editions of Wonderful Wonderful, which is what most of you are likely interested in. The standard edition, released on September 22, 2017, is pressed as a single LP (with variants) in gatefold jacket. It has the standard 10 song track listing, actually split evenly with five tracks per side. The deluxe edition, released on November 22, 2017, is pressed as a double LP (with no variants) housed in a gatefold jacket. It has three exclusive bonus tracks; “Money On Straight,” “The Man (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)” and “The Man (Duke Dumont Remix”, which are placed at the end of the standard studio album, placing these tracks all by themselves on the d-side. And because the deluxe edition is a double LP, it allows for better spacing of the tracks, so the track listing/order is a bit different, with only three track on the a-side, three tracks on the b-side and four tracks on the c-side. Not sure of any sound quality differences, but I would assume the deluxe edition sounds better simply because of this better spacing due to it being double LP instead of cramming the same album onto single LP.

Which brings me to why I bought a copy of the standard edition and plan on buying a copy of the deluxe edition as well; the cover art. Each edition has its own, unique and exclusive cover art. While they’re similar and share similar inspiration, they are different. The standard edition has a person holding up a conch shell on the cover, while the deluxe edition has a conch shell resting on the ground (what appears to be a dried up lake bed). I’m not sure if the gatefold artwork is the same between the standard and deluxe editions though, as I’ve never seen photos of the deluxe edition.

It appears as if not all copies of the standard edition come with a hype sticker, as the copy I bought from Target (yes Target sells records now) did not have a hype sticker on it. The hype stickers are all basically the same (you can see a photo of the U.S. pressing of the standard edition below); a vertical black rectangle with white and pink text. This text is basically shared between all the stickers as well, advertising all the singles and the fact it’s the Killers’ new album. The sticker on the UK exclusive pink copies are slightly different, as they say “Limited Edition Coloured Vinyl” and the deluxe edition sticker is slightly different as well with it saying “Deluxe Edition… + 3 Exclusive Bonus Tracks.”

I mentioned above variants for the standard edition, and there are only two. Unfortunately the U.S. did not get the colored vinyl variant, which made it even more expensive to obtain. The UK got Wonderful Wonderful on exclusive pink vinyl, which cost around 25 GBP before shipping. And with the exchange rate Americans’ wallets were hit a bit harder. The UK exclusive variant was flipper gold, with lots of copies selling for double retail price on the secondary market, despite pressing info never being released. It did sell out though, but there could still be 5,000 copies of it. Pressing info has not been released for any variant or edition. Aside from the pink UK exclusive, all copies for both editions are on standard weight black vinyl.

Price was just discussed a bit, but even retail price within the U.S. for this album was on the high side. The standard version cost around $25. Prices on it have started to come down though. The deluxe edition, which is exclusively available from the Killers’ official web store, costs $35 before shipping. Copies of the deluxe edition have not started showing up on places like ebay, but the only reason for that is because they’re not flippable at $35 straight from the band, aside from them still being readily available.

 

 

 

V/A – Yo Gabba Gabb! Fantastic Voyages

Just when I thought the embarrassing additions to my collection were done with; bam… more Yo Gabba Gabba records. 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! Fantastic Voyages record is part of ETR’s stable, it’s severely overpriced; $23 for a single LP on lightweight vinyl in a regular single pocket jacket with no insert. Because this is a 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, “mountain purple” inside clear with pink, yellow and red splatter limited to 150 copies and “Muno red” 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 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 other, non-ETR exclusive are a white splatter limited to 250 copies, which is exclusive to Turntable Lab. Next up is clear with red, yellow, blue splatter limited to 500 copies, which is a Books-A-Million (BAM!) exclusive. This BAM! Exlcusive cost $36 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 “Plex split” limited to 500 copies. “Plex split” is yellow/silver, which is likely a half and half. Not sure where the dividing line is on this variant considering some of the other “split” variants have the line down the middle or at an angle, because I have not seen a photo of this variant as of posting this.

If you bought both Yo Gabba Gabba! releases (Yo Gabba Gabba! Hey! and Yo Gabba Gabba! Fansttic Voyages) from the ETR web store at the same time/in the same order, you received an exclusive fold out insert. This fold out has four different scenes/backgrounds from the show, which you can also use the “repealable” stickers that came exclusively with Yo Gabba Gabba! Hey! record. 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 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 23 songs in total, 11 on the a-side and 12 on the b-side. I bought this for The Killers song, which is kind of shameful, buying a record for just one song. Especially considering the other ETR Yo Gabba Gabba release had far more songs on it from bands I like and/or collect. Here is the track listing:

Side A
1. Yo Gabba Gabba! Theme
2. Biz Marki – Pancakes & Syrup
3. The Roots – We Have Fun
4. The Roots – Lovely, Love My Family
5. Chromeo – Nice ‘N’ Clean
6. Weird Science – Go Crazy Remix
7. Dataracok – Smile For The Camera
8. The Killers – Spaceship Adventure
9. Cut Copy – Fantastic Voyages
10. Metric –  Everybody Has A Talent
11. The Faint – Teach Me

Side B
1. The Shins – It’s Okay, Try Again
2. I’m From Barcelona – Just Because It’s Different Doesn’t Mean It’s Scary
3. Of Montreal – Brush Brush Brush
4. CSS – Dinosaur Dinosaur
5. MGMT – Art Is Everywhere
6. The Flaming Lips – I Can Be A Frog
7. Band Of Horses – Out In Nature
8. Belle & Sebastian – You Can Do It If You Try
9. Peter Bjorn & John – I Wish I Was A Spy
10. The Bird And The Bee – Cover Your Mouth
11. Mark Kozelek – Bedtime Lullaby
12. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Closing Time

 

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

The Killers – Sam’s Town [1st Press, 10th Anniversary Edition (3rd Press) & 4th Press]

I finally got around to picking up The Killers’ sophomore album, Sam’s Town. The first and second pressings were pressed as a picture disc, and it starts the trend of the bulk of Killers vinyl releases being pressed as picture discs, mainly their singles. Prior to this album they released zero picture discs.

Pressing info was never released for either the first or second pressing, but all of The Killers vinyl releases are getting harder to find. They may be close to going out of print. But in 2016 some of their albums started getting re-pressed. Sam’s Town comes housed in a picture disc sleeve and comes with a fold out poster that doubles as liner notes.

There is some confusion as to whether or not there are actually two different pressings of Sam’s Town. I am leaning towards two separate pressings based on the time frame of when they were released. What I am dubbing the first pressing, and is featured here, has a black rim around the edge of the picture disc. These were the first batch released in 2006. Some years later, not exactly sure when, copies with a red rim started popping up. The matrix numbers, bar codes and all other identifying marks are the same between the black rim and red rim copies. Both variants also come with the same packaging, poster and hype sticker.

To commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Sam’s Town, Bong Load Records released a special 10th Anniversary pressing of the album in 2016. It was pressed as a double LP on 180 gram black vinyl mastered at 45 rpm, housed in a hardcover book packaging. There were 5,016 copies pressed, all individually numbered on the back cover. two exclusive bonus tracks are part of the 10th Anniversary edition; “Peace Of Mind” and “Read My Mind (Pet Shop Boys Stars are Blazing Mix).” If it wasn’t obvious enough Pet Shop Boys did that remix of “Read My Mind.” There is no download code included because this is a licensed release.

This 10th Anniversary edition has alternate artwork. It’s pretty much the same as the original, it has the same girl on the original artwork only in a different pose, wearing a dress and in front of a different backdrop. The ram is no longer featured in this version’s artwork.

The records themselves slide into pages inside the book, with those pages being essentially dust sleeves made out of card stock. All the pages inside the book are actually made of the same material. I have also included picture of the binding as well, which is done the same way as those oversized children’s pop up books. The packaging is nicely done, but there should be more to it. It’s just the cover, literally six pages inside the book of completely meaningless, frivolous space wasting filler. There should have been far more substance inside the book. Something like a note from the band, an in depth story or interview about the recording process, a reflection of what the band was going through during this time frame or the history of the band around this time, or even never before seen photos would’ve made this set far nicer. But for whatever it’s worth, Bong Load includes a label sticker with all orders, which is pictured below.

Many people are complaining about sound quality, and there are also complaints about smudging and scuffs on the records. I checked out my copy and there are only marks on the second LP, my first LP is fine. This re-press doesn’t sound stellar, even with it being mastered at 45 rpm and being pressed on 180 gram vinyl. It’s a little muddled and the mix isn’t right either as the vocals overshadow the music on some tracks while they are drowned out by the music on other tracks. Some tracks are softer too, with others being louder. Even after adjusted the tracking and skate on my turntable, it makes no difference. After hearing the complaints I feared the worst, especially considering the price of this set; $45 before shipping for a total of $54 after shipping. Paid for expedited 2-3 day shipping, Bong Load sent it media mail. But hey, I guess those “custom made” mailers are expensive and are the reason for the $8 and change shipping.

Those aren’t the only questionable moves Bong Load made with this release. They released the pressing in small batches. They put it up for pre-order but held back many copies to sell after it was released/shipped in early October. At some point they cut off pre-orders, making it appear as if it sold out. The only reason to do this is because it didn’t sell well and/or to drive up excitement for the release by making people buy it thinking it sold well so they should buy a copy before it sells out again. Supply and demand, but when you artificially control the supply to make false demand, it’s a business/sales tactic I don’t agree with.

Each batch, (released two after pre-order closed/record was released as of posting this), sold out in under 20 minutes. But I have no clue how many copies were available in each batch. The first batch sold out in 18 minutes according to Bong Load, while the second batch lasted about half that time (I checked 11 minutes after it was put up for sale and it sold out, so it could’ve sold out faster than that), so their ‘release in small batches’ system clearly works.

Bong Load also “hand selects” indie record stores to distribute their releases to. That is fine, it’s their right to choose who sells their releases if they opt not to go with the traditional distribution route. But for people nowhere close to any of those “hand selected” record stores it’s not the fairest shake. And a fair shake is all I ask for. On top of that, most of the stores who got copies of this re-press marked it up at least $5. Understandable on their part but still not an easy pill to swallow. Some stores were even shadier though and marked it up to $75, when this release cost $45 from Bong Load.

I didn’t pre-order this because of the price tag mentioned above, and also because of the label’s name. To be honest I never heard of Bong Load before, and their name doesn’t exactly instill trust. On top of that, I try not to pre-order anything anymore for a multitude of reasons. The fact that Bong Load pulled the pre-order made the decision not to buy it even easier. It eliminated any temptation. But after the 10th Anniversary Edition started shipping and I listened to Sam’s Town more and more, it made me want it. Even more so after seeing the insane prices people were paying for this set. Not that I would flip this, but if I ever decided to sell my entire collection this release would clearly appreciate in value and pay for itself. Basically it made the price point I didn’t like before a bit easier to swallow. And I felt if I didn’t buy it during one of Bong Load’s small batch releases I would regret it.

It took a long time, but we finally got a pressing of Sam’s Town housed in a legit jacket with the original artwork. Two pressings of the picture disc happened and the deluxe 10 year anniversary pressing was also released prior to this album getting the simple, but proper treatment it deserved. By simple I mean a regular jacket of any sort, with the original album art, with the record not being a picture disc. Deluxe editions are not for everyone, and picture discs are for nobody. Or at least they should be. My one complaint about this latest pressing of Sam’s Town, which is the fourth overall, is that it’s a bit overpriced.

Retail price on this re-press was around $25 (before shipping should you be charged for it). Anticipating that this re-pres would be around for a while, I waited for a price drop or good sale to buy it. And it didn’t take long for a great sale to pop up where I was able to buy this for $14 shipped, while earning a good deal of ebay bucks (large order was placed) to apply to a future record purchase.

I mentioned simple up above, but this re-press actually has some nice touches to that weren’t exactly necessary. Which is a nice touch by a major label that is cutting corners so much that they no longer offer download cards/codes with most (if not all) of their new releases. The record is not only housed in a gatefold jacket, it comes with a full color double sided insert as well.  Pressing info was never released for this re-pressing. But considering you can still easily find this and the fact that Island Records opted to release a Killers discography box set for no apparent reason after they just re-pressed all their studio albums, there are likely thousands of these things floating around.