[Music] One for the musos - record subscriptions.

[Herr Tubthumper]

Does anyone have a subscription with a label or shop? What’s out there?

I have had one with Rounder, and Rough Trade before they revamped their system which prevented foreign addresses being entered. I’m very tempted to sign up to this new Sacred Bones Record Label Club, which prompted me to see if anyone else does this.

 

[Titanic]

Records are so last year... we have moved on to CDs now.

 

[Mellotron]

Educate me on these subscriptions, HT. As I would've thought someone who lets someone else decide their music for them was almost the opposite of a muso.....?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Educate me on these subscriptions, HT. As I would've thought someone who lets someone else decide their music for them was almost the opposite of a muso.....?

Rounder, did, and Rough Trade do, have a monthly record club. The deal is you pay them monthly and they send you an album of their choice plus other bits and bobs and with Rough Trade a monthly mag. With Rounder you got listening notes and “like this, also buy this” tips.

I see what you’re getting at but I trust both Rough Trade and Rounder and it got me into some music, and genres, I otherwise would not have heard. My interest in math rock came from getting sent the first Foals album from Rounder. Likewise my devotion to Kompakt Records stems from a Gui Borrato album I was sent; I could happily spend the rest of my life just being force-fed music from this label and of their choice.

The Sacred Bones subscription is same thing but from a label.

 

[adub68]

I subscribe to the Third Man Records quarterly vault vinyl releases - you prepay a quarter in advance. If a fan of anything involving Jack White then a decent subscription. Also a decent secondary market on those releases you don't like.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I subscribe to the Third Man Records quarterly vault vinyl releases - you prepay a quarter in advance. If a fan of anything involving Jack White then a decent subscription. Also a decent secondary market on those releases you don't like.

Sounds good. What sort of releases do you get? Do you get any other goodies (surely a tote bag?)

 

[adub68]

Sounds good. What sort of releases do you get? Do you get any other goodies (surely a tote bag?)

Tend to get limited edition pressings of either live recordings or new releases from jack white, white stripes, dead weather, racontours etc. There are always extra's from works by new artists on the label to art work, posters, photo books,pin badges etc and they always come in a well organised printed box set set-up. Oddly no tote bags!

 

[studio150]

Never seen the point of a subscription service, as I have never found any difficulty in finding new music/artists. I would assume that like many on here, John Peel would have been a must listen. Likewise given the recent thread OGWT introduced new artists to a wider audience. I also found watching the support acts at gigs to be rewarding rather than staying in the bar.

Now just clicking on random youtube clips that pop up when you are looking at something familiar can be rewarding, and I can easily pass an evening away just doing that. Also having something like the bandcamp app which as well as giving an opportunity to purchase music, allows you to discover loads of artists you probably wouldn't have heard of across many different music genres.

Having said all that I'm currently listening to a Paul Weller B side and rarities box set.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

Don't see the point when there are other ways that involve not paying anything. Record shops, much as I love them, want to sell stuff and will like everything (Resident are pretty happy clappy at any old tat that is released) and won't offer much in the way of constructive criticism. Far easier to be on a mailing list in order to receive info on what has been released that week (I get four from Resident, Normans, Bleep and Boomkat) then head off to you tube or spotify to listen to anything that takes my fancy.

I suggest you look at what record labels you like and subscribe to them on Soundcloud, Bandcamp and You Tube so that they will appear in your feed/stream or in Bandcamp's case you'll get a notification via email. Listen to any radio shows or mixes you can find on either Soundcloud or Mixcloud or even, if you're feeling a bit 20th century, the radio.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Don't see the point when there are other ways that involve not paying anything. Record shops, much as I love them, want to sell stuff and will like everything (Resident are pretty happy clappy at any old tat that is released) and won't offer much in the way of constructive criticism. Far easier to be on a mailing list in order to receive info on what has been released that week (I get four from Resident, Normans, Bleep and Boomkat) then head off to you tube or spotify to listen to anything that takes my fancy.

I suggest you look at what record labels you like and subscribe to them on Soundcloud, Bandcamp and You Tube so that they will appear in your feed/stream or in Bandcamp's case you'll get a notification via email. Listen to any radio shows or mixes you can find on either Soundcloud or Mixcloud or even, if you're feeling a bit 20th century, the radio.

I kind of agree and do this already. But equally I’m happy to go that further step and have labels I trust send records, and limited and other interesting stuff you cannot get through usual channels, to me as well as emails. As it happens I’ve just subscribed to Sacred Bones for a year.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Tend to get limited edition pressings of either live recordings or new releases from jack white, white stripes, dead weather, racontours etc. There are always extra's from works by new artists on the label to art work, posters, photo books,pin badges etc and they always come in a well organised printed box set set-up. Oddly no tote bags!

Sounds good. One of the elements of the Sacred Bones subscription I really like is each artist sends a mixtape they’ve made, it’s going to be really interesting to see what some of their roster want me to listen to.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

So, first Sacred Bones delivery arrived yesterday in the form of the new Zola Jesus long player on vinyl with a hand painted sleeve. I also got a mix tape from ZOLA, literally a cassette tape, some other remixes, a Sacred Bones Record Society tee and the obligatory tote. Happy. I’ll wet my pants if one of the future monthly deliveries is from Follakzoid.

 

[studio150]

Seems that Amazon in America are testing a vinyl subscription service, albeit for 60s and 70s music

https://www.nme.com/news/music/amazon-launches-golden-era-vinyl-subscription-service-2982193

Will be interesting to see if launched in the UK in the future.

 

[Nitram]

Not a subscription but I have signed up for emails from Resident Records, Brighton which gives me details of pre- releases.

 

[Bry Nylon]

My interest in math rock came from getting sent the first Foals album from Rounder.

I got sent that Foals album too and sung along to it so much I got a sore throat. I was afraid it might be laryngitis but turns out I was just a little hoarse.

 

[Swansman]

I got sent that Foals album too and sung along to it so much I got a sore throat. I was afraid it might be laryngitis but turns out I was just a little hoarse.

I read "horse" at first and thought it made perfect sense, but now I'm just confused and a little bit angry. The wordplay was so good that it came back and turned bad again. Its too bad.

 

[Goldstone1976]

I got sent that Foals album too and sung along to it so much I got a sore throat. I was afraid it might be laryngitis but turns out I was just a little hoarse.

Odd. I got it too and thought it was pony.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I got sent that Foals album too and sung along to it so much I got a sore throat. I was afraid it might be laryngitis but turns out I was just a little hoarse.

Odd. I got it too and thought it was pony.

Can you two rein it in please?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I got sent that Foals album too and sung along to it so much I got a sore throat. I was afraid it might be laryngitis but turns out I was just a little hoarse.

When it comes to Indie rock I much prefer The Colt.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I got sent that Foals album too and sung along to it so much I got a sore throat. I was afraid it might be laryngitis but turns out I was just a little hoarse.

Maybe try singing along to Gee Gee Top next time?