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Marah sticks a fork in CD era?
When Marah unleashes its seventh studio album, Life Is A Problem, on June 22, it'll be like the compact disc era never happened.
The band has confirmed that although Life Is A Problem will be available for purchase on iTunes, it will not be available on CD. That might seem strange, until you consider the formats Marah has chosen to use.
-- 180 gram vinyl LP in a gatefold sleeve (with a limited edition pressed on red vinyl, plus free digital download)
-- cassette tape. That is not a typo.
Keyboardist Christine Smith has long been an advocate for cassettes; she once posed for a promo photo in a bathtub where modesty was provided by piles of anachronistic cassette tapes.
"We obviously grew up on cassettes and get real happy just thinking about you and your boys out in the garage playing darts and listening to our new record on cassette," the group said in an email message.
Life Is A Problem has been in the works for some time. Last August, Smith and band mate Dave Bielanko spoke about the making the record and the fallout from the hobbled release of Marah's sixth album, Angels of Destruction. In recent months, the group has given fans a taste of the eclectic-sounding new album by posting a number of songs on their website. The new record will be issued by the group's new indie label, Valley Farm Songs.
"Walmart will not be selling Life is a Problem, neither will Starbucks Coffee Shops… “good”, “who cares?” Walmart is not our place….never was….our place is different, it’s better," said the band in a post on their website.
The band has confirmed that although Life Is A Problem will be available for purchase on iTunes, it will not be available on CD. That might seem strange, until you consider the formats Marah has chosen to use.
-- 180 gram vinyl LP in a gatefold sleeve (with a limited edition pressed on red vinyl, plus free digital download)
-- cassette tape. That is not a typo.
Keyboardist Christine Smith has long been an advocate for cassettes; she once posed for a promo photo in a bathtub where modesty was provided by piles of anachronistic cassette tapes.
"We obviously grew up on cassettes and get real happy just thinking about you and your boys out in the garage playing darts and listening to our new record on cassette," the group said in an email message.
Life Is A Problem has been in the works for some time. Last August, Smith and band mate Dave Bielanko spoke about the making the record and the fallout from the hobbled release of Marah's sixth album, Angels of Destruction. In recent months, the group has given fans a taste of the eclectic-sounding new album by posting a number of songs on their website. The new record will be issued by the group's new indie label, Valley Farm Songs.
"Walmart will not be selling Life is a Problem, neither will Starbucks Coffee Shops… “good”, “who cares?” Walmart is not our place….never was….our place is different, it’s better," said the band in a post on their website.
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Comment by Easy Ed on May 13, 2010 at 10:56am -
I was disappointed to see that they've chosen to ignore those of us who still believe that the wax cylinder offers the best sound quality and value. Maybe next time. I have a petition asking the major record labels to bring back the cylinder, but you have to come over to my house to sign it because I don't believe it would be right to post it on the internet.
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Comment by Paul Cantin on May 13, 2010 at 11:01am -
I'm hooking up the horse and buggy now. See you next month.
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Comment by hyperbolium.com on May 14, 2010 at 11:55am -
No open reel tape? No 8-tracks? No shellac 78s? No DAT? No MiniDisc? No Digital Compact Cassette? No etched aluminum discs? No acetates? No wire recordings?
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Comment by Paul Cantin on May 14, 2010 at 11:57am
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Player piano rolls?
Laser disc?
Two-way wrist radio?
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Comment by Blueskiwi on May 18, 2010 at 3:43am -
still, they got a news post out of it
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Comment by Lwood on May 18, 2010 at 4:02am
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Frankly I'm not a bit familiar with Marah, but being a Vinyl Junkie, I'll plunk down the cash for their LP to SUPPORT their effort, THANKS Marah (he says with a BIG, WIDE, GRIN!)
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Comment by Charlie Silvestri on May 18, 2010 at 4:04am -
Sorry. I'm no hoarder or anything, and I know actually producing a physical product costs, but I like actually owning something tangible. Yes, I'd have the music and all, but part of the deal for me is also finding the thing and then owning the thing along with listening to the thing. Having said all that, I know I'm a dinosaur... So I may be wrong.
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Comment by Paul Cantin on May 18, 2010 at 5:40am
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If you want to own the thing, there is a gatefold vinyl LP and a cassette. If you want to listen to the thing on your iPod, it comes with a free download or you can just buy it from iTunes by itself. Isn't everyone covered, except for the person with a specific affection for CD packaging or a person with neither a turntable or a cassette player or a computer?
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Comment by Grant Peeples on May 18, 2010 at 5:47am -
what about the.....songs?
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Comment by Paul Cantin on May 18, 2010 at 5:53am
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I'm assured they even included a few of those as a bonus.
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