Guns, Razors, Knives, MP3s

Deftones' latest album Diamond Eyes is out today, and I am again faced with the Media Consumer's Conundrum--where do I buy it and what format? For the purposes of this blog, I am considering "consume" and "purchase" to be synonymous. I'm not going to argue here about free downloading because I think I've made it clear that I am, for the most part, against it. That being said, I did download the leaked version of Diamond Eyes weeks ago. I've only downloaded leaked albums a few times in the past (Dillinger Escape Plan's Irony is a Dead Scene, Deftones' self-titled, and tracks that eventually became System of a Down's Steal This Album) because I was curious, impatient, and knew full well that I was going to pay for the album when the true release date arrived. In each case I did, and the same goes for Diamond Eyes.

I believe we all agree that choice is good and gives power to the consumer. It also, as I experienced with Dillinger Escape Plan's Option Paralysis, can confuse the fuck out of us. Here's a quick follow up on that saga... I ended up purchasing a limited edition version of the album at FYE (the physical store), which came with different artwork, a T-shirt and a bonus track. I think I paid $20 plus tax. The bonus track ended up just being an unnecessary remix of "Gold Teeth on a Bum" and the shirt was too big for me (I ended up trading it with a bandmate for an old Every Time I Die shirt that didn't fit him). The special packaging done by former DEP singer Dimitri Minakakis was cool, but in reality I haven't looked at it since I first opened it. There was certainly the instant gratification of popping the CD in my car and blasting it on the first day it came out, but I'm not positive it was all worth it. That's not to take away from the quality of the album, but I think it has pushed me to clamp down on my music spending habits.

Now that we're in May, and there two more new albums by favorite bands of mine--Deftones and Far--I'd like to experiment a little with my routine. Today I downloaded the mp3 version of Diamond Eyes, but it was certainly not without lots of analysis.

Amazon

• Standard CD [explicit] - $9.99
• Standard CD [clean] - $18.98
• Vinyl (unknown track listing) - $21.83
• Import CD (unknown track listing) - $44.98
• Standard Digital [explicit] - $7.99
• Standard Digital [clean] - $7.99
• Deluxe Digital [explicit] (two bonus tracks) - $9.99
• Individual tracks Digital (13 available) - $0.99

iTunes

• Standard Digital [explicit] - $9.99
• Standard Digital [clean] - $9.99
• Deluxe Digital [explicit] (three bonus tracks) - $11.99
  
• Individual tracks Digital (14 available) - $1.29

Hot Topic/Shockhound

• Standard CD [explicit] - $9.99
• Standard Digital [explicit] - $6.99
• Standard Digital [clean] - $6.99
• Deluxe Digital [explicit] (two bonus tracks) - $13.99
  
• Individual tracks Digital (13 available) - $1.29

Newbury Comics

• Standard CD (autographed booklet) - $16.99 (sold out)
• Standard CD - $16.99

FYE (normal price/member price)

• Standard CD [explicit] - $12.99/$11.69
• Standard CD [clean] - $14.99/$13.49
• Standard Vinyl - $22.99/$20.69

There's more to this than just having lots of options. Today is the release date, but when pre-orders were originally taken, only the standard version of the album was available. Quite a few hardcore fans are pissed off because they immediately pre-ordered the album, only to find that extras such as bonus tracks and autographs would later be included. I sympathize with them. There is also the temptation to get Deluxe over Standard for the bonus tracks, one of which  iTunes has exclusively--a cover of Drive Like Jehu's "Caress." There is really nothing super crazy here to throw us off like alternate artwork, or different colored vinyl, free mp3 download cards, or T-shirt bundles, so the major decisions will be made based on format and price.

I've mentioned before that I was an eMusic member for a long time, so digital downloading isn't such an alternate universe for me, but I've employed it for brand new releases. The arguments over bit rate quality is always in the back of my head, but in reality, I don't notice the difference between a CD or an mp3 encoded at 192kbps or 256kbps. I've also never needed to go back to an archived CD to replace a lost mp3, or to re-encode one at a higher bit rate, so that sort of obliterates the physical backup argument. Taking this into consideration and that I rarely go back to look at album artwork that I have saved in a shoebox, I decided to give the digital format a shot this time.

With all bit rates being equal* and DRM-free, I did quick price comparisons and the most cost effective thing would be to download the 11 album tracks from Shockhound, 2 bonus tracks from Amazon, and the final bonus track from iTunes for a grand total of $10.79. Shockhound charges sales tax in NJ, but it still ended up $.50 cheaper than Amazon. I did notice that the Shockhound downloads did not have the associated album artwork, which in this case would just be a thumbnail of the album cover. They also don't appear to have the track order embedded in their name or properties. Amazon downloads don't have either of those problems, so in the future, I may pay them the extra two quarters for their assistance.

I haven't yet picked up the iTunes exclusive track because I'm always bothered by the fact that it's in a format other than mp3. I've downloaded a couple albums and tracks from iTunes in the past, and have just never gone through the hassle of burning, then ripping the tunes to listen to on my non-iPod. I may wait for it to eventually be non-exclusive and find it on Amazon in the future. Speaking of that, I see the Option Paralysis mp3 album download is now only $5 there. Amazing.

So what have we learned today? That I'm willing to spend less to gamble on the digital format with no frills, but I'm willing to spend more for what I'm being told is "bonus" music. I've seen figures that CDs are still the winning media format, so I think I'm in the minority. Am I making out on this deal? Am I being taken advantage of? Is the artist reaping any benefit? Will the rhetorical questions ever end?

* I believe all three albums were available as 256kbps, but I didn't necessarily know that going into it. None of these sites seem to explicitly advertise the bit rate for tracks. They should really list this information in a column next to the track time. Shockhound promises "192kbps minimum" but I gambled and won. I am also not an iTunes expert, but I am assuming that the $1.29 price tag suggests a 256kbps rate.

Virgin Smegmastore III

I really thought today would be the day Virgin would move their CD and DVD discounts to 30% off. 3 has just been the magic number. This is my third trip, and third post. I heard "Poker Face" three times. I saw three homeless guys on the way to Union Square. But no, still at only 20% off.

I did notice one item to add to the 30% off list though that may change everything for you. I don't know if it was there before, or if the price just dropped in the past few days, but STATIONARY is now being sold for 30% off at Virgin. Yes, you heard it here first... Stationary.

The copy of the Richard Branson autobiography Losing My Virginity that I had planned to take a smart-ass picture with has been bought, moved, or stolen. Sorry folks, I gambled and lost. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

There is only one copy of the Rocky Balboa CD left, one copy of The Rocky Story, and four or five copies of Rocky IV. I have decided officially that Rocky Balboa is at the top of my list here, but still not at that price. $15.20 after the discount at Virgin, or $15 at Amazon. I really can't lose here.

I either erroneously reported the price of The Sopranos Box Set the other day or they changed the sticker price. It is currently $400, with 20% off., which actually puts it LESS than the Amazon price of $329 (and then puts it back over after NYC sales tax, but who's counting?). There are quite a few copies of this left that I'm sure will be decimated the minute the discount goes to 30%.

To everyone out there bitching about my scrutinizing of minuscule price breaks that I keep passing over, but continue to pay tunnel tolls just to get to New York City to access those potential deals, blow me. I was coming here anyway. And besides, you complainers don't actually exist. No one is really reading this blog or sending me comments anymore, so I have to play fucking devil's advocate to myself! I'm unbelievable.



Vision Street Wear, indeed.

Virgin Smegmastore Part 2

Update on the Virgin Store Closing Sale--the windows are now plastered with signs suggesting "UP TO 30% OFF." Upon closer inspection of the inventory, very little has changed since I was there 4 days ago. All CDs and DVDs are still only 20% off. Clothing and electronics are 10% off. I will now list the "amazing" items you can purchase for 30% less than the original prices:

• Posters
• Wallets
• Cards

Who knew that they even sold posters, wallets, or cards? Not this guy. And while I do need a new wallet, I'm don't want one with The Misfits, The Ramones, or Pink Floyd plastered all over it. I especially resent the misleading premature rollout of the eleventeen billion 30% OFF signs when only .5% of the store actually reflects that discount, but hey, loopholes is loopholes.

I did come really close to purchasing a Best of Rocky Soundtrack that I hadn't seen before called The Rocky Story: The Original Soundtrack Songs From The Rocky Movies. It was $4 cheaper than the newer Best of Rocky Soundtrack called Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky and had several fewer songs, but still all the ones I'm looking for. Basically, it's the best corny/inspirational songs from Rocky IV and the best of I-III, without the crap from V or Rocky Balboa.

[update - I dig some digging on Amazon and discovered that the "Gonna Fly Now" versions on The Rocky Story are not the original film versions and are instead inferior reproductions by The Rocky Orchestra and not Bill Conti. I wonder if a knowledgeable Virgin employee would have pointed that out to me.]

Both of these CDs are still much cheaper on Amazon, even with the 20% off discount. For that reason, I will not be buying them from Virgin until these discounts genuinely go deeper. I actually considered hiding the discs I wanted in strange places at the store so my Virgin wishlist wouldn't end up getting snatched up by someone less anal than me about pricing. I do believe in fairness though, and decided against the scheme despite the store being packed and the inventory being noticeably chipped away at. From what I've read, the discounts will make a jump to 40%-60% off soon. At that point I'm positive that almost everything will disappear, leaving only the shelves themselves up for grabs. Most of the things I've got on my watch list were still high in supply. There's obviously no accounting for my taste.

Virgin Smegmastore

As everyone has known since 2007 (except me who didn't realize until a couple weeks ago), the US locations of Virgin Megastore were set to close by this year. The Times Square location in NYC met its demise earlier this month. The Union Square location (the one that I most often visit) is said to be shutting its doors in May or June. I stopped in last night to find some Mega Rad Awesome deals!!!!

The only thing I walked out with was a free Village Voice, the free East Coast Rocker, and a list of things I'll consider buying when the discounts are way better than 20% off.

The problem with Virgin to me has always been their shitty prices. As one of the last people on Earth that still actually buys CDs, I am constantly discouraged when scouring their racks. Typically, their discs are priced at $18.99, which is absolute bullshit. Oh, you want the Melvins' noise album? Fuck you, pay me. You're missing Let It Be from your Beatles' collection? Fuck you, pay me. I started shopping exclusively from their cheapo bins that popped up in the past couple years. Cheapo at $10 isn't really cheapo though when most of the stuff in the bins are discs that everyone in the world already had or didn't want. And 20% off of their regular stock is still way too much.

Occasionally, I'll find a deal on a greatest hits package and pick it up from Virgin, but for the most part, the only CDs I buy are used (Ebay or Generation Records) or older catalog items from Amazon. If something brand new is coming out I'll buy it from the artists' websites directly. Maybe I'll end up paying 18.99 anyway after shipping, but chances are, I'm getting a free t-shirts or bonus DVD along with it. Because of the price of CDs, I rarely take a chance on discovering something new. Unless it's in the $1 rack at Tunes in Hoboken, I'm no longer willing to dig. No matter how clever the name of the band is, or how cool the artwork is, or if a friend recommended them, I just can't take part in the romanticized view of the cool record store anymore.

At $18.99, I said Fuck You back and signed up for Emusic instead. $15 a month and I could take chances again. Even if I'm now saddled with some bum mp3s (bump3s?) that I'll rarely listen to, I still have discovered a million awesome bands that I never would have found at Virgin Smegmastore. I certainly never felt ripped off because of prices. I'm at a point now where I've actually put a hold on my Emusic account because I've found too much music and need to take a breather. This isn't an Emusic commercial though. The service isn't perfect. The catalog is nearly 100% independent so whenever I have a taste for something major, I go back to physical CDs. And I'll keep buying CDs as long as I'm getting value for my money. I don't care if I have to take an extra step to rip a disc before jamming it onto my mp3 player. I try to be efficient, but sometimes my cheapness defeats it.

Maybe I'm just being my usual anti-corporate self, but I tend to think that corporate greed is what's killing CDs and Record Stores, not consumers. I don't think I'm demanding much. Why would anyone pay 20% off of a $430 Sopranos Complete Series Box Set at Virgin when it's already only $329 on Amazon? I had no intention of buying that, but it's indicative of most of the "deals" in the store. I'll admit I did find a couple things that I considered purchasing right then and there--Prince's Batman Soundtrack at $7.99 and The Naked Gun at $9.99 (-20% on both)--but ultimately, I don't need either that badly and I'm positive I can find them both cheaper. Here's a sorry looking list I made on my phone of items that I sort of want (feel free to mock my taste), but they won't get crossed off until I see better prices:

Twin peaks viva bam jackass tim eric batman sound who greatest sarabarellis li e pearl jamnirvana unplug serj pee wee ameribeauty rocky Shining

The majority of things there are DVDs because it didn't occur to me to start making a list until I got downstairs. There isn't a ton of music I'm looking for right now, and I didn't have the patience to pore through the CD section knowing that the prices sucked. Nothing on my list is a necessity, so there's no urgency for me to spend my money. It's all there for the taking though, Virgin, if the price is right.

Well I'll be damned...

I accidentally liked a Rolling Stones song. Well, most of it.

On my day off, I decided to attempt Used CD shoppin' at Academy Records again. Being Tuesday morning, and not Sunday afternoon, things went a lot smootherly. Not as many looney tunes in the store this time, so I got to actually explore the racks.

For those keeping score, I picked up (and I'll be hotlinking every one of these because I don't have time for this shit):







I bought The Sopranos soundtrack knowing that I've heard every song on it, but without really knowing which song is which. I could be wrong, but I don't believe they credit any of the music in the credits of the show. For the most part, I like the music on the show, but every once in a while, a particular track fits so amazingly well that I get an HBOner. The "Every Breath You Take/Theme From Peter Gunn" mash-up is one of those moments. Dominic Chianese singing "Core 'ngrato" at the end of Season 3 is fantastic too. Obviously "Don't Stop Believing" in the last scene of the last episode is epic. Tony singing just one line of Buddy Holly's "Maybe Baby" on his way out of Dr. Melfi's is enough to get me going.

One particularly sombre moment is at the end of Season 2. It's a very long, slow montage, with an equally long, slow guitar track playing. Coupled with the gritty and haunting vocal, it puts to a rest a torturous and introspective season. The song gets stuck in my head quite often, but I've never known who it was. I picked up the Peppers and Eggs set today hoping that the song would be on there. At the end of the first disc, I was finally greeted with the track. I looked at the back of the jewel case and... The Rolling Stones? How the fuck could that have gotten past my radar?

I'll tell you how--Keith Richards sings the song. I don't think I'd ever heard him sing before. I'm still a little dumbfounded because it's good. Now I'm no Jagger fan. I'm not even a Rolling Stones fan, but this is good stuff. I even like the other Keith Richards track on the album. Fuck, do I actually like Keith Richards? Most Rolling Stones shtuff is too repetitive for me, but this is nice. Maybe they should do more soundtrack work.

Here is the scene:



Don't Stop Baleetin'