Being the vinyl junkie that I am, I would love to see the features debut album released on vinyl. Colored vinyl would be even better. White or yellow vinyl would be nice. Clear vinyl would be even better.

I voted yes, but only on the condition that it also be released on cd. Getting a good transfer of the Thursday/Rabbit March single to cd was a bitch, and I have no record player, so I'd clearly want a way to hear it.

Will

Red Vinyl is what I'm seeing

I would love to own it on vinyl (my collection is still quite, quite thin....oasis vinyl is so rare here) BUT I would also want it on CD.

Of course the album would be released on cd as well. I'm just talking about a limited edition pressing.

I'm all for that. I would buy it.

Limited edition? With fans as rabid as us that could get messy....

I'm sure there'd be enough to go around for current fans. Next gen fans would be the screwed ones, like everyone who didn't buy The Features EP back in '97 (damned glad I did). Perhaps even one day The Beginning will be a much sought after collectors item...

Bring on Vinyl!

Will

i'm talking aboout a limited edition of like 300-400 copies. that would appease most of the hardcore fans.

I have a copy of Flickersticks' "Welcoming Home The Astronauts" before it's release on Epic records with different cover art. Trust me, purchased as a joke (best 15 dollars I ever spent, the CD is hilarious). I wonder if it's a collector's item?

i bet you could get at least 20 bucks for it on ebay.

I voted no.

Why?

Yes, it would be cool. Yes it would be collector-y. Yes vinyl is really neat, and it's really cool to hold a big record in your hand.

However, the Features should put all their very limited funds into getting the best production of the album in the recording and mixing and mastering and artwork. Then they should focus their funds on producing promo materials to support the album. They should also fund a tour. A video has long been talked about.

Tying up money for a small-scale vinyl release would only hurt the momentum the band should be building with their first full-length LP.

The Thursday single is really really cool and all--but I know it didn't produce the money it needed. Vinyl is expensive to press these days. Yes, Self did it with their last Dreamworks record, but it got wrapped up in production for months and then didn't sell all that well.

The Features aren't rich. Investing their money wisely can make or break them. Yes, we're the die-hard fans who will buy two copies for each one of us (one for listening and one to keep sealed)--but their success is contingent on getting MORE fans.

Yeah you do raise good points.

Okay, who wants to start raising money so we can get the album on vinyl? I'm all for washing some cars in the Brentwood area...

I'll sell some of my thrift store clothes. Anything to further the features career.

I would only buy one. I don't have a record player. I'd but the CD too, though.

Why do I feel like a valueless human being all of a sudden.

A video would be a horrid investment, IMHO. It would never get seen and it wouldn't be as helpful to show record execs as a solid album would. How many bands get signed because of a pre-existing video?

Will

As someone who grew up in Franklin, trust me, you aren't. It shouldn't even be joked about.

Will

wow i'm thoroughly scared now. I guess it's back to giving piercings outside of the Nxt Generation.

(Edited by DigsySlattery at 8:50 pm on Aug. 25, 2002)

I think they should put a few live videos up on the media page so we can download them. that seems more rational and economical than trying to release a full length video. however, if they ever did release a video, then you can bet your sweet fanny that i would buy one.

Oh I'd love videos of any kind, and I'd buy one in a second. But the investment of making a real video would just be stupid. I mean so dumb it makes my head hurt. Videos cost alot of money. The one we made for an on campus band this year was budgeted around $12,000. They could do an EP for that.

Will

Speakning of videos, does anyone know if we'll ever get to see any of the footage that was shot at the may2 boro show/dancin' in the district/ aug22 boro show?

I too have wondered what that was all about.

I doubt if we will see it though. Dunno why.

Will

The video stuff is true--it's not the best place to spend one's money.
However, I know the band has talked about Dark Room, The Beginning, and others as candidates for a video. It has even come up for them to do one this year.

Nice idea for a topic, ray davies. I seem to remember discussing that earlier today? Anyway, I voted yes...of course. Vinyl can make money, since I already own the Thursday/ Rabbit March album. Plus, I would assume that a lot of Features fans have record players. Actually, I know that they do. So ultimately, vinyl would be a very good thing for the Features to offer..not in large quantities (I like ray davies's idea) for the sake of money. But, I know I would fight for it if it came down to it.

A features video this year? i am now officially giddy. as happy as a little girl.

I voted YES, but with the understanding that A RECORD LABEL with BIG $$$ would be paying for the vinyl, not the Features' band fund. Of course vinyl is a waste of money for someone releasing a record. As the record store manager told Matt Pelham, vinyl is dead. Seriously. Except in certain social groups (like ours, perhaps), people don't buy vinyl any more. Joe Consumer doesn't buy it, because he doesn't own a turntable. When a band puts something out on vinyl, they do it for one of three reasons:

a)the powers that be (band or label) like vinyl
b)to gain "cool" points from the indie world
c)as a gesture of gratitude to their hardcore fans (if their hardcore fans fall into one of said social groups who still buy vinyl).

They don't put out vinyl to make any sort of profit. That being said, if there was a label who was already writing a big check anyway, why not have 500 or 1000 records pressed and mailed out to the fan club, or available for sale only through the band's or label's website?

I'm with YDDD on this one. Yes, vinyl is cool, but the economic realities are too harsh. You would have to sell A LOT of vinyl just to cover your costs. The only way this would work would be if the band was on a $10 million recording contract and literally had money to throw away. I don't think a label would ever pay for a vinyl pressing. Instead, they would take it from the band's cut.

I will admit that I know absolutely nothing about the business dealings of the music industry. I once read an article by Steve Albini, who's been in several bands and is a prominent recording engineer, which describes what can happen to a band like The Features. You can read it at http://www.razlerrecords.com/thebiz.htm.

That's a great article. It was required reading for my "Media Contexts" class. At the time I remember being pretty pissed, and the thought of that happening to my beloved Features... TF, you shouldn't have even insinuated such a thing!

Will

That's good food for thought, TF. Thanks for the link.

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 9:41 pm on Aug. 26, 2002)

It's stuff like this that I think of when I think of the Features shopping for a label. It's been stated here before that they'd do better on a large indie label than being a side act on a big label (i.e. SELF). I'd like to think that this whole music nonsense is not about a good band just waiting to get screwed to pave the way for another Brittany Spears, but it seems to be the sad truth.