Seven Ten Twelve

a: Jay Reatard - Florescent Grey (Deerhunter cover)
b: Deerhunter - Oh, It’s Such a Shame (Reatard cover)

So, if you are obsessive as me, you just spent the last 20+ minutes trying to pre-order the fourth single from Matador’s ever decreasing Jay Reatard singles-sweepstakes. The masses were waiting at the gate to grab one of these after the last single sold out almost immediately (and if you pay any attention to eBay, most of them went up for auction), hammering Matadors checkout cart, and generally pissing everyone off in the process. I got one (or so I think - who knows how many orders were processed before me), but this whole process makes me feel dirty. Think Cabbage Patch kids in the 1980’s; think sports cards in the early 1990’s; think Beanie Babies at McDonalds…

UPDATE: This is from Matador:

To Everyone That Ordered Today,
To start off with, we are deeply sorry about how messed up everything got with the Jay Reatard pre-order. There were a number of frustrations and mess-ups along the way that made ordering this record insanely difficult. It initially got put up too early, and those that ordered it early ended up not being able to re-order during the regular time. The first orders were deleted, but their cancellation wasn’t processed in time. Coupled with the slow server speed, a lot of people who signed in very early ended up empty handed.

To make up for this, and make it fair for all of the people that want to order the record we are going to re-start pre-order Tomorrow, 7/15 at 3PM ET. All orders from today are getting cancelled. I know it’s even more annoying to go through all of this again but we will work incredibly hard to ensure that there is more room on the server to accommodate traffic, and make sure that we don’t have any more “FRAUD” notifications for people that already ordered.

Once again, we’re going to do pre-order again Tomorrow, 7/15, at 3PM ET at matadorrecords.com/store

I’m very sorry about this and sincerely hope that we can regain your trust.

So fucking stupid.

Update: Looks like Matador is doing the right thing here:

a: You’re Not The Scientist
b1: Whoaaa!
b2: She Said

Label: Iekk Sounds
Purchase: Boom Chick
Listen: Myspace

Midnight Kicks are three lads from the UK, and they have a high-octane garage-rock sound reminiscent of the good parts in your favourite garage-rock hits. A-Side “You’re Not the Scientist” is a catchy little song, the other two are pretty good. As decent as these songs are, it took me way too long to get past the artwork, this record having the unfortunate distinction of the worst cover art I have seen in 2008.

a1: Dog
a2: Feed the Ghost
b: In the Night

Label: Dull Knife
Buy: From the Label
Listen: Myspace

Sometimes the weirdest key words will trigger me to buy a record. In this case, I read a review that mentioned “David Lynch”, and that was all I needed. I didn’t need to hear a note of this, and I figured I would like it.The Wiggins is John Read, who you might include in the current lo-fi movement that privileges the simplicity of early Rock ‘N Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Surf, and a little hint of country twang (especially in the vocals), recording everything in the red and releasing records like this one that seem effortless. I suppose the drum machine (at times) gives this a Jesus and Mary Chain vibe, but in the end this record is one of the best I have heard in a while, leaving me to track down the other Wiggins releases.

Limited to 300, this one is a must buy.

This just totally made my day, and I can’t think of a better thing to bring SevenTenTwelve back from the grave. The legendary Sub Pop singles club is coming back!! You can sign up now, and the whole series will set you back $75. Sweet.

Here is the fact sheet according to Sub Pop:

Fact 1!
This run of The Sub Pop Singles Club will run for 1 year only, before returning to its secret island vacation spot for eternity (or until we here at Sub Pop feel masochistic enough to take on coordinating this debacle again.)

Fact 2!
This year’s Sub Pop Singles Club will include records (of the 7” variety) with music from such artists as Om, Unnatural Helpers, Tyvek, Black Mountain, Black Lips, Arthur & Yu, Mika Miko, Blues Control, Notwist, plus some stuff we’re not yet at liberty to divulge. And they won’t come out in that particular order, necessarily.

Fact 3!
We will mail you 1 record per month, every month for an entire year beginning on August 15th with a fantastic pair of songs from Om.

Fact 4!
For shipments to North America, you will pay us $75 in exchange for receiving this monthly boon from us. If you live elsewhere, in places outside of North America, we will require $90 from you.

Fact 5!
We will be pressing 1,500 copies of each single and so the number of subscriptions available for sale will be correspondingly limited. When these subscriptions are gone, that’s it!

Fact 6!
In addition to the singles themselves, each subscriber will receive a coupon enabling the download of high-quality MP3s of each record. No need to worry about how you’ll jam that 7” into your disk drive, we’ve got all you technophiliacs with your new-fangled gadgets covered.

Fact 7!
Subscriptions will be limited to 5 per person.

So here’s your chance to join the throngs of assholes selling their collectibles on eBay for ridiculous sums! All you have to do is: SEND US YOUR MONEY!

PLEASE NOTE: The subscription is $90 USD for all customers outside North America. The extra charge will be added in the checkout process.

Things are back on track here - records have been received and listened to, reviews have been written and judgements have been made. Sorry for the delay - I was having too much fun (Endangered Ape played 6 shows in the last three weeks, which is a thing), went to Sled Island (had a beer with Mark Sultan! Went to a BBQ where the members of Wire were sharing the table over! Saw Fucked Up twice!) and generally spent the last month in an altered state. Home for now (West Coast Tour with The Wicked Awesomes and possibly The Ostrich is in the works for August - still need help in Portland and perhaps Tacoma or Seattle).

a1: Always Wanting More
a2: You Mean Nothing to Me

Preorder: Matador
Listen: Myspace

Single number three is available to for pre-order, and this whole “limited edition” story is starting to make more sense. Every subsequent single is pressed in roughly half of the single before it, with the first single (See/Saw) being pressed at 3500 copies, with 400 copies being pressed for the last single. If you think that the first single is almost completely sold out, and the second single already going crazy on ebay… This one is sitting somewhere around 1000 copies, and it should be a quick sell out.

Matador sez:

The 3rd in our Limited Edition Jay Reatard singles series. Entitled “Always Wanting More” and backed with “You Mean Nothing To Me,” the sleeve design, by Lindsay Shutt, comes in a clear plastic sleeve with Dangerhouse-style paper half-insert; the disc is clear one-sided vinyl with both tracks on the a-side and a silkscreen design printed directly onto the b-side.

I would way rather pick up a repress than waste my time on eBay all the time. There are so many records that just need to be repressed to curb the insane prices they are going for on the secondary market - the Eat Skull singles, Sic Alps, Tyvek… anyways, these are going towards the right direction:

Rob’s House Records has a repress of the Deerhunter/Hubcap City 7″, except the Hubcap City plates were lost, so they made this into a one-sided 7″ with the Deerhunter song “Greyscale”. 600 press.

The Hospitals have repressed their self-released “Hairdryer Peace”, which I have already written about and still enjoy quite a bit. This record sold out a day or so after I wrote about it, and it was going crazy on eBay in the meantime. Cop the reissue while supplies last. First 100 orders come with a poster!

a: Winona 7″
b1: Give Yerself Away
b2: Letting Go

Label: Woodist
Buy: Florida’s Dying Distro
Listen: Myspace

71012 is back with this tasty gem from Pink Reason’s second single in 2008. A-side is a song called “Winona”, which is apparently the very first Pink Reason recording, of which The Woodist website has the story behind this song:

“During a show with hardcore punks Hatefuck, DeBroux and company traveled to Winona, Minnesota. After a five-hour drive to the town, wasted locals, angry punks and gnarled three-legged dogs greeted them by leading them into a commandeered park. Inside the park, DeBroux found “the ultimate punk rock experience” with townies huffing rubber glue and mohawk-brandishing kids starting fights with crusties. The show ended and the locals gave the band three dollars for their troubles. A few kids asked DeBroux and company to chip in the three dollars on a keg. Soon, the crowd dispersed and left the band with no money or place to stay. The band wound up sleeping on an island between Minnesota and Wisconsin and breaking up soon thereafter. He wrote the first Pink Reason song, “Winona,” about this experience.”

The b-sides are on a similar vein; “Give Yerself Away”, a dark and dreary number that features a keyboard riff that makes it sound like “I Wanna Be Your Dog” on barbiturates, and “Letting Go”, the final straw that will convince you to plunge and end it all. Damn, this little single is de-pressing as hell, aka business as usual.

You know the drill. Hozac does super cool limited-to-150 “gold” editions for their releases. My favourites thus far were the White Savage gold edition that came in a white-fur sleeve, or the Bold Ones magnetic cover from the last batch. I am crazy busy still, so I am just going to post the pre-order email that just came 5 minutes ago:

HZR-015  LOVER! - No More Reasons b/w All Alone 7″
Rich Crook has already blazed a frightfully righteous pop pathway through the better part of 2007 with two stellar LPs and two great singles showcasing the hidden songwriting talents he always kept to himself while occupying the drumstool for such notable bands as The Reatards, Lost Sounds, and Viva L’American Death Ray, so once his songs reached the surface in his project with Jack Oblivian, The Knaughty Knights, it was apparent that Crook needed his own rocking vehicle to spread his undeniable pop sense to the outer limits of the rock’n roll underworld. HoZac Records is proud to present his first domestic vinyl release with a two-song 7″ of back to back brilliance for your listening pleasure. First 150 Gold editions come wrapped in an alternate bubblegum sleeve!

HZR-016  CATATONIC YOUTH - Piss Scene 7″ EP
The once mysterious, always refreshing blast of Catatonic Youth has finally culminated in their debut 7″ EP, cranking out three static-charged tracks of simply sadistic and savagely seductive songs of utter despair and confusion in the most pleasant packaging you’ve seen in months. Each numbered edition (both Gold and Black) comes with a foldout poster and photo insert, and hand-stamped labels to round out the sickness that is the Catatonic Youth experience. This is the first of many great releases to come from this wonderfully unsettling Northwest enigma, and we’re proud to present their first EP right here, for your salacious consumption. First 150 Gold editions on clear vinyl with alternate sleeve & poster.

HZR-017  SMITH WESTERNS - Irukandji 7″ EP
Chicago’s teenage sensations, Smith Westerns’ debut 7″ EP is here to wash away your doubts as to what the next wave of kids will bring to the table in terms of raw rock’n roll, and the instantly classic three songs contained herein are creatively blasted through sickening waves of distortion that prove they aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but just plain have fun and revel in their teenage fervor while it lasts. With the dyanamic slop aesthetic of primo early Red Cross sewn unofficially at their base, these kids bowl over their elders with unassuming ease and make their first appearance on vinyl one to remember for years to come. First 150 Gold editions come in an alternate metallic gold sleeve design.

all ordering information is listed below so please get your copies right away if you “need” the gold edition.
(NOTE: *need = plasma, oxygen  *want = records, fancy sunglasses)

Ordering Info:

Sorry, but we have to limit the Gold Editions to ONE copy PER release title, PER order. Please don’t beg! If you order more than one copy per record, you will get one Gold edition (if still available) and one Black Edition, or possibly even TWO black editions if the Gold are sold out. That’s just the way this shit works folks. Lucky for you, we don’t release dogshit, so it shouldn’t be a problem. You can always trade these things, ya know…

Canada and Euro orders ship airmail.
All prices are postage paid. We are offering a special low price for one of each single which is obviously the best deal.

PLEASE INCLUDE WHICH RECORDS YOU’D LIKE IN YOUR comment field.

PAYPAL account is : todd (at) horizontalaction.com

USA
one 7″ - $6.50 ppd
two 7″ - $11.75 ppd
three 7″ - $16.50 ppd
four 7″ - $21.25 ppd
five 7″ - $26.00 ppd
six 7″ - $30.75 ppd

CANADA/MEX/South America
one 7″ - $6.95 ppd
two 7″ - $13.25 ppd
three 7″ - $18.25ppd
four 7″ - $23.00 ppd
five 7″ - $27.75 ppd
six 7″ - $31.75 ppd

EUROPE/rest of WORLD
one 7″ - $9.95 ppd
two 7″ - $16.95 ppd
three 7″ - $21.95 ppd
four 7″ - $26.95 ppd
five 7″ - $31.95 ppd
six 7″ - $36.50 ppd

Hey! Don’t miss this one from the Electric Bunnies, one of my favourite bands around right now. Been looking forward to this single from Columbus Discount Recordings for months now.  How sweet is that sleeve?  Go listen to “Fantastic Metal Eye” if you need a push. First 100 across the line get a blue record instead of a black one.

Due to travel, Phd Candidacy exam, and getting Endangered Ape ready for the slew of shows we have coming up, SevenTenTwelve is going to be taking a brief hiatus, until June 10, 2008. I may still post sporadically in the interim (mostly pre-order news). I have run down my supply of records to talk about, so this will give me a chance to accumulate more (labels: don’t hesitate to send me records!).

Saw Devon Williams and Destroyer last night, and it was great. Devon put on a fantastic show, and I have been listening to the new full length Carefree all day (vinyl out on Olfactory Records). I’ll write more about it later, but for now I will say that it is fucking good. Destroyer made quite the racket, playing almost exclusively songs from This Night and Trouble in Dreams. All in all, I am fine with that - Destroyer really brought the rock.