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I kind of really like 7" for all those oddball songs and one offs that don't make it to albums.

Fuck the Melvins, though.
Cunts have a million of em.

They cost too much to make and realistically who is ever going to play a 7"? You put a side on, get 6 minutes at most (unless they push it to 7 minutes on a side then say hello to volume drops) then you have to get up again and switch it to the other side.

I think I'm just angry and bitter.

It's true I don't put them on as often as full lengths, but occasionally I wanna hear Pepper Keenan team up with the Mystick Krewe to cover Skynard, and when I do I'm glad I have it there.

Shit is getting expensive though, I won't argue with you there.

SEVEN INCHES I ROUTINELY LISTEN TO... just defending the format when done right

Johnny Flynn - "Alice's Song" b/w "The Heretic"

This came with the Country Mile LP but I actually just listen to the first side of the 7" more than anything, I just keep going over and drop the needle. I've listened to "Alice's Song" dozens of times in this way! Love it. Nice feel to the accordion playing, like they're in a pub with a fire going and it's a huge snowstorm outside. Really warm winter song.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmbbETPqK0M[/youtube]

Hayzee Fantayzee - "Shiny Shiny" Picture Disc 7"

That is a song that is hard to describe to people who haven't heard it. If you describe it, they think you're making it up. Basically it's a rap about nuclear war by these two kids with absolutely no musical talent whatsoever. It has a square dance fiddle solo. It has lines like, "I'm a hot retard…" It's pretty much indefensible and hideous and I guess that's kind of why I like it. It gives me hope that music from [the '80s] can still totally creep you out. It's a pretty creepy song.
— Rob Sheffield

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCtWkFbW0Us[/youtube]

Arcade Fire - "Cold Wind" b/w "Brazil"

Arcade Fire aren't the first 2000s indie band to cover the standard "Brazil," as Beirut beat them to it, I think. But Beirut were so drunk when they did it that I don't think it counts. I've listened to this 2006 7" way more than any of TAF's albums. Actually, count me in the "Only-Funeral-was-worth-a-damn" crowd.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVUIbN86ZHQ[/youtube]

Texas Is The Reason - Texas Is The Reason EP

I don't even need to justify this one, from the looks of this thread. This is basically a single release for "If It's Here When We Get Back It's Ours" which is one of the most incredible "real emo" songs ever recorded, full stop. It just fucking bumps. That breakdown is better than any metalcore breakdown. So this is another one where I just keep putting the needle on Side A over and over. (Side B is good too.) — TBH? My entire musical life has been an extended endeavour in ripping off this 7"

BUT I WON'T TELL ANYONE...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z81_eYv0WFE[/youtube]

Strange Tales wrote:They cost too much to make and realistically who is ever going to play a 7"? You put a side on, get 6 minutes at most (unless they push it to 7 minutes on a side then say hello to volume drops) then you have to get up again and switch it to the other side.

I think I'm just angry and bitter.

They used to be cheap. Lathes are still really cheap, but they don't sound as good as vinyl proper (obvs). If you treat them like the cool pieces of merch that they are they're rad.

My parents asked for (and received) a copy of the split I did with Resin, for example -- even though they're not in the target audience ('target audience' )

D.o.S. wrote:

Strange Tales wrote:They cost too much to make and realistically who is ever going to play a 7"? You put a side on, get 6 minutes at most (unless they push it to 7 minutes on a side then say hello to volume drops) then you have to get up again and switch it to the other side.

I think I'm just angry and bitter.

They used to be cheap. Lathes are still really cheap, but they don't sound as good as vinyl proper (obvs). If you treat them like the cool pieces of merch that they are they're rad.

My parents asked for (and received) a copy of the split I did with Resin, for example -- even though they're not in the target audience ('target audience' )

I wasn't old enough to do label stuff when they were cheap. A band asked me to do a US 7" for them two years ago and the price I got was like $3-4k, and yea that shit wasn't happening when an LP is like 1k more. I've never fucked with lathes before, but don't you only get those in super limited pressings? I don't know much about lathes. I'm more interested in releasing music in bigger quantities at a good price so people can get it and learn about new stuff than collecting shit, which is a far cry from me 5 years ago that had to have MUH 90s EMO VIYNUHLLLL.

Yeah they're mostly for super limited pressings. Like ours was an edition of like 34(?)
Pause for relevant Harsh Noise Wally strip: but it was like 1/10th of the price you quoted for us to get the record pressed.

If you do find a band that wants to do a 7", I would PM conky (he's mostly a doom roomer). Dude runs a pretty rad label and gave me a lot of good places to investigate for smaller runs that still made 'album people can actually buy' sense.

And if you want a totally fucking novelty format -- flexis.

We I pressed one in 2005ish, it was 600 for 300 I think, not including mastering, recording and covers. Close to 1k when were done. Didn't sell a single one (which is a long story). 300 was the minimum we could find back then and the price was way better at 600+ (but we could have never of sold that).

Damn, that was 10 years ago. Even back then that was a lot to commit...We would of had to have sold all of them at $4 to barely braek even (which was fine...I think we actually planned on selling them for $3). But if we would have gotten out of the mastering and recording (knew people and just done the recording myself like I wanted...I think we got a good deal on the masters and laquer from some dude in a basement that wasn't well known but really good) it would have been a lot easier. Personal/self released are always a loss and I don't see a problem with that...they are more for promotion...merchandising is where a band makes its money (shirts, etc). I mean, there is some margin, but shirts and stuff are going to have a larger margin by far.

Anyway, we aren't talking local bands and stuff, but labels that get better prices and the opportunity to do a longer run with distribution channels (like midhaven, etc). If they get a 12" pressed at $5 total (not unheard of) there is still enough headroom for markup for everyone. AT is averaging 2k sales per release after release (or was 8-9 years ago...probably up since then because the market has swung back up)...so store sells them at 14, gets them at 10ish, and label makes them at 6ish...1-5 profit for everyone...maybe the band gets $1 or something (unless they sell themselves...same with label). (i'm not sure exactuly on the numbers, just remember working with a friends label and it was something like that and it is over-simplified). Of course the profit is better all around making CDs and selling digital files, but vinyl is more fun. The record distro trading cuts this all out and makes it cheaper and more profitable for everyone.

But yea, charging 40 for that Suburban Lawns is really silly in that respect...

7"s are a great format for things like grind and hardcore. I really don't want to listen to 30 minutes of that unless it's something really special. It's probably a holdover from the 90s but there's something really neat about two to four absolutely raging songs that can make a record a real classic. When you're faced with a limited amount of time to work with you can really work on every second of music on that bit of wax being absolutely killer.

That said things like pressing demos to vinyl is absolutely fucking stupid imo.

I dunno this whole thing has me really split. Like, part of me likes the fact that you really have to make your record to stand out now to get people to take notice because there's so much shit around. I don't care about coloured vinyl but cool art on the packaging, putting more effort into the insert than just a fucking page with words on it, shit like that makes a record so much more enjoyable. If you actually put some effort into your art it seems a lot more honest, and I really miss that time when you knew a 7" was going to come with a photocopied booklet full of writing, and a patch, and a shitty sticker, and maybe some more writing from the label, and cool stuff like that.

Those reissues that are just the record in a cheap sleeve and a half page insert (looking at you, Music on Vinyl) can get in the bin though.

I like records and I don't care about having original press stuff really. So I'm happy to pick up things for $30 that would cost me $100 for the original. Especially if I actually had that original and sold it a few years ago.

People that collect like 50 variations of some shitty record still make me laugh though. Cool. You've got all 50 colours of that against me record on no idea. It's still an against me record. The different colours aren't going to make it not suck.

daseb wrote:People that collect like 50 variations of some shitty record still make me laugh though. Cool. You've got all 50 colours of that against me record on no idea. It's still an against me record. The different colours aren't going to make it not suck.

I do have Reinventing Axl Rose on grey swirl vinyl. The label is kinda cute. It's a dude's face and the peg on the turntable becomes his nose. All my other AM! vinyl is just plain black, though... also I can't not bite, Against Me!'s incredible. No derail. Carry on. I just couldn't sleep at night if I didn't defend them LOL

daseb wrote:7"s are a great format for things like grind and hardcore. ... It's probably a holdover from the 90s but there's something really neat about two to four absolutely raging songs that can make a record a real classic. When you're faced with a limited amount of time to work with you can really work on every second of music on that bit of wax being absolutely killer.

+1

The three disc cure reissues they did in 05 or whatever were so awesome. I think they did the same for jAMC and sonic youth

SPACERITUAL wrote:The three disc cure reissues they did in 05 or whatever were so awesome. I think they did the same for jAMC and sonic youth

+1, these were fucking amazing. They did them for U2's early (read: only good) albums, too

False there are no good U2 albums. The bowie reissues with the extra takes and giant booklets and nice digipacks were so great too

D.o.S. wrote:

Achtane wrote:REISSUE, REPACKAGE, REEEEPACKAGE
RE-EVALUATE THE SONNNNGSSSSSssss...
DOUBLE-PACK WITH A PHOTOGRAPH
EXTRA TRACK
AND A TACKY BAAAAADGE

Heyyy you're alive!

Yes. I haven't been on ILF in a while but I still love you bae...
I did almost roll my car off a cliff side road last week, though.

Achtane wrote:

D.o.S. wrote:

Achtane wrote:REISSUE, REPACKAGE, REEEEPACKAGE
RE-EVALUATE THE SONNNNGSSSSSssss...
DOUBLE-PACK WITH A PHOTOGRAPH
EXTRA TRACK
AND A TACKY BAAAAADGE

Heyyy you're alive!

Yes. I haven't been on ILF in a while but I still love you bae...
I did almost roll my car off a cliff side road last week, though.

Holy shit, I'm glad you didn't all the way roll it.