Thoughts
Ahh the Preoder… Now I have never been a fan of the preorder. However I understand their purpose and they have been a nice way for artists to get ahead a bit on their release and recoup some money that they have tied up in the physical product. They also make a lot of sense from the artist/label perspective when you are ordering t-shirts to other cool preorder items as you can make sure you order the correct amount and aren’t stuck with extra sizes or product.
Now it seems like preorders are used to fund the project more like a kickstarter campaign. Sell the records out then place the manufacturing order. Of courses this model only works if you have a fan base that will snap up the copies as soon as they go on sale. This is a winning formula for the artist but not so much for the fan.
I like the Bandcamp model for this as it is a nice risk way free for and artist to fund and press a record. I have one good result so far in purchasing one of these for Wordburglar’s Escape From Cobra Island currently I have another Wordburglar one on order. This is a great model if you have a fan base that can back the project in the 30 day time frame to ensure it is produced.
The longest preorder I have ever had is the Ceschi trilogy for Sad, Fat Luck Vinyl / Sans Soleil 12-inch picture disc / Bring Us The Head of Francisco False 12-inch picture disc. I preordered this January 18, 2019. I am still waiting for the Bring Us The Head of Francisco False record. To be fair Covid has really put a delay in it being finished and manufactured. To be honest at this point I have charged it to the game and if it materializes then bonus. This is the worst case scenario from both the consumer and label perspective. It is nightmare for the label with people moving and having to confirm addresses. A constant barrage of people sending inquiries as to when the record will ship etc.
Lead time from manufacturers are brutal these days. Leaving it very difficult for artists to put out thousands of dollars in manufacturing costs with no opportunity to recoup for up to a year in some instances. The preorder helps to alleviate this stress and financial pressure.
The preorder has another side affect where it works in extending the life of a release with a second bump in attention when the record comes in and start to ship. It is a nice bump in social media. So an unattended but positive result.
Preorder are what they are. They have pros and cons for all involved. The only thing that could alleviate the pain of them is decreased manufacturing lead times. My biggest gripe with them is they are hard to keep track of when you have multiple ones on the go with all the other orders. I usually keep a list with things I am waiting on with dates and eta’s.
Make sure you check out the homie sign one’s new beat tape up at Audio Recon Bandcamp. sign has a few amazing releases coming in the next few months that you will not want to miss. Pip Skid is the best and he dropped two incredible new singles today Brain Fog and What Are You Working On? His album A Really Noce Day dropping June 17 on Peanuts & Corn Records is easily one of my most anticipated of 2022. I hope it gets a physical release and if it is cd only I hope it is a jewel case like the mcenroe’s Brandon release and not the slim line plastic sleeve ones the label has done as of late. on I saw Epic today and we went record shopping and it was awesome. I grabbed the B.U.M.S’- Lyfe N Tyme on double LP. I have never seen this record before (I have the Tape and CD) and I have wanted since it was released in 1995. Amazing day!
Record 1
Timbuktu - It’s Alright In The Daylight
This is classic Timbuktu in every sense of the word. The self produced track Daylight is the first track that caught me and was an instant radio spin. Some grown up raps with a classic Slick Rick vocal sample scratched on the hook is a recipe for success. High School Stupid is a whimsical track about doing fun but dumb shit which everyone can relate to and is the best. The album is great front to back like all Swamp Thing, Toolshed or Timbuktu solo joints. Cop the vinyl (one left) from Urbnet bandcamp.
Record 2
Mickey O’Brien - Shift Change
This is Mickey’s best album to date. I love that he connected with his working class roots and made real music about the working class struggle. Cap Lamp is a certified labour banger. The track is an anthem about mining and organized labour. It has some well placed samples of union rallies to drive the message home. The authenticity of the track is what hooked me and I like that it is a slow pretty vibe with some serious heavy lyrics which is one of the best combos in rap music. Bill Wilson is another standout track about mental health and addiction is another standout track. Shout out to the homie Thomas Quinlan for the CD advance. Make sure you cop the cd and/or vinyl from Handsolo Records.
Top 5
Factor Chandeir - Time Invested II
Paten Locke - Americancer
Billy Woods - Aethiopes
Serengeti - Kaleidescope III
sign one - signal to noise 5
Classic Material
Run Dmc - Tougher the leather
Not much needs to be said about this release. It has certified itself in the annals of hip hop history. I first heard this album during the breakdancing craze of the1980’s. Obviously this was on the heals of that craze. My friends older brother (shout out to Wordbuglar) who lived on the same street as me was into breakdancing and rocked this album. It was the first time I heard the album and was instantly in love with it. Run’s House, Mary, Mary, Tougher Then Leather, They Call Us Run DMC with all the samples, dj cuts, drums and hooks were mesmerizing. This was the first Run DMC album That I heard. I was 10 years old. I also loved the cover and the fact they were larger then life and in mainstream media so you could actually hear them once and while and read about them in magazines etc. Then were even on Sesame Street and had those iconic Adidas sweatshirts that I always wanted. I when I was a teenager i finally got a pair of shell toes.
Well as you figured there is a personal story coming. It was the summer of 1997 I believe maybe or 1996 maybe but I do know it was Canada Day and they were playing in Calgary. I was like I need to go. So My homie Chuck Luggage had a car and he invited some of his skate homies who I didn’t know at the time. We jumped in his 80’s honda accord and hit the road. It was a fairly typical drive to calgary except that the homie Dan Watson had a snapple. He smaked the bottom of it to mix it up and when he open it the bottom of the glass bottle fell off in a perfect circle spilling a full snapple drink all in his lap. He had some new skate magazines on his lap and they were quickly turfed out the window of the whip. The worst of it was he only brought the one pair of jeans as we were going home the next day. It still blows my mind that the bottle broke in a perfect circle. Anyways we made our way to Calgary checked into the hotel and relaxed for a bit while Watson sorted out his jeans.
We went to the show it was a Rave i think at aiwin sheet ice hockey rink. I didn’t care because it was Run DMC and I was seeing them rap live. I had not seen much live rap to this point and never a show with this calibre of performer. The show was amazing the did every hit you could imagine and then some as well they were dipped in the classic track suits, hats, glasss, shell toes etc, It was perfect. My homie Innate also drove down from Calgary for the show and we were on a mission to get some records by Run DMC somehow someway. After the show ended we set out on that mission. it became clear that they were not coming out to see the crowd and we were not going to be able to get back stage. We started looking for an alternate way and we broke into the adjacent ice rink and ran the length to the rink to the back of the exit and left the rink. There was a limo in the back and we say Jam Master Jay talking with a group of women. No Run or DMC to be seen. We walked around a bit and noticed that Run and DMC were inside the limo and the back door was open. We ventured that way with records and sharpies in hand and to see if we could get them signed. It was super intimidating but we didn’t know any better and we were on a mission. We approached the limo and were stopped by a security guard however Run motioned to him to allow us to proceed. Run acknowledged is and we asked if they could sign our records and he said for-sure. He signed Tougher Then Leather for me then gave it to DMC to sign. Innate stood by the door and passed him a couple records to sign and the talked about a car on one of the covers for a bit and told a quick story about about buying it. I was super star struck. After a few minutes and not to wear out our welcome we left the limo and thanked them for the show and autographs. Now we just needed Jam Master Jay to sign and we would be set. He was still talking thew the group of women and we didn’t want to interrupt. It was clear that Run and DMC were becoming impatient with Jam Master Jay and wanted to go. The window was closing and it seemed like we were not going to get the signature. Jam Master Jay finished up talking and walked to wards the limo he walked right by us and without responding to our request to sign the record. Right then Run yelled at him “Jay sign the kids records”, he turned around signed our records didn’t say anything and hoped in the limo. Misson complete. It was an Unreal experience to say the least.
Closing Ramblings
I host two weekly radio shows Third Verse on CFCR 90.5 fm in Saskatoon Saskatchewan every Wednesday 9 -10:30pm CST and You Know The Rules on UMFM 101.5 in Winnipeg Manitoba every Sunday Night 10-11pm They are pretty great and you should check em out.
Also I have some cool shirts, poster and hats in the Ugsmag Shop if you want that fly shit.
**legal disclaimer all records and songs were run through the RAP NEST 5000 SUPER ANALYTIC COMPTROLLER MACHINE that is certified by the I.A.A.R.R.A (International Association of Analytical Rap Recordings Analysis) in layman’s terms, it means the machine is never wrong.
Catch you next week with more thoughts from the rap nest.
Peace
-chaps