This entire post is probably tainted by my deep, deep bias–and endless love for the Superchunk catalog–but Merge Records has opened a digital store, and has remarkably (for this business) actually given the consumer something they actually want. Besides offering both MP3s and FLAC files, Merge is not only making available their entire discography, but making available rarities for anyone who starts drooling at the prospect of unreleased Lambchop tracks from the Nixon era. (Admittedly, that might just be me.)
First up, the long out-of-print Superchunk disc Clambake Series Volume One, which, if I had a time machine today, I might go back and tell the 2003 version of Dan Gibson not to spend an absurd amount of time trying to track down. Regardless, if this is a sign of what’s to come for my beloved tiny labels of the ’90s (I’m looking at you, Mark Robinson), I’d be thrilled.
Merge Digital Store [mergerecords.com]
WOW Just took a peek over. Not only is the selection amazing, the prices are very reasonable.
LPs at about 9 bucks MP3, Singles and EPs between 3-5 bucks.
I’m probably going to pick me up some digital Polvo later.
Lasmbchop had a solo career separate from Shari Lewis? That’s news!
Seems like as good a reason as any to listen to Eric Bachmann side projects all day. Unemployment, huzzah!!!
@okiedoke: If it were up to me, you’d be banned for that sort of comment, sir.
Merge just needs to be a bit nicer to us club VJs who’d love to give their bands more VISUAL play. They seem to think we don’t exist…. :(
@noamjamski: Or you can just sign up to eMusic and get a lot of this stuff for about 30 cents a track. Sorry, I don’t think $9 for mp3s is reasonable, but different strokes, different folks.
That Mark Robinson MRG100 anniversary-style remix ep was always one of my favorites. Thank you, internet!
Yes, they have The Third Eye Foundation! I can finally complete my collection! Yay, Merge!
@Captain Wrong: ooh rah
I could do with another version of The Gusher live, but excepting “Heavy Metal Trouble Girl” (which is an early take of “I Hate Candy”) and “The Gap in My Education” there isn’t anything here that’s new from the ‘Chop.
But if you are looking for rarities, I have some of (they were supposed to do every show like Pearl Jam, but I never met anyone obsessive enough to confirm this) the tour CD’s the did a couple years back (Pet Sounds Suck, the US and GB versions of Treasure Chest of the Enemy, tho they are just about identical, Mono and Succulence). Since it looks like they never will sell these, I’d be happy to send some files to someone who would really appreciate ‘You Masculine You’ live. There’s a lot of overlap (most of them are around the It’s a Woman tour), but if you don’t have Treasure Chest, you really should. It’s a basically a full, unreleased album (that’s where The Gettysburg Address from Decline came from).
Maura should know my email address if you want.
This is possibly the greatest post ever.
Merge ist rad.
I now wish I was listening to “All Smiles and Mariachi”