A big week for new album releases from near and far - Kevin Buckle
It was a big day for the release of new albums from Scottish artists yesterday and none was bigger then the new Boards of Canada album Inferno.
Their label Warp Records had requested that shops did not display or play the album until the release date which these days is the opposite of what most labels and artists are looking for but it has added an air of mystery to the release.
Even Thorne Records in Bruntsfield who had agreed to do a playback didn’t start the event until 11pm but I assume had been allowed an hour’s grace. Much as I love the band I also love my sleep and even when these midnight launches were more common Avalanche never took part.
There is a quite limited version of the vinyl as a transparent red double LP in printed inner sleeves all in a triple gatefold outer sleeve and with a sixteen page twelve inch booklet.
As is our way we did not make this version available online after it was announced as we were limited in how many we could have and our policy is always to make sure we have a limited album on sale in the shop on the day of release.
It is not unusual for a shop to sell all their copies of a limited vinyl online in advance of the release date and have none for sale on the actual day of release while some may keep a handful back but will run out very quickly.
Customers were able to order in advance in the shop and collect so were able to secure a copy if they wished. We had a reasonable number so as we had hoped we still had copies left at the end of the first day and they did go online this morning.
We operate the same policy with limited seven inch singles but it is very rare for them not to sell out on the first day in the shop.
Also out yesterday according to our distributor was The Countess of Fife’s new album. There is still much love for Fay Fife who of course many of us remember from her days in the Rezillos but when the album appeared at number five in the Scottish charts a couple of weeks ago I was confused as we had received no stock.
We were assured the album was not out until the 29th May but once I pointed out the chart placing which was based they could only imagine on early label sales we were sent some vinyl and the CD did finally arrive this week.
Two more releases from Scottish bands this week are albums by Mull Historical Society in which Colin MacIntyre invited internationally acclaimed authors to respond to a single, meaningful photograph and has transformed those reflections into song and Wojtek The Bear whose album may have actually come out last week though as yet we just have a CD but no vinyl. It will be no surprise they share a label with Fay Fife!
With big hitters like Paul McCartney, The Smashing Pumpkins. Neil Young, The Who, Suede, Megadeth and Bruce Springsteen all releasing albums this week, albeit mainly reissues, it is the biggest week for new releases for quite a while.