Buy Early Get Now now available for online ordering [Archive]

Patrick

04-27-2009, 11:20 AM

http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/2009/04/27/sonic-youth-buy-early-get-now-now-available-for-online-ordering/

direct links to the preorder:

http://www.matadorrecords.com/store/index.php?catalog_id=365

or

http://www.insound.com/search/searchmain.jsp?query=sonic+youth+the+eternal

stevethehouse

04-27-2009, 05:35 PM

$35? No thanks.

If you're going to make people pay for the "bonus" LP at least give people the option of pre-ordering without it.

tinobeat

04-27-2009, 05:39 PM

haha, the complain-o-bot strikes again!

But you're right, the nerve of them to charge money for a record. How dare they not give us shit for free?!

Dave

04-27-2009, 05:57 PM

$35? No thanks.

If you're going to make people pay for the "bonus" LP at least give people the option of pre-ordering without it.

Steve
If you feel the need to pre-order the record non-BEGN style that option will exist a bit closer to the release date.

stevethehouse

04-27-2009, 06:08 PM

haha, the complain-o-bot strikes again!

But you're right, the nerve of them to charge money for a record. How dare they not give us shit for free?!

Where did I say they needed to give it to us for free? It just strikes a curiosity when the extra goodies (that used to be at no extra charge) are suddenly built in to the price. I'm not going to fault Matador for trying to make an extra buck, but my issue is not everyone has $35 to drop on a new record that they haven't heard yet.

Dave has now informed me that there will be a pre-order minus the LP at a later date, but I think it would be nice of them to make that information available to all.

tinobeat

04-27-2009, 06:27 PM

I don't think it was a secret that the LP will be available to purchase in normal, non-embellished form, once it actually, you know, got released.

As far as people not being ready to drop $35 on a record they haven't heard yet, well, those people won't. People drop $20 on records they haven't heard yet all the time when they preorder from Matador, and in this case its just dropping $20 and $15 (or however you feel like breaking it down) on two different albums (one that happens to be part of a preorder special) they haven't heard yet.

Its just really not that weird.

Dave

04-27-2009, 06:55 PM

Where did I say they needed to give it to us for free? It just strikes a curiosity when the extra goodies (that used to be at no extra charge) are suddenly built in to the price. I'm not going to fault Matador for trying to make an extra buck, but my issue is not everyone has $35 to drop on a new record that they haven't heard yet.

Dave has now informed me that there will be a pre-order minus the LP at a later date, but I think it would be nice of them to make that information available to all.

Steve
Sorry, maybe my post wasn't clear enough, but to clarify the extra stuff that comes with BEGN is only available to BEGN customers. If we run out of the Live LPs far enough in advance of street date there will most likely be the option of a cheaper BEGN that would include all of the digital bonus stuff but not the Live LP. If we don't run out of the Live LP or it is close enough to the street date that there isn't time to do it then that will not happen.

We will have a also have a pre-order for the regular LP and CD up at some point

Patrick

04-27-2009, 07:07 PM

Steve, you don't just get the bonus LP for your buckage -

there's also

- exclusive poster
- unreleased MP3s
- early access to tickets

threelobed

04-28-2009, 10:20 AM

who should i contact it if appears that the only BEGN code i have is for the pavement series and not the SY (although i ordered the SY yesterday)? thanks!

Benjamin

04-28-2009, 10:32 AM

Matador folks, I am totally buying what your selling on this whole deal. Thanks, I am excited.

One issue: I'm logging into the BEGN website with my email and password that I got on my email from you all yesterday and it's saying my password is invalid. I'm capable of doing stupid things, but I think I'm getting both my email address and the password correct. Do I just need to wait for something to happen or do I need to contact someone to double-check the username & password I am using?

stevethehouse

04-28-2009, 10:46 AM

Thanks for clearing that up guys. In the future it might be worth considering multiple packages for BEGE. Maybe a "basic" package where you get access to the early stream + bonus MP3s and a "premium" package where you get all of that plus tangible stuff like a bonus LP, poster, early access to tickets, etc.

I know everyone has different budgets for music, but $30 is personally where I draw the line (unless it's for The Fall ;))

Patrick

04-28-2009, 10:52 AM

Benjamin and threelobed, Dean will help you out shortly. (Or speed things up by emailing him at dean@matadordirect.com. Clarify in your emails by identifying yourself as Benjamin and threelobed from the MBB.)

Steve, we considered having a tiered program... but we wanted to avoid the complexity of the New Pornographers BEGN (which had a standard edition and an "executive edition"), which was widely criticized as confusing.

Patrick

04-28-2009, 12:27 PM

Anyone who hasn't received their code -

1. Did you order directly from Matador, or from a third-party source like Insound?

2. If from Matador, did you use a credit card directly, or did you pay via PayPal? We've been having a bit of a bug with the lattter - will be resolved very shortly for future charges, but the email with codes didn't go out automatically for the initial batch of PayPal orders. We're sending those out manually now.

For those of you in the second group, you should be receiving your codes in the next 15 minutes. If you don't, please email Dean Bein: dean@matadordirect.com

Thanks for your patience -

Fiona

04-28-2009, 01:49 PM

In relation to the pricing: I ordered mine from the UK this time around. At c. €36 including postage I did have to think it over before making the decision to do BEGN. In the end having compared it from a cost perspective to some other irregular-type releases I've purchased I went ahead, but it wasn't as much of a no-brainer as other BEGNs have been.

Going a bit off-topic, as much as I love Pavement - they've been my favourite or close to favourite band for 16/17 years - I'm going to find it very hard to sign up to paying in and around $75 for the deluxe vinyl reissues, never mind the fact I already have two copies of most of the albums.

Back on topic, I'm listening to the stream of The Eternal now and so far so very good.

stevethehouse

04-28-2009, 02:10 PM

I wonder if they're thinking about releasing all of the deluxe sets at once or if they are going to move in backwards chronological order.

I can't help but think that the highest demand would be for the Slanted re-issue seeing as how just about every damn track on that re-issue is essential listening. That's really the only set I can see myself forking out the dough for.

threelobed

04-28-2009, 02:20 PM

Patrick

04-28-2009, 08:29 PM

Hi threelobed - and you still haven't gotten your code?

Patrick

04-28-2009, 08:34 PM

threelobed - Dean just cc'd me on the email he sent you at your gmail address - it contains your code - please email me or Dean if for some reason you haven't received it

patrick@matadorrecords.com
dean@matadordirect.com

thanks
Patrick

threelobed

04-28-2009, 08:46 PM

i'm all set - when dean tweaked my prior BEGN to allow SY as well all was well. thanks!

Fiona

04-28-2009, 08:59 PM

Got to say I was impressed at how smoothly this worked - the retailer from which I purchased sent me a new code so I was fully expecting to have SY BEGN on its own on the new code with all the others I'd signed up for on my existing. Logged in with the code I got way back on BEGN #2 and used up to BTC, entered the SY code as a one-off and voilà, all in one place. Nice.

Funk

04-29-2009, 07:36 AM

As far as people not being ready to drop $35 on a record they haven't heard yet, well, those people won't. People drop $20 on records they haven't heard yet all the time when they preorder from Matador, and in this case its just dropping $20 and $15 (or however you feel like breaking it down) on two different albums (one that happens to be part of a preorder special) they haven't heard yet.

Its just really not that weird.

Scratch listed this thing over the weekend at $60 Canadian. Try justifying paying that, Mr. Sunshine.

(The exchange rate at the moment I typed this is $60 Canuck = $49.7868 USD)

tinobeat

04-29-2009, 09:47 AM

Scratch listed this thing over the weekend at $60 Canadian. Try justifying paying that, Mr. Sunshine.

(The exchange rate at the moment I typed this is $60 Canuck = $49.7868 USD)

Isn't everything American too expensive for you canucks, though? All I'm saying is that $35 for a 2LP set and another LP isn't ridiculous. I have no interest in exchange rates and import fees or Scratch being greedy or whatever may have led to that markup.

amazonida

05-02-2009, 04:50 PM

trying to pre-order.. see no shipping options before checkout. any help?

Patrick

05-02-2009, 11:36 PM

Hmm strange? I'll get Dean to the thread.

stevethehouse

05-12-2009, 02:25 PM

We're happy to release the first exclusive MP3 from Sonic Youth's Buy Early Get Now. This track is from the Battery Park live LP that comes with Buy Early Get Now. It's a ripper and a shredder and is available below in 320k mp3 or lossless FLAC format. Thanks to River and River for recording it. Enjoy!

This makes me so glad I didn't fork over that dough. It's no wonder that they never tell you what the "exclusive" cuts are when announcing the BEGE promotion.

bcc-goo

05-12-2009, 02:40 PM

Any chance we might get the two SY tracks from the Record Store Day singles as part of the BEGN? I know it goes partly against the spirit of thing, but then so does the insane prices those singles are going for on eBay. I would have happily bought one of each if they hadn't sold out soooo fast... I remember that you gave in sagely over the Stephen Malkmus RSD 2008 10" tracks...

Dave

05-12-2009, 02:44 PM

This makes me so glad I didn't fork over that dough. It's no wonder that they never tell you what the "exclusive" cuts are when announcing the BEGE promotion.

Steve I just don't get you. Why always so negative? Anyway, there is still more to come and I truly think that this is a great promotion.

threelobed

05-12-2009, 03:13 PM

Steve I just don't get you. Why always so negative? Anyway, there is still more to come and I truly think that this is a great promotion.

yeah - the LP alone is worthwhile to me, let alone the rest.

Paul Thek

05-12-2009, 07:55 PM

So, I noticed when I logged in to the SY BEGN site on 4/28 that there were inactive Download links for both Sacred Trickster and the Eternal Montage...

Are those going to reappear as actual links?

Personally, I would like an mp3 copy of the montage.

Also, the Silver Rocket mp3 is, indeed, a ripper and a shredder. Really enjoying it!

R.Wilder

05-18-2009, 06:34 PM

This makes me so glad I didn't fork over that dough. It's no wonder that they never tell you what the "exclusive" cuts are when announcing the BEGE promotion.

THE HOUSE! You coming to Heedfest, baby?

stevethehouse

05-19-2009, 01:47 PM

THE HOUSE! You coming to Heedfest, baby?

You mean that weekend where middle aged men vicariously live their rock & roll dreams through a drunken has-been? Where do I sign up?

R.Wilder

05-19-2009, 03:39 PM

You mean that weekend where middle aged men vicariously live their rock & roll dreams through a drunken has-been? Where do I sign up?

http://www.ragebox.com/dts Come back to the five and dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.

threelobed

06-02-2009, 09:39 PM

this catholic block demo slays.

Fiona

06-03-2009, 05:08 PM

this catholic block demo slays.

The download dialog box just wouldn't appear when I clicked on the link - now it's vanished so I presume it thinks I've used up all my downloads when I've used none!

Do you need my password or can you reset it (please) with just my email address, guys?

Why is it always me?

Fiona

06-04-2009, 03:03 PM

Thanks!

Draper

06-06-2009, 06:15 PM

Listening to the live LP right now and so far it sounds really great!! Why is it labels are making such a big deal out of 180g and 200g records when 120g (I'm assuming this one has got to be that because it's paper thin) done right can sound so good? Quality control is ten times more important than vinyl weight.

Matador, you guys need to be the first to make a stand and say hey, our 120g records are QUALITY so we're not gonna fuck around with 180g anymore! Shave some bucks off the price to go along with the policy change and I bet your audience would love you for it!

Patrick

06-06-2009, 10:24 PM

tinobeat

06-07-2009, 12:12 AM

oooh, people are getting their live LPs already? Does this mean I should hassle Wayne at Twisted already?

Draper

06-07-2009, 10:54 AM

re: 120 gram. We want to. The shipping costs on the actual SY album (dbl 180) were out of hand. And I think 120 can sound better than 180.

Unfortunately many people have been brainwashed into thinking 180 = quality.

There is the resistance to warpage issue. I do think this is more important than ever now that fewer of the people shipping, handling and storing this stuff have any idea how to take care of it.

But yeah, I agree. Our next few releases are coming out on RTI 120 gram, and we've kept the prices as low as we could in light of that fact. We'll see how they do.

When I fist picked up the box at my doorsteps I noticed how heavy it was and when I saw the postage sticker I thought holy shit! Beyond a certain weight, might it not be actually cheaper for you guys to use UPS instead of US Mail?

Part of that weight is the sleeve for the new album - it's really heavy and sturdy and thick and glossy and looks like a million bucks. Nice job!

Patrick

06-08-2009, 12:01 AM

Thanks Draper. The shipping costs on this thing turned out to be insane!

Best
Patrick

Funk

06-08-2009, 07:00 AM

re: 120 gram. We want to. The shipping costs on the actual SY album (dbl 180) were out of hand. And I think 120 can sound better than 180.

Unfortunately many people have been brainwashed into thinking 180 = quality.

Can I just say that the best sounding vinyl that I've bought in years is the recent Squarepusher mini-album? That's pressed on the flimsiest shit, that would give late-1980s UK pressings a run for their money in the floppy department, and it sounds so deep and full and clean.

usernaim

06-08-2009, 12:06 PM

Like Patrick I'm a big-time audiophile record geek and I want to pipe in with support for the decision to go 120 gram. Patrick can probably attest as I will that many of the best pressings I own are thin to very thin vinyl pressed in England or Japan or Germany. 180 gram gives a slightly bassier sound because it is thicker, which changes the angle between stylus and vinyl (called VTA), but you can do the same thing by using a record mat or increasing the tracking force. It is also bassier because the record itself is a diaphragm that resonates in reaction to the stylus dragged through the grooves and the acoustic feedback from the speakers, and the heavier vinyl has a lower point of resonance. This is a difference-not an improvement. To my ears it makes the sound worse, though that is obviously subjective.

180 gram has the following disadvantages in my experience:

1) The expense, not just to make it but for the label and distro to ship and for the end user to store.
2) More seam splits.
3) Warpage--the pressing plant has to wait longer to let the record cool down (because with more mass, it holds the heat longer) and often they don't. Result: warped records.

But the key point is it does not sound better. It's just an objective fact that companies can put on a sticker that makes it look like they care about sound, and implies better sound.

So I applaud a cheaper 120gm RTI record. Go Patrick.

Oh: Ray Janos is good but let me put in a vote for more mastering by Kevin Gray.

Dave

06-08-2009, 12:12 PM

oooh, people are getting their live LPs already? Does this mean I should hassle Wayne at Twisted already?
Not yet. Go see him tomorrow.

Elijah

06-23-2009, 10:23 PM

New track up in Buy Early Get Now. Woot!

bcc-goo

07-06-2009, 07:52 AM

Is there any chance that the two Record Store Day Sonic Youth 7" tracks could made available as MP3s given the still-silly prices on eBay?

Fiona

07-07-2009, 06:12 PM

Should there have been a download coupon with my copy of The Eternal?

Patrick

07-07-2009, 11:32 PM

Did you get it from US or UK? If former then yes. Please make sure it's not stuck in one of the innersleeves or deep within a pocket. If it's not there, dean@matadordirect.com is your man.

Fiona

07-08-2009, 03:01 AM

Did I screw myself my by doing BEGN closer to home? I thought those days were over, seeing as my Condo Fucks lp which I actually bought in Dublin came with a coupon.

This is extremely "disappointing".

Patrick

07-08-2009, 11:19 PM

The Condo Fucks LP was made in the US.

Fiona

07-09-2009, 03:28 PM

Sorry for getting all stevethehouse about it. I noticed the Condo Fucks lp was produced in the US, but didn't know the SY would have a separate run. It's been a while.

Any on a positive note I'm sure that local production made it possible for the SY album to be offered at a lower price point here. For all the complaining I saw from US customers on the blog, I have to say that in Ireland at least the vinyl is retailing at only €3 more than an average heavyweight double album.