The new Little Boots single "New In Town" is quite good. It is her first "proper" single, if you will, and is being released on a number of formats.
There are two vinyl formats - a 7" and a 12" - both with a remix or four, as well as a digital release with a different set of remixes. Finally, there is a CD format which contains the a-side and...well, that's it. A 1-track CD with the album version of the single. It's not like there's not material as clearly many remixes were commissioned for the release. It's not like the a-side itself is so long that by putting an additional track on the CD you'd make it ineligible for the charts by going over the time restraint for CD singles. I can't possibly fathom a reason why, with the physical single on its last legs to begin with, you'd put out a CD single with nothing on it to entice people to buy it. The artwork isn't even that good.
For such carelessness, I am boycotting all formats of the single. Which is a shame, because I'd love to support both her and the physical singles market. But I can't on principle.
During the campaign for 'Twilight of the Innocents', Ash went on and on about how they weren't going to release traditional albums anymore, that singles were the way to go and that the next time we heard from them it was going to be in a series of singles.
Nice thought, but I was sure they - as many other bands have in the past - go back on their word and sometime about now we'd have a new Ash full length in our hands.
Well, thanks for proving me wrong boys - no really, I love singles series' so I'm very excited about this. Today, or yesterday, or a few days ago I'm not really sure, Ash sure enough posted the first in a string of single-only tracks on their website. Called "Return of White Rabbit", it is immediately better than anything from the last album - I think it is what they were trying to do with "You Can't Have It All" but weren't really able to get across.
According to the release, a new series of singles collectively known as the A-Z singles will be released starting in September on digital download [paid or unpaid, it wasn't specified, but I'd imagine the freebie is a one time/launch only deal] and super limited 7". [Those are going to be fun to track down...] The word is "Return of White Rabbit" is separate from those releases, though it will also be getting a 7" release in June.
With the quality of this track, I cannot wait. Ash is back, oh yeah.
One of my favorite albums of last year - Van She's 'V' - is getting a US release later in the year. [I read June somewhere, but I don't know if that's accurate or not.]
Hooray!
When it comes out, it will be paired with a second disc entitled 'Ze Vemixes', which is a Van She Tech overhaul of the album.
Double hooray!
Do we get a tour for a triple hooray? Time will tell...
"The Cat & The Eye" from said album:
Brilliant.
[PS - The new Dragonette single gets better with every listen. Hooray!]
My letter from Annie to Anthonio arrived yesterday - in an orange sleeve, score! I still haven't decided how I feel about the song itself - though the Fred Falke and Vaughn E remixes are quite good - but I love the packaging. The whole campaign, really, has been amazing.
A well spent $10, that's for sure. I wonder what they've got lined up for ItemCDX2.
Popjustice have the brand spankin' new Dragonette single "Fixin To Thrill" to download today. It is, of course, amazing. The single itself comes out at the end of May and the album of the same name in August...or so they say. We saw what happened LAST time.
Anyways, it's ridiculously amazing and you should download it now.
Collecting promo CDRs for exclusive remixes is nowhere near as fun - or satisfying - as promo 12"s. [That said, the whole idea of promo only remixes is quite obnoxious, but at least when you were tracking them down on 12" you had something nice to add to your collection. Not so much with stupid CDRs.]
So after Annie's 'Don't Stop' failed to even materialize - let alone take off - last year, you might have wondered what would happen next. Well, as you probably know she hooked up with the always amazing Richard X to launch his new Pleasure Masters label with her new single "Anthonio". It was initially announced to be a 12"/download type deal - however, on Monday it was announced through the Pleasure Masters Myspace [and probably other places, but that's where I read about it] that there was also going to be a super duper limited handmade CD format of the single. 100 copies to be exact - or 99, as according to their blog they ran over 1 copy with their chair. That's a picture in the corner - A-mazing. Apparently all copies are gone now, but I put an order in and was charged so hopefully that means it is on the way to my house as I type, because I kind of need it. [Especially after the whole Breeders "Fate to Fatal"/Record Store Day disaster, but that's another story.]
The song itself is sung from Annie to Anthonio, and the promo for this one has been ridiculous. Handwritten letters from one to the other sent out, even a rebuttal single from Anthonio himself called Annie showed up at one point.
In all honesty, I'm not even really a huge fan of Annie - more of her work with Richard X whom I absolutely adore - but such a cool physical product in a day and age where it is usually an afterthought totally hits me in all the right places. Huzzah!
The new Little Boots single "New In Town" is quite good. It is her first "proper" single, if you will, and is being released on a number of formats.
