Covering the crossroads of music and film.
IT'S LIKE THAT: The Power of the Package
By Jim Shearer on 12/05/2008
Filed under: IT'S LIKE THAT
In an age where some bands don't even have album artwork anymore, while others are releasing their albums in eco-friendly, thinner-than-a-slice-of-American-cheese, recycled cardboard sleeves, I was somewhat surprised (and a little confused) earlier this year, when I received No Age's brand new album, Nouns.
Unless your name is Conor Oberst, indie bands and labels usually don't splurge on anything over a tri-fold album cover, but No Age's Nouns is a ΒΌ" thick and includes a 36-page colored--yeah, that's right, I said "colored"--booklet.
Five pages of the booklet are dedicated to album info and lyrics, while the other 31 are filled with seemingly random pictures of landscapes, foreign dudes in whitie-tighties, band equipment, and backstage snapshots. There are also six colored pages that are completely blank.
(left: Jim trying to figure out the meaning behind the blank pieces of colored paper and the guys in the whitie-tighties.)
It almost took me longer to leaf through No Age's album booklet than it did for me to listen to their album, which clocks in at a little over 30 minutes.
Because I know many major labels are strapped for cash this year, I could only imagine what indies are doing to save a penny. I highly doubt No Age are swimming in the moolah, let alone their label Sub Pop, and for that reason I was trying to figure out why it would be worth it to create such a deluxe (and abstract) album package. Imagine how many more packs of guitar strings you could have bought if you didn't go with the 36-page booklet. If you went with a meager bi-fold (no staples), maybe you could've brought a merch guy out on tour with you?
This week though, the rational finally made sense.
The trashy-experimental-indie-rock duo, No Age, was nominated for a Grammy Award.
For what?
Best Recording Package.
Tags: Best Album Package, Best Recording Package, Grammies, Grammy, No Age, Nouns, Sub Pop- Permalink
-
- Comment
Categories
Blogroll
- Dlisted - Celebrity blowout.
- Born To Be Nervous - Music, art, genius.
- Hammer to Nail - Ambitious film.
- Cinema Echo Chamber - A place for spirited cinephiles.
- The Beat - Comics culture.
Recent Comments
- “i was in great shape then i got way Happy by getting married im 80 pounds over what i should be AN...”
- jeff on "This Is Why You're Fat": The Rap - 03/20/2009
- “I don't watch movies on my phone , and I think that David Lynch hit on the head . I don't...”
- warchief65 on Pads, pods, and other fascistic devices - 02/02/2010
- “Holy sheitghost, this is exciting! Nick Nolte turned down the Sonny Crockett-role on Miami Vice as f...”
- Duderino on "Luck," big names pile onto Michael Mann helmed HBO series. - 03/10/2010
- “Right, Johny is really good and i think he loves to have makeups, BUT with MJ..? LOL”
- Cheap Host on The King of Pop, Johnny Depp, Human Nature - 07/07/2009
- “Well Alvers, what is known universally to everyone but you apparently, is that when the film screene...”
- Brandon Kim on "When You're Strange," The Doors, Johnny Depp and Tom DiCillo. - 02/24/2010
