RIP New Album Tuesdays, 1989-2015
July 10, 2015 10:40 AM Subscribe
U.S. music fans have long remembered the anticipation of new album releases on Tuesdays, a bright spot in the long slog of the week. Brits and Dominionists were lucky and got them on Mondays, while the Aussies and the Germans had to wait until Friday for no appreciable reason. As of this week, however, the whole world will be synchronized to Friday releases.
Some in the business aren't happy about it. Marc Weinstein, co-founder of Amoeba Music ("The World's Largest Independent Record Store"), is upset about the decision, calling it a "logistical nightmare":
Some in the business aren't happy about it. Marc Weinstein, co-founder of Amoeba Music ("The World's Largest Independent Record Store"), is upset about the decision, calling it a "logistical nightmare":
It gave us an opportunity to get a bump in the middle of the week when a lot of people would come in on a Tuesday, which normally wouldn't be a busy day.And unsurprisingly, Noel Gallagher is having None Of It:
Says who? I run my own fucking record label, I’ll release mine on a Wednesday, just to be fuckin’ contrary. Friday? No, no, no, no, no, no, no.Rebecca Black could not be reached for comment.
I'm sad about this -- I liked new-music Tuesdays, just because Tuesday doesn't really have much else going for it.
posted by Fig at 10:49 AM on July 10, 2015 [14 favorites]
posted by Fig at 10:49 AM on July 10, 2015 [14 favorites]
Huh yeah this would be terrible for brick & mortar stores everywhere that previously release earlier. Really stupid decision in that case, but the music industry isn't known for great business decisions. I wonder how much physical sales contribute to their bottom line these days anyway. I know I stopped buying non-Hannibal physical media at least 7 or 8 years ago.
posted by yellowbinder at 10:50 AM on July 10, 2015
posted by yellowbinder at 10:50 AM on July 10, 2015
I am irrationally upset about this. I worked in a store that sold music(though it wasn't exclusively a music store) and Tuesday were always fun. You'd have every manner of people coming in to buy music. Usually it was the only time you'd see those people, as they only shopped there for music. So it was an awesome visual into diversity.
Even though I upload all my albums digitally and prefer them that way, I guess I'm old now and need you kids off Tuesday's lawn. *shakes fist at the sky*
posted by Twain Device at 10:54 AM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Even though I upload all my albums digitally and prefer them that way, I guess I'm old now and need you kids off Tuesday's lawn. *shakes fist at the sky*
posted by Twain Device at 10:54 AM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Under the old system, Strain says, a fan in Britain could buy a new album on Monday and upload it — so her friend in Australia could listen before it came out there on Friday.
And now the Aussie can return the favor.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 10:56 AM on July 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
Also, getting a new album on a Tuesday was great because it meant that you'd already had a few days to really listen to something before blasting it for your friends or in the car over the weekend.
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:58 AM on July 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:58 AM on July 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
The Bombcast still drops on Tuesdays, so I'm good.
("Hey everybody, it's Tueeeeeesday." RIP Taswell.)
posted by kmz at 10:59 AM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
("Hey everybody, it's Tueeeeeesday." RIP Taswell.)
posted by kmz at 10:59 AM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
I didn't realize that Noel Gallagher was even relevant anymore.
posted by Betty Tyranny at 11:51 AM on July 10, 2015
posted by Betty Tyranny at 11:51 AM on July 10, 2015
I wonder if (book) publishing will end up taking a similar route now. We had new release Tuesdays when I worked in a Books-a-Million but e-books were much less popular back then.
posted by miratime at 11:58 AM on July 10, 2015
posted by miratime at 11:58 AM on July 10, 2015
"New Album Day" to me was when I got the text that my order was available for pick up. Or doing a store crawl on Saturdays.
posted by lmfsilva at 12:07 PM on July 10, 2015
posted by lmfsilva at 12:07 PM on July 10, 2015
I suspect that if people are still coming into your store to buy physical media, this won't be the thing that makes them stop.
posted by almostmanda at 12:15 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by almostmanda at 12:15 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I wonder how much physical sales contribute to their bottom line these days anyway.
The Friday change covers digital music as well.
posted by sideshow at 12:19 PM on July 10, 2015
The Friday change covers digital music as well.
posted by sideshow at 12:19 PM on July 10, 2015
Brits and Dominionists were lucky and got them on Mondays
I would have thought hyper-conservative Christian theocrats weren't all that into new releases.
posted by Sangermaine at 12:27 PM on July 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
I would have thought hyper-conservative Christian theocrats weren't all that into new releases.
posted by Sangermaine at 12:27 PM on July 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
This was greeted with a shrug at the Target where I still work part-time and at which I was once the entertainment specialist, who set the new releases before the store opened each Tuesday.
Physical media sales of all kinds - movies and books as well as CDs - have dropped off so hard and so fast over the past year that I will not be surprised if Target and other major retailers stop selling physical media at all within another year.
posted by yhbc at 12:46 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Physical media sales of all kinds - movies and books as well as CDs - have dropped off so hard and so fast over the past year that I will not be surprised if Target and other major retailers stop selling physical media at all within another year.
posted by yhbc at 12:46 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I suspect that if people are still coming into your store to buy physical media, this won't be the thing that makes them stop.
I'm pretty sure (or at least extremely hopeful) that this is true. Speaking as someone that works in a record store, the big "Midnight Madness" style release day events of the pre-iTunes era are long gone and the bump in sales on those days is not as significant as it might have once been. We stock new music (and new to you) music every day. Regular customers already have their own set drop-in days. Of course, we probabably don't sell that many hot new releases (we did special order the last Taylor Swift record for a customer, though).
posted by thivaia at 1:04 PM on July 10, 2015
I'm pretty sure (or at least extremely hopeful) that this is true. Speaking as someone that works in a record store, the big "Midnight Madness" style release day events of the pre-iTunes era are long gone and the bump in sales on those days is not as significant as it might have once been. We stock new music (and new to you) music every day. Regular customers already have their own set drop-in days. Of course, we probabably don't sell that many hot new releases (we did special order the last Taylor Swift record for a customer, though).
posted by thivaia at 1:04 PM on July 10, 2015
Tuesdays worked because they're boring. There's no mitigating the bummer of a Monday, but something to look forward to on Tuesday could save it. You're grinding through 4 more days at the office, but at least you're listening to the new albums you've been anticipating, and it's all still fresh. But I'm not going to dig for new music throughout the weekend, and by the time Monday rolls around it doesn't quite have that "Brand New" shine to it (yes, I've been conditioned by music hype cycles, which are so fast these days.) They're shooting themselves in the foot, because everyone has better shit to do. As far as physical releases go, are you rushing to the record store after work, or going to happy hour?
posted by naju at 1:20 PM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by naju at 1:20 PM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Tuesday doesn't really have much else going for it
Taco Tuesdays
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 1:34 PM on July 10, 2015 [10 favorites]
Taco Tuesdays
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 1:34 PM on July 10, 2015 [10 favorites]
Young Me got the number of a girl waiting in line at 11:55 on a Monday for the release of Tom Waits' Mule Variations the next day. I never called that number for fear I would be outed as the awkward dweeb I am.
I now just considered that she might have been an awkward dweeb too. BRB BUILDING TIME MACHINE.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:03 PM on July 10, 2015 [9 favorites]
I now just considered that she might have been an awkward dweeb too. BRB BUILDING TIME MACHINE.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:03 PM on July 10, 2015 [9 favorites]
Amen, naju. There are so many Tuesdays I've had that to look forward to at the beginning of a crappy work week.
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:04 PM on July 10, 2015
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:04 PM on July 10, 2015
Oh, wow. It's been SOOO many decades since I was so excited about an album release that I had to be there on the day of release. Or the week.
You release 'em when you want ... odds are 99:1 I won't be there anyway.
posted by Twang at 2:07 PM on July 10, 2015
You release 'em when you want ... odds are 99:1 I won't be there anyway.
posted by Twang at 2:07 PM on July 10, 2015
I am, apparently, the only person in the goddamn thread who buys physical media on release days. This makes me feel kinda weird. And I guess I am.
posted by box at 2:27 PM on July 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by box at 2:27 PM on July 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
I am, apparently, the only person in the goddamn thread who buys physical media on release days.
4 or 5 times, I've bought a download instead of a CD and each time I've regretted it. I need a disc, I need liner notes, I need an object.
Also - there's no digital equivalent to the joy of discovering a gem in a used CD bin.
posted by davebush at 2:49 PM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
4 or 5 times, I've bought a download instead of a CD and each time I've regretted it. I need a disc, I need liner notes, I need an object.
Also - there's no digital equivalent to the joy of discovering a gem in a used CD bin.
posted by davebush at 2:49 PM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Brits and Dominionists were lucky and got them on Mondays
I would have thought hyper-conservative Christian theocrats weren't all that into new releases.
thatsthejoke.gif
posted by Etrigan at 3:47 PM on July 10, 2015
I would have thought hyper-conservative Christian theocrats weren't all that into new releases.
thatsthejoke.gif
posted by Etrigan at 3:47 PM on July 10, 2015
I have fond memories of my favorite local record store's Midnight Madness sales (back in the 80's) for notable releases. These days I buy most of my music digitally. While I love the many convenient aspects of digital files , I'm sad about what I've lost by not owning physical media.
posted by JonathanB at 4:00 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by JonathanB at 4:00 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Tuesday doesn't really have much else going for it
Taco Tuesdays
Taco Tuesday is actually Freedom Friday. But still on a Tuesday.
posted by blue_beetle at 4:03 PM on July 10, 2015
Taco Tuesdays
Taco Tuesday is actually Freedom Friday. But still on a Tuesday.
posted by blue_beetle at 4:03 PM on July 10, 2015
My problem on new release days since getting back into vinyl (the medium I grew up with) a few years back is that none of the record stores around me ever have the new LPs I'm after... At best I'll walk in and they'll say "Oh, we had one copy of that but it sold." So I wind up ordering it online and not getting to enjoy the instant gratification ritual anyway. I know I could order ahead of time, but if I'm going to do that I might as well do it online in the first place; the closest record store to me is half an hour away. CDs hold basically zero appeal for me anymore; as much as I love album art and liner notes, I always hated the tiny booklets that come with CDs.
I think the impact of new releases has also been diluted these last few years by streaming; I remember when Silver Age was coming out, you could stream the whole album on Rolling Stone's website a couple of weeks beforehand... I tried to hold out for the physical media but of course I caved and listened to the whole thing. Once it was actually released I kept listening to it on Spotify for a couple of months before finally buying a physical copy.
posted by usonian at 4:05 PM on July 10, 2015
I think the impact of new releases has also been diluted these last few years by streaming; I remember when Silver Age was coming out, you could stream the whole album on Rolling Stone's website a couple of weeks beforehand... I tried to hold out for the physical media but of course I caved and listened to the whole thing. Once it was actually released I kept listening to it on Spotify for a couple of months before finally buying a physical copy.
posted by usonian at 4:05 PM on July 10, 2015
davebush: Also - there's no digital equivalent to the joy of discovering a gem in a used CD bin.
I find that is more than made up for by just having the music available.
Quite a few Monday nights in college meant a walk to the local record store to buy something at the midnight sale. After I graduated it switched such that once or twice a month that was my Tuesday lunch break; buying the new releases, pouring over them at the nearby burrito joint trying to not get salsa on my new CDs, and then listening to them upon return to work.
I bought some good CDs that way, but release day purchases were, mostly, bad ideas. I wasn't there because I liked the music, I was there because that was the only way to hear them. I wasted my money supporting artists that had previously put out good records, hoping vainly for something worthwhile. I could've spent that money on something good, if only there had been some way of knowing what music was good rather than going in blind.
We are now in a golden age.
This synchronization makes sense. I agree with many of the arguments above for Tuesday rather than Friday, though.
posted by mountmccabe at 4:05 PM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
I find that is more than made up for by just having the music available.
Quite a few Monday nights in college meant a walk to the local record store to buy something at the midnight sale. After I graduated it switched such that once or twice a month that was my Tuesday lunch break; buying the new releases, pouring over them at the nearby burrito joint trying to not get salsa on my new CDs, and then listening to them upon return to work.
I bought some good CDs that way, but release day purchases were, mostly, bad ideas. I wasn't there because I liked the music, I was there because that was the only way to hear them. I wasted my money supporting artists that had previously put out good records, hoping vainly for something worthwhile. I could've spent that money on something good, if only there had been some way of knowing what music was good rather than going in blind.
We are now in a golden age.
This synchronization makes sense. I agree with many of the arguments above for Tuesday rather than Friday, though.
posted by mountmccabe at 4:05 PM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
I am, apparently, the only person in the goddamn thread who buys physical media on release days. This makes me feel kinda weird. And I guess I am.
posted by box at 5:27 PM on July 10 [2 favorites +] [!]
Eponysterical.
posted by Fizz at 4:20 PM on July 10, 2015
posted by box at 5:27 PM on July 10 [2 favorites +] [!]
Eponysterical.
posted by Fizz at 4:20 PM on July 10, 2015
I occasionally pre-order things through the iTunes store (and yeah, it's 50-50 on disappointments) and I guess I'll get my downloads on Thursday evening instead of Monday evening now. If it means more British releases come out on the same day, I'll take it.
posted by immlass at 4:26 PM on July 10, 2015
posted by immlass at 4:26 PM on July 10, 2015
I would be more pissed off about this except that I can't remember the last time I picked up an album on the day of release. I can remember, in the recesses of history, plenty of times in high school and university when I would dutifully go to a record store on release day, ask for an album, and hear that they didn't really know when the album was coming in but maybe later that week so I dunno come back on Friday?
This, alongside other awesome record store bullshit like "we only sell vinyl now gtfo CDs" and "Record Store Day is when you have to brave really long lines to maybe possibly get that record you were looking for except we won't actually tell you if we got it in or how many copies we have lololol," are significant reasons why I kind of don't give that much of a shit about record stores anymore, even though in theory I should love and support them. (I mean, I do, but these days it feels almost more like obligation than anything.)
Bandcamp is my new favourite music thing, all else can eff off.
posted by chrominance at 5:18 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
This, alongside other awesome record store bullshit like "we only sell vinyl now gtfo CDs" and "Record Store Day is when you have to brave really long lines to maybe possibly get that record you were looking for except we won't actually tell you if we got it in or how many copies we have lololol," are significant reasons why I kind of don't give that much of a shit about record stores anymore, even though in theory I should love and support them. (I mean, I do, but these days it feels almost more like obligation than anything.)
Bandcamp is my new favourite music thing, all else can eff off.
posted by chrominance at 5:18 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
In Toronto, the record shops just put that shit out on the day that they arrive (aka "break street") and the labels and distributors don't do anything about it because they're desperate for sales.
I own a record store in the city and, because of this nonsense, decided to just not carry new records anymore unless people special order. It's been working out much better for me. The markup on new vinyl is terrible, you can't send unsold titles back, so many of them are defective (I'm looking at you, Matador)... it's simply not worth the headache when there is so much fantastic used vinyl to be found.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 5:26 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I own a record store in the city and, because of this nonsense, decided to just not carry new records anymore unless people special order. It's been working out much better for me. The markup on new vinyl is terrible, you can't send unsold titles back, so many of them are defective (I'm looking at you, Matador)... it's simply not worth the headache when there is so much fantastic used vinyl to be found.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 5:26 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Nooooooo, the best thing about Tuesday releases is that you have to work late at closing on Monday, then work Tuesday, but then you get light shifts on Wednesday and Thursday because no one comes in during the week otherwise. I can't imagine closing on Thursday, staying late setting up for new releases, then working Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at a run!
I guess it's good that new release days aren't the zoo that they were before digital downloads.
posted by chainsofreedom at 5:43 PM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
I guess it's good that new release days aren't the zoo that they were before digital downloads.
posted by chainsofreedom at 5:43 PM on July 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Insert "Oh yeah, I read about this in the newspaper this morning." joke here.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 6:04 PM on July 10, 2015
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 6:04 PM on July 10, 2015
A friend of mine gave me a CD for my birthday last week and I feel bad because not only don't I really have a way to play a disc, but I can just stream it on Google Play.
posted by octothorpe at 9:27 PM on July 10, 2015
posted by octothorpe at 9:27 PM on July 10, 2015
A friend of mine gave me a CD for my birthday last week and I feel bad because not only don't I really have a way to play a disc, but I can just stream it on Google Play.
Its funny you mention that octothorpe. I'm 34 and grew up when the compact disc (CD) first became a thing and recall vividly purchasing my first CD, Nirvana's Nevermind. I also recall throwing out all my CDs two years ago.
I was talking with a coworker who is in their early 20s and we were discussing music and I mentioned a certain album she should listen to. I told her she could torrent it or download it online via iTunes and she said: "Whoa...that's a commitment, I'll just stream it first."
It spoke so much about the differences in the ways that people consume their media. I have since moved beyond the physical into the digital, all my music is on my hard-drive in mp3 format, where hers is entirely in the cloud and streamed.
I also receive strange looks because I insist on having a separate mp3 player just for playing my music in my car or when I'm running. I hate having music on my phone. I am sure this is very much associated with my age and having grown up with dedicated music players (Sony Walkman, iPod Shuffle, etc.).
posted by Fizz at 5:47 AM on July 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
Its funny you mention that octothorpe. I'm 34 and grew up when the compact disc (CD) first became a thing and recall vividly purchasing my first CD, Nirvana's Nevermind. I also recall throwing out all my CDs two years ago.
I was talking with a coworker who is in their early 20s and we were discussing music and I mentioned a certain album she should listen to. I told her she could torrent it or download it online via iTunes and she said: "Whoa...that's a commitment, I'll just stream it first."
It spoke so much about the differences in the ways that people consume their media. I have since moved beyond the physical into the digital, all my music is on my hard-drive in mp3 format, where hers is entirely in the cloud and streamed.
I also receive strange looks because I insist on having a separate mp3 player just for playing my music in my car or when I'm running. I hate having music on my phone. I am sure this is very much associated with my age and having grown up with dedicated music players (Sony Walkman, iPod Shuffle, etc.).
posted by Fizz at 5:47 AM on July 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
I've got 2000+ CDs and 100 GB of MP3s on my hard drive. I realize it's not exactly logical, but I can't feel like I'm fully enjoying an album unless I go through the entire process of taking the jewel case off the shelf, putting the disc in the tray and pressing the CD player play button. Listening just feels incomplete unless I do this. I'm glad I have a ton of music on my computer, but I honestly rarely listen to those files.
53 year old guy talking here. I prefer the clouds I can see animals in.
posted by davebush at 6:44 AM on July 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
53 year old guy talking here. I prefer the clouds I can see animals in.
posted by davebush at 6:44 AM on July 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
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Times change. You change with them.
posted by Fizz at 10:48 AM on July 10, 2015