Score another for bands getting creative with stemming the tides of leakage. Recently, the New Pornographers offered up a cool solution to folks jonesing for an immediate listen to Challengers, bundling select access to a pre-release album stream with each presale, and Stars has done 'em one better: They've digitally released In Our Bedroom After The War just a week-and-a-half after offering an advance track and announcing a September 25th street date, saying that "the line between the media and public is now complete grey" (preaching to the choir, Stars). Why give out advances that are sure to be torrented immediately thereafter? So four days after wrapping up the record, they put it out for sale starting yesterday. Here's an explanation, posted on Stars MySpace:
Traditional music business practice says we are to begin sending out copies of this album now. We give advance copies to print publications in hopes of securing features that coincide with our September date. We meet with radio stations in hopes of securing airplay. etc, etc.
Inevitably someone will leak the album.
Throughout this process, the most important people in this value chain, the fans, are given only two options - wait until September 25th to legally purchase the new album or choose from a variety of sources and download the album for free, at any time.
We hope you'll choose to support the band, and choose to pay for their album. However we don't think it's fair you should have to wait until September 25th to do so.
We believe that the line between the media and the public is now completely grey.
What is the difference between a writer for a big glossy music magazine and a student writing about their favourite bands on their blog? What differentiates a commercial radio station from someone adding a song to their lastfm channel? or their myspace page?As such, we are making the new Stars album available for legal download today, four days after it's completion. The CD and double vinyl versions of the album will still be released on our official release date, September 25th. We hope you will continue to support music retailers should a physical album in all it's packaged glory be your choice of format.
It's our hope that given a clear, legal alternative to downloading music for free, you will choose to support the creators.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Buy it at iTunes or Arts & Crafts or feel even more guilty for pirating. Scroll down for the Stars dates.
09/06 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin College Fine Arts Center
09/08 - Montreal, Quebec @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Osheaga Festival)
09-09 - Toronto, Ontario (Virgin Festival)
10/17 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
10/18 - New York, NY @ Town Hall
10/19 - Boston, MA @ Berklee Performance Centre
10/20 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Starlight Ballroom
10/26 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
10/27 - Atlanta, GA @ The Variety Playhouse
10/28 - Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder
10/30 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's BBQ
10/31 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
11/02 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
11/03 - Minneapolis, MN @ Pantages Theatre
11/04 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
11/06 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
11/08 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
11/09 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
11/10 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Orpheum
11/13 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's 365 Club
11/14 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's 365 Club
11/15 - Portland, OR @ The Crystal Ballroom
11/16 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
