To Seek or Not To Seek (the Leak)

In this ever growing digital age, my moral fiber grows weaker and weaker with every passing moment. I have always tried to purchase CDs at local, independent music stores, supporting local businesses and the artists. But after being at school and not having a car to drive to the nearest record retailer, and file sharers are more readily available to macs, downloading has become very tempting.

David, no stranger to listening to an album a few weeks before he buys it, has crippled my defense even more by finding a few albums that have leaked early and dangling them in front of my mouse button. As he already shared with you his discovery of The Decemberists' 'The Crane Wife', he had me drooling when he told me he was in digital possesion of 'Young Machetes', the latest album from The Blood Brothers. With much hesitation, I submitted to his trap and let him send it to me. I'll buy the album when it comes out anyway, so I didn't see the harm. And I am glad I did. With help from Fugazi's Guy Picciotto assisting in some production, The Blood Brothers have regained a little bit of their form that made me love '...Burn, Piano Island, Burn' so much. While it may not be nearly as assaulting with the heavy guitars and low growls of Johnny Whitney and Jordan Billie, and may still have a little bit of Crimes in it, it still has the trademarks of a Blood Brothers album that makes their sound one of the most distinct in music. Also, please be aware that the cover art is terrifying.

While getting discs early is kind of exciting, it also can hinder the excitement I get going into the record store and purchasing the record they day it comes and, and spinning it for the first time. While I debate whether or not to try and get my hands on these early, here are a few albums coming out that I am stoked for. David mentioned some of these, but here are the other (equally important) albums due to drop by the end of 2006:

August 29
Bob Dylan - Modern Times

September 5
Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams

September 12
The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love
Xiu Xiu - The Air Force
Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

September 19
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Letting Go

October 3
The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
The DFA - The DFA Remixes: Chapter 2

October 10
The Blood Brothers - Young Machetes

November 21
Swan Lake - Beast Moans

To be crystal clear, I'm not condoning file sharing in lieu of actually purchasing albums. I'll be the one of the first ones at the record store on October 10th to pick up Young Machetes, after all.