I get so many CDs in the mail each week, it makes me want to cry. I don’t want most of these CDs, of course, for a number of reasons. 1) Most of them are terrible. 2) Digital materials could easily cut out so much of the waste generated by sending people like me a mailer, a CD, a CD sleeve, and a bunch of paper telling me the selling points and stuff. 3) Most of them are terrible.
This Cock Sparrer CD, however, is a promo I’ll wind up keeping in my personal collection. And while I do throw on True Grit once in a while, Cock Sparrer are not at all one of my favorite bands. It’s just that this first-time stateside re-issue of 2007’s Here We Stand is simply too nice to ignore. That’s to be expected, of course, as it’s brought to us by the skilled folks at Pirates Press Records - the boutique record label side of manufacturing powerhouse Pirates Press, known for their ultra-high quality packaging (as seen in products from My Chemical Romance, Brian Posehn and Spiderman). Pirates Press might make stuff for the rich and powerful, but their personal tastes are a little more pissy.
This is a six-panel digipak that includes a bonus DVD. It’s got camo and silver foil and is cool. Lyrics included, so you can sing along to “Suicide Girls.” Oh, and the track listing on this release is different than on the original 2007 Captain Oi! Records release of Here We Stand. Apparently this new pressing has the band’s preferred sequencing. So that’s pretty interesting. Vinyl is out there, of course - 350 claret/blue and 650 red/white. But this CD is pretty nice, too, for a CD, and so I am going to keep it. How’s the music? It’s pretty awesome, especially when you see the band photo in the layout and realize that these dudes are fucking OLD. So good for them, with their still caring about stuff and still doing what they love. That’s how it should be.
LINK: Pirates Press Records
Check out this awesome story, which talks about the power of music to positively affect the human brain in measurable and meaningful ways. We’re talking about neurological improvements, psychological benefits, and even physical improvement - from music. Of course this only confirms what we’ve known all along - music rules.
