Punk Rock Dogg (Is That Like Snoop D-O-Double G?)

For those of you who can stomach my blog I am sure you might know I like the punk rock.  I like to think of myself as an aging punk rocker who has a love for many other genres of music outside the punk rock. 

I listen to mostly punk rock.  In fact I actually have a beat up iPod that I only store punk rock music on it, and Wu Tang/ODB… 

Where am I going with this? 

Well I have two dogs and they are about as punk as I am…well maybe not.  Regardless I found this fun site called Punk Rock Dogg that is for punk rockers like me who want punk stuff for their dogs.

They sell a lot of fun stuff on the site including matching shirts, sweet dog tags, and even collars.  I have not gone as far as buying accessories yet but I did want to share with you all what I did buy…

Punk Rock Dogg’s Hardcore Cookies

Are you done laughing yet?  Well besides the dog on the package looking like my Boston Terrier the cookies actually appeal to me not because they are “Punk Rock”, although that is awesome, but because they are made from 100% natural human food grade ingredients.  Knowing that it is not some chemical treat loaded with preservatives and by-products is a good thing.  I am sure my dogs could care less what they eat but the point is, I do.

At $6.00 a bag the price is a few bucks higher than Rachel Ray‘s Bacon Dog Biscotti or your standard Milk Bones but to me it is worth a shot seeing how they do mean a lot to me.

Just look at them:

My Boys.
My Boys.

Pirates Press Celebrates 5 Years!!!

I received an email this morning from my pals over at SolidPR I thought I would share with everyone. With Record Store Day being celebrated just this past weekend I felt this was a more than appropriate good read:


Pirates Press Announces Five-Year Anniversary!!!

The best stories are those that write themselves, when all the writer has to do is expressly write what they see (or in this case, see AND hear)… and all the reader has to do is envision their role.  The story of vinyl records and especially its burgeoning resurgence is this type of story, and the proud leading role PIRATES PRESS has been playing in it is one as well. Their family of salespeople, production coordinators, project managers, and graphic designers have experience from all over the manufacturing, sales, and distribution industries and care deeply about the experience people have working with them.

Putting their customers ideas to life is the essence of Pirates Press’ true goal… helping artists, record label owners, and other entrepreneurs do what the market and industry are demanding of them to survive; bring collect-ability back. Helping create tangible products that reflect an artist’s visions in such a way that creates a real demand to purchase it (rather than download it) is important in an increasingly downloadable world that too-often looses the tangible dimension that once [financially] drove the industry.

Vinyl collecting has for generations been the baseball card of the non-jock (and even the occasional jock), and remained present in certain scenes and genres (underground for the most part) regardless of the pressures from the industry to exclusively digitalize. It was always that tangible element of vinyl in combination with the nostalgic sound and feeling you get from playing records which resonated with collectors through vinyl’s darkest moments. Now, when the digital world that everyone assumed would replace it entirely has brought such strain to the industry, vinyl and other creatively packaged albums sales have made a tremendous resurgence, once again giving people something their passionate about going out (or [ironically] going online) and buying. Pirates press believes that the sky is the limit at this point for vinyl and other types of creatively packaged music and ideas, and we’ll continue doing everything in our power to bring our customers there in as powerful and prominent of a way as possible!

Pirates Press Statistics in the last three years:
– 680,000 records produced in 2006
– 1,100,000 records produced in 2007
– 1,750,000 records produced in 2008

High Profile Projects: Spiderman3, MyChemicalRomance, Beck’s “Odelay” Deluxe 4LP Package, AgainstMe!, The Dark Knight, Madonna’s “Hard Candy” & a slew of singles, Talib Kweli, Brian Posehn&Lewis Black&PattonOswalt, Pulling Teeth (Holographic Record Jacket), Murder By Death 16pp Foldout, Bob Marley Boxset, Isis Boxset, The Watchmen, All the WBR Singles, & Much More…

High Profile Customers: Warner Brothers Records, Reprise, Sire, Atlantic, Original Recordings Group, Relapse, Robotic Empire, HydraHead, Deathwish Inc., Troubleman Unlimited, Anticon Records, Temporary Residence, Suburban Home & Vinyl Collective, Southern Lord Records, Tank Crimes, Chunksaah Records, Fat Wreck Chords, Vagrant Records, Slumberland Records, &  Many More…

Pirates Press Unique products include: Gatefold Jackets, Tip-On (casewrapped) Jackets, Boxsets, 5th and 6th Color Printing, Foil Stamping, Embossing, Spot Gloss and other special finishes, Insertion of CDs/Digital Download Cards into the vinyl, BIG Posters, Slipmats, Stickers and other Merch, Unique Types of Colored Vinyl, Limited VERSIONS to create immediate collect-ability! Looking to the future, we’re also working to redevelop the technology to make flexidiscs, as well as new technology, a multiformat CD/DVD/Vinyl Disc, Shaped Records and Picture Discs as well as diecut shapes of vinyl pressed directly into the records. Lots in store in 2009 and beyond!

Props to Pirate Press for staying in the game for five years now!  As a vinyl collector myself I think it is great this company is doing better and better every year.  I can only blame them some for helping empty my wallet as more releases come out in the future, but I am ok with that.

Record Store (To)Day

Today was like Jesus Day (Christmas) for many music lovers out there.  I am sure many people had a hard time falling asleep last night as there were countless album titles floating through their heads, distracting them from falling asleep.  Cookies were left out at the front doors of music stores worldwide in hopes that it could be an edible bribe to let shoppers in the door early… (That last part may not be entirely true)

Why?

Today is RECORD STORE DAY!!!

I know my friend Matt was one of those people who may have been a bit excited this morning when it was time to pack up and hit the independent record stores all over Cleveland.  Just check out what he posted today.  It’s a post of a post and more importantly a great read about how music rotated around his life growing up.

Before I even continue with my post I need to give Matt a thank you. 

Thank you Matt.

He is my hero for today as he took the time to fight people for a couple of Record Store Day release vinyls that I really wanted.  If that is not a friend, then I do not know what is.

I look forward to the limited edition vinyls (all singles) he scored for me:

Cursive + Ladyfinger
Flaming Lips/Black Keys
Jenny Lewis
MC5
Radiohead – Karma Police

I really hope next year that I remember to take the day off so I can actually enjoy such a wonderful idea of a day.  It sure beats sitting at a desk looking outside at a beautiful day just wishing I could be at one of those fine indie record stores maybe seeing a live performance…

Did you partake in Record Store Day?  I want to hear about it!

Missing Record Store Day 2009

I can not even tell you all how bummed out I am that I am missing Record Store Day 2009.


I’m sure many of you are aware of this amazing day dedicated to music in record format.  Tons of record stores across the nation will be engaging in the celebration of music and will all be selling special limited edition records from bands that I am sure will sell out before lunchtime.

This day I hope will help all the independent record stores out there continue to do what they love.  Sell music to music lovers.  In a day and age where downloading is killing the music industry it is nice to see a day that will be taking place inside music stores.

I have a list in my head of records I would buy if I had the day off but regretfully I have to work the entire day.

Yes, I have to work.  ALL DAY.

Sacrifices have to be made sometimes and I was unable to get the day off as I have other things going on the the weeks to come…  I am not happy with my decision and I am pretty sure that Matt from Addicted To Vinyl will be texting me every hour telling me what great record he just bought and how much fun he is having.

I am sure that on Saturday a single tear will drop from my eye.  I will feel pain every time a vinyl fan smiles.  The day will be the longest day ever.

Here is a list of local stores I wish I could shop at on Saturday:
Music Saves

Square Records
Spin-More Records
My Mind’s Eye
Ultrasound Music
Record Den

Here’s a list of other Ohio stores I wish I could shop at as well:
Magnolia Thunderpussy
Shake It
USED KIDS RECORDS

If you are a fan of vinyl you should check out www.recordstoreday.com and see what this is all about.  It is the perfect opportunity to but some really special releases that will only be available for a limited time.

So to all you jerks who are off on Saturday and are planning on celebrating Record Store Day, enjoy.

-Check out what Matt from Addicted To Vinyl is excited about…

-Are you going?  What are you excited for?