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Vinyl Me, Please October Edition – Blessed Feathers

Vinyl Me, What?  Vinyl Me, Please!!

Good things come in 12 inch packages. Delivering limited edition pressings of new and classic albums directly to your doorstep, the mad geniuses behind Vinyl Me, Please operate under a simple philosophy: The Album Lives. With a carefully curated catalogue and lovingly assembled album art, the subscription service is more than just a record club … it’s a lifestyle choice for folks who wish Record Store Day could happen every month. And in their living room.

Vinyl me, please, unboxing, blessed feathers

The Skinny

How’s it work? Stay with me now, cause this may get complicated. You supply the Vinyl Me, Please crew with $23 a month and they supply you with one meticulously selected album worthy of your time and attention. Oh wait … that’s stupid easy, isn’t it? That custom pressing (either 150g or 180g vinyl) comes in a gorgeously designed sleeve complete with digital download, original 12″x12″ artwork and even an album-inspired cocktail recipe. You’ll also get the VMP weekly newsletter The Standard, featuring music news, playlists, downloads, interviews, and other member-exclusive content. Not enough? The Vinyl Me, Please team gives away free swag at an alarming rate and your name automatically goes on their “nice” list. Still not enough? How’s access to the VMP members only shop sound? There you can pick up many of the past selections still available in the archives. That includes a copy of Paris 1969 by Thelonious Monk (but no tissue to wipe the drool away). You’ll also find a healthy collection of new, reissued, and rare selections like the Belle and Sebastian curated Late Night Tales.

Yep, the Vinyl Me, Please team have thought of pretty much everything. Nothing left for you to do but submit and sign up. But first, let’s have a look at what’s inside the box this month.

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Show us your vinyl, vinyl me, please, subscription unboxing, october, blessed feathers

For the Love of Music, Please DO NOT BEND

For October, the Vinyl Me, Please team delivered a VMP exclusive pressing of There Will Be No Sad Tomorrow by Blessed Feathers. Lusciously produced and precisely orchestrated, Blessed Feather’s second release is a misty collection of tender songs sung with heart-on-their sleeves earnestness by Donivan Berube and Jacquelyn Beaupré. Love songs, lonely songs, road songs, and silly songs play out like a prayer for peace over the album’s 11 tracks. With a world-weary, DIY resonance that belies the couple’s youth, There Will Be No Sad Tomorrow accomplishes the rare feat of taking musical styles and philosophical ideas frequently at odds with one another (yes, you can be lonely and happily in love in the same moment) and carefully blends them into a cohesive unit. No scab is unpicked and no heartbeat is missed. The sensuously meandering songs stand tall on their own, work best together, and are sure to inspire repeat listening. That’s why people still make albums, kids.

But What’s in the Box?!

My first impression as I peeled open the cardboard mailer was, “damn, that’s one of the most beautiful album covers I’ve ever seen.” Designed by Rob Carmichael and featuring his own artwork (you may recognize his style from albums by Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors), the moody, washy cover image sets a dreamy tone for the album before you’ve heard a single note.

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Flip it over, and you get a little taste of the band’s enchanting origins.

Blessed feathers, there will be no sad tomorrow, vinyl me, please

The album comes partially wrapped in a clever little outer-sleeve chock full of important information like the band’s name, the albums’s title, month of issue … and even the initials of the person who packaged your disc. Nice touch, guys.

Vinyl me, please, subscription unboxing

Peel that sleeve back and you’ll find the recipe for Mixologist Sarah Johnson’s TWBNST inspired cocktail – Traveling Man. Sadly, I did not have all the ingredients for this one, but it features gin and sounds damn tasty.

Vinyl me, please, traveling man

Removing the record from this half-sleeve reveals two hidden gems – a lovely bit of poetic rambling and an original 12″x12″ print – both inspired by the band and their album.

Blessed feathers, there will be no sad tomorrow, vinyl me, please

Vinyl me, please, art print

And all of this before you even peel the shrink wrap off of your record. There’s more inside the sleeve in case you were wondering. Like your digital download card and an eight-page booklet collecting 120 photographs from the band’s travels throughout the years. Story goes that Donivan and Jacquelyn spent a couple of years on the road living out of a tent. Their travels make for quite the family album, and shine a compelling light on their eclectic musical sensibilities.

Blessed feathers, photography, vinyl me, please

Finally, we get a look at the dust-jacket featuring a full set of album lyrics and more stellar artwork from Rob Carmichael.

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And now, the moment of truth as the vinyl is finally removed from the dust-jacket … AND IT’S COLORED!! I’m such a pushover for colored vinyl … just ask my dealer – I mean the kind, irascible gentlemen who owns and operates Long In The Tooth Record Shop.

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Blessed feathers, colored vinyl, album cover

Some vinyl purists insist that records should be black and colored vinyl is nothing but a kitschy gimmick to sell records. I say who cares? It’s fun and it looks fucking cool on your turntable.

Vinyl me, please, turntable, colored vinyl, blessed feathers

How’s the record sound, you ask? Like the warm embrace from a lover returning from a boundless journey. Just like vinyl is supposed to sound.

Give It A Spin, Why Don’t Ya?

I’d never heard Blessed Feather’s music until it showed up on my doorstep. There Will Be No Sad Tomorrow is a warm, loving little record that I probably wouldn’t have found if not for Vinyl Me, Please. That genuine sense of discovery is part of what makes VMP so much fun. Each passing month brings a fresh opportunity to fall in love with an album you might never have heard. Of course, you may not always love the music VMP sends your way, but it will always be an experience … and that’s the whole point of music.

 

A big THANK YOU to our friends at Vinyl Me, Please for sponsoring this subscription. Don’t forget to check out the official Vinyl Me, Please website and sign up to get some amazing vinyl delivered right to your door each month!

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