I'll be dead by Christmas anyway...

A public Holiday means no post, which means no new records, so I am gonna post a 7 inch that I has been in collection for almost a year, but until 5 minutes ago, it had yet to be opened and played...



Now, this goes against what I buy records for. I buy them to listen to, and to enjoy them, not just look at them on my shelf.



So last night I was hanging with my homeboy Shane, talking about and playing some of my favourite pieces of vinyl, and I pulled this Single out, and was about to bust it open and he talked me out of it for some reason, and when I went to bed last night, I was tempted many times to actually get up, bust the fucker open and play it. But I didn't.



So this evening, while the wife is watching Neighbours, I thought I would sit down, pry the tape open, try not to rip the paper bag too much and listen to what is probably my favourite Murder City Devils song ever. Dead by Christmas.



The A Side is actually on the Thelema 10", so I wasn't so worried about that, but Dead by Christmas I don't think is actually on anything else.



I was really lucky to pick this up for the price that I did, as I have seen it go for upwards of $US50 on eBay, but I got it as part of a Private Sale off of Dead Format last year with almost all the MCD Singles, and PG99 7 inches. It was a good day.

I remember when I first saw the artwork for this EP on the Sub Pop Discography, I loved it so much, when my old band, In Name and Blood (yeah, I know, we named the band after the last MCD Album, but come on, the intro to Press Gang is still one of my favourite aural experiences, and if you don't know it, stop reading and go and download the fucker and listen to it, then buy the LP!), did a split 7 inch with The Collapse, I wanted to run with the same idea. And thats what I did.

I picked up 500 brown paper bags from the supermarket for fuck all, ordered a stamp for $20 and away I went.

The artwork on this is something special though. I don't know why I love it so much, I just do.



The insert is awesome, and a rough transcript of 364 days on the back, as you can see here.



I never realised that there was actually a second sleeve on the inside, so I was stoked when I pulled it out, and the outside is replicated on the inside sleeve.



I am a massive fan of natural stock, especially when it is screen printed or stamped. Has a real homely vibe about it, and that the band or the label has actually handled all the covers and they have been made with love.



Having said that, getting chipboard covers to stick together can be a prick of a thing. But in the end, it is well worth it to see the end product.

So, that's the Murder City Devils' Bonus Xmas Single.

The label that released this says it is #1 in the Jeff & Amy's paper bag series. As far as I have been able to see, it is the only one that was ever done. In fact it was actually put out by Sub Pop, but I have no idea who Jeff & Amy are.

NB: After getting this out, I sat down and wrote this while listening to all their other singles/Splits and EP's. Seriously stoked.

"The Murder City Devils are dead. Long live The Devils."