I ordered a bunch of 6x10 and 7.5x10.5 mailers yesterday. Thank you UPS for coming so fast! Can't wait to pack and ship these babies.

Today, well, technically yesterday, the United States Postal Service raised postage prices. A letter will now run $0.41 instead of $0.39. This is the largest jump (for packages, $0.02 isn't too bad) since I've become a weekly visitor to my little mail church. It now costs me $0.46 more to mail one CD, ($1.81 raised from $1.35). To many of you, this may not seem like such a big deal. But multiply this hundreds of times and it adds up, fast. I could bump up shipping prices in my web store, but for declining sales overall in the music industry, it would be a risk that could result in even fewer sales to my very independent record label.

I believe my CD prices are very cheap, along with very cheap shipping ($2.00). Would $2.50 or even $3.00 (extra shipping over $1.81 covers packaging costs) for shipping change your mind about ordering a $6.00 CD?

I'm interested to read your thoughts, especially since CDs are becoming obsolete.

-Michael Hollins of TDR Records

I am proud to announce the newest member of the TDR family. Please welcome Barely Blind from Groves, Texas! I flew down there this past weekend to catch a show and hang out. I like to think I have a little southern charm in me now. We have some great things in store for this band in the coming months. Read the official press release below:

TDR Records newest member, Barely Blind, made it official this weekend. This June, they'll hit the studio with producer Steve Soboslai (Punchline) at Innovation Studios. Their yet to be titled EP will be released on August 28th followed by an east coast/mid-west tour.

Also! Check out pictures from this past weekend here.

Of all the days, Friday the 13th will be remembered by me for another reason. Today, I, Michael Hollins, who owns hundreds of physical CDs and about 50 vinyl records, bought my first “CD” on iTunes. The release was the digital only New Years Day EP. As I write this, I have this odd feeling of partial guilt and just a blankness I cannot explain.

I’m not exactly sure when iTunes, or digital music came out, maybe a few years ago, but I have never been a huge fan of it. I realize I am considerably young compared to others in the music industry, but as I’ve come to realize and have been told, I’m pre-maturely old.

It’s near impossible to duplicate the feeling I get when I listen to a great song, let alone open up a brand new CD or spin my fresh smelling 12”. After buying this EP with a handful of songs on it, I almost wish I didn’t press “buy album.” The only reason I picked it up was because of the digital only release. What I’m trying to express is that I did not experience the overall feeling of driving to a store, looking up the band, buying the CD at the register, tearing open the shrink wrap, feeling the insert, and blasting every song on my way home.

Not only as an independent record label owner, but a music fan in general, I am worried what the future holds for the music industry. Will CDs be obsolete? Will only major label bands release vinyl (if they sell a certain amount of CDs first)? Will music only be available digitally? I haven’t even started on the file-sharing problem, which will be saved for another day.

The bottom line is, I don’t want to see physical music “go the way of the buffalo” (a phrase taken from an MXPX title, which I remember well because the CD insert was not glossy, but matted or whatever you want to call it, which was awesome to FEEL and HOLD!).

-Michael Hollins of TDR Records

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