wack
Repackaged Rock
Musicians always ask music critics, "How do you decide what you're going to listen to first when piles of records come in every day?" Ready for the shallow truth? Cool packaging works every time. That's not say you should throw a whole bunch of glitter dust in with your tape 'cause you think that'll be eye-catching. Any artist who thinks that a lap full of sparkles will get a music critic excited about their record should be buried up to their neck in them and forced to listen to the Mummers for a full day straight.
Better yet, they should take a lesson from the Portland band Richmond Fontaine. They took the album cover from Andy Williams' Born Free, threw their tape in, sealed it up like an envelope and mailed it. You can bet it was the first thing out of the pile the day it came in. Unfortunately, Richmond Fontaine sounded too much like Uncle Tupelo to make their music worth a write-up. But the packaging still rules!