You’re probably heard of these monthly boxes everybody subscribes to (beauty, food, toys, whatever…) – and each month a new box is launched. Well, Rough Trade’s Album of the Month isn’t a box, but this music subscription service has been around for a while now and I’m sure it’ll still be there when all these boxes are long forgotten.
Rough what?
Rough Trade is a record label and store aiming at shortening the distance between artists and music lovers. They have several stores (Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, London, or Brooklyn, NYC) which are great places for music fans. You could spend hours there, listening to the staff selection or the latest albums, browsing magazine, sipping a coffee or, if you’re lucky, witnessing live concerts.
This is by going to the Brick Lane store that I discovered their monthly subscription service: the Album of the Month.
An album a month
For the price of an album (£9.99 + shipping), you receive at home, each month, the album Rough Trade as elected as the best release of the month. You don’t know beforehand what it’ll be, so you receive a surprise in your mail box – I’m big fan of this excitement, it’s like Christmas every month. Then you get to actually discover the album and the artist, by reading the accompanying leaflet, listening to the album, and an bonus recording (additional songs, former EP or other works selected by the artist).
The style of albums can vary from month to month – so you won’t always like what you receive, but hey, that’s part of the thrill! If you like indie music and you’re willing to discover new artists, then your delight in exploring new musical territories should overcome any disappoint you may have.
My musical life has never been richer than when I’m receiving the Album of the Month, so I highly recommend it to anyone curious about indie music.
Now, for those who don’t care about the physical surprise and do not believe in CDs anymore, you can receive a digital copy, of course. You can also stop the subscription any time, at no cost. You can offer it to your friends (3, 6 or 9 months). You can go for the Track of the Week instead, or the Album by Adventure (the Album of the Month + up to 4 albums to make even more discoveries). The choice is all yours!
www.roughtrade.com
