As if cassettes weren't bad enough, now I stumbled on a release on about the most ridiculous format possible unless they wanna start putting out audio only betamax. Picked up a single on a flexidisc. Yup, that's right, a flexidisc; just like those things you used to cut off the back of cereal boxes. A ridiculous, ridiculous format with poor sound quality and just about no durability. But I gotta admit it is kinda fun, and I like the 2 songs on this thing, both semi-industrial sounding synth-rock sorta things. And, I must admit while not the ultimate in fidelity, I think they've taken this format about as far as possible and made a pretty decent sounding thing out of it. It's a single called Daily Life, by a band called Daily Life with another song called My Time. Here's a pic of the physical object:


and, here's a better detail of the label:


And if you're really curious, here's a link to the FLAC files I just burned in case you wanna hear how it sounds. Just a quickie burn, may redo later if I figure out how to make it better. But like I said, it's really not half bad sounding as is:
http://www.mediafire.com/?98j97w65u25wsjg

So they're selling it as a stand-alone product? No other packaging or part of a bigger package of stuff? How does a store display such a thing?

i have a Softies flexi-disc in my collection. i think i used to have a Pavement one, but it got ruined.

I used to have a whole bunch of flexi-discs that came with my Guitar Player magazines back in the 80's. Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Eric Johnson are the only ones that I can remember off-hand. (Maybe there was an Alan Holdsworth one, too?)
They were fun to get with my mags, but as a stand-alone format? Naw.

Oh I'm not saying it is a good idea for a format, but yeah this is sold stand alone. I see them for sale a bit at one record shop in town, the kind of place that doesn't stock things like the new Tom Waits because it's too mainstream. But yea, it is a terrible format pretty much all around. I was just curious enough and liked these tracks and was actually surprised they got the quality out of it that they did.

i've never seen these sold. i've only seen them as promotional items.

i'm going to release my solo material on wax cylinders

Player piano rolls

I can hear you, just barely hear you. I can just barely hear you.

Apparently Joyful Noise Recordings has a monthly flexi-disc club, which features such artists as Danielson, Of Montreal, Deerhoof, etc.

The only flexi-disc I ever owned was a Winston Churchill speech that came in a National Geographic issue. I never took it out...

You guys are both close, but overlooking the best format:

Oh my god I totally remember those things

Pirates Press have been pushing those, but i was thinking they were for promo only. not sure i would ever buy one.

being different for the sake of being different. it's stupid.

I tend to agree...although I don't think it's as bad as blending in just for the sake of blending in, which seems to be a lot more common.

If I remember correctly, there were a bunch of mags in the mid-90s that went through a whole flexi-disc phase. I know that a few Sonic Youth and Thurston solo songs were pressed onto them.

Flexis have been sold with mags for years. I believe I still have a Bad Brains flexi that came with some mag (Alternative Press, maybe?) in the late 80s. And even though they were usually shitty quality, it did give a person a tool to hear new music. But I just wonder about the practicality of selling a flexi as a stand alone item.

there were funny dialogues of Disney characters on flexidisc in Mickey mouse issues in my childhood... I would have never remembered that without this thread.

I'm just gonna have people pay me to shout shit at them through a cheerleaders cone...its as analog as you can get

You have to hear this hot new band out of Austin College Station.

When Keepin' It Wierd Goes Right.