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Epitaph has a new website - gloriously overwhelming or just too much orange?
Jordan: First impression with the new Epitaph site was the more than generous use of the orange color - something that really belongs only with the fruit or in the crayon box, but after using it for about a month now, I'm really taking a liking to this site, even if it's overly complicated with features that aren't entirely necessary (like the tour date reminder function). By far, the best thing out of the new site is the video section, which has just about every video ever made by an Epitaph artist. I've spent hours watching these videos. Their 'goodies' is pretty sweet too, with all the backgrounds and winamp skins. I see a label site like Epitaph and honestly, I think it demolishes all other label sites, and makes major label websites look like child's play. Probably b/c those sites are far too protective of their media content.
Kevin: Epitaph obviously worked hard and spent a ridiculous about of money to make this site amazing. It may not be entirely pleasing on the eyes, but the streaming mix tapes section, which allows people to listen to epitaph records before they come out, and hear some of the staff's favorite songs, as well as the enormous video section shows that Epitaph cares about getting their music out there in as many forms as possible. There's a good reason Epitaph is so successful, even with their slightly more off center bands like Death By Stereo and Dillinger Escape Plan. Epitaph used to have an absolutely pathetic website (remember the anti-web?), but they quickly realized that the internet is the easiest way to get the word out to anyone about their music. And they do with without any cheap corporate gimmicks...
Jordan: I definitely dug the four-song Transplants mix-tape streaming they have up, as that's a release that I'm truly stoked over. But I agree, on the whole, by putting up entire albums in stream (hot water music, distillers), that's just showing a level of care to their customers that few labels would do on their own. I think now that Epitaph has done that, and on such a huge level, a lot of smaller labels will follow suit, even if it might hurt their sales. It also helps that Epitaph puts out few things that suck, then again, one bad GUTTERMOUTH disc equals a few thousand doses of suckiness...
Kevin: But back to the orange...too much!
Jordan: it's muted well by the off-yellow-mustard-beige-brown-purpleberry. We could also call the site, "framerific!" or "orangetastic!"
Kevin: Any site where the boss posts on the comments section is cool in my book
Jordan: Do you think streaming an album in full makes a dent into sales, either good or bad?
Kevin: I think it's a great move on labels' parts - people who otherwise wouldn't be interested in the least might try it out and decide they like it.
Jordan: It's a lot smarter to offer an album in streaming versus full mp3 downloading, I know Nitro did that for Divit's new album, and I was like, "what the hell are they thinking?!?!" because those were high quality mp3s as well.
Kevin: I think they were just conceding that no one was interested in buying the record.
Jordan: Divit has sounded different every time I've heard them, and they always seem to sound like some other band. Now that's gotta take some skill!!
Kevin: What were we talking about?
Jordan: Orangetastic!
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