Joyful Noise Releases Limited Edition Thurston Moore / Bernie Sanders 7″ Flexi-Disc

Here at Monster Fresh, there are a few things that we love.  One of them is Sonic Youth.  Another one is the idea of upturning a system that is fundamentally corrupt and encourages egregious social disparity in what, for some, feels like much less than “the land of opportunity,” at this point.  We also LOVE Joyful Noise Recordings and are pretty enthusiastic about a new project that they put together involving both Thurston Moore and Bernie Sanders, assembled specifically to benefit the presidential campaign of the latter.

Initially release last night exclusively to Joyful Noise Recordings VIP members, the label’s site describes the project as “a brand new composition by Thurston Moore, created in collaboration with the Bernie Sanders campaign. Titled “Feel It In Your Guts,” the track is a twelve-string acoustic piece laced with excerpts from Bernie Sanders’ speeches, touching on topics like the worship of money, economic inequality, social justice, and the need for basic human rights for all people. (Arranged and mixed by our buddy Mike Bridavsky.) ”

As of this morning, Joyful Noise has made the release accessible to the public, but while the MP3 is available for free download, there is also a physical copy which is “limited to 1000 hand-numbered copies on square, white flexi-disc vinyl, with screenprinted cover art by David Kloc.”

So, how do you get one?  The answer is that you need to make a contributions to the Sanders campaign and then upload a screenshot proving that you’ve done so.  On top of that, it has to be a NEW contributions made after May 31st, so if you rushed to send in some money to Bernie last night, in an attempt to beat the FEC deadline, well… you’re gonna have to throw a few more bucks his way.  At least, if you want to get your hands on the flexi disc, you do.  If you’re curious about why Joyful Noise doesn’t just sell these outright and donate the money, they’ve provided an explanation for that, as well.

Why do you have to jump through these hoops to order? 
You see, we wanted this to be a benefit release, but Joyful Noise is a company… and that means Bernie won’t accept a check from us. True story. So, we can’t merely sell you the release and pass the donation to Bernie. Instead, you have to follow the ordering instructions and make a direct contribution to the campaign, prove you’ve donated by uploading a screenshot, and then proceed to checkout and claim your free limited edition flexi-disc.

As you might expect, the suggested donation is $27, but there is definitely no minimum that you have to donate.  That being said, there is a little asterisk with the following disclaimer at the bottom of the order page.

* NOTE: there is no donation minimum, but we reserve the right to cancel your order if we feel like you’re being an opportunistic dick. Dig deep. Feel it in your guts.

Head to Joyful Noise to pick up a copy of the “Feel It In Your Guts” flexi now, before they run out.

You can check out some further details about how the project came to fruition after the following product images.

VIA JoyfulNoiseRecordings.com

A word from our curator:

Bernie Sanders inspires us. In a political and business climate which is increasingly self-interested and money-driven, Bernie Sanders alone remains uncompromisingly focused on the issues that affect 99% of us. Which is to say, he’s talking about the things that will improve the lives of ourselves, our families, and basically everyone we have ever met. As the only presidential candidate who refuses bribes from big business, his agenda is unswervingly focused on the people over special interests. As Bernie himself has said, “The reason why we are doing well in this campaign is because we are telling the truth.”

We at the label were inspired to support the campaign, and we thought it would be best to use our curatorial talents to this end. Being a weird-o indie rock record label, we are fortunate to work with a variety of incredible musicians; including, on occasion, the great Thurston Moore. So we decided to ask him. And we were delighted that in a matter of minutes after posing the idea, Thurston excitedly agreed.

Next: the task of getting a major presidential candidate involved. Fortunately, one of our employees was already friends with the good folks of the Bernie campaign, so we reached out. Amazingly, the Bernie campaign responded, and within a week or so, we heard that Bernie himself was into the idea. The amazing folks at the Bernie campaign have worked closely with us to make this crazy collaboration a reality. 

– Karl Hofstetter