Talk about a unique combination of product and marketing; the French Denim label, April 77 , known for their skinny jeans and Rock n' Rolla clothes (yes, Mick Jagger wears them) has just launched April 77 records, a collaboration with indie musicians, that offers a reasonably priced line of sweaters, denim and t-shirts that include downloadable MP3s from upcoming indie bands. The tracks are also available "old-school" as vinyl singles on the site.
A record-cum-clothing label, each product comes with a hang tag that includes a scratch off 'code' that input at their website, enables you to download a free mp3.
Their clothes are for both men and women... and the wannabe rock n' rolla. Their line includes leather jackets, retro sweaters and cardigans, artist and label t-shirts, classic dress shirts, jeans and pants. A fun touch is that many of the articles of clothing include a special pocket to hold a guitar pick that comes with the product :
Some of the collection:
Details of the pieces shown above:
So... how does it work?
The hang tag on the item is your key:
Scratch off the gold area on the tag to reveal your download code:
Input the code at their site:
And voila! You have a new article of clothing and a new song:
Note: the songs are only downloadable once.
Below are some of the APRIL77 Records:
Last Rapes Of Mister Teach
Rodeo Massacre •
The Go •
Last Rapes Of Mister Teach •
Mixel Pixel •
Intelligence •
Project:Komakino •
Pets •
The Red Hearts •
The Willowz •
Neils Children •
Go here to learn about the artists.
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Are you a clothing brand or a music label?
We are both. Our clothing is music, and music lives on our clothing.
2. What is a single?
A single is the A-side and B-side of the artist of the month.
3. What is a custom artist product?
A custom artist product is an item of clothing or an accessory always related to a specific APRIL77RECORDS artist of the month. These items will always allow you to download the single from this artist.
4. Are the mp3s protected?
No. You can do what you want with your mp3 files once you have downloaded them.
5. What format are your music files?
All APRIL77RECORDS singles are in .mp3 format, downloadable in a compressed zip file.
6. I can't find my download code. Where is it?
If you purchased an article of APRIL77RECORDS clothing, the download code can be found on the hang tag (or the APRIL77RECORDS label that looks like a vinyl record). You must scratch off the gold to reveal the code. The 7-inch vinyls work in a similar way, however, the scratch-off area is located on the outside sticker. It's kind of like a lottery ticket, except you win every time.
7. How many times can I use my download code?
Each code is unique and valid for the download of one single only.
7. I just discovered APRIL77RECORDS and would like to have a single from a previous month's artist. What do I do?
If the artist is no longer the APRIL77RECORDS artist of the month, the single can still be downloaded upon the purchase of a 7-inch vinyl or a custom artist product. These will be available while supplies last.
8. What happens when I purchase an APRIL77RECORDS article of clothing in May and don't download until June?
You will receive the June artist of the month.
9. I bought two items of APRIL77RECORDS clothing this month. Does this mean I can only download the same singles twice?
No. If you purchased an APRIL77RECORDS product that is not a custom artist product, you can choose the month in which you wish to download. If you enter your download code during the month of May, you will receive the APRIL77RECORDS May artist. If you wait, for example, to enter your second download code during the month of June, you will receive the APRIL77RECORDS June artist. You can space out your downloads as you wish.
Start dressing, downloading and dancing here.