Bandbox Unboxed Vol. 23 – Divine Fits

Prepare your turntable for heavy rotation spinners vinyl fans, ’cause Bandbox record club is out to bring the record store to your own front door.

Groove is in the Bandbox

That’s right music fans, Team Bandbox is offering a truly tailor made vinyl club experience every month by letting you fill your box with artists and albums that fit your own personal tastes. As their slogan goes, it’s pretty much like having the record store delivered to your front door every month. And Bandbox is currently boasting a record store style variety of artists with a treasure trove of exclusive pressings you really do not want to sleep on.

Having it your way really is the Bandbox mantra. Offering subscribers the choice of a single album from an artist you adore, and a fresh edition of Bandbox’s artist-specific fan zine showing up every single month, the B-Box service has effectively made it possible to do a little bin-diving from the comfort your very own home. And subscribers can now dig their vinyl+zine treasures for a beyond reasonable $29 a month. 

Did I mention Bandbox even offers FREE SHIPPING for members? They do. And it’s the icing on the record club cake. So what’s in this month’s Bandbox? Nothing short of a tasty banger from indie rock supergroup Divine Fits.

Before we continue, you should know up front Bandbox’s format is designed to ease the nerves of folks wary of the record club scene. And yes, you can still choose to be surprised every month if surprises happen to be your bag. If you’re not feeling any of the album’s Bandbox is offering, you can also pump the brakes at any time by simply pausing your sub. It’s unlikely you’ll want to pause anything once you’ve signed up and experienced BandBox for yourself. Just know that your Bandbox experience will be every bit as amazing as you make it.

Let the Great World Spin

Now that you’ve gotten a sneak peek, lets dig a little deeper into the box. And please believe me when I say this killer, exclusive pressing of Divine Fits’ A Thing Called Divine Fits is well worth digging into. With Bandbox’s Divine Fits zine included in your package, you’ll be able to do just that. Check. It. out.

Just FYI – you’ll want to pay attention to the info on both of those hype stickers.

For those who want to sing along with every single track on A Thing Called Divine Fits, the printed inner boasting a full lyric breakdown will surely come in handy.

Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits (2012)

I know some of you you read the words “indie rock supergroup” and probably rolled your eyes a bit. I don’t blame you. For the record, I’m on board with that eye roll, ’cause most albums from so-called supergroups come across as boring, bloated, and infuriatingly self-indulgent. Divine Fits prove that take is not always accurate, however. In fact, I’d go so far as to claim A Thing Called Divine Fits is the rare “supergroup” rock record that legitimately lives up to the “super” billing.

That may be a bit surprising to folks familiar with the the likes of Spoon, and Wolf Parade, whose principle songwriters (Britt Daniel and Dan Boeckner respectively) have been known to occasionally err on the side of self-indulgent over the years. Those bands have, of course, also become legends with the indie rock set, a fact that might lead one to presume a certain level of inflated ego.

Yet when the powerhouse frontmen combined their profound talents (along with New Bomb Turks drummer Sam Brown, and Spoon keyboardist/guitarist Alex Fischel), egos were clearly nowhere to be found. More than that, everyone involved brought their A+ game on the song front, seamlessly focusing all the best aspects of Spoon and Wolf Parade numbers into a collection of songs from a “supergroup” that felt more like an actual band than a one-off, headline grabbing side gig.

To be clear, A Thing Called Divine Fits arguably features the best songs Daniel and Boeckner have released in their own storied careers on the indie scene. That fact alone makes it a bit frustrating then that, even in spite of the fact, both frontmen returned to their respective outfits soon after releasing and touring A Thing Called Divine Fits, and have not recorded as Divine Fits since.

Frustrations aside, rollick rollicking gems like “My Love is Real,” “Would That Not Be Nice,” “For Your Heart,” and a, ahem, shiver-inducing cover of Rowland S. Howard’s “Shivers,” A Thing Called Divine Fits remains an absolute diamond of an indie rock album even ten years after it was first released. And yes, it’s a must have for any indie rock fan. As for the wax, well, like the album, its bold, bright, and sure to grab the attention of anyone who gets their hands on it.

I’ve been assuming most of you not only know who Spoon, Wolf Parade, and Divine Fits are, but that you’re also fans of each. Should that be the case, you’ll find much to adore within the pages of the Bandbox Divine Fits-centric zine. That should, however, remain true even if you’ve never heard of any of these bands.

And at the risk of shamelessly bragging, holy hell does this Bandbox set look AMAZING on a red turntable. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll look good on yours too.

It’s the Bandbox You Want and the Bandbox You Need

The vinyl boom is here to stay, friends. And if you’re one of the many who’ve found themselves fervently swept up in the madness, you’re already aware there’s a million and one ways to get your hands on some sweet, sweet wax. While I’d always encourage you to shop first at your local record store, subscription vinyl clubs really are an excellent way to help fill in/round out your growing collection.

The great thing about Bandbox is that they ultimately leave the decision-making up to you. So if you’re looking to snag a copy of your fave band’s most popular album on snazzy colored wax, you can do that. As it stands, A Thing Called Divine Fits is the only album the band ever released, so it’s obviously the only album available in the Bandbox vaults. And if you want a copy for yourself, I’d advise grabbing one sooner rather than later, ’cause these will surely not last long. Cheers!

A thousand THANK Yous to the folks at Bandbox for sponsoring this subscription. If you like what you’ve seen here, you can head over to the Bandbox website and sign up to have a sexy new Bandbox delivered to your own front door every single month. While you’re there, feel free to check out their podcast and merch section too! And be sure to check back soon to see what goodies we find in our next Bandbox!