I’m a huge fan of Omaha’s electro-rock hybrid group The Faint.

I’ve seen them live three times, cite their influence/parallels throughout numerous reviews, and ever since their two-date stint at First Avenue opening for Bright Eyes on the Digital Ash in a Digital Urn tour, I’ve been salivating all over my yuppy yellow polo shirt just waiting for new material and their next stop in Minneapolis.

I’m ready and poised to LOVE UP THIS BAND. But two major things are holding me back…

First, the group’s new international tour includes stops everywhere BUT Minneapolis.

Second, the label sent me a filthy DRM copy of the new Fasciinatiion album that refuses to play in my standalone CD player, my car’s CD player (says “data disc) nor computer.

This isn’t the first and won’t be the last DRM’d disc to come in the mail I can’t review — recent instances include Counting Crows, Eels, Mars Volta, and I’m sure a bunch more I can’t remember because they simply get ignored.

Each of these DRM discs has my name and a serial number printed on the actual CD and often a letter that threatens RIAA castration if the tunes make their way online. It’s fair to make threats, but why even bother delivering a product that can’t be played?

Dear RIAA, how could I possibly steal this music when I can’t even listen to it?

I’m sure the high level of customization, tracking and mailing is a highly involved and expensive process — an expense I’m positive the label passes to both the fans and artists. And can you imagine the expense of not selling albums because your buzz is hamstrung?

I wouldn’t normally say anything, but when I band I truly love falls into the RIAA DRM deathtrap, it makes me so angry I could punch Cary Sherman in the face.

UPDATE:  E-mail back from Joel at The Worker’s Institute Artist Management:

i am sorry that you have not been able ot listen to the record yet, i think it is great, and i hope you will agree when you do get to hear it.

funny, we get our advance cd’s made at the same place as Universal ( our offices are near their’s) , os it makes sense that you can nether play univ advances nor ours.

i can play the cds on my cd player, i think some newer players actually sample the files as they are playing them or something. of course you cant play it on a computer, we dont want people to trade the files yet.

We are not doing unprotected advances on this record, but we can probably send you teh actual cd closer to the release date.

So basically, tough shit (and a spell check FAIL). Got it.