...Matador Records is 'releasing' the album early through Buy Early Get Now. Basically, the deal is, you pre-order the album, and get password-only access to a live stream, which you can listen to until the August 21 official release (though I'm unsure if it's only the one listen or unlimited until the album is out), plus some exclusive B-sides. Also, a ~ $19.00 pre-order deal includes a bunch of nice bonuses for the die-hard:
The "Challengers" Buy Early Get Now is available in two different versions. The first, and best, is The Executive Edition, but we're also offering a stripped down Standard Version. This is what you get with The Executive Edition:
You Get It All + an exclusive, limited edition Box Set
*Full Album Stream
Listen to all of Challengers months ahead of release
*The Challengers Box-Set
A very limited edition Treasury of New Pornography available only to Executive members. Includes three bonus discs, designed in a deluxe box set package.
Disc One: B-Sides, Demos and Alternate Mixes
Disc Two: The New Pornographers "Live From The Future"
Disc Three: Videos, photos and artwork
(note: you will download all of this material digitally as part of Buy Early Get Now, so some-assembly is required as some of these recordings haven't even happened yet.)
*Advance notice and exclusive tickey buy links for upcoming New Pornographers tours
*Basically, you Get It All
Don't you hate it when bonus tracks are split up over tons of releases? A store exclusive bonus track here, a UK only single there, if you want to hear everything you'd have to buy the record twenty times from twenty different places. Not anymore. With the Executive Edition ALL content associated with Challengers will be available to Executive members.