The Appleseed Cast’s choice to tour behind an album they produced nine years ago is hardly unconventional. In fact, since ATP launched its Don’t Look Back series in 2005, playing an album in full has become de rigueur for musicians. And it’s not just an ATP thing either.

Liz Phair did an Exile In Guyville tour in 2008.

Jimmy Eat World performed Clarity, their 1999 album that was initially shelved by their label at the time (Capitol) and virtually ignored by music fans, in 10 cities back in 2009.

This year, The Pixies toured around the country playing Doolittle in its entirety.

And the list goes on.

The odd thing about the rise of the playing-an-album-in-full phenomenon is the so-called decline of the album. These “death” pieces in music journalism are kind of like child’s play, it’s the quintessential opposite of a trend piece. The funny thing about the “death of the album” is that while some bemoan the decline of the album, dozens of acts have found that fans will come out in waves to hear their favorite record’s played in full.

A bit of a paradox, is it not?

If anything, the “decline of the album” is merely a decline in the realm of music marketing and casual listenership. With digital sales, record labels realize they can make an easy buck off of a hit single now more than ever. Whereas people in the industry used to be able to flog a full length LP for $18.99 on vinyl or CD knowing that people may have only wanted to hear a couple of chart topping pop tunes, now anyone can go online and pick and choose what they want.

This isn’t a sign that today’s musicians are worse than those of decades past. It’s a sign that the music industry has become a buyers market. And those who are really buying in the market aren’t the casual listeners anymore: It’s the smaller, niche of mild to hardcore listeners. From the people who vie for that limited edition print of some obscure band to those who simply want to support an artist by purchasing their album, these are the individuals carrying the music industry today.

If anything, the “decline of the album” is simply a quality issue. Again, that’s not saying that musicians today are lesser than their elder peers. It’s merely saying that a large part of the one-hit wonders that the big labels used to peddle to the masses and were able to find a nice spot on the Billboard 200 no longer stick like they used to.

True, it all seems like perfect sense. That’s why it’s so odd as to why people are constantly declaring the album “dead.” If anything, it’s just a reflection of the deflated state of the music market. Since then, smaller and independent acts have made their way to the top of the Billboard 200, largely on the backs of their dedicated fanbases. It’s not because they focused on making great singles, but because they made albums, works that last from the first song to last. I may not be a Vampire Weekend fan, but I do realize there’s more than one song that has resonated so much with that group’s audience that allowed Contra to hit No. 1 on Billboard.

Still, they say the album is dead. Yet, all people need to do is see how, say, Jimmy Eat World sold out all 10 Clarity shows. Yes, sold out concerts for an album that Capitol originally shelved. Or take a peek at how The Pixies charged close to $50 for a live rendition of Doolittle and people showed up by the baleful.

So, while it seems like the physical form of the album is six feet under to many online commentators, many acts have discovered the album is alive and well on stage. Here’s hoping others catch wind of the same notion.

The Appleseed Cast performing songs from Low Level Owl Vol. 1:

[youtubevid id="zsxwb70k5eM"]

Some Kind of Merchandiser from Leor Galil on Vimeo.

“Merchandise, it keeps us alive,” Fugazi proclaimed on their song “Merchandise.” Though the D.C. punk act saw merch as a distraction, many Do It Yourself punk acts use money from selling records and clothing to survive as a band.

When Philadelphia’s Algernon Cadwallader played Strangelight – a new Chicago DIY venue – on Friday, Feb. 5, singer/bassist Peter Helmis took some time to discuss the process of creating and selling merchandise. Peter highlighted an important attribute of creating one’s own records and merchandise that many artists are beginning to take advantage of in the digital era:

It’s really helpful, if you’re a band that’s playing lots of shows, to have a bunch of your records. If someone else puts it out, they’ll give you a bunch of free ones to start out with, then you have to buy them from the label whenever you need them. If you put it out yourself, it’s more money up front, but you have like 1,000 records at your disposal whenever you want. You don’t have to buy them again, you just sell them, have them whenever you go out.

As the band saves money by putting out its own records (Algernon’s DIY label is called Be Happy Records) and bringing their merch on tour, fans have the chance of saving money as well. Buying a record at a concert is usually cheaper than ordering it online or through a mail order, and often some of the merchandise isn’t available online. Three items onsale at the concert – the 75:24 tape, the Fun 7″ record and the tour T-shirt – are either sold out online or not available elsewhere. The group’s CD – Some Kind of Cadwallader – cost $6 at the concert and costs upwards of $8 online (plus shipping and handling).

Like a lot of DIY punk bands, Algernon Cadwallader isn’t getting rich and famous from its merchandise or playing concerts. As Peter said:

It’s anything but full-time, but it’s definitely a full-time hobby. It’s our passion.

To get a glimpse of Algernon Cadwallader’s Friday night performance, take a look at the video below:

Algernon Cadwallader – “Some Kind of Cadwallader” from Leor Galil on Vimeo.