What’s black and round . . . with White Stripes? Keep- ing songs off the Internet before their official release date has become the music business’s mission impossible. This past week, neo-garage band the White Stripes came up with a solution: Drop only vinyl promo copies of Elephant, their new CD (due out April 15).

Who's the genius? It was Jack White's idea to deliver Elephant the old-fashioned way. (The band's "Christmas single" came on seven-inch vinyl and was quickly a collector's item.)

How can I get one? You can't. There are only 500, and music-industry insiders have been working themselves into a frenzy—and working the phones—even if they don’t have a turntable. “I’ve got to go to my girlfriend’s parents’ house to listen to it,” confesses one music editor.

Related:

• Archive: “Gotham”
• Articles by Sarah Bernard
• Table of Contents: Feb 10, 2003 issue of New York | Subscribe!