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For Ordering Instructions or Questions about your order, please scroll to the bottom of this page, thanks!

Q. How do I use my download code?
A. When you buy a new LP or 7-inch on the AT site that has a download code, it is a physical slip of paper inserted into the physical packaging! We do not offer e-mailed codes right now.
When you receive a download code, go to the AT Download Page and type your download code into the box next to "Enter Download Code." Your download should start immediately.
If you have problems, please contact us at mailorder at

Q. Where can I hear free tunes from AT?
A. Check out free Alternative Tentacles music on our Sound Cloud page and on our old mp3 page

Q. What ever happened with the Frankenchrist trial?
A. The easiest way to learn more is to check out Biafra's 2nd spoken word album, The High Priest Of Harmful Matter
Reading this excerpt from Rolling Stone's October 1987 article is also very informative.

Q. Who owns Alternative Tentacles?
A. Jello Biafra aka Eric Reed Boucher.

Q. Please give me Jello's personal email. I am his biggest fan. He has meant more to me than my parents.
A. You can send him an e-mail at Jello Biafra

Q. I could have sworn you had an office in the U.K.; how come I can't find them anymore?
A.We shut down our U.K. office in 1997 because employees there were ripping off both AT AND our bands- among other things.

Q. Where can I purchase Alternative Tentacles songs and albums on-line?
A. As of November 2008, here's our current list of digital retailers:
iTunes (audio)
eMusic (audio)
AmazonMP3 (audio)
Other Music (audio)
24-7 (audio)
7Digital (audio)
Fuego Entertainment (audio)
GroupieTunes (audio)
Hot Topic / Shockhound (audio) Radio (audio)
Mbop Megastore (audio)
MediaNet Digital (audio)
Mix and Burn (audio)
MOD Systems (audio)
mTraks (audio)
Napster (audio)
Nokia (OD2/Loudeye) (audio)
Puretracks (audio)
R2G (audio)
Rhapsody (audio)
Rogers Wireless (audio)
SecuryCast (audio)
Slacker (audio)
SpiralFrog (audio)
Starzik (audio)
Verizon Wireless (audio) (audio)
9Squared / Zed (ringtones)
Bell Mobility Ringtone (ringtones)
FunMobility / Infospace (ringtones)
Hudson Entertainment (ringtones)
m-Qube / VeriSign (ringtones)
Moderati (ringtones)
Rogers Wireless Ringtone (ringtones)
Send Me Mobile (ringtones)
Thumbplay (ringtones)
Virgin Mobile USA (ringtones)
There are other services that take some but not all of our releases, but this is a good enough list for now, don't you think?
Meanwhile, you can check out some free music from AT releases at our mp3 library and our Soundcloud site.

Q. Hey, what gives? I placed an order on your website on Wednesday and now its Monday and I still haven't received it?
A. Most of the orders placed ship within 72 hours. Sometimes when we have a sale we get a few more orders than we are accustomed to and it takes a few days longer to process all of the orders despite us working more hours to try to catch up. Also, we don't work on Saturday and Sundays due to religious commitments and hence that may add a day or two to your waiting time. And on a few occasions we may be out of an item, like a book or t-shirt. Sometimes that takes time to get back in stock. Please be patient. If you need to know the status of your order email Mailorder.

Q. How come you cannot sell Dead Kennedys' records any more?
A. A court order has prevented us from selling them for the time being. The only exception is the DK "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" single that's a split release with our pals at Subterranean, which goes in and out of print because Subterranean assembles them (including the classic armband) by hand. If it's currently not available on our site, it will be available eventually.

Q. Golly would I love to get my hands on a copy of the video for Terminal City Ricochet featuring Jello Biafra and all of that great music. How can I get one?
A. You're in luck! We released the film on DVD, bundled with the excellent soundtrack in 2010. Check it out here! As before, the classic soundtrack is still available here.

Q. Who signs the bands at AT? How do you decide what albums to release?
A. Jello Biafra picks the bands he wants to release on AT. Sometimes the staff encourages him to sign certain bands, but at the end of the day, it's his call.

Q. How can I send demos from my awesome band to A.T.?
A. We accept demos by postal mail ONLY. Please don't e-mail us mp3s or links to your website. Before you send anything, please check out our demo submission page.

Q. Is Jello gay?
A. No.

Q. When did the label start?
A. 1979

Q. I work for this rad magazine. I would happily write articles about your bands or at least review your albums. How can I receive them?
A. Please realize that we have a limited number of promo copies available. If you would like to be added to our list, you need to email us
or fax 510 596 8982 and provide with as much information to convince us to send you stuff.

Q. On the cover of Jello Biafra's I Blow Minds For A Living, whose arm is that protruding out of the toilet bowl?
A. Why that's none other than Dirk Dirksen's arm.

Q. How many records has Alternative Tentacles released?
A. Around 450, of which over 300 are still in print. See our discography page.

Q. I want to come by your office and hang out. What's the address?
A. Sorry but we are not open to the public. We are a small staff in a tiny cramped office so we cannot let you in because you will not fit. You can contact us though.

Q. What is the label/Jello's position on the "Napster/File Sharing debate"?
A. Jello is still on the fence on the issue and says so on his spoken word album Become The Media. If you want to hear his opinion of Napster, its on disc 2 around the 50th minute. (Remember that the first DK tapes that came out had text on them encouraging people to tape albums.) The rest of the office has their own opinions on it.

Q. How come you idiots don't re-issue the best punk rock compilation of all time LET THEM EAT JELLYBEANS which you originally released in the early 80's?
A. Because Black Flag will not give us permission to include their track. Also, there has been a falling-out between Jello and one of the other bands on the compilation. Due to those 2 omissions, Jello has decided that it wouldn't really be a true "re-issue" and hence has decided not to re-issue it.

Speaking of classic punk compilations, the label has re-issued the other classic punk compilation NOT SO QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, as well as albums by False Prophets, BGK, the Dicks, Amebix, MIA, Drunk Injuns, Los Olvidados, Free Beer, Zolar X, Burning Image, The Mentally Ill, Th' Inbred, and The Eat - all in our "Punk Rock Re-issues Of Necessity Series."

Q. How come you don't re-issue the classic (fill-in the blank) record/cd/cassette/video?
A.It depends on the release- some were in print for a decade or more before selling through their first pressing, others just tailed off after years of fan interest. A handful are out of print by mutual agreement of the label and the band (Nomeansno and the Hanson Brothers, for instance).

Q.Okay, so you're not going to re-release that great item, but don't you have some old copies laying around you can just send me on the down low?
A.Sorry, the only out-of-print things we have laying around are our personal copies. If we have it in stock and we're legally able to sell it (i.e. everything that's not the Dead Kennedys full lengths), it's on our site. Sniff around used record bins and on-line auction sites for the vinyl version. Check out, that's a good non-chain store resource for used vinyl records, cds, videos, dvds, cassettes, etc. For out-of-print/unavailable books, check the independent Why give your business to soul-sucking corporate entities like Amazon or Barnes and Noble if you can get the same items through more independent avenues?

Q. Wasn't AT going to release 16 HORSEPOWER's "Yours Truly" greatest hits/rarities collection?
A.We were planning to co-release it with our friends over at Glitterhouse Records in Germany, but we were unable to license some of the songs from another label. However, Glitterhouse has released "Yours Truly" in Europe and digitally.

Q. What happened to the Alternative Tentacles Legal Defense Fund?
A. The ATLDF was closed in 2007. It was begun to help defend The Dead Kennedys and Alternative Tentacles from out-of-control censorious authorities who objected to the H.R. Giger poster included with the final Dead Kennedys studio album, Frankenchrist. You can hear Jello's take on that infamous trial on his 2nd spoken word release High Priest Of Harmful Matter. Funds later supported Jello Biafra and Alternative Tentacles against the Faux Kennedys in the 2000s. The cool cats over at Truth On Tees produced the rockin' Bush America as a fundraiser for both the ATLDF and Greg Palast Investigative Fund. Thank you to everyone who has supported the Fund over the years!

Q. I work for a rad radio station and we don't receive any of your CDs - can't you add us to your mailing list?
A. Please realize that we have a very limited number of promo copies available, so we can't service everything to everyone. Please e-mail some recent charts or playlists to radio or fax 510 596 8982 and provide with as much information to convince us to send you stuff. Make sure you include your station's postal address, phone number, etc. We prefer to send promos to the radio station rather than a personal address if we don't know you yet.

Q. Is it true that Jello actually ran for President of the United States for the Green Party in the 2000 election?
A. For a brief while he did. Then he decided that it would be more beneficial to back someone with more experience such as Ralph Nader, which he did. Jello attended many rallies on behalf of the Green Party and traveled around the States speaking in support of Ralph and the Greens. He even released an "emergency single" entitled "The Green Wedge" espousing the virtues of the Green Party. On "Become The Media", Jello also talks quite a bit about politics and the 2000 election. Click here for more information on Jello's involvement with the 2000 election. (Yes, Jello also ran for major of San Francisco in 1979! He came in 4th out of ten.)

Q. What is that awesome intro song on every Batcast?
A. It's "Only Tonight" by our friends the Flaming Stars from their stellar Ginmill Perfume collection on Alternative Tentacles.

Q. You have a lot of rad free mp3s on your website? Is it cool if I offer those mp3s on my website?
A. No. You must receive written permission from the label. Email or fax 510 596 8982

Q. How come LARD never tour Turlock?
A. LARD was conceived as a studio-only project. They've played live a handful of times over the past 2 decades. There were rumors of them touring but that hasn't resulted in anything yet. All current tour dates can be found on our website. We post shows and events as soon as we can confirm them.

Jello Biafra With The Guantanamo School Of Medicine, however, have been touring a fair amount- so you'll have a better chance of seeing them live than Lard or other Jello Biafra collaborations.

Q. I ordered an AT CD from's website and they are selling AT CDs for $8.92 and you are selling them for $12.00 - what gives?
A. We feel that our prices are fair. Please realize that all of the's don't operate how real companies do. They are trying to price each other out of the market. They make money from other sources, such as advertising. When you order with us, you should feel good about yourself for supporting an independently-owned small business- Alternative Tentacles Records! Your money helps pay our wages and helps us continue doing what we are known for. Support the little guy, not the corporations, will ya fella?

Q. Was the classic Dead Kennedys song "Holiday In Cambodia" actually used in a Levi's Dockers commercial?
A. No, but they sure tried! Ray and Klaus put intense pressure on Jello to knuckle under and sell out to Levi's. Their legal harassment of Jello and AT began right afterwards. Jello is not allowed any control or meaningful input over the use of Dead Kennedys songs. Three other ex-members of Dead Kennedys currently control all licensing decisions of the Dead Kennedys catalog. They now deny Jello access to all the books and won't even let him see the contracts they sign.

Q. I really really really want to work at AT. What's the trick?
A. If there are any job openings we will mention them on our jobs page. We only have 2 paying positions and turnover isn't too frequent, so openings are scarce.

Q. How can I get my site listed on your Links page?
A. Send us your link. If we like your site we will list it on our Links page. Maybe you can return the favor?

Q. What does FAQ stand for?
A. Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who came up with your twisted label logo?
A. Winston Smith, the infamous guerrilla collage artist who also designed the DK logo.

Q. How old is Jello?
A.In 2010 he turned 52. In 2011 he turned 53. (please continue doing the math)

Q. I would like permission to use or license a song (from a CD or an mp3) for a compilation, or video game, or snowboard video, or school project, or to use on my website, or or or-how do I do that?
A. You need to email or fax 510 596 8982 and provide as much information about your project and we will let you know.

Q. Where are your shirts, hats, and mugs made?
A. All of the Alternative Tentacles-made shirts, hats, bags, and mugs are made in the U.S.A., and are union-made whenever possible. We're proud to be sweatshop-free, and urge all of you to request made in the USA, sweatshop-free, and/or union-made items from other labels, bands, and political organizations. However, we carry some shirts from our bands and outside organizations which may or may not be made in the USA.

Q. What are the measurements of your short sleeve shirts?
A.Here are the approximate measurements in inches. Since we use different US manufacturers, the sizes may vary. (If a specific manufacturer like American Apparel is mentioned, go to their website and see if they have specific measurements before e-mailing us about those styles) Please note that US made shirts are generally cut a little larger than Australian or UK shirts. US shirts have tended to be cut larger since baggy clothes became popular over the past several years.

Youth Medium: 17" (width) 22" (length)
Youth Large: 18" (width) 24" (length)
Medium: 20" (width) 29" (length)
Large: 22" (width) 30" (length)
XL (Extra Large): 24" (width) 33" (length)

Q. What are these "Region 1" and "All Region Compatible" notations on the dvd descriptions?
A.Thanks to Jim Taylor and his very helpful DVD Demystified site for this, because he said it better than we could:

Motion picture studios want to control the home release of movies in different countries because theater releases aren't simultaneous (a movie may come out on video in the U.S. when it's just hitting screens in Europe). Also, studios sell distribution rights to different foreign distributors and would like to guarantee an exclusive market. Therefore they required that the DVD standard include codes that can be used to prevent playback of certain discs in certain geographical regions. Each player is given a code for the region in which it's sold. The player will refuse to play discs that are not coded for its region. This means that a disc bought in one country may not play on a player bought in another country. Some people believe that region codes are an illegal restraint of trade, but there have been no legal cases to establish this.

Regional codes are entirely optional for the maker of a disc. Discs without region locks will play on any player in any country. It's not an encryption system, it's just one byte of information on the disc that the player checks. Some studios originally announced that only their new releases would have regional codes, but so far almost all Hollywood releases play in only one region. Region codes are a permanent part of the disc, they won't "unlock" after a period of time. Region codes don't apply to DVD-Audio, DVD-ROM, or recordable DVD (see below for more detail).

There are 8 regions, each of which is assigned a number. Players and discs are often identified by the region number superimposed on a world globe. If a disc plays in more than one region it will have more than one number on the globe. The regions are:

1. U.S., Canada, U.S. Territories (This is us, in case you're wondering)
2. Japan, Europe, South Africa, and Middle East (including Egypt)
3. Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)
4. Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean
5. Eastern Europe (Former Soviet Union), Indian subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
6. China
7. Reserved
8. Special international venues (airplanes, cruise ships, etc.)

Technically there is no such thing as a region 0 disc or a region 0 player. There is such thing as an all-region disc. There are also all-region players. Some players can be "hacked" with special command sequences from the remote control to switch regions or play all regions. Some players can be physically modified ("chipped") to play discs regardless of the regional codes on the disc. This usually voids the warranty, but is not illegal in most countries (since the only thing that requires player manufacturers to region-code their players is the CSS license). Many retailers, especially outside North America, sell players that have already been modified for multiple regions, or in some cases they simply provide instructions on how to access the "secret" region change features already built into the player.

Interesting side note: On Feb. 7, 2001, NASA sent two multiregion DVD players to the International Space Station.

Q: Why is my country not listed in your on-line shopping cart?

A: Unfortunately, we do not accept on-line orders from certain country because of rampant credit card fraud. We apologize for the hassle, but please order by one of these methods and we'll be happy to send you your order:

Check or International Money Order drawn on US dollars via postal mail
Credit Card/Debit Card via fax or phone (do NOT e-mail credit card information)
Western Union (see above for instructions)

Thanks and we look forward to getting your order by one of these methods.

Q. How do I contact Alternative Tentacles mailorder?

A. Either call, fax or e-mail us at:

E-mail mailorder at
Call 510-596-8984 in the USA
Fax 510-596-8982 in the USA

If you do not hear back in a week, please repeat your communication method, or switch to one of the others listed above. E-mails have been shunted to spam folders and power outages have erased answering machine messages before.

=====> Social networking sites like FACEBOOK and MYSPACE are NOT good ways to get ahold of mail-order! <=====

Q. How do I order from Alternative Tentacles?

A. Beneath every item description are formats or sizes (depending on the item). If there's a price after the format or size (like below), you click on the item you want and you're automatically brought to your shopping cart.

LP - $9.00/CD - $12.00

The item you've just clicked on will appear in the shopping cart, and you can increase the number of copies of that item by changing the number next to it (the default is "1") and pressing "Recalculate." If you wish to delete something from your cart, check the box next to the item in the "Delete" column and press "Recalculate." You can choose "Continue Shopping" at any point and you'll be taken back to the store section of the site.

You can see what is in your shopping cart at any point by clicking "View Cart" which is in the upper right hand corner at all times on our site. When you're finished shopping, go to the Cart by clicking this link and then, on the store page, clicking "Check Out."

A Customer Profile saves your shipping information so that you don't have to re-enter it ever time you order from us. You are not required to have a customer profile to order from Alternative Tentacles. If you wish to skip this step, just ignore the e-mail address and password boxes and press the "Check Out" button.

Domestic postage costs: All California orders will have the 8.75% sales tax added automatically before your order is completed. All cloth items and coffee mugs are automatically sent Priority Mail. Other than these exceptions, you have a choice in the check out process of either Priority Mail or Media Mail. Once you make your choice, the total is calculated for you by our website. Priority Mail (i.e. First Class) is guaranteed to arrive in 1-4 days anywhere in the US, including any US territories like Puerto Rico and Guam. Media Mail is 1-2 weeks delivery within the continental US and up to 3 weeks for Hawaii, Alaska, and US territories. However, we've noticed that Media Mail can be just as fast as Priority Mail for California orders, especially in Northern California. It's not always true, but it's a thrifty tip for Californians.

Since the correct postage is automatically added to your order during the on-line checkout process, the following is informational only unless you're ordering via mail/fax/phone and are not constructing your order using our website. All $ amounts are before taxes and postage are added. US Postal rates changed in early 2012 and are reflected in these shipping and handling charges. Most of our domestic rates did not go up. Some International rates did increase while others decreased:

Priority Mail:
Orders up to $25 = $6
$25.01-$40 = $8
$40.01-up = $12

Media Mail:
Orders up to $25 = $3
$25.01-$40 = $5
$40.01-up = $6

Example: Little Billy, who lives in Los Angeles, CA, orders one LP for $9. He multiplies $9 x .0875 for the California State Tax. He wants it sent Media Mail, so he adds $3 to the total. His total is $12.79. Medium Mary, who lives in Olathe, Kansas, orders 2 cds for $12 each and 3 buttons for $1 each (total $27). She wants it sent fast, so she chooses Priority Mail ($8). Her total is $35 (no tax because she does not live in California). Finally, Big Louie in Duluth, Minnesota, wants a 4XL Bat shirt ($20). He has to pay $6 for Priority since there's cloth in the order for a total of $26.

International Orders: The international shipping charge depends on the weight of the order. There are no flat rates due to this and because different countries have different rates.

How to figure out shipping for International Orders and print out postal or fax orders for Domestic and International Orders:
You can construct your order on our website (use the shopping cart) and the shipping charges are computed before you have to enter a credit card, so if you need to send in an order via the post you can do that instead of using a credit card or pay pal. If you send in payment by mail, please make sure that any check or International Money Order is drawn on US funds.

Pay with PayPal, Credit Card, Check, Money Order, International Money Order (IMO), Western Union, or Cash:
We accept payment by credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover), PayPal, personal checks, cashier's checks, money orders, Western Union, International Money Orders, and good old US $ cash. We have a secure server.

You can print out your order from our website and mail us your credit card information, check, money order, or US $ cash. E-mail Jesse directly before placing an order via Western Union: jesse [at] Western Union orders must be made out to: "Jesse Townley," not "Alternative Tentacles." Minimum order for Western Union is US$25 before postage costs. International checks and International Money Orders (IMO) must be drawn on US currency. Do not e-mail us credit card information. Feel free to fax, phone, or mail credit card information.

Phone and Fax Orders: To order via phone, call (510)596-8984 Monday - Friday 10am-5pm (Pacific Time). If no one answers, leave a message. To order via fax, call (510)596-8982.

Important Note for Postal Mail Customers: Due to technical issues, we process postal mail orders once every 2 weeks, so please be patient. Once processed, postal mail orders go to the front of the packing queue and usually go out that same day. This applies to both domestic and international postal mail orders. If we miss the day's deadline, the order goes out in the following business day's mail.

Return Policy: You can return items by sending us the item and we will ship out the appropriate replacement. Wrong sizes, incorrect items, and damaged items are returnable. We can also send you a credit slip if you prefer. We can only do paypal refunds at this point. Returns are processed more quickly than postal mail orders. PLEASE write down what you're returning and why, and what you which to exchange the item for. Check our site for availability or list alternates, thanks!

Credit Slips: If you are issued a credit slip, you can redeem it through the mail or on-line! During the check-out process on our site, just enter in the credit slip number written on the credit slip in the box marked "Redeem Your Credit Slip - Enter Credit Slip" on the 3rd page of the Check Out process and your total will be deducted by that amount. If your credit slip is for more than the order you placed, the remaining credit is available for your next order. We don't have a method to display the amount of credit you have left right now, so if you want to know just e-mail Mailorder and ask us to check for you.

If you have an older mail-only credit slip, we cannot transfer it to the digital system. You still must redeem that credit slip through the mail.

Different Shipping Address from Billing Address:
Thanks to credit card fraud, we only ship to the billing addresses of the credit card you order on our site with. If you must have your order shipped to a different address than your credit card billing address, then order with your credit card via fax, phone, or postal mail. We do not accept credit card orders via e-mail. Other ways to have an order shipped to any address of your choice are Pay Pal, money orders, well-hidden US $, checks drawn on US$, and International Money Orders drawn on US$.

Aside from carrying everything on the Alternative Tentacles Records label (duh) we carry lots of books, music from other labels, t-shirts, bags, stickers, and other merch.

Most orders ship within 72 hours! 80% of the items we sell we manufacture ourselves, so we don't need to order them from other companies, hence your order can be processed and shipped almost immediately. However, since we're a tiny company, when we have a lot of orders (for instance, during the holiday season in December) we cannot ship all orders within 72 hours of us processing them. We will try to post a note on the front page of this site when this is the case. Also, we only work Monday through Friday. Thank you for being patient.

2013 Winter Holiday deadlines:
For Christmas/Hannukah season we have the following deadlines. Find your method of shipping/ordering and get your order in by the date below. This should ensure delivery by Monday December 23, 2013.

All orders sent through the mail should arrive at our PO Box by Monday December 2
International web orders Wednesday November 27
Media Mail web orders Monday December 9
Priority Mail orders Monday December 16

Orders received after those dates will be sent out as quickly as possible.

We do not track packages and we do not ship any other method except US Postal Service (No Fed Ex, UPS, DHL, etc.).

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