Photo by Jo McCaughey

And you thought that 3RPM compilation was going to be hard to hear: On April 1, Third Man Records released 1000 helium balloons into the air with a flexi-disc of "Freedom at 21" from Jack White's forthcoming solo LP Blunderbuss attached to each one. (The aircraft spotters among you will recall that Prince Rama did a similar thing last July.)

For skeptics observing the release date and expecting another Insane Clown Posse collaboration, rest assured that Third Man are perfectly serious about their intentions, writing on their site:

Envisioned as an experiment exploring non-traditional forms of record distribution and a way to get records in the hands of people who don't visit record shops, the label was sure to use biodegradable latex balloons and all-natural twine in the process... Statistics for similar balloon launches show a recovery rate of approximately 10% so it's quite possible that less than 100 of the 1000 records launched will ever be discovered. Whatever the numbers, the "Freedom at 21" flexi-disc will surely be a highly sought-after collectible for years to come.

Also, not surprisingly, Third Man have some unique releases planned for Record Store Day on April 21. There'll be a 12-inch release of Jack White's "Sixteen Saltines" that claims to be the "world's first playable etched record," featuring a rendering of the label's logo on its B-side (which also contains White's cover of U2's "Love Is Blindness"). An even more limited version of the single will be released on clear vinyl filled with a "psychedelic blue liquid" -- another Third Man innovation.

Third Man's other Record Store Day releases include Karen Elson's new single, a cover of Jackson C Frank's "Milk and Honey" pressed onto appropriate "milk and honey" colored vinyl and a physical release of Jerry Lee Lewis' instore performance from Record Store Day 2011. They're also reprinting the White Stripes' "Hand Springs" and "Red Death At 6:14" on red vinyl; both tracks have been out of print on vinyl for a decade.

Third Man Records permitted one of their operatives five minutes away from the drawing board to explain more about Jack White's airborn release; check it out below.

Watch Third Man Records' promo for Record Store Day below: