I just got a handful of free CDs that were being given away at a dance organized by CDS Boston. From the spine and back covers, it looks like CDS Boston (or some variation on the name) is also the label/imprint for all of them. Copyright dates range from 2000 to 2011, so these presumably aren’t promoting new releases; I’m guessing they’re old stock that the label (or maybe an artist, board member, or other) wants to get rid of. At a glance, they look like normal retail releases, with barcodes and without any of the markings I usually see on promotional releases. I don’t see any drill or saw marks like some old discounted releases have, but the label is a relatively small non-profit, so that’s not surprising.
Even though these were given away for free at an event run by the label, I’m guessing these should still be official because they seem more like liquidating old stock than promoting anything?