I don't really think it's fair to say that Tzadik is approaching Columbia-level tardiness. It's most likely a problem with Koch, as you surmise... if for some reason Tzadik misses Koch's distribution deadline for a given release date, even by a few days, Koch will automatically shift the release to the next release in its own cycle -- usually two weeks later but occasionally a month. Since Downtown Music Gallery gets its supply directly from Tzadik rather than through Koch, that store will *always* have the latest Tzadik releases first. If I remember correctly from my own Koch days, since DTG is also Tzadik's only official mail-order outlet this was okayed by the distributor as part of their deal with the label, though it's kept quiet so as not to piss off all the other distributors.

As for the new Pain Killer, which I purchased on the day Bruce said he'd have it in stock, on one listen I don't really remember it as being markedly superior to either of the other live Pain Killer releases, though there were a few moments that clearly set it apart - one memorable stretch featured Laswell (who is otherwise his usual dub-thumping, subterranean self) squirelling around in the high end of his instrument, sounding rather like a distorted lead guitarist, and another stretch with no drums and Harris exclusively on vocals...