Recent months have given us some fine vinyl releases and I’ll recap some that I’ve picked up (as well a few that I haven’t).
First and foremost, July saw the vinyl release of the Mars Volta’s Octahedron and, in their fine tradition, the package is beautiful. Their artwork is worthy of a subway poster, so there’s no reason to try to appreciate it on a puny little CD card. The white vinyl looks and sounds great and for those of us quick enough to be among the first 500 to order it, it came with a TMV slipmat. The album comes in a custom poly bag with the band name and title so as not to obscure the incredible artwork their covers for which their covers have become know. It might not quite be the package they released for Bedlam in Goliath, but it still meets to the high standards that they’ve set with the vinyl releases. Unfortunately, the CD preceded the LP as Sargent House (who handles Omar’s solo releases) took on releasing the album in its intended format, forcing many people to buy both formats. But the end result was worth it as this is another fine TMV piece for the collection.
Dead Weather is yet another Jack White project and yet another great vinyl package. The Horehound double LP is actually three-sided. The music-free fourth side is etched with an image of the band! Yes, that’s been done before, but the idea has lost none of its awesomeness. The gatefold sleeve has great art on heavy cardboard, completing a package that meets the high standards set by White’s other projects.
Side One Dummy offered a free 7" picture disc of "Rotterdam" and the non-LP "Coal Tattoo" with pre-orders of the Chuck Ragan’s Gold Country CD. While the pre-order is over, this is worth keeping your eyes peeled for on Ebay if you’re a fan of Ragan or Hot Water Music. The label also offered a fine 7" and LP from up-and-coming punk rockers Broadway Calls. The "Be All That You Can’t Be" 7" comes on blue or orange vinyl with 500 pressed in each color. If you want to run the risk of someone seeing you hang out in Hot Topic, they also pressed 500 on white to be sold exclusively there. The Good News, Bad Views LP contains the bonus track, “The Call Out.” Be sure to pick up the new Chuck Ragan (ex-Hot Water Music)/Brian Fallon (of Gaslight Anthem) split 7" as well. It’s everything you’d expect from both artists. Side One Dummy actually has a nice selection of vinyl in their store from the likes of Flogging Molly, Gogol Bordello, 7 Seconds and more, so it’s worth checking out to fulfill some your punk rock vinyl needs.
No Sleep Records has some fine vinyl releases and they make them special for the early pre-orders by silk-screening a small batch of them. La Dispute’s Something at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair is an intense dose of post-punk madness on two LPs. They pressed 500 cream marble and black (100 of which have the silk-screened D side) and 500 clear and black. Balance and Composure’s Only Boundaries successfully walks the line between exploration and familiarity. The record comes on black vinyl and has great cover art. They only pressed 500, so hurry up and get one.
Back in the summer, the promising new Tiny Engines label released their second 7", Tigers Jaw’s Spirit Desire. The EP shows real growth for the band. Having already set a high standard with their first release, Look Mexico’s Gasp Asp, the folks at Tiny Engines raise the bar even further this time with a choice between purple and yellow vinyl packaged in a beautiful and unique package that includes a semi-opaque cover. They really spared no expense to make this look great! There’s also a bonus track with the free digital download. The label’s commitment to excellence, both in the music and the package, bodes well for a rich vinyl future.
Blackheart Records has a few recent vinyl offerings. They’ve re-issued the Joan Jett classic, I Love Rock n Roll. It’s still a cool album and while you can still find an original copy (with "Little Drummer Boy" or "Oh Woe Is Me") on Ebay without much trouble, this remastered release features both tracks plus the bonus "You Don’t Know What You’ve Got." Not a bad deal, especially if you don’t have this one already. The real gems of the Blackheart vinyl catalog come from Girl in a Coma. The Hiding My Trail 7" EP is a nice looking package with two songs that don’t appear on their recent album. Trio BC, in addition to being a big step forward musically, has fantastic artwork that make this vinyl purchase a must.
Brooklyn-based Mighty High recently self-released their Drops a Deuce 7". I can’t decide what I like best about this one, the pure, wild rock n roll, the R Crumb-style artwork or the groovy blue (or as Guitarist Woody says, "Viagra-colored") vinyl. Really, you can’t go wrong here, so pick up a copy on the band’s site (http://www.mightyhigh.net) or Myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/mightyhigh). This is one that no one might know now, but in 20 or 30 years, it’ll be commanding huge prices like the 60s and 70s psyche and proto-metal that inspired it, so it’s an investment that pays off now and later!
Higher Giant, practically a hardcore supergroup featuring members of Token Entry, Black Train Jack, Good Riddance, Warzone and others, release their Al’s Moustache 7" on the Black Numbers label. It walks the line between melody and intensity, succeeding at both. Best of all, it comes in three different colors: 225 red, 275 yellow and 500 orange.
Victor! Fix the Sun have produced an amazing album that pushes well beyond its post-punk roots. Person Place or Thing, on Friction Records, has really nice artwork, comes on amber or maroon vinyl and includes a free download giving you the best of both worlds.
Switzerland’s Leech Records recently issued yet another live Chuck Ragan record, this one titled Live at Hafenkneipe Zurich. It comes on two different flavors of blue/white vinyl, split and splatter. I can tell you first hand that the splatter looks awesome! They only pressed 1,000, so hurry up and get yours. In the US, you can pick one up from No Idea Records.
The legendary Dischord Records has been in the process of bringing the production of their catalog back from Europe, meaning they had to recut and replace all the metalwork for thier vinyl. They decided this was an opportunity to also return records long out of print, such as those by Marginal Man and Gray Matter, as well as releases that never saw vinyl, like One Last Wish, to their catalog. Over the course of the last year, they’ve re-issued 30 releases (and will make it 33 by year’s end), including the entire Fugazi catalog except Instument. Some have new art, some have colored vinyl and all 12 inches come with free MP3 downloads.
Great news from the folks at Dischord!
It looks like Daptone Records has a fantastic comp coming in November that will be released on vinyl. The Daptone Gold compilation is a double LP with a gold foil gatefold jacket that will feature previously unreleased tracks from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, the Budos Band, Antibalas and more. It will be full of extras including a poster and sticker and will also include a free MP3 download.
Just before Halloween, Mad Tea Party released a four song 7” on their Whose That Record label. They pressed 500 of the EP with creepy cool letterpress artwork that looks as great as their uke-fueled surf/psych/garage homage to old horror movies sounds. The 7” comes with a free download as well as a bonus song. Halloween might be over, but this one looks and sounds fantastic anytime…and it can work its way into the mix with the Misfits and “Monster Mash” for next year! Pick up a copy on their site.
This is just a small sample of the vinyl offerings out there, so keep your eyes open. This really is a great time for vinyl, because it’s being marketed to collectors and that has meant a lot of really wonderful packages.
