Tag: Coloured vinyl

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Vinyl

Vinyl love: Secret Machines “Now here is nowhere”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: Secret Machines
Album Title: Now here is nowhere
Year released: 2004
Year reissued: 2017
Details: gatefold, 2 x 180 gram, clear with silver swirl, clear with red swirl, limited 1625 copies, numbered 1239

The skinny: Just over a week ago, Brandon Curtis’s Secret Machines came out with a new album, their first in 12 years and first since the death of the frontman’s brother and ex-bandmate Benjamin. I had only heard news of this release a few weeks before, just enough time to get suitably excited. I had loved the neo-space/prog rock of the band’s first two albums and was only slightly disappointed by the sole release (up to now) after Benjamin’s departure. “Awake in the brain chamber” is an excellent new album and immediately got me thinking about their other work. So I dug out “Now here is nowhere”, the band’s very excellent debut, to take for a spin. This pressing was done by Run Out Groove Vinyl, a label that releases special edition vinyl reissues as voted by fans. ROGV-008 is pressed to two 180-gram slabs, clear with swirls, both a different colour, numbered, and artwork lovingly redone on a gatefold sleeve. It sounds just awesome, rocking and droning for days.

Standout track: “The road leads where it’s led”

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Vinyl

Vinyl love: Phoebe Bridgers “Punisher”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: Phoebe Bridgers
Album Title: Punisher
Year released: 2020
Details: Limited edition, red and swirly vinyl, gatefold sleeve, included lyric book

The skinny: I pre-ordered this limited edition, red and swirly pressing of Phoebe Bridgers’ sophomore solo record, “Punisher”, as soon as I heard tell of it, right off her website. No second guessing. I loved her first album and both of the collaborative projects (boygenius, Better Oblivion Community Center) of which she has since been a part. The wait for the record was interminable. I’m not talking about the release date but the amount of time it took to get from California to here. I was worried that with the sitting and changing hands through the multiple stages through two postal systems, it might have gotten damaged along the way. But not so. And it was definitely worth the wait. The packaging is immaculate and the artwork and lyric booklet is lovingly rendered. And well, the music itself? Let’s just say that you can believe the hype.

(Update December 2020: “Punisher” has continued to rise in my esteem and has found itself at number three on my end of year favourite albums list.)

Standout track: “Kyoto”

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Vinyl

Vinyl love: The National “High violet”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: The National
Album Title: High violet
Year released: 2010
Details: Limited edition, double heavyweight vinyl, violet, gatefold

The skinny: A few weeks ago, “High Violet”, the fifth album by American indie rock band, The National, turned ten years old. To celebrate, their label, 4AD, released an expanded edition anniversary edition of the album, the vinyl version including an additional LP of bonus material and all three discs pressed in a lovely, white and purple marbling. I didn’t pre-order it because I’m not at the point (yet) of buying multiple versions of the same album for my vinyl collection and besides, I’m pretty happy with the limited edition, original pressing on heavyweight, violet vinyl that I found a bunch of years ago. You may debate “High violet” that is not their best work but it built on the exposure gained by The National’s previous record, “Boxer”, and well, I think it’s some pretty fine music (two of the tracks, including the one below, appeared on my Best tunes of 2010 list). The National’s sombre and atmospheric sound is just so great on vinyl and is on full display here. In fact, I remember the first time I listened to this record after purchasing it and, I think my friend Mark will agree with me here, I thought it sounded very different from the version on CD.

Standout track: “Conversation 16”