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Vinyl

Vinyl love: The Airborne Toxic Event “The Airborne Toxic Event”

(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 Airborne Toxic Event
Album Title: The Airborne Toxic Event
Year released: 2008
Year reissued: 2020
Details: Limited edition, 180 gram, white with red splatter, signed by some of the band members

The skinny: I’ve been back collecting vinyl for well over a decade now and have quite a few great pieces in my ever-expanding collection, as you might have noticed by these very posts. And though I do try to spin them quite regularly, what I have found that I don’t do enough of is what my wife might call listening to them “with intention”. So I started changing that this year. Instead of putting on discs while doing something else, I’ve been focusing on devoting time to just listening to the full album, examining the artwork, and reading the lyrics and liner notes. In fact, I started this routine back during the second week of the year, working my way through my collection, from A to Z, a couple of days a week and documenting each with photos on my Instagram* account. The first couple were Adorable’s “Against perfection” (for which I’ve already done a ‘Vinyl love’ post) and this one, The Airborne Toxic Event’s self-titled debut. I was all over this album when it was originally released back in 2008, mostly on the back of the excellent track referenced below, and then, I got to see them live at V fest that fall. I’ve seen them live a few more times since and enjoyed their following records as well, but never quite as much as I did the debut. So when they announced a reissue in late 2020, pressed to coloured 180 gram vinyl and signed to boot, I was all over it.

Standout track: “Sometime around midnight”

*If you’re interested in following along, go find and follow me on the Insta and I’ll likely follow you back.

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Vinyl

Vinyl love: Boygenius “The record”

(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: Boygenius
Album Title: The record
Year released: 2023
Details: Urban Outfitters exclusive, pink swirl

The skinny: I’ve never purchased a piece of clothing from Urban Outfitters, for myself nor for anyone else, and I’m not even sure if I’ve ever even stepped foot into one of their stores. I have, however, now purchased two records from their online store, both Urban Outfitter exclusives. I was leery at first but after purchasing Orville Peck’s debut album “Pony” on red/orange vinyl and being quite happy with it, I have been tempted by a few others. I finally pulled the trigger on another very early this year when I saw they would have their own exclusive of Boygenius’s debut LP, “The record”. It was advertised as beige and pink swirl and the hype sticker calls it beige but I’m pretty sure it’s pink. But that’s my only complaint, if you can even call it that. It looks and sounds great and came with a 24-page zine, filled with pics and lyrics. Another no regret purchase, especially since the album was one of my faves of the year, coming in at number nine on the list that is still being counted down.*

Standout track: “$20”

*I’ll be back at it after Christmas. For those who celebrate, best wishes to you and yours for a safe and happy holiday.

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Vinyl

Vinyl love: Nation of Language “Strange disciple”

(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: Nation of Language
Album Title: Strange disciple
Year released: 2023
Details: clear vinyl

The skinny: Two weeks ago today, I headed back downtown from my home office in the suburbs, not something I would not normally dare to do after work on a Friday night. This was Black Friday, though, and I had my eye on a particular RSD Black Friday release so I went on down to Compact Music in the Glebe, one of my preferred local indie record stores. I was unsurprised to find that the special release had sold out hours before*, given the store had been open for hours, so as plan B, I decided to take advantage of being at a brick and mortar store and purchase some records at the 20% off deal of the day. One of the two records that I brought with me up to the front caught the attention of the store’s two owners and the young woman working the cash and each approved of the purchase. Nation of Language’s synthpop revival sound would definitely be appealing to any fan of 80s new wave and their energetic and passionate sounds caught my ear with their debut album back in 2020. “Strange disciple” was super close to making my top ten favourite albums of this year but I definitely didn’t let my ‘honourable mentions’ post pass without a nod to this great 10 track collection.

Standout track: “Sole obsession”

*Have no fear, I managed to track down said album online the following day.