The Wax Museum | Jared Smith | Substack

The 33 Best Albums of 2025 So Far

Liner notes, music videos, and vinyl variants on the best of the year at the halfway mark.

Jul 1

Two-Minute Warning: A Playlist for Earth's Shortest Day

Let’s celebrate the fastest spin on record with 33 songs that don't overstay their welcome.

Jul 9

The Weekender #27: Long Weekend Edition

A supersized July 4th Weekender stuffed with new music and physical media recs.

Jul 4

The 15 Best Album Debuts of 2025 (So Far)

aka The Wax Museum Freshmen Class of 2025! Liner notes and vinyl pressings inside.

Jun 6

20 New Records You’ll Want on Your Shelf

New releases, blind buys, reissues worth the hype, and the long-awaited return of a holy grail box set.

May 30

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New Vinyl

20 New Records You’ll Want on Your Shelf

New releases, blind buys, reissues worth the hype, and the long-awaited return of a holy grail box set.

May 30

The Upcoming Vinyl Repress Calendar

Don't miss these: The collector's guide to 2025’s most anticipated vinyl releases

May 9

5 Record Labels to Bless This Bandcamp Friday

New releases and back catalog essentials from my favorite record labels.

May 2

Your Guide to Record Store Day 2025

Everything you need to know about Saturday's big day, including the vinyl I'm snagging.

Apr 10

The Best Of Lists

The 33 Best Albums of 2025 So Far

Liner notes, music videos, and vinyl variants on the best of the year at the halfway mark.

Jul 1

The 15 Best Album Debuts of 2025 (So Far)

aka The Wax Museum Freshmen Class of 2025! Liner notes and vinyl pressings inside.

Jun 6

The Best Active Vinyl Deals and Sales

Buy 2 Get 1 Free sales on new vinyl, plus huge price drops on essential records.

Mar 28

Start Your Ear Off Right: The 40 Best Songs of 2025 (So Far)

Plus, 11 early contenders in the Album of the Year race!

Jan 28

Album a Day Journal

The Album a Day Journal | March 2025 Playlist

Liner notes and vinyl variants on the final (???) Album a Day Journal

Apr 4

The Album a Day Journal | February 2025 Playlist

Liner notes and vinyl variants on 28 groovy albums across all genres.

Feb 28

The Album a Day Journal | January 2025 Playlist

A record a day keeps the doctor away.

Feb 5

The Album a Day Journal | December 2024 Playlist

Where we listen to a record a day, every day.

Jan 10

The Weekender

The Weekender #27: Long Weekend Edition

A supersized July 4th Weekender stuffed with new music and physical media recs.

Jul 4

The Weekender #26: Dad Rock Edition

Come inside for The Dad Rock Continuum Playlist and a bunch of live set goodness!

Jun 13

The Weekender #25: A Salute to Indie

From stage dives to stoop kids: the best new albums, concert streams, and longreads for your weekend.

May 16

The Weekender #24: Roundball Rock

Your guide to the perfect weekend is here: new records, playoff hoops, and your next cult obsession.

Apr 18

Recent posts

The Upcoming Vinyl Repress Calendar

Don't miss these: The collector's guide to 2025’s most anticipated vinyl releases

May 9

5 Record Labels to Bless This Bandcamp Friday

New releases and back catalog essentials from my favorite record labels.

May 2

Your Guide to Record Store Day 2025

Everything you need to know about Saturday's big day, including the vinyl I'm snagging.

Apr 10

The Best Active Vinyl Deals and Sales

Buy 2 Get 1 Free sales on new vinyl, plus huge price drops on essential records.

Mar 28

48 New Albums to Snag for Bandcamp Friday

A best new music roundup in celebration of the first Bandcamp Friday of 2025.

Mar 7

The Album a Day Journal | February 2025 Playlist

Liner notes and vinyl variants on 28 groovy albums across all genres.

Feb 28

The 11 Best Vinyl Releases Dropping Today

Including new albums, much-needed reissues, live sets, a hip hop trilogy, a 90's cult soundtrack, and an instant classic.

Feb 21

The Second Annual Waxies! 🏆

The Wax Museum Award Show is live!

Jan 3

The Vinyl Collector’s Guide to the Best Records of 2024

My 100 favorite albums of the year!

Dec 23, 2024

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