11 New Records That Just Earned Permanent Shelf Space
New and upcoming record-mendations for the rest of 2025.
Come on in, music lovers — The Wax Museum is open for business. This week’s exhibit is a curated batch of eleven records worth your time and your turntable: a mix of brand-new releases and freshly pressed classics that more than earn their spot in your collection. We’ve got a little bit of everything — psych rock, punk, R&B, hip-hop, techno, and a few wild cards in between. So dust off the platter, cue up your speakers, and let’s get spinning.
This newsletter is likely too long for your inbox — click here for the full post.
Tame Impala - Deadbeat
Get Vinyl: Smoke | Bluejay | White | Black
We kick things off with three new releases dropping today, headlined by Kevin Parker’s long-awaited return as Tame Impala. His last album, The Slow Rush, was a concept record about the slipperiness of time — eerily released in February 2020, just before we lost track of time altogether.
Five years later, Parker’s back with Deadbeat, his fifth full-length and a neon detour into ravey, techno territory. The early singles were uneven and unpredictable, making fans nervous while giving haters fresh ammo. My vinyl lands on my doorstep today (I’m a Tame Impala completist), so I’m holding judgment until it spins on my system. Drop your first impressions in the comments and we’ll compare notes.
Militarie Gun - God Save the Gun
Get Vinyl: America (sold out) | Iridescent Blue | Black
“Ooh ooh!” It feels good to be back in the raucous world of Militarie Gun. Their 2023 debut snagged our prestigious Waxy Award for Best Debut thanks to its blistering pace and undeniable hooks, and God Save the Gun cranks everything up another notch.
Their sophomore record stretches out in scope and sound, still rooted in hardcore punk, but now brushing up against pop rock with a surprising amount of vulnerability. Frontman Ian Shelton lays it all bare here, confronting his recent, sudden battle with alcohol addiction across three acts: hedonism, realization, and recovery. It’s melodic and muscular, catchy and crushing, and easily one of the best rock albums of the year.
Sudan Archives - THE BPM
Get Vinyl: Silver Nugget | Red | Black
Brittney Parks, better known as Sudan Archives, has always been a shapeshifter, but THE BPM is her boldest metamorphosis yet. The self-taught violinist who blurs the lines between R&B and hip-hop now steps fully onto the dance floor, combining thick basslines, trap kicks, D&B rushes, and Jersey club bounce with her trademark violin and vocal delivery. THE BPM feels like a train speeding through time and geography, connecting Chicago house to West African strings. It’s a leap forward for Sudan Archives, and one that might just chart the future of R&B itself.
The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation
Get Vinyl: Splatter | Clear
Here’s one that dropped last Friday and has been in heavy rotation at The Wax Museum: The Besnard Lakes Are the Ghost Nation (a reference to the threat of Canada as the 51st state). The Montreal husband-and-wife duo of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas have spent the last two decades perfecting their brand of neo-psychedelia, and their seventh album might be their finest yet with eight gorgeous slow-burners.
Their bio name-drops heavy hitters like My Bloody Valentine, Fleetwood Mac, Beach House, and Led Zeppelin, and surprisingly, the comparison sticks. Especially if you’re a Beach House fan, there’s plenty to love here. Lasek says the album is about “the desire to be left alone, to let community be community”— a theme that peaks on closer “Give Us Our Dominion,” which feels like sunrise breaking through the clouds.
Jonny Greenwood - One Battle After Another Soundtrack
Get Vinyl: Black
Release Date: November 14
Jonny Greenwood scoring a Paul Thomas Anderson film is as reliable as it gets, but One Battle After Another might be his masterwork. Like Jon Brion’s Magnolia score, this one adds plenty of mood and tension. It’s also the kind of score that breathes on its own, with twitchy strings, jazzy interludes, and nervous Radiohead-esque piano lines.
Now all we need is a full soundtrack release so we can finally hear Steely Dan and “Mo Bamba” living side by side on vinyl where they belong.
Bobby Hutcherson - Montara
Get Vinyl: Black
For the ultimate dose of California cool, Bobby Hutcherson’s Montara is the move, now back in print thanks to Blue Note’s excellent Tone Poet series. Montara finds the absurdly prolific vibraphone legend trading avant-garde for sun-drenched Latin jazz. Recorded in LA with a deep bench of West Coast players and a small army of percussionists, Montara rides a laid-back groove, capped off by a killer version of “Oye Como Va,” the Tito Puente tune made famous by Santana. It’s mellow, funky, and perfect for Sunday mornings.
Outkast - Stankonia (25th Anniversary)
Get Vinyl: Purple Marble
Release Date: October 31st
Outkast is celebrating 25 years of Stankonia, one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, with this expanded 3 LP set, pressed on eye-catching purple marble wax. I had to yoink this collector’s edition featuring bonus tracks and new cover art by André 3000.
Just a quick intermission to say I would love your support to keep this newsletter alive and kicking. Support for just $5 a month, and receive $10 off in the Gift Shop and access to the full Wax Museum archives. Use your coupon to grab the brand new Wax Museum mouse pad. Thank you, love you!
2Pac - Me Against The World (30th Anniversary)
Get Vinyl: Midnight Mist
Release Date: December 12
Another hip-hop monument gets a fresh coat of paint: Me Against the World turns 30, complete with an alternate cover and new vinyl colorway. Originally released while 2Pac was behind bars, the album shot to No. 1 on the Billboard charts, making him the first artist to top the charts from prison. The record captures 2Pac at his most reflective and defiant, just months after he was robbed, beaten, and shot in a New York studio lobby. From his cell, Pac publicly accused Notorious B.I.G. and Sean Combs of orchestrating the attack — accusations that still echo loudly as new revelations continue to swirl around Diddy.
Daft Punk - Human After All: Remixes
Get Vinyl: Black
Release Date: November 28
To mark 20 years of Human After All, Daft Punk are finally giving Human After All: Remixes a worldwide vinyl release. Originally a Japan-only CD back in 2006, this collection featured the future of second-wave French house: Justice, Soulwax, SebastiAn, Digitalism, and Para One, all reimagining Daft Punk’s rawest, most divisive record. Personally, I’ve always preferred this batch over Daft Club, so I’m glad it finally joins the collection.
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (50th Anniversary)
Get Vinyl: Quad Coral Splatter (sold out) | Deluxe Box Set | 3 LP | Yellow Flame
Release Date: December 12
Happy 50th to one of the most important albums ever pressed to wax — Wish You Were Here. Half a century later, Pink Floyd’s masterpiece still sounds as haunting, resonant, and timeless as the day it dropped. What else can you say? It’s a desert island record.
I grabbed the Blood Records variant, with 7,500 copies gone in minutes, but there’s also a deluxe box set loaded with 25 bonus tracks — nine studio rarities and 16 live cuts — plus a triple vinyl edition and a gorgeous yellow flame pressing.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Bold As Love
Get Vinyl: 5 LP + 1 Blu-Ray
Release Date: November 7
From one iconic album to another, we wrap up today’s list with The Jimi Hendrix: Bold As Love box set — five LPs and a Blu-ray packed with treasures. Inside you’ll find 27 previously unreleased recordings from 1967, including demos, alternate takes, and vintage TV and radio sessions. Both stereo and mono mixes of Axis: Bold As Love have been freshly remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original master tapes, and the Blu-ray features high-resolution audio, plus a brand-new Dolby Atmos mix by Eddie Kramer and Chandler Harrod. It’s the ultimate archival edition of one of Hendrix’s greatest achievements.
Hey friends, thanks for tuning in! I’d love to hear what new stuff you’re spinning; drop your favs in the comments or simply reply to this email to chat :)
I send out this newsletter once a week. For those looking for up-to-the-second vinyl news, drops, and deals, join 20,000 other collectors and follow Vinyl on Sale, the Internet’s #1 vinyl resource!
great taste (as ever)
This title has already aged poorly... after one spin, new Tame Impala will NOT be awarded permanent shelf space, woof!