The Best New Vinyl Out This Friday, 02/02/24
Links and liner notes on 14 noteworthy releases.
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Today, we explore this week's upcoming vinyl releases. I've included links to all available vinyl variants, directing you to the best prices. All mentioned vinyl is in stock and ready for your collection.
For up-to-the-minute vinyl announcements and restocks, turn on notifications for the Internet’s #1 vinyl deal and drop finder Vinyl on Sale. Let’s get into it.
The Fray - How to Save a Life and s/t
Get Vinyl: How to Save a Life: Clear | Black… s/t: Yellow | Black
Throw some yearning and angst on your turntable with the long awaited reissues of The Fray’s first two albums! Fans have been waiting awhile for this, as all past releases were going for hundreds of dollars on secondary markets.
Grateful Dead - The Very Best Of Grateful Dead
Get Vinyl: Black
In 2003, Warner Bros. Records and Rhino Entertainment released The Very Best Of Grateful Dead, a 17-song CD compilation featuring the band's most popular tracks from various labels, including Warner, Grateful Dead label, and Artista Records. This comprehensive collection, now available on 180-gram double vinyl for the first time, includes a majority of the Grateful Dead's hits and classics, perfect for new and old fans alike.
J Mascis - What Do We Do Now
Get Vinyl: Loser Purple | Black
What Do We Do Now is the upcoming fifth solo album by Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis. Here J’s helped out by Ken Mauri (of the B52s) on piano and polymath Matthew “Doc” Dunn on the steel guitar. These contributions transform the tracks from simple acoustic outlines into dynamic power ballads.
The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy
Get Vinyl: Signed Cover | Ivory | Oxblood Red | Black
Prelude to Ecstasy is the upcoming debut album by British rock band The Last Dinner Party. The female quintet is generating plenty of buzz, having just won both the BBC Sound of 2024 poll and the BRITs Rising Star Award. Here’s hoping the album lives up to the hype.
Mariah Carey - Music Box (30th Anniversary)
Get Vinyl: Black
Mariah Carey’s best-selling album, Music Box, gets the 30th anniversary treatment with a 4 LP vinyl box set including the original album, unreleased tracks, two live performances from Top of the Pops, new duets, new remixes, and a live 1993 show featuring eight unreleased performances.
Medeski, Martin & Wood - It's a Jungle in Here
Get Vinyl: Black
Real Gone Music presents the first widespread vinyl release of It's a Jungle in Here, the second album by John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood. This record, featuring unique covers of John Coltrane and King Sunny Ade, as well as an innovative mash-up of Bob Marley and Thelonious Monk, showcases Medeski, Martin & Wood's fresh take on jazz tradition.
Michael Giacchino - Lost: Season One Soundtrack
Get Vinyl: Black
“We have to go back!” The iconic score from the legend Michael Giacchino is finally available on wax, with a silver foil gatefold jacket packaging and liner notes from J.J. Abrams.
Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run (50th Anniversary)
Get Vinyl: Black
Paul McCartney’s best-selling, post-Beatles release gets a completely different sound to celebrate its half-century mark. This underdubbed version removes a lot of the bells and whistles that were added after the original rough mixes to get closer to the original recording. The vinyl was cut at half speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, and the packaging features a reproduction of Linda McCartney’s Polaroid poster.
Phish - Round Room
Get Vinyl: “Round Room” Maroon and Stone
Phish’s tenth album, recorded in 2002, is a loose affair featuring the band’s unedited rehearsal sessions that gives it an intense, live feel. Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering cut the vinyl, which is presented in a foil-numbered packaging with two 180-gram split-colored vinyl.
Sixpence None The Richer - Sixpence None The Richer
Get Vinyl: Olive Green | Black
Sixpence None The Richer’s self-titled, featuring the mega grocery store hits “Kiss Meeeee” and “There She Goes,” gets a much-needed vinyl reissue, as the only other pressing was going for big money. Pray for the poor soul who paid $300 a week before the reissue was announced.
The Vaselines - The Way of the Vaselines
Get Vinyl: Loser Crystal Clear
The Way of The Vaselines combines the band's two EPs (Son of a Gun and Dying for It) and their only LP release (Dum-Dum). Fun fact: Dying For It was on Kurt Cobain’s list of his favorite albums of all time. This is the first ever vinyl release of The Way of The Vaselines, which originally came out on CD in 1992.
Vera Sola - Peacemaker
Get Vinyl: Oxblood Red
This is the first I’m hearing of Vera Sola. A quick Google search shows she’s the daughter of Dan Aykroyd, and has chosen to distance herself from her last name to establish a music career on her own. Sorry to bring it up! I’m loving the first few singles off her second album Peacemaker, especially the violin-heavy “Desire Path.”
Yusef Lateef - Eastern Sounds (Original Jazz Classics Series)
Get Vinyl: Black
We end this week’s list with a classic. Let Yusef Lateef take your mind elsewhere with Eastern Sounds, his 1962 Middle Eastern jazz fusion that still sounds sublime 60+ years later, especially with this new Kevin Gray mastering for the OJC series. Enjoy this hauntingly beautiful take on the theme from the film Spartacus.
Sound off in the comments on what you’re interested in buying or streaming this week. Thanks for reading, and rock on!
I’ve been waiting for that Music Box anniversary edition for way too long now. Orders finally on their way! Some previously unreleased tracks are better than some of her biggest hits (and I know her entire discography better than anyone else’s!).
Digging Vera Sola and The Past Dinner Party (did I crash a rock opera?). Another Grateful Dead album— adding to the over 200 in existence including live performances. I’m a lifelong deadhead, but how many ways can we slice this pie before it’s a pile of crumbs? A copy of the new album will inevitably end up in our home, most likely before I finish this post, thanks to Amazon Prime 😏