Trip #15: Lil Jon, He Always Tells the Truth
Trip #15: Lil Jon, He Always Tells the Truth
Art includes a Radiohead N64 mashup, new music from Killer Mike, Queens of the Stone Age, and Sigur Rós, essential records from 2008, and a new vinyl giveaway!
Welcome to The Wax Museum, where we aim to improve your vinyl collection through music discovery. Enjoy a new trip right in your inbox every Wednesday!
Before we dive in, some self-promotion. If you collect vinyl, you must follow Twitter’s #1 vinyl deal finder. Expect about 5 to 10 tweets a day. Be sure to turn on notifications because some deals go fast.
Your Museum Guide for Wednesday, June 21, 2023
The FUTURE Exhibit (Upcoming Vinyl Releases)
The PRESENT Exhibit (2023 Album of the Year Leaderboard)
The PAST Exhibit (Essential Vinyl Records from 2008)
The RABBIT HOLE Exhibit (Paul Schrader, LCD Soundsystem)
Exit Through The GIFT SHOP (Vinyl Giveaway!)
🎧 Listen to this Trip on Spotify and Apple.
Come on in, guys. Let’s start with the best thing I heard this week: Radiohead mashed with Nintendo 64 sounds. Trust me when I say this is something you didn’t know you were missing in your life. I need this on my turntable ASAP.
Now on to the exhibits…
The FUTURE Exhibit
Highlighting notable new vinyl coming out this Friday, June 23.
New Albums
Albert Hammond Jr. - Melodies On Hiatus (Orange with Magenta and Black Splatter Vinyl) | The Strokes guitarist goes solo for the fifth time with the 19-track double vinyl Melodies on Hiatus on colored wax.
Cory Hanson - Western Cum | I don’t understand the title or album cover, and I don’t want to know. However, I do know that this collection of folk rock tunes will feature plenty of fun six-string riffs.
Geese - 3D Country (Crystal Clear Vinyl) | Geese’s debut Projector was a 2021 surprise; follow-up 3D Country promises to be a bigger, bolder, louder departure.
M. Ward - Supernatural Thing | M. Ward is back with eight original tracks and two covers: David Bowie’s "I Can't Give Everything Away" from Blackstar and a live rendition of Daniel Johnston's "Story of an Artist."
Militarie Gun - Life Under The Gun (Cobalt Blue Vinyl) | Militarie Gun drops their anticipated debut Life Under The Gun; early singles are quick punches sure to delight post-hardcore fans.
Portugal. The Man - Chris Black Changed My Life | After a six-year break, Portugal. The Man is back with “our most complete record that follows a storyline from beginning to end.”
Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12 | The Oscar-winning composer’s final album, 12, is a moving collection of 12 musical sketches he recorded as a sound diary during his battle with late-stage cancer. We went more in-depth when this album came out on streaming in Trip #5.
Wye Oak - Every Day Like the Last: Collected Singles 2019 - 2023 | All the singles Wye Oak has released since 2019's Fortune are now all together in one collection.
Vinyl Reissues
Charles Mingus - Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings (8 LP Box Set) | All of Charles Mingus’ 1970’s output for Atlantic Records is included in a 37-track, eight-vinyl box set.
Copeland - Beneath Medicine Tree (20th Anniversary Bone Vinyl) | Copeland’s acclaimed debut album includes a never-before-released live recording of "Coffee" from local Orlando venue The Social.
Death Cab for Cutie - The Photo Album | Death Cab for Cutie’s 2001 album The Photo Album gets a deluxe repressing, featuring 35 tracks featuring digital-only b-sides, compilation tracks, band demos, acoustic radio sessions, alternate lyrics, and studio outtakes.
Joe Hisaishi and Studio Ghibli - 12 soundtracks, all colored with OBI strip | The acclaimed Studio Ghibli’s soundtracks, created by Joe Hisaishi, are getting reissued on colored vinyl for the first time.
📋 Full list of vinyl releases, reissues, and compilations.
The PRESENT Exhibit
Behold the 2023 Album of the Year leaderboard. Three new albums get added each week. Standings change throughout the year.
🎧 Full AOTY 2023 Playlist: Spotify | Apple (53 Albums and Counting…)
This week features Killer Mike, Queens of the Stone Age, and Sigur Ros.
Killer Mike - MICHAEL
Get Vinyl: UO White | Evergreen | Grape | Black
We know Killer Mike, but now it’s time to get familiar with Michael Render. MICHAEL dives deep into the psyche of the 48-year-old rapper as he looks back on where he came from. He was born to a teenage mom, dropped out of high school, and started selling drugs until Outkast gave him his big break on “The Whole World,” which went on to win a Grammy.
He took the opportunity and ran with it, creating five solo albums and four albums as Run the Jewels with Brooklyn rapper El-P.
El-P and Outkast’s Andre 3000 are both on hand for Killer Mike's most personal and introspective opus yet. MICHAEL shines a light on his Atlanta upbringing, familial bonds, religious beliefs, and professional journey. It never feels like a midlife crisis, but rather a profound self-reflection from an artist still in his prime.
Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman…
Get Vinyl: Blue | Silver | Green | Red | Black
Queens of the Stone Age return for the first time in six years with a crowd-pleasing batch of stadium anthems. The band's ability to evolve their sound while staying true to their signature style is on full display. Less dancey and more bluesy, In Times New Roman… often sounds like a spiritual successor to 2007’s Era Vulgaris. The album shoots out of a cannon, with A-side tracks “Paper Machete” and “Negative Space” sure-to-be setlist staples for years to come.
Sigur Rós = ÁTTA
Get Vinyl: Yellow | Red | Clear | Black
Sigur Rós is back to make us feel simultaneously depressed and hopeful like only their music can. After a ten-year hiatus, Jónsi’s crew dropped the surprise release ÁTTA, which translates from Icelandic as eight; it is indeed their eighth album in their illustrious 28-year career. They’ve added a 41-piece orchestra to their arsenal in the London Contemporary Orchestra and conductor Robert Ames, who will accompany the tour. Adding the orchestra and eliminating the guitars and percussion lift Sigur Rós to even higher cinematic soundscapes. Listening to ÁTTA makes you feel like the main character and makes the mundane seem important.
The PAST Exhibit
Each week we look at a year gone by to find ten timeless albums that are must-haves in your vinyl collection. We started in 2022, we’re in 2008, and we’re going back to the ‘60s!
2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | This week is 2008
🎧 Full Essential Vinyl Playlist: Spotify | Apple (150 Records and Counting…)
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
Vampire Weekend’s debut introduced the band's distinctive sound, combining infectious rhythms, intricate instrumentation, and intelligent songwriting, captivating listeners with its unique charm. The whole album glows with joyous energy, and there’s not a skippable track among the bunch.
Last week, Ezra Koenig and crew started their own vinyl club, with the first release including a live show from the Father of the Bride tour, a membership card, and a newsletter.
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Get Vinyl: Blue | Discogs (colored variants)
Dear Science, my favorite TV on the Radio album, is a dance party for the end of the world. The genre-blending masterpiece seamlessly combines elements of art rock, post-punk, Afrobeat, and soul to create a rich musical experience worth revisiting over and over.
Santigold - Santigold
Get Vinyl: Discogs (colored variant)
Santigold’s genre-less debut is a real trip, featuring pulsating beats, powerful vocals, empowering wordplay, and vibrant production work from legends like Chuck Treece, Diplo, and Switch. Unfortunately, this vinyl has never received a repress, so an OG black will cost you $150+ and an OG gold glitter goes for $350+.
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variant)
It’s tough to come up with a better debut than MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular, which produced three instant classics: “Time to Pretend,” “Kids,” and “Electric Feel.”
Oracular Spectacular recently received a limited edition Record Store Day hot pink vinyl that you may still be able to find at your local record store.
Portishead - Third
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
If I lose my hearing before I’m a senior citizen, I’m blaming Portishead’s “Machine Gun” for the number of times I’ve blasted this through my turntable speakers.
Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
On the heels of his mother Donda’s death and the end of his engagement to Alexis Phifer, Kanye West shocked fans and critics alike with the mournful 808s & Heartbreak, one of the most drastic departures we’ve seen from an artist in his prime.
The album, heavily criticized upon release, relied on an Auto-Tune processor and a Roland TR-808 drum machine to create a minimalist soundscape that time to grow on fans. It’s since gained recognition as a significant influence on the contemporary hip-hop scene, serving as an introduction to Kid Cudi, inspiring Drake’s musical direction, and popularizing the use of Auto-Tune in modern rap.
Lady Gaga - The Fame
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
The Fame, Lady Gaga's unforgettable debut album, burst onto the pop scene with catchy dance hooks, fearless fashion statements, and thought-provoking lyrics, cementing her as a powerhouse entertainer who continues to leave an indelible mark on popular culture.
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Get Vinyl: Discogs (colored variant)
DFA's Tim Goldsworthy was in the zone in 2008, producing post-disco and dance-punk records with Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours and Hercules and Love Affair’s self-titled album that featured “Blind”, one of the best singles of the decade. If I have to choose only one of these albums, In Ghost Colours is the better overall listening experience, with standout tracks like opener “Feel the Love” and lead singles “Lights & Music” and “Hearts On Fire.”
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
Fleet Foxes' debut self-titled album is a timeless piece of folk music where the beauty lies in its simplicity. Robin Pecknold’s soaring vocals with Sklyer Skjelset's clean guitar riffs transport listeners to a place of reflection and introspection.
All vinyl versions include the five track EP Sun Giant, featuring still-to-date their most popular song “Mykonos.”
Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
Our first comedy record enters the Essential Vinyl to Own playlist. Self-proclaimed “New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based, acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo” invite you to laugh with them and at them as they struggle to become a legitimate band. All of the tracks on the album, except the last one, are featured in the first season of their HBO series, which also comes highly recommended.
The RABBIT HOLE Exhibit
Welcome to the non-music wing of the Museum. Take a trip down the pop culture rabbit hole with new recommendations each week.
📺 Videos from all trips can be found here.
First Reformed, The Card Counter, Master Gardener Trilogy | Does anyone else feel some vague presence of imminent danger surrounding us, an unseen catastrophe on the horizon, whether it’s climate disaster, global recession, significant job loss, or outright society collapse?
I get that feeling watching Paul Schrader movies. The acclaimed writer of Taxi Driver and director of 25 films has a new movie out on streaming, Master Gardener starring Joel Edgerton. It completes the “Man in the Room” trilogy that started with Ethan Hawke in First Reformed and continued with Oscar Isaac in The Card Counter. Each movie focuses on a man ashamed of his past and looking for atonement, often in the form of a blood sacrifice.
If you’re in the mood for some doom-and-gloom, give them a shot. I would rank the trilogy in order: Five stars for First Reformed, a damn near perfect movie, four stars for The Card Counter, and three stars for Master Gardener.
LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 | So this was new to me. In 2006, Nike commissioned James Murphy to create a mix designed to accompany jogging workouts to reward and push at good run intervals. I queued it up on a 10K, and I immensely enjoyed it. The disco-forward mix builds into heart-pumping peaks and fades into chill cool-downs. You can get also get this on vinyl for around $30.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Thanks for visiting! Hopefully, there are enough culture recommendations to get you through the week.
If you want to support this newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber for $5 a month (or $40 a year) so I can keep making these. As a bonus, paid subs are entered into this month’s vinyl giveaway (contest ends July 19th).
The winner will choose one of four sealed vinyl. Since we will be focusing on the mid-2000s in the Essential Vinyl exhibit, we will be giving away the following:
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III (VMP Black & Red Galaxy Double Vinyl)
Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This To Memory (Bandbox Pink & Blue Vinyl)
Amy Winehouse - Frank (The Sound of Vinyl Pink Vinyl)
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (Walmart Grey Vinyl)
Additional paid benefits will be coming soon, including a sub-only DJ room, discord, WhatNot auctions, and perhaps a handpicked vinyl club. Stay tuned!
Leave a comment card on your way out, and we’ll see ya next Wax Wednesday!
Cool stuff, and the Killer Mike album is indeed...a killer!
I love this newsletter