Trip #16: The Dashboard Melted But We Still Have the Radio
Highlighting 25+ vinyl worth adding to your collection from the past, present, and future.
Welcome to The Wax Museum, where we elevate your vinyl collection through a music discovery time capsule. Enjoy a new trip in your inbox every Wednesday!
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Your Museum Guide for Wednesday, June 28, 2023
The FUTURE Exhibit (Upcoming Vinyl Releases)
The PRESENT Exhibit (2023 Album of the Year Leaderboard)
The PAST Exhibit (Essential Vinyl Records from 2007)
The RABBIT HOLE Exhibit (Killers of the Flower Moon)
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 saw this week, and that was this tween beyond stoked to see Michael McDonald, and for good reason, I’d say. If this doesn’t prove that music is timeless..
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That wasn’t the only fun thing from the Steely Dan universe this week. The long lost Steely Dan track “The Second Arrangement,” originally supposed to be on 1980’s Gaucho but was accidentally erased right before completion, has been unearthed! Head to the Expanding Dan substack to read the full story and enjoy the legendary “new” track below.
Now on to the exhibits…
The FUTURE Exhibit
Highlighting notable new vinyl coming out this Friday, June 30.
New Albums
Angelo De Augustine - Toil And Trouble (Gold Vinyl) | Fourth solo album from Southern California folk artist Angelo De Augustine, who wrote, arranged, recorded, produced, and mixed it himself, using 27 different instruments.
bdrmm - I Don't Know | UK shoegaze quartet bdrmm promises more heavy guitar effects in their sophomore album I Don’t Know, their first for Mogwai’s Rock Action Records. Lead single “Pulling Stitches” has set the bar high.
Brigid Mae Power - Dream from The Deep Well | Irish musician Brigid Mae Power is back with her striking voice to deliver another modern folk offering.
Charlie Watts - Anthology | As if being one of the greatest drummers on Earth for The Rolling Stones wasn’t enough, Charlie Watts had his own jazz quintet on the side. His jazz career is documented across a double vinyl set featuring three unreleased tracks.
Frank Zappa - Funky Nothingness | Frank Zappa’s estate is releasing the "lost album" sequel to the iconic 1969 Hot Rats, featuring unreleased compositions from 1970 that the ever-restless Zappa moved on from.
Grian Chatten - Chaos For The Fly (Opaque White Vinyl) | Chaos For The Fly is the debut solo album from Grian Chatten, vocalist of Dublin’s critically-acclaimed band Fontaines D.C. The legend Dan Carey is on hand to produce.
The Japanese House - In The End It Always Does (Cornflower Blue Vinyl) | Four years after her celebrated debut Good at Falling, Amber Bain, aka The Japanese House is back with the highly anticipated In The End It Always Does on blue wax.
Kesha - Gag Order (Sea Glass Vinyl) | Kesha took an exciting step forward with last month’s Gag Order, produced by Rick Rubin and now available on vinyl.
New Vinyl
Curren$y - The Stoned Immaculate (Gold Vinyl) | Currensy's highest charting album gets a gold remaster, individually numbered out of /2000.
Grandaddy - Sumday (White Vinyl) | Grandaddy’s third album Sumday gets a 20th Anniversary white vinyl remaster.
Gym Class Heroes - The Papercut Chronicles (Emerald Green Vinyl) | Rap rock group Gym Class Heroes discography is getting reissued; the first release is The Papercut Chronicles on Amazon Exclusive emerald green vinyl.
Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady (Clear Vinyl) | Atlantic Records 75th Anniversary series rolls on with Janelle Monáe’s The Electric Lady getting a much-needed repress on clear vinyl.
Nas - King's Disease III (Red and Black Vinyl) | Released last year, King's Disease III is the sixteenth studio album by rapper Nas. It’s finally out on vinyl in red and black double vinyl.
Paris Texas - BOY ANONYMOUS | L.A. hip hop duo Paris Texas released their debut project BOY ANONYMOUS in 2021 and, it’s now available for your turntable.
Pool Kids - Pool Kids (Green/Bone Galaxy Vinyl) | Tallahassee emo rockers Pool Kids fantastic self-titled album gets a second pressing on doublemint and bone galaxy vinyl, limited to /750.
📋 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 (56 Albums and Counting…)
This week features feeble little horse, Geese, and Janelle Monáe.
feeble little horse - Girl with Fish
Get Vinyl: Pink | Discogs (more colored variants)
Pittsburgh noise pop quartet feeble little horse drops Girl With Fish, a DIY-inspired second album filled with distorted guitars, catchy vocal melodies, lo-fi production, and strange lyrics that bring to mind Broken Social Scene. feeble little horse pulls out all sorts of fun surprises on this shoegaze-forward album. Take “Pocket” for example, which packs so much in its 2:39 runtime, shapeshifting from a traditional twee pop song to an experimental, screamo nightmare.
Unfortunately, the group just announced a cancellation of their upcoming tour due to mental health. The note reads more like a farewell than a postponement; let’s hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this horse.
Geese - 3D Country
Get Vinyl: Crystal Clear | Black
Like feeble little horse, Brooklyn five-piece Geese’s new album 3D Country may induce whiplash from all the vibe shifts. Genre-defying doesn’t begin to describe this prog rock ‘n’ roll epic, which ditches most of the post-punk of their debut Projector and moves further into psychedelic jam band territory. Trust me when I say give this record a full listen to discover all the fascinating decisions that went on here. I can see this one shooting up the Album of the Year leaderboard upon further listens, which the ambitious 3D Country certainly requires.
Janelle Monáe - The Age of Pleasure
Get Vinyl: Black | Ruby Red | Yellow | Discogs (more colored variants)
Multi-hyphenate Janelle Monáe is having the party of the summer and we’re all invited. On the heels of her Glass Onion star turn, Monáe has whipped up a confident, self-loving victory lap filled with horned-up jams aimed at your pleasure centers. With 14 songs in 32 minutes, it’s a quick and easy beach read of an album. The vinyl comes in all sorts of colors and features NSFW titties on the gatefold, creating a sure-to-be collector classic.
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 2007, and we’re going back to the ‘60s!
2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | This week is 2007
🎧 Full Essential Vinyl Playlist: Spotify | Apple (160 Records and Counting…)
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank marks Modest Mouse's fifth album and perhaps their last great output. The shanty-inspired recordings were originally envisioned as a concept album about a boat crew that dies in every song. Notably, Ship features the collaboration of esteemed The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, making it a unique addition to the band's discography. Additionally, the Shins frontman James Mercer provides backing vocals on three tracks.
M.I.A. - Kala
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variant)
With Switch and Diplo’s production help, M.I.A.’s Kala is an electrifying party album that blends global beats, political commentary, and infectious energy. “Paper Planes” is the album highlight, a subversive, unconventional pop track that still sounds contemporary.
Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
Get Vinyl: Discogs
Bloc Party's A Weekend in the City is the brooding sequel to debut Silent Alarm, with its gritty riffs and venomous lyrics that delve into disillusionment with the culture. The album starts with an incredible 1-2 punch of “Song For Clay (Disappear Here),” which is inspired by Bret Easton Ellis’ debut novel Less Than Zero, and “Hunting for Witches,” a Bush-era takedown of the media’s usage of fear as a means of control.
I would do horrible things to get a repress of this. Current copies are going for around $150+ on Discogs.
Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool
Get Vinyl: Discogs (colored variant)
I originally had Kanye West’s Graduation in this spot, but then I remembered that that never had an official vinyl release. So let’s highlight Lupe Fiasco’s second album The Cool, a narrative-driven experience showcasing Lupe’s intricate wordplay and clever metaphors regarding urban mythology and social commentary. Both the OG vinyl and the 10th Anniversary clear vinyl go for three figures, so we need a repress here too. Lupe’s 2006 debut Food & Liquor is getting an August repress, so hopefully, The Cool follows suit.
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
With the release of their seventh album In Rainbows, Radiohead chose to self-release the album online and allowed fans to set their own price. As the first major act to try this, Radiohead garnered acclaim for challenging established industry models and creating a more direct connection with fans, symbolizing a new era of artistic freedom and fan interaction. The experiment was a success; while an estimated 30% of downloaders paid nothing, Thom Yorke said they made more money from digital sales of In Rainbows than the digital sales of all previous Radiohead albums combined.
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
Austin band Spoon’s sixth album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga proves they are masters of their craft with ten tightly controlled tracks that are just as accessible as they are complex. Three songs from this record appear on their greatest hits compilation: “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb,” “Don’t You Evah,” and “The Underdog.”
Tegan & Sara - The Con
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
Canadian indie pop duo Tegan and Sara have a gift of crafting catchy hooks that embed themselves into your consciousness. The Con is no exception, with hits like the appropriately named “Back in Your Head” and the title track.
For the 10th anniversary, The Con X featured covers from a star-studded lineup featuring Grimes, Hayley Williams, CHRVCHES, Bleachers, MUNA, Cyndi Lauper, and many more.
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
James Mercer's distinct vocals have never sounded better than in The Shins’ third album Wincing the Night Away. This breezy and fun affair strikes a delicate balance between catchy pop sensibilities and deeper emotional resonance. The A-side is chock full of instant classics like “Sleeping Lessons,” “Australia,” and “Phantom Limb.”
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
Austin’s Okkervil River’s brilliant fourth album The Stage Names uses a movie-like concept to captivate listeners, complemented by Will Sheff's dynamic and unrestrained performances and his dizzying lyricism. The first two tracks, “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” and “Unless It Kicks” are among their career best. Closer “John Allyn Smith Sails” is a quasi-cover that turns The Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B” into an ironic suicide note. It’s an underrated masterpiece and best of all, you can grab this vinyl in the $15 range.
Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
Band of Horses made it cool to add melancholic dreaminess to Southern rock music with their first two albums Everything All The Time and Cease to Begin. Standout tracks "No One's Gonna Love You" and opener "Is There a Ghost?" shine with their poignant melodies and evoke a haunting beauty that lingers long after the music fades.
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.
Killers of the Flower Moon | This week, I read David Grann’s 2017 non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon in anticipation of the upcoming adaptation by Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, out October 6 on Apple TV. Here’s a quick, non-spoiler review.
During the 1920s, the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma held the title of the wealthiest people per capita in the world, thanks to the oil reserves discovered beneath their land.
Tragically, these rich Osage Indians started to fall victim to a series of targeted killings. Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, watched as her family was murdered in strange ways. Her older sister was shot execution style, her mother suffered a slow poisoning death, and this was only the tip of the iceberg.
Those who dared to investigate these murders were met with their own untimely demise. As the death toll climbed to twenty-four, J. Edgar Hoover’s newly established F.B.I. takes on the case, one of their first.
What’s uncovered is one of the most sinister conspiracies and sickening crimes ever perpetrated in the annals of American society. There’s a half-twist near the end that will leave you with your jaw on the floor. I can’t wait to see it come to life on the big screen by the master Scorsese, and I won’t be surprised if it sweeps awards season.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Thanks for visiting! 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 19).
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!
I always say OK Computer is my favorite Radiohead album...until I sit down and listen to In Rainbows again