Trip #20: Think I'll Have Another Glass of Mexican Wine
Trip #20: Think I'll Have Another Glass of Mexican Wine
My Pitchfork Fest recap and vinyl recs from the past, present, and future.
Welcome to The Wax Museum, where we highlight must-have vinyl to add to your collection. Enjoy a new trip in your inbox every Wednesday!
Your Museum Guide for Wednesday, July 26, 2023
The FUTURE Exhibit (New Vinyl Releases)
The PRESENT Exhibit (2023 Album of the Year Leaderboard)
The PAST Exhibit (Essential Vinyl Records from 2003)
The RABBIT HOLE Exhibit (After Hours)
Exit Through The GIFT SHOP
🎧 Listen to this week’s Trip! Spotify | Apple
Come on in, guys! I’m currently experiencing post-festival depression after a weekend in Chicago for the Pitchfork Music Festival. I enjoyed three days of chill vibes, tasty food, and spicy margs. I even had a nice Ferris Bueller day where I saw a Cubs game at Wrigley, woofed down some Chicago dogs and Old Styles, then sprinted right back to Pitchfork.
Here are my favorite performances’ full video streams: Alvvays, Killer Mike, MJ Lenderman, JPEGMAFIA, The Smile, Bon Iver. If you plan on watching them later, maybe download them first in case the copyright police are around.
Now on to the exhibits!
The FUTURE Exhibit: New Vinyl Releases
Highlighting the notable new vinyl coming out this Friday, July 28.
New Albums
12 Rods - If We Stayed Alive | Perhaps one of the most surprising releases of the year goes to 12 Rods, who return after a 21-year absence with nostalgic tunes that will delight longtime fans and bring in new ones.
Aphex Twin - Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760 | Aphex Twin returns for the first time in five years with four new tracks and a unique pop-out vinyl gatefold.
Bethany Cosentino - Natural Disaster | The Best Coast singer goes solo for the first time with 12 songs touching on modern life’s catastrophes and upheavals.
Georgia - Euphoric | London’s Georgia Barnes teams up with the legend Rostam for third album Euphoric.
Jesse Lanza - Love Hallucination | Canadian musician Jessy Lanza is back with another round of complex electro-pop for the dance floor.
Joni Mitchell - Joni Mitchell At Newport | In July 2022, Joni Mitchell stunned the Newport Folk Festival audience with a surprise performance, her first in 20 years. This double vinyl features a heartfelt set filled with some of her greatest songs.
Madeline Kenney - A New Reality Mind (Tangerine Vinyl) | Oakland’s Madeline Kenney’s wrote, produced, and recorded her fourth album in her basement, fresh off an unexpected breakup.
Post Malone - Austin (Forest Green Vinyl) | Megastar Post Malone’s fifth offering arrives on forest green double vinyl.
Thomas Bangalter - Mythologies | Thomas Bangalter starts his post-Daft Punk career with his first composition for orchestra, stretched across three vinyl.
Travis Scott - Utopia | The Houston rapper’s new album Utopia and corresponding A24 film Circus Maximus hits streaming and theaters this week. Vinyl comes with one of four covers and ships next week.
New Vinyl
Deafheaven - Sunbather (10th Anniversary Colored Vinyl) | Deafheaven’s monolithic sophomore album gets a 10th-anniversary double vinyl on two different colorways: bone/gold and pink/red swirl.
The Dear Hunter - Act II | The second release in the Act series from The Dear Hunter gets a much-needed reissue, as previous editions all go for $100+.
Jim Sullivan - U.F.O. (Blue Splatter Vinyl) | I went in-depth on Jim Sullivan’s U.F.O. and its bizarre story on Trip #2. Buy this if you don’t have a variant of this yet.
Oso Oso - Real Stories of True People Who Kind of Looked Like Monsters (Neon Pink Vinyl) | Emo rock group Oso Oso’s 2015 raw, melodic debut album gets pressed to wax for the first time.
Saves The Day - Can’t Slow Down | The 1998 debut from hardcore band Saves the Day gets a 25th anniversary repress.
📋 Full list of vinyl releases, reissues, and compilations.
The PRESENT Exhibit: AOTY Leaderboard
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 (68 Albums and Counting…)
This week features Blur, Anohni and the Johnsons, and El Michels Affair & Black Thought.
Blur - The Ballad of Darren
Get Vinyl: Red | Black | Orange | Discogs (colored variants)
Damon Albarn may be the busiest man in music right now. Just this year, he’s blessed us with a new Gorillaz album, featured on Little Dragon’s Slugs of Love, and produced fellow AOTY candidate Fatoumata Diawara’s London Ko.
Now he’s resurrected Blur after an eight-year break with a gorgeous return to form for the Britpop rockers. The record’s A-side is electric, featuring uptempo jams “St. Charles Square,” “Barbaric,” and “The Narcissist” that are sure to be instant classics.
The vinyl comes in many colors and will be worth showing off on your Now Playing stand, with the beautiful cover taken by legendary photographer Martin Parr.
El Michels Affair & Black Thought - Glorious Game
Get Vinyl: Sky High Blue | Black | Discogs (colored variants)
Black Thought and Leon Michels are a perfect match on new collaborative album Glorious Game. Michels' soul and funk-infused beats are cooler than the other side of the pillow, providing an ideal backdrop for The Roots frontman's masterful flow. With last year's outstanding Cheat Codes with Danger Mouse still fresh in our minds, Black Thought's return is met with excitement, and El Michels Affair's cinematic soul adds a unique and flavorful twist to his introspective lyricism. The result is an album that effortlessly blends jazz, soul, and hip-hop for a captivating musical experience throughout the half-hour runtime.
Anohni and the Johnsons - My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross
Get Vinyl: Opaque Yellow | Black | Discogs (colored variants)
Anohni and the Johnsons (previously known as Antony and the Johnsons) are back with a seventh album and their first in thirteen years. The record, inspired by Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, is a soul stunner, featuring mostly Anohni’s original vocal takes. The quiet moments are emotionally resounding, while the bombastic ones leave an unforgettable imprint.
However, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the quality control on this vinyl production has been a disaster. Reviews on Discogs report a glue-like structure on the A-side of both the black and colored vinyl, creating loud pops and jumps even after cleaning. If you want this one on vinyl, I suggest waiting for a new release or rolling the dice and keeping your receipt.
The PAST Exhibit: Essential Vinyl of 2003
Each week we look at a year gone by to find ten timeless albums that are must-haves in your vinyl collection. All vinyl are easy to find unless otherwise stated.
Archive: 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | This week is 2003
🎧 Full Essential Vinyl Playlist: Spotify | Apple (200 Records and Counting…)
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
Get Vinyl: Red | Discogs (colored variants)
After getting dropped by Atlantic Records due to a lackluster second album, New York’s Fountains of Wayne recorded an hour of new material without any label support. Welcome Interstate Managers struck gold, winning over hearts and charts alike with its catchy song structures and finely crafted lyrics that hit home with the struggles of the American East Coast middle-class lifestyle.
The Cars-like “Stacy’s Mom” was the first single, became a runaway hit, and positioned FoW as early 2000s power pop superstars. Their follow-up single "Mexican Wine" had the potential to keep the momentum going, but controversy struck when the music video featured kids pretending to drink wine, leading to its removal from MTV. This incident cost them dearly, and by the time "Hey Julie" came around – a banger that could have been the perfect second single – their once-promising trajectory lost steam, ultimately cementing their status as a one-hit-wonder.
Tragically, co-founder Adam Schlesinger passed away due to complications from COVID-19 in April 2020. This event further highlighted the band's lasting impact on the music world and the deep emotional connection fans had with their music.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
The early 2000s saw the rebirth of the New York rock scene, with bands like TV on the Radio, LCD Soundsystem, Interpol, and The Strokes creating forward-looking music during the first Internet revolution.
Perhaps no moment defined the era more than Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ debut Fever to Tell, with its raw energy, Karen O's electric vocals, and innovative sound thanks to producer Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio.
Iconic tracks like "Maps" and "Y Control" became anthems for a generation, showcasing the band's prowess in creating emotionally charged ballads and influencing a wave of indie and alternative artists.
The Strokes - Room On Fire
Get Vinyl: Opaque Blue | Black | Discogs (colored variants)
Let’s stay in New York, with The Strokes hoping to build on the success of their debut Is This It. While critics reviewed Room On Fire as sounding too similar to its predecessor, history has been kind to Room On Fire. With hits like "12:51" and "Reptilia," this record is an essential part of the early 2000s rock canon.
The White Stripes - Elephant
Get Vinyl: Red and Black Smoke | Discogs (colored variants)
Meanwhile in Detroit, Jack White's powerful guitar riffs and Meg White's primal drumming were striking chords with audiences, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. The bluesy garage rock record was produced without computers, instead opting for an eight-track tape machine and other gear no more recent than the early 1960s.
Earlier this year, a wide release of the 20th Anniversary double vinyl was pressed on red and black smoke wax and featured an alternative cover design.
The Postal Service - Give Up
Get Vinyl: Blue and Metallic Silver | Discogs (colored variants)
I want whatever Ben Gibbard was having in 2003 to create both Transatlanticism for Death Cab for Cutie and Give Up for The Postal Service. Give Up opened up a new wing of indie synth rock with its dreamy beats and melancholic vocals. Some have argued the success was a reaction to more heavy or aggressive indie rock, like The Strokes or The White Stripes.
Give Up remains The Postal Service's only album, as it was always intended as a one-off experiment. Death Cab and The Postal Service are currently on a 20th anniversary tour performing their respective albums, and Give Up recently received a beautiful blue and metallic silver vinyl reissue.
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
Marketed as his retirement album at the time, Jay-Z’s The Black Album served as a culmination of his artistic evolution. With production from legends like The Neptunes and Kanye West, the album showcased Jay-Z's lyrical brilliance and storytelling prowess, solidifying his status as one of the greatest MCs in the game.
Linkin Park - Meteora
Get Vinyl: 20th Anniversary Box Set | Anniversary Deluxe | Discogs (colored variants)
Linkin Park’s second album Meteora featured a potent blend of rap-rock and alternative metal, with emotional lyrics that connected with a generation facing inner turmoil and identity issues.
Jay-Z and Linkin Park teamed up a year after their album successes for Collision Course, a six-song mashup EP that surprisingly holds up. The single “Numb/Encore” even won a Grammy for Best Collaboration.
The DVD, which you can watch below, features the making of the album, as well as all mashups performed at The Roxy Theatre. Bootlegs of this vinyl go for upwards of $150+.
AFI - Sing the Sorrow
Get Vinyl: Red and Black Pinwheel | Discogs
Post-hardcore classic Sing the Sorrow by AFI has always been a white whale for vinyl collectors. The first and only pressing in 2003 would fetch over $500+ on the resale market. Thankfully, a new reissue is on the way on red and black pinwheel vinyl for around $45 from your local record store. Expect this one to show up in October.
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
Get Vinyl: Yellow Splatter | Black | Discogs
Yellowcard’s fourth album and career highlight Ocean Avenue is another vinyl that was very hard to find and required hundreds of dollars. The pop-punk cornerstone just received a reissue last week on limited edition yellow splatter and standard black, so get ready to hear those soaring violins on your turntable.
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
Austin band Explosions in the Sky’s third album is, for my money, the pinnacle of post-rock music. Equal parts heartwarming and heart-wrenching, the album's sweeping and cinematic soundscapes transport listeners on an ethereal journey. The mesmerizing record remains an enduring and cherished classic in the world of instrumental music.
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.
After Hours | My grandma would always say, “nothing good happens after midnight,” and that’s the plot of Martin Scorsese’s 1985 movie After Hours.
As I get hyped for Killers of the Flower Moon, I’m going back into Scorsese’s filmography and watched this for the first time. The dark comedy follows a man's surreal and nightmarish misadventures through New York City.
In the early 1980s, Scorsese was in director jail, with The King of Comedy bombing at the box office and The Last Temptation of Christ being canceled. Facing a lack of new offers from major studios, Scorsese recognized the need to return to his low-budget indie roots and to create something that would rekindle the joy and excitement of being a director again. Scorsese credits After Hours with saving his career and garnered him the Best Director Award at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.
This tense and twisted cult classic holds up well, and you can see its influences everywhere, whether it’s Uncut Gems or this year’s Beau is Afraid, which features a similar Job-like first act. This is prime Scorsese and well worth a watch!
Exit Through The Gift Shop
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We attended "Couchfork" and enjoyed livestreams of many of the Pitchfork acts you mentioned, with Bon Iver's set being the crowning glory. Also highly recommended are Florist, Mdou Moctar, Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul, and Yaya Bey - did you catch any of those?