Trip #24: It's Right Outside Your Door, So Testify
Trip #24: It's Right Outside Your Door, So Testify
This issue features notable upcoming vinyl, AOTY inductees Dizzy, Ratboys, and DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ, and the best records to own from 1999.
Welcome to The Wax Museum, where we curate vinyl and vibes from the Future (Upcoming Releases), Present (AOTY Leaderboard), and Past (The Best Vinyl from Each Year). Let’s head down the rabbit hole.
🎧 Follow along and listen to this week’s Trip! Spotify | Apple
As always, we start with the best thing I heard this week, and that’s the exciting first peek of Oneohtrix Point Never’s upcoming album Again, due September 29 via Warp. “A Barely Lit Path” is the album closer, and it’s a facemelter.
The FUTURE Exhibit: New Vinyl Releases
Highlighting notable records coming out this Friday, September 1st.
New Albums
Empire State Bastard - Rivers of Heresy (Green Vinyl) | Here’s the death metal debut from Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil, Oceansize's Mike Vennart, and Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo.
Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Data Doom | The Los Angeles psych-rock band’s new album is influenced by the band’s love of Afrobeat and proto-punk.
Jeff Rosenstock - HELLMODE (Neon Pink Vinyl) | Jeff Rosenstock’s fifth album in ten years promises to be his most expansive yet.
Slowdive - Everything Is Alive (Mint Green Vinyl) | Shoegaze masters Slowdive are back to bless us with their first album in six years. Every single has been a dream.
New Vinyl
Disasterpeace - Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (White Vinyl) | The Jenny Slate stop-motion film gets its score by Disasterpeace pressed on white wax.
Earl Sweatshirt - SICK! | The 2022 Covid-inspired album features the Cali rapper diving into some beautifully dense beats by The Alchemist and Black Noi$e.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Live at Red Rocks ‘22 Box Set | King Gizz chronicles their Red Rocks residency with 86 tracks pressed on 12 colored records. The box set, with nine hours of music, is limited to 1,000 units and features a ton of goodies.
Local Natives - Hummingbird (White Vinyl) | The tenth anniversary of Hummingbird features white vinyl that matches the new artwork. We featured Hummingbird on our Best Records of 2013 list.
Sigur Rós - ATTA | After a ten-year hiatus, Jónsi and company dropped the surprise release ÁTTA, which translates from Icelandic as eight; it is indeed their eighth album in their illustrious 28-year career. ATTA is one of our Album of the Year contenders, and we highlight their second album Ágætis Byrjun in the Best Records of 1999 section later in this issue.
Silverstein - This Is How The Wind Shifts (Gold Inside Clear Vinyl) | After years of being out of print and on its ten-year anniversary, punk stalwarts Silverstein is reissuing This Is How The Wind Shifts on limited edition vinyl.
Wayne Shorter - Schizophrenia (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) | Half post-bop, half free jazz, Wayne Shorter’s 1967 album featured an all-star lineup of alto saxophonist James Spaulding, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Joe Chambers.
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (Sky Blue Vinyl) | Wilco’s Grammy-nominated sixth album gets a long overdue, first-time colored vinyl pressing.
The PRESENT Exhibit: Album of the Year Leaderboard
Behold the 2023 Album of the Year Leaderboard. Standings change frequently; three new albums are added each Wednesday.
🎧 Full AOTY 2023 Playlist: Spotify | Apple (80 Albums and Counting…)
Ratboys - The Window
Get Vinyl: Morning Blue | Firework Splatter | Black
It’s been a hell of a year for hazy, alt-country Americana, with Wednesday soundtracking the summer and now passing the aux cord baton to Ratboys for our winter.
Ratboys brought in Death Cab For Cutie founder Chris Walla for their fifth album because of founder Julia Steiner’s love of Tegan And Sara’s The Con, which was produced by Walla (The Con is loved around here as well, as it was included in our Best Records of 2007 list).
This collaboration results in a heightened clarity that highlights Steiner's vocals and the band's overall talents. Standout tracks like the infectious title song and the sweeping anthem "Black Earth, WI," complete with an unexpected five-minute guitar solo, make this album worth returning to.
Dizzy - Dizzy
Get Vinyl: Emerald Green | Ruby Red
Canadian rockers Dizzy return with their self-titled third album, following their 2020 release The Sun and Her Scorch, which quietly established itself as an underrated alt-pop gem.
They strike a sweet equilibrium here, balancing energetic headbangers like "Open Up Wide" with raw ballads like “Barking Dog.” Throughout the album, meticulously constructed crescendos, like in the opener "Birthmark," pay off in spades.
Dizzy’s discography is currently available at her webstore, including a bundle of all three albums on colored vinyl.
DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ - Destiny
Get Vinyl: Colored Box Set
London-based producers DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ has conjured pure sorcery with a new four-hour (!!!) release of blissful house music.
Comprising of a staggering 41 tracks, it’s hard to wrap your head around this witchcraft, which is a quadruple album’s worth of sublime production and sample goodness.
Reminiscent of The Avalanches-esque plunderphonics sound, DJ Sabrina’s Destiny offers an instant dopamine rush akin to a Girl Talk mashup, flooding the senses with a constant cascade of euphoric vibes. It casts a spell on you; before you know it, an hour or two has slipped by.
You can also have this potion in physical form; DJ Sabrina is self-releasing 300 copies on glorious 180 gram colored wax, with an optional autograph on the cover.
The PAST Exhibit: 1999’s Must-Have Vinyl
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 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000
🎧 Full Essential Vinyl Playlist: Spotify | Apple (240 Records and Counting…)
Rage Against the Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
Rage Against the Machine’s third and penultimate album smashed listeners in the face with Zack de la Rocha’s fiery lyrics, Tom Morello’s unparalleled guitar riffs, Tim Commerford's thunderous basslines, and Brad Wilk's potent drumming.
The seamless blend of rap and rock, and the powerful articulation of political dissent, inequality, and corporate malfeasance resonated deeply.
These themes were on public display when Rage teamed up with filmmaker Michael Moore to play an illegal show outside the New York Stock Exchange in protest of the greed behind its doors for the music video “Sleep Now in the Fire.” The stunt prompted police intervention and the stock exchange closure – an extraordinary moment etched in music history. “No money was harmed” in the making of this video.
MF DOOM - Operation: Doomsday
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
The masked supervillain’s debut solo album is a bonafide underground hip-hop classic. Whenever I introduce newcomers to DOOM, I kick things off with this album and especially “Gas Drawls.” It showcases what makes him next level — the inspired Steely Dan sample, the impeccable flow, and the captivating storytelling. RIP to your favorite rapper's favorite rapper.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
1999 was the creative zenith for the Chili Peppers, as arguably three of their five biggest hits were off Californication: the title track, “Scar Tissue”, and “Otherside,” the latter of which belongs in the drug addiction song pantheon. “Otherside” is a tribute to former guitarist Hillel Slovak, who died of a heroin overdose. Slovak, lead singer Anthony Kiedis, and Slovak’s replacement John Frusciante all suffered from heroin addiction while with the band.
Built to Spill - Keep It Like A Secret
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
Built to Spill satisfied both their fanbases, those who adored the indie-pop charm of 1994's There's Nothing Wrong With Love and those who preferred the expansive grandeur of 1997's Perfect From Now On, with Keep It Like A Secret, their most accessible and catchy album yet with infectious jams like “Carry the Zero” and “The Plan.”
blink-182 - Enema of the State
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variants)
blink-182's third album Enema of the State epitomized the pop-punk genre’s mainstream breakthrough with its youthful exuberance and relatable themes of adolescent angst, wrapped up in a balanced package of punk aggression with radio-friendly melodies. Enema of the State’s status as a quintessential soundtrack to the start of the new millennium influenced countless pop-punk and punk-rock bands.
Before you grab this on vinyl, make sure you look out for the explicit versions, as most pressings of this are censored.
Prince Paul - Prince Among Thieves
Get Vinyl: Orange and Yellow Splatter | Discogs (colored variant)
Prince Paul’s 35-song concept album chronicles the life of protagonist Tariq as he navigates the gritty streets of New York City among a cast of characters played by Big Daddy Kane, Kool Keith, Biz Markie, Chris Rock, and De La Soul. The album's brilliance lies in its cinematic approach, fusing humor, drama, and social commentary, set against a backdrop of diverse beats that span funk, jazz, and soul.
Prince Among Thieves recently received a colored reissue on orange and yellow splatter that you can get for around $30.
Dr. Dre - 2001
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
Dr. Dre had an unbelievable 1999 with two chart-topping albums, one from his new recruit Eminem with The Slim Shady LP, and then Dre’s comeback second album 2001. Iconic anthems like "Still D.R.E." and "Forgot About Dre" hold a revered place in the annals of rap history.
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
Get Vinyl: Black | Deluxe 3 LP | Clear Deluxe 3 LP | Discogs
The Philly hip-hop collective’s third album Things Fall Apart was their most critically acclaimed and commercial success, going platinum on the strength of its musical sophistication, intricate lyricism, and thematic depth. Black Thought has some verses in here that’ll blow your mind and have you running to Genius.com.
A 20th Anniversary box set was released on triple vinyl with bonus tracks curated by ?uestlove and a 24 page booklet; both are currently back in stock, standard black at Acoustic Sounds and clear at The Sound of Vinyl.
American Football - American Football
Get Vinyl: Clear with Blue Smoke | Discogs (colored variants)
While still in college, American Football released their self-titled debut, which distinguished itself in the realm of indie and emo music with its math-rock-inspired guitar work, complex time signatures, and emotionally resonant vocals. Songs like “Never Meant” and “Honestly?” still create a profound atmosphere of nostalgia.
In fall 2022, the American Football house from the album cover was put up for sale, with the intention of demolishing the house and building a condo in its place. A few months later, American Football announced that they had purchased the house collectively with Polyvinyl Records, the album photographers, and the Chicago-based Open House Contemporary. Polyvinyl wrote:
"Besides being a literal home to its many tenants throughout the years, The American Football house has come to represent a nostalgic dream of possibility and the beauty of the beginning. We could not let that dream go."
Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variant)
Sigur Rós sophomore album is a transcendent journey, like an ethereal dream brought to life through lush orchestral arrangements, bowed guitars, and Jónsi’s otherworldly falsetto vocals.
These vocals are in Hopelandic, a made-up language by the band; this gibberish has no meaning, rather the sounds attempt to match the melody and rhythm of the music. This extra instrument creates an immersive soundscape that's both haunting and sublime, anxious yet at peace.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Thanks for visiting! If you would like to support The Wax Museum, become a paid subscriber for just $3.33 a month and be entered into our monthly vinyl giveaway. More details to follow next week. The winner of this month’s contest was Conor M., who chose the autographed Alex G God Save the Animals vinyl!
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Excited for that new Oneohtrix Point Never!