Trip #28: Time is Never Time at All
Trip #28: Time is Never Time at All
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Newsletter.
🎧 Listen along to this week’s trip! Spotify | Apple
This week we have a star-studded 31 song playlist, 2 and a half hours of grooves.
Hello and welcome back to The Wax Museum, the vinyl and vibes curation newsletter, where we dig up grooves from the past, present, and future.
As always, let’s start with the best thing I heard this week, which was Wugazi, a Wu-Tang Clan vs. Fugazi mashup album created by Doomtree's Cecil Otter and Swiss Andy.
Released in 2011 and getting a forthcoming bootleg release on vinyl, Wugazi combines the backing tracks of Fugazi’s Instrument with the lyrical stylings of Wu-Tang’s 36 Chambers to create one of the most satisfying mashups ever. We’ll have much more on the Wu-Tang later in this newsletter.
Now, on to this week’s exhibits..
The FUTURE Exhibit: New Vinyl Releases
Highlighting records out this Friday, October 6th that I’m excited about.
New Albums
A. Savage - Several Songs About Fire | The co-frontman of Parquet Courts drops his second solo album.
Dogstar - Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees | Dogstar, featuring Keanu Reeves on bass guitar, returns with their first album in almost a quarter century.
Ilsey - From the Valley | The Los Angeles-based Ilsey prepares her debut album, which includes a “Heart of Gold” cover featuring Bon Iver.
Sufjan Stevens - Javelin (Seaweed Ocean Blast) | Javelin is Sufjan’s tenth solo project and his first in full solo singer-songwriter mode since 2015’s Carrie & Lowell. Also available in orange, turquoise, and black.
yeule - softscars (Marble Grey Vinyl) | softscars is the third studio album by Singaporean 25-year-old singer-songwriter-producer Yeule; get it on marble grey wax.
New Vinyl
Danny Brown & JPEGMAFIA - Scaring the Hoes (White Vinyl) | Wax Museum AOTY candidate Scaring the Hoes finally comes to turntables worldwide.
Dear and the Headlights - Drunk Like Bible Times (Black, Blue, and Pearl Vinyl) | Drunk Like Bible Times is the second and final album by Arizona-based indie rock band Dear and the Headlights. Also available in black.
Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep | Formed by former Tommy Boy Records artists Prince Paul, RZA, Frukwan, and Poetic, 6 Feet Deep ushered in the genre of horrorcore. More on this album and Wu-Tang’s solo projects in the Best Vinyl of 1995 exhibit below.
Hella - Hold Your Horse Is (Gold Vinyl) | The 2002 debut studio album by American math rock band Hella arrives on colored vinyl for the first time.
J Cole - Cole World: The Sideline Story | Cole World is finally back in print. Unfortunately this import is on the pricy side at the time of this newsletter.
Lil Peep - HELLBOY (Red Flame Vinyl) | Lil Peep's breakthrough 2016 mixtape comes to vinyl for the first time on cloudy red vinyl.
Mac Miller - Swimming (Marbled Vinyl) and NPR Tiny Desk (Blue Vinyl) | The Mac Miller estate is dropping two vinyl on Friday: a gorgeous box set for the 5th year of Swimming and the highly requested, iconic NPR Music Tiny Desk concert on blue vinyl.
Madonna - True Blue (Silver Vinyl) | True Blue was not only the best-selling album of 1986 but the best-selling album of the 1980s by a female artist. It’s back on vinyl on Amazon Exclusive silver variant.
Miles Davis - Seven Steps to Heaven and Milestones (MoFi Reissues) | Seven Steps to Heaven and Milestones get the Mobile Fidelity 180g SuperVinyl treatment. Milestones rocks; it’s Miles Davis only studio album with his original sextet featuring Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones.
Miley Cyrus - Bangerz (Sea Glass Vinyl) | Celebrate ten years of Miley’s 3x Platinum Bangerz with a sea glass deluxe edition.
Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels (Split Colored Vinyl) | The Killer Mike / El-P classic also turns ten and features the original and instrumental album in a double gatefold sleeve with split colored wax.
Sigur Rós - Kveikur | The seventh album from the Icelandic post-rockers gets a much-needed vinyl reissue.
Van Halen - The Collection II | This picks up where its predecessor left off and covers the four consecutive #1 albums released during the Hagar era, and a rarities compilation.
The PRESENT Exhibit: AOTY 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 (92 Albums and Counting…)
Animal Collective - Isn’t It Now?
Debuts at #6 on Leaderboard
Get Vinyl: Tangerine | Orchid | Black
Isn't It Now?, the latest from the Animal Collective fellas, reaffirms their ability to craft a timeless psych-rock classic. Featuring the combined genius of Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Geologist, and Deakin, this album is their longest work, radiating warmth and aural beauty throughout. Every note seems infused with joy, hinting their delight in the recording process. Russell Elevado, famed for his work on D’Angelo’s Black Messiah, lends his expertise; the result is some instant Animal Collective quintessentials.
The album kicks off with the captivating "Soul Capturer" and reaches sublime heights with the harmonious crescendo in the back half of "Magicians from Baltimore." We then head into the centerpiece “Defeat,” a demanding 22-minute journey asking for listener patience and contrasting the immediacy of the rest of the album. The listener then gets transported back to beloved Merriweather Post Pavilion with "Gem & I,” while “Stride Rite” is maybe most beautiful of all, an intriguing departure featuring rare vocals from Deakin that sounds like Father John Misty hopped on a Fleet Foxes’ track.
Newcomers and diehards alike should vibe with this. As the leaves begin to fall, I’ll throw Isn't It Now? into the ring as an early contender for my go-to autumn album.
Blonde Redhead - Sit Down for Dinner
Debuts at #11 on Leaderboard
Get Vinyl: Strawberry Parfait Splatter | Yogurt White | Violet | Black
Blonde Redhead's triumphant return, Sit Down for Dinner, marks their first album in nearly a decade, cementing itself as a standout in their illustrious 30-year career. Frontwoman Kazu Makino, alongside Italian twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace, deliver the goods that had me hitting repeat repeatedly.
Standouts like opener “Snowman,” “Before,” and “I Thought You Should Know” (which gives me War on Drugs vibes) rank among the most infectious melodies in their catalog.
The album's soul lies in its poignant two-part title track, drawing inspiration from Joan Didion’s book The Year of Magical Thinking about Didion’s husband’s fatal heart attack at their dining-room table. Kazu recites:
"You sit down for dinner. And the life as you know it ends. No pity. You hang on to his body, so maybe you can put him back together. But no, no pity. I know you don't deserve. You can't even choose the way you go."
The transition between parts one and two is the album’s highlight, and it transforms Kazu’s/Didion’s sad reflection on abrupt loss into a Memento Mori anthem to embrace life's fleeting moments. For anyone grappling with the unpredictable nature of our existence, Sit Down for Dinner serves as a timely (to me) testament to the healing power of music.
Temples - Exotico
Debuts at #25 on Leaderboard
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (multiple colored variants)
I missed the boat on Temples’ Exotico when it dropped in April and lost out on what could’ve been my summer anthems. Brimming with spirited and breezy tunes, Exotico, produced by Sean Ono Lennon and mixed by Dave Fridmann (Spoon, MGMT), transports listeners to a balmy island paradise.
While it’s richly steeped in retro influences, there’s no mistaking its freshness and dynamism, avoiding mere imitation of bygone eras. Standout tracks like the opener “Liquid Air,” “Gamma Rays,” and “Inner Space” shimmer with daydreamy psychedelia, perfectly encapsulating the spaced-out beach vibe. For Tame Impala fans (Fridmann also mixed Innerspeaker and Lonerism) or those seeking a sun-kissed escape, Exotico is your next port of call.
The PAST Exhibit: 1995’s Must-Have Vinyl
Each week we look at a year gone by to find 10 timeless albums that are must-haves in your record 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 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996
🎧 The Essential Vinyl Playlist: Spotify | Apple (280 Records and Counting…)
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Get Vinyl: Box Set | Discogs
Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Billy Corgan described Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness as The Wall for Generation X, and true to his word, it tackled the existential dread of young adults coming of age in the tumultuous '90s.
The double album showcased the band's sprawling ambitions and sheer depth of creativity. With its vast array of sounds — from the reflective balladry of “Tonight, Tonight” and “1979” to thundering anthems like "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" — the album is an exploration of youth's myriad emotions.
In vinyl circles, Mellon Collie is held in high regard for its attention to detail in the packaging and sound quality. The quadruple LP box set comes in a massive slipcase and includes a 28-page lyric booklet. This set has gone in and out of print over the last ten years, with its price see-sawing back and forth between $70 and $300 depending on availability.
I’m proud to announce we will be giving away the Mellon Collie vinyl box set to one lucky paid subscriber this month! Enter now and head to the Gift Shop below for more information.
Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (multiple colored variants)
Oasis' What's the Story (Morning Glory), often hailed as the pinnacle of the Britpop era, showcases the Gallagher brothers' talent in crafting anthemic, stadium-filling tracks like “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova” that are underpinned by poignant lyricism.
However, the brilliance of their collaboration stands in stark contrast to their relationship. The tumultuous bond between Liam and Noel Gallagher is as legendary as their music, with their notorious public spats and disagreements ultimately leading to the band's disbandment and their ongoing estrangement.
Pulp - Different Class
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (multiple colored variants)
While Morning Glory gets all the love, I’ll submit Pulp’s Different Class as another Britpop canon essential. Embracing themes of class, desire, and the everyday dramas of urban life, Jarvis Cocker's biting lyrics are set against a backdrop of lush melodies and infectious hooks, most notably on “Common People” and “Disco 2000.”
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (multiple colored variants)
Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill is a masterclass in raw, unbridled emotion, with her piercing vocals and eclectic arrangements a breath of fresh air in the post-grunge landscape. Her monumental talent was rightfully recognized when she was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys, and in clinching the award, the then-21-year-old Morissette made history by becoming the youngest artist to achieve this honor at the time.
2Pac - Me Against The World
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (colored variant)
Released during a tumultuous period in 2Pac’s life — he was grappling with a barrage of criminal cases and was imprisoned following a sexual assault conviction — Me Against The World’s content is hauntingly prescient. Just before the announcement of his verdict, Pac was robbed, brutally beaten, and shot in a NYC recording studio's lobby. Yet, amidst this maelstrom, the album surged to the top of the Billboard charts, marking 2Pac as the first artist to achieve such a feat while incarcerated. While behind bars, he implicated Notorious B.I.G. and Sean "P Diddy" Combs in his shooting, adding another layer of complexity to a record already rich with poignant societal commentary. The result is an album that isn't just good — it's a cornerstone of hip-hop history.
Elliott Smith - Ellliot Smith
Get Vinyl: 25th Anniversary | Purple and Gold Splatter | Discogs (multiple colored variants)
Elliott Smith's eponymous album is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of the human experience. With its stripped-down, acoustic sound and Smith's whispered vocals, the album is an intimate portrait of an artist wrestling with personal demons. While believed to have not been reviewed by even one critic at its release, its legacy has grown immensely over the years, with reviews praising its beauty and vulnerability.
Opener and single “Needle in the Hay” appeared in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums, in a famous scene featuring a suicide attempt. Smith was mortified about the song being used this way: “That’s the last thing I’d ever want that song to be associated with!”
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs (multiple colored variants)
No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom artfully fused ska, punk, and pop into a package bursting with vibrant energy and charisma thanks to the distinctive vocals of Gwen Stefani. “Don’t Speak” broke the record for most times atop the pop charts at 14 straight weeks, until that was surpassed by Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” a few years later. Beyond its chart-topping success, Tragic Kingdom paved the way for a fresh wave of bands that combined punk sensibilities with brass-infused rhythms.
Wu-Tang’s First Round of Solo Albums
Get Vinyl: Return to 36 Chambers | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx | Liquid Swords
In the annals of hip-hop, few collectives have matched the transformative impact and longevity of the Wu-Tang Clan's meteoric rise and their subsequent solo ventures. Bursting onto the scene with the groundbreaking Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993, the ensemble laid the foundation for a series of individual masterpieces. Between 1994 and 1996, the Clan dropped five solo projects, each now heralded as a classic.
1994 witnessed RZA's darkly atmospheric contributions to Gravediggaz's 6 Feet Deep and Method Man's unfiltered, magnetic Tical. Then, 1995 unfurled as a banner year for the Clan: Ol' Dirty Bastard's daring Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version was a kaleidoscope of his inimitable flair; Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… plunged headlong into the mafioso rap narrative, setting a gold standard for hip-hop lore. GZA’s Liquid Swords married incisive wordplay with RZA’s cold, cinematic beats, crafting an atmosphere that remains peerless. By 1996, Ghostface Killah's Ironman carried forth the Wu's ethos, layering soulful grooves over visceral narratives.
If 36 Chambers was the realization of RZA's collective dream for the Wu-Tang Clan, the subsequent solo albums showcased the genius of harmonizing this shared vision with the singular artistry of each member. RZA's collaborative spirit ensured each artist's debut album reflected their distinctive ethos and voice. Far from mere footnotes, these records are foundational pillars upholding the mighty legacy of Wu-Tang.
Leftfield - Leftism
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
Leftfield's debut Leftism stands as a pillar in the evolution of progressive house, marking a moment when the genre transcended its club roots to command mainstream attention. The album's brilliance lies not just in its impeccably crafted beats, but in its audacious blending of diverse influences — from dub to African rhythms, and from reggae vocalists to punk icons.
Radiohead - The Bends
Get Vinyl: Black | Discogs
We fade out today’s playlist with Radiohead's sophomore effort The Bends, which put away any concerns of them being a one-hit-wonder. The Bends showcases a band whose creative energies were in full throttle, producing tracks like “High and Dry,” “Fake Plastic Trees,” and “Street Spirit” that are sonically richer and thematically deeper than anything on Pablo Honey. Guitarist Ed O'Brien's reflects on this period where Radiohead found their voice: “After all that touring on Pablo Honey, the songs that Thom was writing were so much better. Over a period of a year and a half, suddenly, bang.” The Bends is a testament to Radiohead's evolution and foreshadows the brilliance to come.
Luckily at the time of publishing, The Bends vinyl is on sale at Amazon for $26.
The Rabbit Hole Exhibit
Welcome to the non-music wing of the Wax Museum. Take a trip down the Internet rabbit hole to see what I found interesting this week.
It’s October, so that means Spooky Movie Season! What better time than now to chip away at some unseen horror films from my Letterboxd watchlist.
Join me on this spine-chilling cinematic journey: two haunting movies each week, all month long. Here’s the tentative schedule:
Oct 11 - No One Will Save You (2023) and [•REC] (2007)
Oct 18 - Jennifer's Body (2009) and The Thing (1982)
Oct 25 - The Ninth Configuration (1980) and The Exorcist III (1990)
Nov 1 - Pulse (2001) and Trick 'r Treat (2007)
This week we’ll be watching No One Will Save You, a new invasion movie which arrived on Hulu last week, as well as [•REC], the found footage movie from 2007, available to stream on Amazon Prime. We’ll discuss both films in this exhibit next week!
Exit Through The Gift Shop
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.
This month is very exciting as we are giving away the Smashing Pumpkins double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, a highly sought-after vinyl CLASSIC. You have until October 30th to enter and the winner will be notified on October 31st.
Lastly, if you collect vinyl, you’d be foolish not to follow the Internet’s #1 vinyl deal finder. I tweet about five to ten deals a day; be sure to turn on notifications because some deals go fast!
Leave a comment card on your way out and we’ll see ya next week!
So many great titles in here. I love True Blue and Morning Glory. Some records never get old.
Cool stuff, as always. You should seek out Wu Orleans, DJ BC's mashup of Wu Tang and trad New Orleans jazz, surprisingly effective if not easy to find! For 1995, I would have to add: Tricky - Maxinquaye; Mobb Deep - The Infamous; Scott Walker - Tilt; Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball, and Bjork - Post among others...but getting those all on vinyl would break the bank, LOL.