In preparation for next year's 20th anniversary, Thrill Jockey is giving US a gift by reissuing Trans Am's seminal 4th LP Futureworld on vinyl, out Sept 13th. From the label's mouth:
The re-mastered Futureworld LP will be available in a limited edition on September 13, and is available now for pre-order. The LP will be packaged in a high gloss jacket with high gloss inner sleeve, and for the first time will include a download card for the album and two digital bonus tracks:
"Nazi/Hippie Empire"- Studio outtake from the Futureworld session, mixed by James Murphy
"Now You Die, Thriddle Fool!" - originally released by Strength Magazine on a split 7"
Thrill Jockey will be re-pressing and re-issuing other classic vinyl in 2012 as part of its 20th anniversary, including albums by Tortoise and The Sea and Cake.
All sounds very excellent, and Trans Am is playing this record in it's entirely to boot! Pre-order the LP here.
Yeah I know this shit has popped up everywhere, but it's pretty rad and I'm happy to help the hype: Nirvana's "Bleach" is seeing a re-release from the reissue kings Sub Pop this November. Not only do you get a remastered lp but a complete live show that, if "Scoff" is any indication", sounds like a total diamond. Bleach is fine record in itself, and in my eyes it's a little less grunge and a bit more sludge with metal undertones. This is when the Melvins influence was at it's finest.
Sorry I couldn't fit in anymore "re"'s in this post. I won't fail you next time.
Check this: Sunny Day Real Estate, aka one of the best bands of the 90's and suddenly underrated to boot, reissued their seminal "Diary" and under looked "LP2" last week with bonus tracks to boot! It didn't really sound like "Diary" or "LP2" needed remastering, but now that I've heard it I am pleased with the result.
Sub Pop was kind enough to release these on vinyl as well as cd, the first time in years they've been in print on the format (and in Diary's case, the first time the complete album made it to wax). Diary is on beautiful red vinyl and of course, LP2 is sweet pink, complimenting the overall artwork of the record like never before.
Also, you get an oral history on each album from the band and their peers and each comes with 2 bonus tracks, from out of print singles and the like. Those songs are great too, and find no troubles fitting with what came before it.
Today's mp3s, which I leave you to enjoy over the weekend and hopefully you'll buy these suckers if you haven't already, are my personal standouts on each. "Pheurton Skeurto" may not be the best song on Diary, but it always stood out to me. Being a teenager in middle class Connecticut during the late 90's and early 00's, there wasn't much "weird" sounding music going around and this was maybe my first exposure to it. It offended me and always stood out and over the years I've come to love it, it stops me in my tracks anytime it makes an appearance and demands listening. Yes, check out "Seven", "In Circles", "Song About An Angel" or "Sometimes" if you haven't heard Diary before because that is really what you're getting into, but don't forget to dig on this too.
"J'Nuh" though is a perfect representation of LP2 and what's great about it. In the liners, the band seems to enjoy listening to this album more and I can see why, while Diary had the power, LP2 had the substance and growth. Jam this, "J'Nuh" fucking rules.
Thanks Sub Pop. Maybe soon we can see a "How It Feels To Be Something On" vinyl reissue? Fingers crossed.
I'd say we're long overdue for a post, don't you think? With the stress of the holidays, a broken computer and drowning at work, I fell behind and I am sorry. We're beyond looking back at a year that was and totally into looking forward at the year that's yet to be. With 2009 started up, I figured what a time to say hello and get back in the groove.
I got the Rhino reissue of "Pleased to Meet Me" by the Replacements with a X-Mas giftcard and it's been my current jam. Say hello to an old friend or introduce yourself to a new one by downloading it. See you sooner than later friends (aka maybe tomorrow).
I am not sure if I would consider myself a "child of the '90s" because I was very much in my youth at the time, but I was very aware of culture: I saw many movies released, read numerous comic books, watched a lot of television, had some cool toys and so on (I'm 23 if you're trying to do math right now). However, I wasn't much on top of current music. Other than listening to Neil Young cassettes in my folks' car, I only had my sister's changing tastes to rely on at the time. This was how I found grunge, Weezer and rock and roll in general, but she also didn't delve too deep. I had to find my Pavement and Afghan Whigs albums all by myself later on.
So I didn't come to the Lemonheads' "It's A Shame About Ray" until the 00's. Sure, I had heard their "Mrs. Robinson" version in "Wayne's World 2" and heard many bands cover them, but it wasn't until meeting certain friends that caused me to track down a used copy of the lp and give it a try. Immediately, I understood what the fuss was about.
While every single Lemonheads album is fantastic and worth picking up, "Ray" is just so connectible, catchy and brilliant from song to song, it's very certainly one of those rare perfect albums that will stick with you until your death. This still counts on this expanded edition (thank god), which adds not-so-hard-to-find b-side "Shaky Ground" and a collection of unreleased demo versions of your favourite songs. On these demos, Evan Dando sounds at his most honest and intimate, fuzzing through the speakers directly to your side sharing his stories with just himself and guitar for you to listen. "My Drug Buddy" sounds like he just scored and is returning to your living room to tell you all about what went down on King St. and in the phone booth. But perhaps he is most effective on "Bit Part", minus the rock and introductory desperation courtesy of Polly Noonan but still with pal Juliana Hatfield on backing vocals, taking it down a notch to try to find "a bit part in your life", something so subtle but absolutely fucking perfect of life that you can't help but cheer for him.
However, these demos do not change the dynamic of this classic album: Alison is still starting to happen, and there are still plenty more rockin' strolls to enjoy. They merely serve and succeed as supplementary material to make you adore and appreciate an already flawless old friend. Is it worth shelling out $25 for an album you probably/hopefully already own? Well yes, if not just for the expansive liner notes and (for the first time on) dvd version of "Two Weeks In Australia", then for a chance to revisit a chunk of nostalgia and hear it with fresh ears and an updated outlook.
It's worth a damn. A big damn. I would go as far to say that on the right day, "It's A Shame About Ray" is my favourite record ever. Now where is the vinyl reissue?
