.record haul / bucket list finds practically

What I have purchased and acquired in the month of May is not normal. It's like my own version of Rex Manning Day only with vinyl. I think what sparked this was a rare find of a friend, then that sparked the interest of another friend, then that friend rubbing off on me. Basically it let me to discogs purchasing shit tons of albums along with going crazy in the Vinyl Me Please Membership Store. The apocalypse is coming? Maybe! What treasure troves did I find / order? Well....

From the Vinyl Me Please Membership Store I purchased Nick Cave's "The Boatman's Call." This is my first Nick Cave album AND it came in a smoky red and black color. Figured it would be a collector's item down the line, picked it up. Next is Sylvan Esso's latest album in cherry red, "What Next." One word: fire! Such a fantastic array of songs. Next is Beach House "Teen Dream" which I've wanted to own for a while and the first album of their's I discovered. It's depressing but so is life sometimes ;P To round out my Gorillaz collection "Plastic Beach" and the new one "Humanz." Haven't listened to it yet, next on my list. Slowdive, a favorite of my best friend. The album is silver and very beautiful to listen to. Last but not least Julien Baker's "Funeral Pyre" 7" because anything by Julien is golden.

On Ebay someone was selling a copy of Liz Phair's "Juvenilia" where I nearly screamed. Plus they are two 7" lps! Interesting. No clue this even existed. Bonus? The seller lives in my state so shipping was super fast!

Now for Discogs! Lots of European sellers for some of these. Otherwise I would NEVER find any of these in the US. First off was Ex Hex's 7" "Hot Cold." I tried in the past for that on Ebay but the seller wanted too much money for it. Next I completed my Le Tigre collection with their self-titled, Feminist Sweepstakes, and This Island ALL on vinyl! Not only that, I nabbed a copy of Kathleen's Viva Knieval 7" where only 1,000 copies are made! My copy is 527. Wow! Rounding out the rest of my purchases I found Mary Timony's "Mountains" and holla!!! PJ Harvey's "Uh Huh Her" from someone in Greece. If only "Is This Desire" or "Dry" were more reasonably priced :(

Lastly I pre-ordered the Helium bundle pack in late March which came in the mail this month. It comes with all of Helium's albums and a special edition album of demos and live tracks. Plus you get a Helium tote as a bonus. Mary Timony rules!

So I'll be holding off on major vinyl purchases for a while as you can see. Most of this was birthday money and some good deals. 

.rsd 2017

Picked up a "few" of the female artists they had in stock

A normal person after seeing two nights in a row of PJ Harvey would sleep in on their day off from concerts. No, not me. As much as I said, "Yeah I'm not doing RSD this year" I lied and had major FOMO waking up at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Exhausted, I drove over to Tunes thinking I only had a few minutes before the store opened and would just get out of my car. Counting the people in line I was about 20th. When I finally walked over to stand in line I discovered the store doesn't open until 9:00. Another hour to kill. I texted friends most of the time or read my book. As the doors opened I was ready to find the albums I was looking for. I was also thankful I didn't have to listen to any of the obnoxious older guys in line and their colorful language to emphasize said stories.

Tunes displays all of their RSD titles on the walls of the store. I like this because it's easy to see everything and you don't have to "wait" for people to flip through crates of albums. My tops on my wishlist were The Sundays, Distillers, The Cure, Filthy Friends, Big Thief, and Priests. The Cure was the first album I snagged. The albums themselves are just beautiful with Robert Smith adorned in starry backgrounds. Frantic I kept searching for The Distillers but to no avail! Thankfully I looked carefully and noticed the cover was different from the one posted on the RSD site. I nabbed the LAST COPY of Coral Fang. How lucky! Then making my way to the 7"s I only saw Patti Smith and Against Me! Waiting in line I texted my friend who was at the record stores in Philly. She managed to pick me up Filthy Friends and Priests. Neither of us could find the Big Thief 7" and NO ONE had The Sundays. Mad because some of the guys in front of me had copies in their hands. All of a sudden near the door I noticed on the display table of books was Laura J Grace's "Tranny" which I picked up immediately. As the line wrapped around the other side of the store I kept eyeing up this boxed set of Sex Pistols singles from the UK and US. Finally caving in I decided to buy it since the set would make an awesome collector's item someday. My grand total came to a little under $200 along with a free cd sampler, poster, and tote bag. A bit more than I wanted to spend but at least left happy after 40 minutes of standing in line. This is bad since I already ordered a ton of albums off "Vinyl Me Please" but these are rare releases so it's all good. Just wish there were more FEMALE bands represented during RSD. A whopping 12% which is ridiculous. We need to do better!

.canceling vinyl me please

I first started my 1-year membership with Vinyl Me Please back in September 2015. For those of you who don't know how it works, VMP is an online record store/community. They provide you with an "Album of the Month" which is printed in a special color, might include a booklet, special features among other things. The album also comes with artwork by a featured artist and a cocktail recipe (I'm not a drinker so I toss them or give them to my brother when he lived here). Then once a month at noon EST the membership store is open to members. Here you can shop for a handful of different albums depending on their picks for the month along with merchandise (speakers, hats, hoodies). The scenario goes like this every month; some albums are new releases, some are re-releases, some are box sets. All free of shipping charges. When I first joined I picked up an average of at least 3 albums a month not including their Album of the Month. When they had their "90s" theme of albums I bought 9 in that month of December. I feel I peaked in July with almost 7 albums and then rarely ordered more than 1 or 2 from the store each passing month.

I feel like I have hit a plateau in terms of albums available that interest me. Not all of their monthly albums were that great in my opinion (most I've never heard of) and you only get 1 swap (you can trade it out for another album of the month from the back stock). Currently the membership price went up to $307 which is $25 for each Album of the Month (which sucks if you don't like the AotM). My main peeve is the membership store opens immediately at 12 noon. I am not allowed on my phone until 1 at my job. In a span of that hour going by when I can finally log on my phone, nearly everything I wanted from the store is out of stock! It's like a crazed Black Friday experience of customers crashing the server and particular albums being in demand. They sell out within minutes. It got so frustrating I just gave up. I feel there is also a severe lack of female artists in the catalog too. Overall joining this music community was exciting at first but now almost 2 years in, it's losing flavor. As many concerts as I attend, purchasing the album there at the show (handing the actual artist the money) is better than buying it online. Yes the special edition or colored vinyl is fantastic but vinyl is vinyl. It plays the same, you are getting the same songs no matter which version you buy.  

Here's the kicker. I guess I'm not the only person with the same opinions on my membership. Ironically after claiming reasons they "raised membership prices," they are now letting you have "unlimited swaps" (why this wasn't the case earlier?) and are now letting you curate your genres in music (I'm guessing they will have a survey you fill out with your likes/interests to enhance your shopping experience). This is great and all but still, the "open at noon" is still super annoying. This is why come August I am terminating my membership. Will I go back? Maybe for a month depending on who the Album of the Month is or the membership store picks. But for now I'd rather stick to what I know best, record stores (especially the mom and pop shops that need to stay in business so they don't get overrun by internet sales)

.new stuff

I always feel like I am so far behind on music. There's so much to explore it can be very overwhelming. Here's a post that doesn't bombard you with new sound, just some things to take a listen to...

Chastity Belt has a new album out in June. Their new song "Different Now" and video go in tandem. I found myself drawn to the overcast pacific northwestern beach as the ladies set up their equipment. Julia's portrait surrounded by wind-blown greenery singing about finding yourself and not having the answers you want. As the song transitions from uncertainty to self-realization the darkness falls in as the band is surrounded by one another's company around a bonfire. The song hits a chord about self-discovery. Personally it reminded me of your 20s vs. your 30s. Figuring out your place in the world but surrounding yourself with positive energy / good people.

Tank and the Bangas on Tiny Desk

On Twitter I follow NPR and love their "Tiny Desk" series. When they tweeted about an emotional performance by Tank and the Bangas I clicked to watch. This group is dynamic hailing from Louisiana. They use spoken word and different voice inflections to get the point across. My favorite song was "Roller Coaster." The feeling of sickening butterflies and the exhilaration of being seated in an uncontrolled cart. When people can articulate so clearly emotion into words or voice that is a gift. Check them out. Their outfits are also A+ (banana pants?! C'mon!)

Finally VMP features Tennis as their "Album of the Month." My copy came in the mail yesterday (I see them on Saturday in concert). It's a pretty bubblegum themed blast of coral and powdered blue. The album comes with a booklet (haven't read it yet) of how the songs and theme of the new record came about with photos nicely decorated on each page. My local indie radio station played "Ladies Don't Play Guitar" on loop. I have heard "In the Morning I'll Be Better" but cannot pinpoint where for the life of me. It sounds like something that would be played during the season finale of Orange is the New Black. The songs are an eclectic mix. One in particular sounds a bit Cocteau Twin-ish. It's a good album to listen to on a rainy day or like today, a rainy snowstorm.

So that's about it for new listens. What have you been listening to lately? Please share in the comments below!

.vinylmeplease april and may haul

Killing two birds with one stone I present my April and May hauls from Vinyl Me Please. Since so many albums were very festive in color, how could I not capture their awesomeness by taking photos below?!

 Here is my April haul. It consisted of the Album of the Month which was Fugees: The Score. Freshman year of high school? How could I not love it?! Other albums included the new Bleached (looks like a cookie dunked in milk), Parquet Courts, Black Mountain (green vinyl), Explosions in the Sky (clear vinyl with geometric shapes), Yeasayer, and Sufjan Steven's anniversary release of Illinoise (the one album is in the shape of a star - red, white and blue!) Check out all of the radness below....

Here is May's haul. The album of the month being Weezer's "Pinkerton." An album I did not appreciate as much in the past but now I have a strong liking for. The album is marbled blue with black and the inside of the sleeve is a pop-out! Aesop Rock's albums are neon green and magenta. There is a HUGE poster which folds out to a gargantuan size of stellar artwork. White Lung I will see in August and have heard so much buzz about them, I had to pick up their album. Here are pictures of the albums....

 

.march vinylmeplease haul

I'm so far behind on entries! Been having some internet difficulties but now everything is a-okay! My March haul wasn't that huge which is a good thing for me. Anything to save money. What I tend to do is look at the list of records posted on the VMP message board for the membership store a few days before the link is posted. I listen on Spotify. If I like what I hear, I buy. 

March purchases were: Day Wave - Headcase / Hard to Read, Sunflower Bean - Human Ceremony, and Future DS2. Future was the only album I have not listened to yet but their show sold out instantly in Philly. Lapsley I never heard of but that was the "Album of the Month." She is really great. I don't know how to accurately describe her sound but it's a combination of Gems, Portishead, Cocteau Twins, etc. Day Wave is shoe-gazy California surfer songs and Sunflower Bean reminds me of The Sundays a tad. They have a very 90s feel. I'm so sad I missed them at Kung Fu Necktie but I will try to see them another time.

.vinyl me please february

The album of the month is Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs. I'm pretty diverse in my tastes so I'm curious to give it a listen. Here's what I bought from the membership store....

Grimes - Geidi Primes
First Grimes album? The songs on here are not as produced as her latest albums but being a completist I picked it up nonetheless.

Lizzo - Big Grrrl Small World
Lizzo opened for Sleater-Kinney. That's how I first heard of her. The band usually has amazing openers when they tour. I did not see Lizzo at any of the shows I attended but was drawn to her first album LizzoBangers when listening on Spotify. I really need to pick this one up too. Her latest single she's been promoting on Instagram "My Skin" which has a powerful message of loving yourself no matter your size, shape, color. Being a Missy Elliot fan I highly recommend Lizzo.

Savages - Adore Life
I was hooked after listening to their previous album on Spotify, I actually went back to the online store and purchased Adore Life a week later. This album has taunted me for the past week displayed in tons of record stores. I kept telling myself, "Any day now! It's coming in the mail! Hold on!" My favorite song is "Surrender." I CANNOT wait to see them in late March. It got to the point where I was actually considering Irving Plaza and taking the late train home to see them perform. Luckily they are playing closer to me so I don't have to go through that ordeal.

.vinyl me please and the 90s

Back in September I decided to join Vinyl Me Please. It's an online vinyl club for vinyl lovers. You can select how long you'd like to sign up for (I chose a year) and every month you get an album free of shipping. Then once a month VMP has something called the "membership store." On this day you better log in as soon as it opens otherwise the chances of getting what you really want are slim. They sell merch, turntables, and limited editions of records. After your select what you want in your cart, you receive a confirmation email when your package is ready to be shipped. When they opened their membership store in December I went a little overboard. Why? It was mostly 90s albums which were my high school years!

Everyone remembers what music they listened to in high school. Some of it was cringe-worthy (the big Europop explosion ugh) but some of it was great (my friends would always look to me at lunch to humor them with some Woo-Ha! Busta Rhymes lyrics). Whatever you make of it, those were years you never forget. Here are the 8 albums I ordered from the membership store....

1) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Remember first discovering her music? It was the summer of 1995 when my grandparents watched my brother and I since my parents were away. They gave each of us spending money one day for the mall. Because Ill Communication was sold out at FYE, Alanis was my other choice. The stand-out track for me was "Ironic" but was so miserable when it became over-played. As I got older "You Learn" really grew on me as I put it as a throwback on mix tapes for people. At one point I bought the acoustic version of this album which is really fantastic but lost it somehow. This album brings back memories of being 14 and jumping on my best friend's trampoline. To think "You Oughta Know" was in reference to Dave Coulier. Dave Coulier!

2) A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
I never listened to them in high school. This is simple wanting to extend my hip-hop / r&b collection. Listening to this album yesterday just blew me away. Highly recommended.

3) Cat Power - Moon Pix
Chan Marshall was introduced to me in college by a Canadian pen pal. My favorite CP song of all time is "Metal Heart." There's just something so eerie and haunting about that song. I love it.

4) Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory
When I took Art I freshman year our teacher let us listen to the radio. Wonder Wall and Supernova always came on during our block. So I equate this particular class with Oasis. Overall it's my favorite Oasis cd. Even some of my non-loving music friends had this particular cd in their collection. If you want to discover Oasis, start with this one. And Definitely Maybe of course.

5) Eels - Electro-shock Blues
This cd is just bizarre, depressing, and dream-like all combined. Some of the songs are catchy like "Hospital Food" and some sound like lullabies or tall tales "Ps - You Rock My World." I kind of discovered this band on my own in college. When I visited my friend in Virginia, I remember buying this in Richmond's Plan 9 as it barely left my discman for weeks upon returning home.

6) TLC - CrazySexyCool
Who did not reenact these songs with their best friends at weekend parties? I remember my friend having her 15th birthday down the shore and this album was on rotation most of the night. We'd crack up laughing at the phone call track every time (there's a surprise ending), squatting to the floor trying to do the "Diggin On You" dance, and taking turns singing different verses of "Waterfalls." Those were the days when P. Diddy was called Sean Puffy Combs and hip hop artists were dropping in on a track for a "yeah" or an "uh-huh." That was collaboration 90s style.

7) Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
I'm surprised I got into them SOOOO LATE. I heard the song "Cut Your Hair" when I saw the Brady Bunch Movie in the mid-90s and dug it. I'm also surprised because they were on Matador records which is the same label as Liz Phair was at the time. At least I'm into them now. Rob Sheffield constantly talked about Pavement when I read Love is a Mix Tape so that made me want to investigate the band more. I love the song "Debaser," especially the beginning intro. It gets me pumped for Friday nights and the weekend.

8) Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
I think Carrie Brownstein was good friends with one of the band members who taught her guitar? I'm going to have to edit this post until I look this up because it will drive me nuts. Anyway this was more of a discovery buy. I didn't know anything about the band but heard a lot about them. Their style is pop / punk / emo. Not my favorite genre of music. Some songs stand out more than others. I did recommend this band to my brother who is majorly into this particular genre.

Nada Surf - High / Low
This was the Vinyl Me Please "Album of the Month" for January. The first thing I thought was, "Does this album contain the song Popular?!" It does indeed. Although I was never popular in high school I can laugh at it's sarcastic tone, especially the video. This vinyl is golden yellow and the artwork is a black and white still of the band. Rad stuff.

So there you have it. Since I went a bit overboard in December I'm heavily cutting back this month on albums from the store. That and the fact that I barely know any of the artists in January's shop. Until the next entry, what were some of your favorite bands / albums in high school?