Record Store Day Black Friday Almost Here

I get excited when bands release limited editions of their music on vinyl. Vinyl is the chief music medium that holds value and can actually increase in value quite a bit. If you take care of your vinyl, it will hold value if it is a limited edition.

This Black Friday, Record Store Day is releasing more than 20 special records. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Pink Floyd-The Wall singles: I love Pink Floyd and although there isn’t anything new or unreleased in this boxset, it is rare and designed well. It’s packaged in a miniature Wall with the 45s inside and a poster, along with a 45 record adapter. For Floyd fans, I personally believe this is a must have and I wouldn’t even open it.

2. Wilco-Speak Into The Rose: Wilco has been one of my favorite bands for over a decade. They put on a great live show and I connect with Jeff Tweedy’s lyrics. I was unable to get my hands on this 10″ release, which tells me that it was very popular and very limited. There are a few unreleased tunes and some songs are remixed. I’d love to have it.

3. Red Hot Chili Peppers-Blood Sugar Sex Magik: If there is one album that personifies my high school experience, it is this record by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I vividly remember singing “Under the Bridge” with my pals as we drove to Virginia Beach for Spring Break. This is a great album and it’s good to see they released it on wax, albeit a little pricey. I still think it is a must have.

4. Grateful Dead-Live Europe ‘72 Vol. 2: This is a classic and I have the original. I personally believe this is the best era for the Dead. Great versions of Deal and Loser on this album, but what’s special about this release is the unreleased extras included.

5. Syd Barrett-Mick Rock: Syd Barrett – The Photographs of Mick Rock: What an enigma Syd Barrett is. One of the founding members of The Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett changed the face of rock n roll with his trippy, scattered guitar playing and his childlike lyrics. When you hear a Syd Barrett song, it sounds like a fairy tale. This release is less about music and more about Syd, with unreleased photos. Syd went crazy because of too much LSD, and David Gilmour replaced him as the lead signer and guitarist. The story is that the band left Syd in a hotel room because he was just incapable of playing and Roger called Gilmour and asked if he could fill in. Gilmour had played with the band before and knew the songs. He agreed and the rest is history. Did you know that “Shine on you Crazy Diamond” is a song about Syd?

Los Straitjackets Are a Fun Band and Unappreciated in Surf

I saw the Los Straitjackets about six years ago in Virginia and was really blown away by how fun their live show is. If you have never heard of these guys, check them out. The band all wear masks and there aren’t any lyrics. It’s surf music and they bring you back to the 50s.

Vinyl Collective is offering a Los Straitjackets Bundle of both of their limited Christmas records and the low price of $25. You get ‘Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets and the 10″ very limited special vinyl Yuletide Beat. This is a black Friday special before both records jump up to $30.

Smashing Pumpkins Screw Up Reissues

I was happy to see that the Smashing Pumpkins are re-releasing Siamese Dream and Gish, but I was disappointed that they aren’t releasing a deluxe package with the vinyls.

I contacted TopSpin, who handles merchandising for the Pumpkins and many other bands, and they told me that if I wanted the vinyl and what is included in the deluxe package I would have to buy the CD-DVD deluxe package and the vinyl—that’s more than $120 for everything and it’s a waste of money by duplicating what I get on a CD and vinyl.

Vinyl is making a huge comeback and that’s no secret, so it’s nice to see most bands releasing wax, but it seems odd that the Pumpkins aren’t offering a deluxe version with the vinyl. How hard would it be? It seems like they are trying to force people into spending more money than is necessary to get the collection. Huge disappointment.

Anyone plan to get these reissues?

Atlas Sound-Parallax is Amazing

Bradford Cox is at his best in the new Atlas Sound record available today. I am selling the wax for only $16 this week before it goes up to $18. I’ve had my own copy for a week now and I am constantly listening to it. His voice evokes that of Elliot Smith, with his harrowing voice and melodic, soft-spoken song. This record is trying to tell me something and I feel obligated to promote it because I really do think it is that good.

Until recently, I never heard of Cox or Atlas Sound. That’s why I love what I do so much because I am turned on to new music every day. I also have to tip my hat to Spotify, which has made ITunes obsolete, and THANK YOU for that.

Parallax is pretty, angry, sad and melancholy. Cox defined this record as “Science Fiction” and we won’t argue with him because this album certainly isn’t stuck in a timezone. PopMatters says this record shatters the belief of some that Cox used Atlas Sound as a dumping ground for his songs that couldn’t make it on albums with his other collaborations.

Spotify the album and then come buy it from me.

Album review

It’s not often when Rolling Stone Magazine rates a record 9 out of 10, but Hello=Fire achieved this with its self-titled album that Vinyl Collective has for sale for $21 or get it for $20 if you buy it this week only!

Dean Fertita wrote all of the songs and joining him on this super group are Brendan Benson on bass/guitar, Michael Horrigan on drums, Joey Castillo on drums, Troy Van Leeuwen on bass and Michael Shuman on bass. Yeah, there’s some serious bass.

This is a must-have record and it’s not easy to find in the good ol’ U S of A

Sigur Ros “Inni” is a theatrical and musical masterpiece

The upcoming new release from Sigur Ros is a live album with a 75-minute concert movie of the last show in 2008 at Alexandria Palace in London. This is the fifth full-length album.

This isn’t Sigur Ros that most expect. There is a lot different about this performance and a sense of something amazing taking place as each note fills your earbuds. The intimate show provided a delicate scene for the this soft performance.

When I was listening in my car, I found that the instrumental were so beautiful. I didn’t realize anymore the mono-chromatic melodies.

This is a 3-record set and I will be selling the vinyl for $33. Order with vinylcollective@hotmail.com

I will ship media mail for $3.75

How to get a record you want

So Vinyl Collective never opened in an actual store. Sad but true. That doesn’t mean I cannot get you records. In fact, I order records for my online store every week and I can take orders anytime. You pay in advance and when I get the order we can meet in the area to make the exchange. I just made an order of a few new records and all will be for sale. I will post them here when I get them.

Contact me at pinkfloyddan@hotmail.com if you want a new or even used record. Most new records cost between $15 and $30, depending on band and number of LPs.

 

Order in: Interpol, The National, The New Pornographers, Belle and Sebastian and much more!

I just made another order for the following artists:
Belle and Sebastian, Interpol, The New Pornographers, Sonic Youth, Pavement, Department of Eagles, The Mountain Goats, The National, Super Furry Animals, Thom Yorke and Vampire Weekend.

The Sonic Youth record is called The Eternal and it’s loaded with goodies. It will be $29.

The rest will be priced at $21 and they come with the digital downloads of the entire record for any iPod users.

Good selection of records for the top indie category. What do you think?

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Welcome to Vinyl Collective, the blog for downtown Fredericksburg’s only independent record store. Come here for music reviews, new release information and special giveaways! Stay tuned