LWA Blog — vinyl

Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of Record of the Week. This week, the Randomizer serves up The Dead Weather's Horehound, released on Third Man Records in 2009. This is the copy in my collection that I'll be listening to. As far as Jack White non-White Stripes projects go, I think The Dead Weather might be my favourite. Alison's vocals really do it for me. She sounds aggressive and venomous; like a cobra poised to strike. Side note, I do love the Stripes, but I think I'd love them more if there were more Meg vocals. Jack's vocals show up here occasionally,...

This week, the Randomizer brings us the Beastie Boys' stone cold 1989 classic, Paul's Boutique. This is the copy I'm playing today, on two gorgeous, violet discs. It's funny, I didn't even get into hip-hop right away. I was a rock n' roll kid, and it took me a bit to find my way in. But by the end of the 80s, my holy trinity was Public Enemy's Nation of Millions (1988), De La Soul's 3 Feet High (1989) and Paul's Boutique. Played those to death and they still sound great today as far as I'm concerned. There's not much...

This week, the randomizer gave me a box set, so I ran it again and it presented this album, Band of Horses' Everything All the Time. Band of Horses rose up out of the ashes of the great Carissa's Wierd (whom I love love love). Everything All the Time was their first album, which landed in 2006 (this is my copy). I remember when this came out and I first clicked play. It was like an indie-rock explosion in my ears. Expansive widescreen dreams, perfectly balanced...and heartfelt as well. I played the hell outta this album for many years. Of...

This week, the Randomizer gives us 1995's The Bends, by Radiohead. My copy is this 2016 reissue which sounds pretty great to my ears. Man, what can I even say about this album that hasn't already been said? This is a bona fide (I always thought this was one word, btw) classic. Look at that tracklist. Top to bottom bangers. All of 'em. I don't really like rating stuff but, gun to my head, I'd say it's at least a 9.5/10 if not a 10/10 album.  I remember when Creep landed. Cool song, right? Puts Radiohead on the map instantly....

This last weekend of October, the Randomizer (I feel like this word should be capitalized) gives us Inventions' Continuous Portrait, which was released in 2020. This band, Inventions, is a collaboration between a couple people; Eluvium's Matthew Cooper and Explosions in the Sky's Mark T. Smith. They are (were?) label-mates (Temporary Residence Limited) and I think Eluvium and EITS toured together early on. Continuous Portrait is their third album. I feel the Eluvium vibes in the record, they are easier to pick up since that's just one person. EITS is essentially a rock band of which Smith is 25% of, and...