Various - Optic Sevens 3.0 Series
Best singles club ever! Highlights this time around included Chin-Chin, Girls at Our Best and the Clouds.
BMX Bandits - 'Star Wars' and Janice Long sessions 1986-1987
Duglas gets his due in 2021. Trifecta with 'Life Goes On' reissue due in late fall.
Nancy Sinatra - 'Start Walkin' 1965-1976'
Her version of "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" just might be better than Cher's. Booklet includes fine photos and in-depth interview.
Dropkick - 'The Best of Dropkick'
Only 300 copies on vinyl missed the mark, but that's the lone complaint. Turns out the older material was as good as recent albums.
Stereolab - 'Electrically Possessed [Switched On Vol. 4]'
Collection of mostly 21st century odds and ends has proven I should have been paying attention beyond the '90s.
Linda Smith - 'Till Another Time: 1988-1996'
Took a punt on this lo-fi charmer because of my complete trust in anything put out by Captured Tracks. Rewarded once again.
The Clean - 'Mister Pop' and 'Unknown Country'
Merge continues to mine the band's discography for a grateful American audience. LPs from 2009 and 1996 get a vinyl upgrade.
Remember Fun - 'Contentment'
The secret is out. This band and the Church Grims are two of the best janglers you never heard of to ever come out of Scotland.
Oh-OK - 'The Complete Reissue'
Back in print after a decade! Linda and Lynda... unsung heroes from the famed DB Recs' stable once again resurrected by HHBTM.
Martin Newell - 'The Off White Album'
Louis Philippe inspired like Andy Partridge did on predecessor 'The Greatest Living Englishman' with similarly satisfying results.
Various - 'Nice Try, Sunshine!'
Fourteen (mostly) obscure indie-pop bands straight outta Sweden get a new lease on life.
The Verlaines - 'Live at the Windsor Castle, Auckland, May 1986'
The title says it all, doesn't it? Flying Nun vets perfrom an entire show during the band's salad days.
The Replacements - 'Pleased to Meet Me Outtakes & Alternates'
Always liked the album but not quite enough to buy the expensive deluxe edition. This RSD release was the perfect solution.
The Apartments - 'A Life Full of Farewells'
Was always late to this band's charms. Catching up with the '90s era due to a vinyl press from French label Talitres.
The Loft - 'Ghost Trains & Country Lanes – Studio, Stage And Sessions 1984-2015'
Time to trade in your copies of 'Once Around the Fair' and 'Magpie Eyes.' As the title implies, this is those comps plus a whole lot more.
Jasmine Minks - John Peel session 1986 and Janice Long session 1986
New label Precious Recordings of London have proven they know how to assemble something special. BBC sessions from Blueboy are up next.
6 comments:
I got into Dropkick via Charity Chic, who in turn picked up on them from your good self. The 'Best of' double LP came with two CDs containing 20 bonus tracks - and there's nary a duff track amongst them! Marvellous stuff. The LP set sits on standby next to my turntable and the CDs permanently reside in my car. My fingers are crossed for vinyl reissues of some of their earlier albums at some point in the future.
You don't need to justify posting the cover of the Nancy album.
I second the comments of the honorable gentleman directly above. That Nancy Sinatra compilation went straight on my playlist/Wishlist.
Yep! Nancy is always welcome in this household!
Brian - nice to have you back. I hope you had a great break,and that the heat dome hasn't been too unbearable.
I've not bought too many new records this year so far, but I think everything I've purchased or been gifted is on your list! Clouds, Clean and the Jasmines (of course!) would top my list.
I've been close to buying the latest Stereolab Switched On for a while - I think you've maybe tipped me over the edge.
Shamefully, despite being a 17 year NZ resident, my knowledge of the Verlaines is limited to 'Death & The Maiden' and a couple of tracks on Flying Nun compilations. Do you think the live LP would be a good entry point?
Finally, the best reissue for 2021 will have to be the Paul Quinn boxset. I received an email yesterday from Postcard saying they are going to start shipping next week. Very, very excited!!!
Adam, Right on! I seem to recall you mentioning she was in you mother's collection when you were a kid.
Rol, You will really dig the Nancy comp. You more than likely have the other reissues coming down the pike, but the packaging of this one is really well done.
DDSD, Sounds like in your instance the live album from the Verlaines might be better a little further down the line (unless you're worried about not being able to find it later). I started with a band comp called Juvenilia, and then I picked up a reissue of debut Hallelujah - All The Way Home. Like you, I got interested from Flying Nun samplers, but I still have holes to fill.
The Nancy Sinatra compilation will be winging its way to me soon. Stereolab completely passed me by, but the first three volumes are excellent and hold their own against their 'proper' albums, so I'll be seeking this one out too.
I'll be checking out several of the others too, but there's definitely a feeling of so much old & new music to (re)discover and not enough time!
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