You’ll want to add these to your vinyl collection.
Record Store Day is just around the corner and if you haven’t been budgeting for the vinyl splurge, you’d better start hoarding your paychecks. As always, the occasion brings forth a selection of exclusive releases, limited runs and rare re-pressings. And among the mix of must-haves, there is no shortage of peculiar offerings that may just be too good to pass up. Here are some of this year’s most unusual or simply unexpected releases.
The String Tribute To Bjork by The Vitamin String Quartet
The audacious pop of the ever colourful and quirky Bjork has been reimagined by The Vitamin String Quartet in a celebration of her experimental, avant-garde sound. Honouring the Icelandic icon, VSQ deliver renditions of tracks ‘New World’, ‘Venus As a Boy’, ‘Tabula Rasa’ and more in what marks the album’s first vinyl pressing. Stirring, ethereal and all-encompassing, celebrate the sounds of Bjork with this special string tribute.
The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa
The king of weird himself, Frank Zappa, is immortalised in The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa. Originally issued as a cassette by Guitar World magazine in the late ‘80s, the compilation will now be made available on vinyl for the first time. A collection of Zappa’s most rousing, rambling and rambunctious guitar solos, the record showcases the talent and genius of one of music’s greatest, most experimental riff masters.
Twin Peaks: Season Two Music and More by Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch
Composer Angelo Badalamenti was instrumental in developing the mood and atmosphere that roped so many into the world of Twin Peaks and it’s a sonic landscape worth revisiting. Not only has the season two Twin Peaks soundtrack never appeared on vinyl, but there are also no digital copies and the limited run of CDs have long vanished, so this is a rare chance to complete your collection. Overseen by David Lynch himself, the release contains stills from Twin Peaks and is sprinkled with surprises.
King’s Mouth by The Flaming Lips
Delivering a limited run of their 15th studio album for this year’s Record Store Day, The Flaming Lips bring King’s Mouth to independent record stores ahead of the album’s official release in July. The album is part of an art installation of the same name by frontman Wayne Coyne which invites viewers to climb inside a large, metallic head and witness a music-driven LED light show. The album’s 12 tracks are connected by narration from The Clash’s Mick Jone and will be pressed on gold vinyl.
Stairway to Nick John by Mastadon
In a touching and utterly unique tribute to their late long-time manager, Nick John, Mastodon will release two covers of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ with Stairway to Nick John. The band first performed the cover at John’s funeral late last year as a tribute to their Zeppelin-loving friend and decided to record and release it for RSD in his honour. All proceeds from the record will go towards pancreatic cancer research.
Complete Radio Series of The Mighty Boosh
Taking you on a journey through time and space, Complete Radio Series of The Mighty Boosh will see the season one sounds of the cult classic TV series appearing on vinyl for the first time. In a Record Store Day exclusive, the three-piece collection will feature the likes of ‘Tundra’, ‘Hitcher’ and ‘Mutants’ across a trio of splattered coloured vinyl. Complete Radio Series of The Mighty Boosh boasts new artwork from Noel Fielding and Dave Brown and features sleeve notes by Julian Barrett.
Record Store Day is happening on Saturday April 13, 2019. For more information, head to the RSD website.
