Matador reissues

I've been really impressed with Matador's steady stream of vinyl reissues over the last few years (such as the beautiful Mission Of Burma editions released last year) and 2009 is looking to be really wonderful as well. I think it's somewhat strange though that they're being sort of low-key and quiet about it. It's like Matador is taking cues from my grandmother: "Oh, I don't want to make a big fuss about it..."

There was, interestingly, a big splash of news when they decided to release the deluxe CD version of Pavement's Brighten the Corners. However, the vinyl reissues of Slanted & Enchanted and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain that came out this year seemed (to me) to be pretty under the radar. Perhaps this is actually just a good sales tactic: you walk into a record store, flip through new arrivals bin, then exclaim "Holy shit! When in the fuck did they reissue this? I must buy it right because what if... yes, what if... this is in fact actually a hidden warehouse gem that only this very store that I happen to be standing in right now was lucky enough to get... I mean I'm sure it's not, but god, what if it is...?"*

[UPDATE: So, I've been under the impression that the Brighten the Corners reissue was CD-only, mainly because every other Pavement deluxe reissue has been CD-only, and because, you know, it was announced as being CD-only. However, while dicking around on Insound's site, I come across the listing to pre-order the 4xLP box set of said record -- which would be great, were it not for the $80 price tag... kind of like how it would have been kind of fun to pick up the deluxe vinyl version of Beck's Odelay that came out late last year, except that $100 isn't a fun price to pay. By the way, many thanks to Sonic Youth for getting their 4xLP boxsets down to $35-40, seeing as fucking Beck and Pavement can't get close to that price point...]

I suppose some of it has to do with Matador being pretty good about trying to keep (at least the hot sellers) in print on vinyl -- one barely notices when Cat Power records get repressed, because it happens so regularly that you don't have time to notice that they were ever even out of print. However, there are a number of things that haven't been on vinyl in quite some time that are getting reissued, much to my excitement.

The vinyl reissue of Guided By Voices' Alien Lanes has just hit stores, and Yo La Tengo's I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One and Electr-o-pura on on their way very soon. These were titles I had thought were about due for it, but I hadn't heard the news at all. I suppose this is because I don't keep up with Matador's bulletin board -- primarily because, well, I had kind of forgotten that bulletin boards still existed.** Had I actually been following this forum, I would have also learned that the following things are also on their way: The New Pornographers' Twin Cinema, Yo La Tengo's And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (thank you, thank you, thank you!) and Painful, Mogwai's Happy Songs for Happy People (Question one: do we really need this before you get around to Come On Die Young? Question two: Is there any way to convince Mogwai to change the artwork so it no longer looks like a reggae Christmas record?), and Pavement's Wowee Zowee.

Well, Matador's definitely getting a decent chunk of change from me this year (though, I do keep holding off on grabbing Dear Catastrophe Waitress because I want it to not be $27). At least reissues keep me from spending crazy money on eBay.

On only a vaguely related note, I have to admit that I think that the Matador record bag (manufactured by Dickies) is kind of cute, and exactly the sort of thing that someone else should decide to spend the $40 on, as a gift for me.


__________
* This is the kind of thing that seriously goes through my mind at times.
** So very gauche!

Yet more reissue wonderfulness

It has been announced that Cloud Recordings will be doing vinyl reissues of Olivia Tremor Control's beloved (and awkwardly named) pair of albums Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle and Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One. There's not an official release date yet, but looks they'll be available sometime between late-summer and mid-fall. Man, what a year for vinyl reissues 2009 has been already. Maybe that's a bummer for those looking to make some eBay money, but it is good news for the rest of us.


"Define a Transparent Dream" by Olivia Tremor Control

More reissue wonderfulness

I'm really pysched about this one. The third Wipers LP, Over The Edge, is getting reissued on vinyl, and it appears like its going to be a really solid package -- completely remastered from the original tapes and getting a 180-gram pressing. Nice. I can't wait.


"So Young" by the Wipers

More things to look forward to

May 5th is shaping up to be a rather fabulous Tuesday. Sub Pop is putting out a revised version of Way Of The Vaselines, now titled Enter The Vaselines. The new even-more-definitive-than-before Vaselines collection will be a three LP affair. Not sure when this got announced, but I'm damn glad its happening. I've bid on a couple different copies of Way Of The Vaselines (as well as the nearly identical All The Stuff And More...) on ebay, but they've always gone for more than I was willing to spend. Speaking of price, here's the really good news: Insound has it available for pre-order for only $17. Happiness.

On the same day, Domino is reissuing The Kills' first LP, Keep On Your Mean Side. Definitely good news. Perhaps that means that No Wow will also get reissued in the near future. (I know its only just recently gone out of print... but I don't have a copy, dammit, so I'm hoping...)


"Kissy Kissy" by The Kills

Geekery

There are moments that define just what kind of geek you are -- and they are, quite often, based around just what you are and are not willing to spend your money on.

Was I willing to spend $18 on LP of music from The Venture Brothers? Yes. Yes, I was. Because I'm that sort of geek.

Let's put this into perspective, though. I am both a Venture Brothers geek and a vinyl geek. This purchase hit a decently major intersection of geekiness for me. (I would be horrified to see a truly complete diagram of my obsessions.) In terms of the raw numbers, I haven't spent much money being a geek about Venture Brothers -- a t-shirt, two (until tomorrow; then three) DVDs, and, just a few moments ago, I purchased this record. However, I'm not willing to say how many records I've bought this month, let alone this year. I'm also not willing to put a dollar amount on it -- at least not publicly. So, I am forced to realize that I'm more ashamed about my geekiness over vinyl than my geekiness over Venture Brothers. Hmmm.

Patton Oswalt starts a story on Werewolves and Lollipops with the phrase:

My geekiness is getting in the way of my nerdiness.

I always really liked that line. Of course I do. I'm the kind of geek that has a copy of the vinyl pressing they did of Feelin' Kinda Patton -- and I've been a little upset that Werewolves hasn't gotten similar treatment yet.

There's that great, oft-quoted line from High Fidelity, where John Cusack's character, the record store owner Rob, says of vinyl and his customers:

The fetish properties are not unlike porn. I would feel guilty taking their money if I wasn't, kind of, well, one of them.

Ugh, so true. Hobbies and fetishes are really one and the same. Especially in the sense that, be it kinks or collectibles, one's personal tastes feel normal, even cool -- whereas other people's are foreign, even gross. Funnily enough, the most vitriolic reactions are towards people that could easily be categorized as being in a similar group. Let's put it this way: if someone tells me that they're into collecting stamps or model trains, my reaction will be somewhat disinterested -- along the lines of "Huh. That's kinda weird, but whatever." However, if someone tries to talk about how they mainly listen to Italian-prog-rock, well, fuck... they might as well admit that they're a furry.

Reissues make me happy

There's been a barrage of cool stuff getting the vinyl reissue treatment lately -- unsurprising, given the resurgence of the format over the last several years. I'm all for it -- especially for the albums that command crazy high prices on ebay. (In this vein, I'm so glad that The Flaming Lips are finally getting around to reissuing The Soft Bulletin this summer. I knew it had to happen eventually!) Anyhow, I've noticed that there's been some really interesting 90's stuff getting repressed on vinyl -- so much so that it's hard to decide what I can actually spend my money on. Cost versus the "how many times will I really listen to this?" concern have kept me from grabbing the Beastie Boys reissues, but I'm not sure if it will stop me from picking up at least one or two of the upcoming Green Day reissues (Kerplunk!, I'm looking in your direction). It's a little strange that some of my records from my adolescence are getting to (or already passed) the 15-year anniversary mark. Definitely on the must-have list for me personally are the reissues of the first two Breeders records. I've been darn excited for these since I found out about them a month or two ago, but they're finally hitting stores in just a few short weeks. Now, if someone would just get around to reissuing Hum's You'd Prefer An Astronaut...


"I Just Want To Get Along" by The Breeders

Record stores make me happy

I've been really excited ever since M83 announced that they'd be reissuing their catalog on vinyl. They are finally available now. Picked up two of them today. Happiness.


"Run Into Flowers" by M83

... but what will shopping do?

I fell into The Gap, and found this reversible zip sweater and pair of black skinny jeans (on sale). I treated myself to it because I deserve it. Yes. That's my justification.

Stripes equal teh hotness, right?

I can't stop text messaging my friend Aaron with things like:

i'm a mess of anxiety and 90's guitar pop.

and:

teh hotness. fer rlz.

and:

stop being better at life than me.

That is all for the moment. Oh, also... there's a Television record on the stereo.


"Venus" by Television