It’s Lucinda Williams New Vinyl Thursday at The Vinyl Underground at 7th Heaven. Check out this week’s list of new vinyl arrivals:
2Pac – All Eyez on Me
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85 – 92
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Cocteau Twins – Victorialand
The Dream Syndicate – The Universe Inside
Drive-By Truckers – The Unraveling
Durand Jones & The Indications – American Love Call
Greta Van Fleet – From The Fires
Greta Van Fleet – Anthem Of The Peaceful Army
Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland (180 Gram Vinyl)
Jad Fair – It’s Spooky (Reissue) (Color Vinyl)
Kanye West – Late Registration
Leon Bridges – Coming Home (180 Gram Vinyl, Download Insert)
Lucinda Williams – Good Souls Better Angels (Indie Exclusive)
Monophonics – It’s Only Us
My Chemical Romance – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
Masters of Reality – Masters of Reality
Metallica – Kill Em All (180 Gram Vinyl)
Misfits – Static Age
Nina Simone – Fodder On My Wings
Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon (180 Gram Vinyl)
Pearl Jam – Gigaton
Weekly Review:
Pearl Jam has a special place in my memory of music. Before they went by Pearl Jam the band answered to Mookie Blaylock and played with Temple of the Dog and Mother Love Bone. That was 1990, and in August of the following year the newly named PJ released “Ten”.
Four months later on 12/14/91 as a Journalism major at the University of Colorado (Freshmen) I went to a concert to see Smashing Pumpkins and Red Hot Chilli Peppers with special guests Pearl Jam. My takeaway from that night was yo go directly to the Finest Record Store (Out of Bussiness) the next morning to buy “Ten”. I have not been by their side for every album, but I want every album to be as great as that one was. So, what’s the deal with their new release, “Gigaton”?
The first song, Dance of the Clairvoyants may not be an ode to 1991 with more of an 80’s electronica with its beat and keyboard lines. But it’s infectious and you cannot help fall for its charms. The slow groove of Seven O’clock also strikes a chord. There is a slight country undertone with a heart-warming tone.
More up tempo, Superblood Wolfmoon is a well written song from a lyrical stance and Vedder delivers a message that feels so poignant in these worldwide uncertain times. The sleeper song on this pressing for me is the most “alternative” track in Take the Long Way. It’s fast-paced with an odd time signature. The lines “I’ll break through the ceiling” and “I always take the long way” hit home nicely, but the furious guitar solo from McCready steals the show.
Pearl Jam delivers with their trademark passion. Eddie Vedder’s Gravelly but smoothly galvanised vocals are ever-present. The tone may have weathered with time but the beauty remains. The bass parts by Jeff Ament are exemplary and arguably at its most imaginative since his cuts on the Temple of the Dog LP. The guitar work shared between Vedder, Gossard and McCready is classic in its simplicity.
“Gigaton” is 12 tracks of pretty damn good music. The message and storytelling are as strong as it was when the band formed in 1990. The album is a testament to each member of the group with Pearl Jam clearly demonstrating an infinite desire to write intelligent music with intensity and, above all, integrity. This is a great album to relax and quarantine too. Pick this and other great new titles from the “Underground.” -Albert Schmurr
POPPY – I Disagree
Weekly Review:
In many regards, the advent of the Internet has changed the landscape of music more than anything since the invention of the phonograph. From the explosion of microgenres to streaming services allowing immediate access to just about every song ever recorded, the music industry is almost unrecognizable to what it was pre-Internet. One of the more significant aspects of the new music industry is the now meteoric pace at which stars can rise through the use of websites such as YouTube.
Moriah Rose Pereira, better known as Poppy, is easily among the best and most interesting artists to emerge from the Internet. Her most famous video, garnering over 20 million views, is “I’m ]]Poppy,” in which she repeats the phrase “I’m Poppy” over and over from various positions for 10 minutes. However, her sound recently shifted to a peculiar blend of pop and metal and her new album, “I Disagree,” is the culmination of this new era. In this project, Poppy finds a perfect blend of the two genres and makes her most captivating and experimental music yet.
The album kicks off with the lead single “Concrete,” immediately putting the dark musical and lyrical themes of this era on display. After an alarm sounds at the beginning to announce Poppy’s arrival, she begins to whisper-sing, “Bury me six feet deep/Cover me in concrete/Turn me into a street.” The disturbing lyrics continue throughout the song, with the lines “I tried to eat ice cream/I tried to drink tea/But I need that taste of your blood in my teeth”; these lyrics are sung with a joyful, cheery inflection. This duality is reflected in the music itself, alternating back and forth between saccharine pop and harsh metal. The quiet-to-loud motif is used extensively throughout the album, with Poppy alternating between sounding like a classic popstar and a coarse, growling metal singer.
The third track, “BLOODMONEY,” contains the fewest pop elements of any song on the album. Instead, this track contains a combination of killer guitar riffs and a hardcore breakdown. The song also features some of the sharpest lyrics on the project, such as “Your soul can’t be saved from the sins you’ve ignored. These lyrics, as well as the rest of the song, chronicle the hardships that music artists can face and the hypocrisy that is present within the industry.
Poppy’s “I Disagree” is a well produced and experimental project that takes the Poppy character in a compelling direction. Its main flaw is the overuse of the quiet to loud song structure, but the album’s tight track listing of only 10 songs, running for 35 minutes, ensures that the style never overstays its welcome and that none of the tracks feel like filler. In addition, the shift in both musical direction and overall aesthetic is refreshing. The evolution of Poppy’s character is perhaps her greatest strength as an artist, and her refusal to ever remain stagnant keeps her constantly interesting. -Albert Schmurr
Queens of the Stone Age – Lullabies To Paralyze (Gatefold LP Jacket)
Queens of the Stone Age – Rated R (180 Gram Vinyl, Bonus Track,)
Seiche – Demo Press
Simon Phillips – Studio Live Session
The Strokes – The New Abnormal (180 Gram Vinyl, Poster, Download Insert)
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
FLASH SALE!
50% OFF – Lindsey Stirling’s “Artemis” Today only- Thursday, May 14th!
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Here’s where we talk about the virus. We are all freaked out. We are all nervous and anxious. We are OPEN. If you want to come shop in person, we will say hello, give you a virtual high five- a virtual hug if we know you that well- and we will keep our distance. We love all of our customers and are glad to keep this little bit of normalcy in these crazy times. With that being said, we will also offer various other ways to get your vinyl fix. We have always shipped music and we will continue to do so. We also offer curbside pick up. Call us, pay, call us when you are outside and we will deliver your freshly sanitized purchase to your car.
Upcoming Events:
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Enjoy the music and we will see you soon. Your loving Vinyl Underground at 7th Heaven staff:
Sherman, Dave, Gordon, Heather, Cat, Dylan, Doyle, and Max
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