RECORD EXCHANGE 2021 STAFF PICKS: THOMAS (HE/HIM)

Tis the season for year-end best-of lists, and The Record Exchange is pleased to bring you our 2021 Staff Picks!

Here’s a 2021 Top 10 from Thomas, who says, “So many great albums came out in 2021, it was so hard to narrow down to my favorite 10. Lots of great experimental indie rock and hip-hop this year, as well as some of my favorite singer-songwriters dropping great albums. Don’t be afraid to ask what some of my other favorite albums of 2021 are!”

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
SQUID
Bright Green Field
GOAT GIRL
On All Fours
ST. VINCENT
Daddy’s Home
FLYING LOTUS
Yasuke
KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD
Butterfly 3000
TYLER, THE CREATOR
Call Me If You Get Lost
JPEGMAFIA
LP!
CRUMB
Ice Melt
COURTNEY BARNETT
Things Take Time, Take Time

VINTAGE TURNTABLE SPOTLIGHT: FRONT-LOADING SONY PS-FL1

Starting this week, we’re spotlighting a vintage turntable every Vinyl Tuesday, and we’re kicking it off with one of our current favorites.

This Sony PS-FL1 is a retro-futuristic beauty with a rare and insatiably cool feature: The fully-automatic turntable has a slide-in/slide-out powered drawer as opposed to the more common top-loading/dust cover type deck. Simply press the open button, load a record, press the close button and away you go.

In addition to looking awesome, the PS-FL1 offers another benefit: Being front-loading, you can stack the turntable under a receiver or other component to save space.

This particular model comes with a Shure M95ED cartridge and runs $249. It won’t last long.

VINYL TUESDAY: DANNY BROWN, T. REX, HEAVEN & HELL, BUCKCHERRY & MORE!

It’s Vinyl Tuesday! Record Exchange customers receive up to $5 in used vinyl with every $25 in new vinyl purchased and have access to early and exclusive releases.

This month, we have a series of Rocktober reissues all month long, and you get a free koozie with purchase!

This week’s releases:

418457664802

DANNY BROWNATROCITY EXHIBITION LP (LIMITED-EDITION PINK VINYL)

Atrocity Exhibition is one of the freshest and boldest-sounding rap albums in recent memory, a sonic swirl inspired by the work of Talking Heads and Joy Division that nonetheless sounds like nothing else from the past or present. Featuring contributions from producers like Evian Christ, Petite Noir (who also lends vocals to the world-weary clang of Rolling Stone), Black Milk, the Alchemist and frequent collaborator Paul White, the album is full of laser-beam guitars, gym-teacher whistles, creaking vocal samples, and air-raid drones. It is the most intriguing take on hallucinatory rap since the heady heights of Cold Vein or Madvillainy.

T. REXT. REX LP

Limited-edition Rocktober reissue of the fifth T. Rex album (and first since changing their name from Tyrannosaurus Rex).

HEAVEN AND HELLTHE DEVIL YOU KNOW LP

Rocktober exclusive pressing on dark orange and gold vinyl; includes band poster and special etching on side 4.

BUCKCHERRYBUCKCHERRY LP

A few months before the release of Buckcherry’s long-awaited sophomore album, the national press proclaimed that classic rock was back, as if rock — classic or otherwise — had ever gone away. Buckcherry most definitely had, though, for four long years, and the group that returned sported three different members than the one that had left. But their timing was impeccable, as evidenced by the success of “Crazy Bitch,” a taster for this set. First time on vinyl to mark its 10-year anniversary for Rocktober.

FASTER PUSSYCATWAKE ME WHEN IT’S OVER LP

Faster Pussycat’s second album, reissued in a limited edition for Rocktober.

VINYL TUESDAY: THE STOOGES, SMALL FACES, ALICE COOPER AND MORBID ANGEL, PLUS $5 IN FREE USED VINYL!

vinyl-tuesdayIt’s Vinyl Tuesday! Record Exchange customers receive up to $5 in used vinyl with every $25 in new vinyl purchased and have access to early and exclusive releases.

This month, we have a series of Rocktober reissues all month long, and you get a free koozie with purchase!

This week’s releases:

THE STOOGESTHE STOOGES LP

Self-titled debut album on opaque clear/black/smoke vinyl, reissued exclusively for Rocktober 2016.

SMALL FACESFIRST STEP LP

Debut album reissue. Small Faces is a band that proves that sometimes loose ends are as great as tidiness, that living in the moment is what’s necessary, and this First Step is a record filled with individual moments, each one to be savored. Released exclusively on orange opaque vinyl for Rocktober 2016.

ALICE COOPERBILLION DOLLAR BABIES LP

Rocktober 2016 exclusive pressed on green, yellow and orange marbled vinyl. Embossed gatefold packaging includes band poster, 1 billion dollar bill and perforated cards with band image.

MORBID ANGELDOMINATION LP

This is Morbid Angel’s fourth studio album – back on vinyl! The album was released in 1995 and was the last album they released under the label Giant Records. Domination spawned one single, “Where the Slime Live.” Reissued exclusively for Rocktober 2016.

VINYL TUESDAY: MADONNA, PLUS ROCKTOBER REISSUES FROM ZZ TOP, FLAMIN’ GROOVIES AND MORE!

It’s Vinyl Tuesday! Record Exchange customers receive up to $5 in used vinyl with every $25 in new vinyl purchased and have access to early and exclusive releases.

This month, we have a series of Rocktober reissues all month long, and you get a free koozie with purchase!

This week’s releases:

rayoflight

MADONNARAY OF LIGHT 2LP

Double-LP of Madonna’s hit 1998 album Ray of Light, featuring the hit singles “Frozen” and “Ray of Light.”

418457664459

ZZ TOPELIMINATOR LP

ZZ Top had reached the top of the charts before, but that didn’t make their sudden popularity in 1983 any more predictable. It wasn’t that they were just popular — they were hip, for God’s sake, since they were one of the only AOR favorites to figure out to harness the stylish, synthesized grooves of new wave. Pressed on opaque red vinyl for a limited Rocktober release.

418457664457

FLAMING GROOVIESGREATEST GROOVES LP

A career retrospective 2LP set, released on vinyl for the first time.

418457664458IRON BUTTERFLYHEAVY LP

Iron Butterfly’s 1968 debut album, Heavy, established the band’s trademark sound, relying on plodding, heavy guitar riffs and thundering drums.

418457664460

FASTER PUSSYCATFASTER PUSSYCAT LP

Faster Pussycat’s debut self-titled album, originally released in 1987. Hit songs on the album include “Bathroom Wall” and “Don’t Change That Song.” The band toured the United States with Alice Cooper, David Lee Roth and Motörhead in support of the album and it reached #97 on the Billboard 200 chart.