reissue

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Porterhouse Records-pressed, 45th Anniversary reissue of the Teen City EP by The Modernettes. Isn’t it funny how, in punk rock, being known for only a couple of songs can still make a band superstars? It’s funny, but it’s true – really, Vancouver’s Modernettes have a catalogue which includes just one full-length album (1981’s Gone… But Not Forgiven) and two EPs (1980’s Teen City and 1982’s View From The Bottom), but the...

Six Finger Satellite Severe Exposure Deluxe & Expanded Edition Trust no one when it comes to music. Well, trust your sources. I mean, trust sources who’ve been a good guide to you in the past. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, you CAN trust people when it comes to music. But, be cautious. There’s nothing worse than following the advice of people who know almost nothing about music. Like, you know Geese? That album they put out...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the limited edition Girly-Sound To Guyville 7LP Box Set by Liz Phair. I confess that, when I first read about Liz Phair’s Girly-Sound cassettes in the SPIN Alternative Record Guide about thirty years ago (even in that, they only drew a passing mention in favor of focusing on Exile In Guyville and Whipsmart) , the whole idea sounded like an exercise in urban myth-making. Not that I hadn’t seen or heard an...

DescendentsMilo Goes to College There have been few albums in my life that have been breakthrough albums. The kind of albums that open your mind. Albums that, when they hit you, you say to yourself, “Oh, wait a minute. I see it now.” Like that final scene in the Matrix: you can finally see the coding that’s been floating in front of you all along. I’d like to sit down one day and take note of these albums...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Jealous Butcher reissue of the Meaningless LP by Jon Brion. Sometimes, as good as a record might be, it just cannot buy a break. Take the Jealous Butcher reissue of Jon Brion’s Meaningless LP, for example; even a cursory listen effortlessly illustrates the album’s power pop perfection but, released as it was alongside albums like Gorillaz’ self-titled debut, Ani DiFranco’a Revelling/Reckoning, Sum 41’s All Killer, No Filler and Exciter by Depeche...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the black vinyl 30th Anniversary reissue of Alice In Chains’ Jar Of Flies EP. After seeing the multitude of “deluxe” variants of Alice In Chains’ Jar Of Flies EP that have been released in celebration of its thirtieth anniversary (on multi-colored vinyl, on vinyl with little replica houseflies pressed into it and so on), it’s refreshing to see the record reappear remastered and reissued on the most apt color vinyl possible: on...

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros|Streetcore 20th Anniversary RSD Edition What an absolute bummer this album is. No, seriously. I mean it in a good way. Of all the Clash members maybe the best solo work came from Joe Strummer. That’s maybe not surprising. What IS surprising is that it came so late in his life. What did the man do after the Clash broke up? He wrote a good soundtrack for a great Western. He released the occasional song (all...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the 2LP Twentieth anniversary vinyl reissue of Elephant by The White Stripes. I’m not so proud that I cannot admit I didn’t like The White Stripes when the band first appeared on the great, big, popular radar with “Fell In Love With A Girl” in 2001. I didn’t like White Blood Cells at all, in fact; crammed in tight quarters with The Strokes, The Hives, The Vines and all the other “The”...

Poe – “Trigger Happy Jack” – Hello LP A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Hello vinyl reissue by Poe. The fact is that, by intention and not by accident, Poe (born Anne Decatur Danielewski) has always chosen to present herself in a manner completely separate from any artist who might pretend to be her peer. Most recently, the proof of presenting herself that way can be found in the fact that – at the height of “reissue...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Porterhouse Records reissue of SC.U.M.’s Born Too Soon LP. Listening to the reissue of Montreal-based punk/hardcore outfit SC.U.M.’s Born Too Soon LP really takes me back. I mean, I understand that the idea of a reissue is supposed to recall a time where the album in question was new and is capable of allowing a listener to inhabit that moment for a while – but the reissue of Born Too Soon...