Every Friday, 88Nine music director Erin Wolf and Lilliput Records co-owner Tanner Musgrove tell you about the new albums you can’t miss on a new episode of On Vinyl. Check out their top picks and a list of this week’s other releases, and listen to their full conversation using the player on this page or on the 88Nine airwaves at 1 p.m. every Friday.
This newest batch of records has a little duality thing going on: One half is insular, looking inward and reminiscent of those recent “stay at home” years of the pandemic; the other is a little more “in your face,” celebratory and meant for the stage.
On the bolder side, the newest iteration of the psych-rock band known as Altın Gün resurface with intent to “vibe,” and Wisconsin’s own Chris Vos seems intent on the same, celebrating a big anniversary release for his debut album with The Record Company. On the other side of the coin, a fresh youthful record from soft indie-poppers TOPS gets a reissue, and German electronic artist Sascha Ring turns out a family-inspired, subdued electronic opus. Whatever mood you’re in going into this weekend, we’ve got you covered.
Happy New Music Friday!
Best new albums out Feb. 20
Altın Gün, Garip
After the departure of one of their lead vocalists, Merve Daşdemir, Dutch-based Turkish psych band Altın Gün have re-grouped and are back with their latest and sixth record. The group says there will be “a little bit of everything in this new collection of songs: less in your face, less poppy and less obviously psych-rock … more just vibing.”
If fans want to go along for the ride with the new vibes of Altın Gün, get ready to take a storied journey, as Garip is all songs originally written by Turkish folk legend Neset Ertas, who in his heydey was an “iconic” renowned folk-bard troubadour.
Altın Gün seem like they’re having fun with what they’re offering fans these days — something reflected in vinyl versions available on a limited-edition frosted-pink vinyl, blue splatter vinyl, sunburst splash and a bunch of other color variants from their label home, ATO.
The Record Company, Give It Back to You (10th anniversary edition)
This one’s near and dear to Milwaukee. Lead singer Chris Vos is a Wisconsin native and longtime resident of the Cream City who helped fan the flames of the local music scene years ago with projects like Freshwater Collins and Invade Rome. After moving to L.A., he formed The Record Company and gained some well-deserved attention.
The bluesy rock trio is celebrating the 10th anniversary of their Grammy-nominated debut with a tour (see them at the Pabst Theater on March 7) and a double-vinyl release, with the second LP featuring the band's first-ever live show: a living room concert for friends and family in 2013. The anniversary LPs come housed in a gatefold jacket and were pressed on classic black wax via Craft Recordings.
TOPS, I Feel Alive
The Canadian indie-pop band’s fourth studio album was originally released in 2020 and now gets this reissue that feels like a bit of a time capsule. The record came out right during the start of the pandemic and was definitely on repeat in our headphones, with its carefree and youthful vibe that helped keep up our spirits in a time of so much uncertainty. It’s available on “peppermint” vinyl via Ghostly International Records at a local record shop near you.
Apparat, A Hum of Maybe
The German electronic musician Sascha Ring, better known as Apparat, has composed the scores for several films and put out a handful of albums with Modeselektor, an electronic group based in Berlin, under another one of his pseudonyms: Moderat. On his sixth studio album as Apparat, Ring directs his focus on the topic of love for himself, his family and how to protect it, moving with the ebbs and flows of life. It’s available via Mute Records on double-black vinyl or an indie-exclusive double turquoise vinyl limited to 300 copies.
More of our picks
- Hen Ogledd, DISCOMBOBULATED
- Mirah, Dedication
- Moby, Future Quiet
- Moonchild, Waves
- Mumford & Sons, Prizefighter
- Peaches, No Lube So Rude
- The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis, Deface the Currency
