This album was definitely rushed to capitalize on the Spice Girls’ fame, so you wouldn’t be faulted for perceiving it as Spice the Sequel. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Deluxe Edition), Nov. 25
For a 2002 album, Yoshimi definitely deserved its spot on critics’ year-end lists, but next to The Soft Bulletin, it didn’t quite satisfy the same itch.
Sigur Rós, () (Deluxe Edition), Nov. 25
I’m getting this deluxe edition because I’m a fan of the band, but I don’t really like this album.
Shiina Ringo, Hyakuyaku no Cho, Nov. 30
We’ve already had a tribute album, so let’s see what a remix album yields.
Impossible Princess was never released in the US, but at least you can stream it now. For its 25th anniversary, the album gets a vinyl reissue. I’m hoping it’s not going to be as difficult to acquire as Fever vinyl reissues.
Death Cab for Cutie, The Photo Album (Deluxe Edition), Oct. 28
Death Cab for Cutie already released this deluxe edition digitally, and the vinyl edition is essentially the only physical version of this reissue. As a compact disc devotee, I’m disappointed, but if the enclosed download code gives me access to the Bandcamp FLAC files, I can get over it.
Duran Duran, Hammersmith Live ’82, Nov. 25 Marshall Crenshaw, Marshall Crenshaw (Deluxe Edition), Nov. 25 The Dead Milkmen, Metaphysical Graffiti, Nov. 25
For the past few years, Record Store Day Black Friday hasn’t been as financially ruinous as the main spring event, but this year, I’ll be braving the crowds for Duran Duran, Marshall Crenshaw and the Dead Milkmen.
Information Society, Peace and Love (Anniversary Edition), Dec. 2
I remember learning about the release date of this album back in 1992 and thought there would be a big push to promote it. Then I forgot about it. Evidently, so did Tommy Boy. It’s a rather underrated album.
Soundtrack, BLEACH, Dec. 14
Yes, I subscribed to Hulu just to catch BLEACH: Thousand Year Blood War. And yeah, the moment this title was announced, I put in a pre-order.
The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin Companion, July 21
The vinyl version of this early promotional compilation was released as part of Record Store Day Drops in June 2021.
Drive-By Truckers, Plan 9 Records, July 13, 2006, Aug. 6
This live set is a scorcher. The full performance was released as part of Record Store Day Black Friday 2020.
Art of Noise, Noise in the City: Live in Tokyo 1986, Aug. 13
When the Art of Noise visited Japan in 2017 for a series of concerts, they discovered a concert from 1986 had been recorded for a radio broadcast. That concert is getting a limited release on vinyl and CD.
Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers, Ramble in Music City: The Lost Concert, Sept. 3
Unlike the shows recorded at the Ryman Auditorium, the set list for this lost concert consists mostly of Emmylou Harris’ long time hits.
Metallica, Metallica (Deluxe Edition), Sept. 10
For the longest time, the self-titled Metallica album was the only Metallica album I owned. While I have filled out my collection with the albums leading up to the black album, I have nothing beyond S&M.
Jeremy Denk, Mozart: Piano Concertos, Sept. 17
Sure, I’ll listen to Denk perform the K. 482, i.e. Concerto No. 22 in D Minor.
Sugababes, One Love (Deluxe Edition), Oct. 1
I’m not sure if the album on the whole is really that great, but “Overload” is one of the finest singles to come out of the early 2000s.
Vinyl
Enigma, MCMXC a.D., June 23
If you missed out on the colored vinyl reissues from 2018, Universal Music Germany is repressing this album and 7 others, remastered audio and all.
MONO, Hymn to the Immortal Wind (Anniversary Edition), June 14
I’m not usually a sucker for fancy packaging, but the limited edition vinyl reissue looks gorgeous. Also, this album really is MONO’s best.
John Luther Adams, Become Desert (Seattle Symphony, Ludovic Morlot), June 14
I’m not sure a recording will capture the surprise when a men’s chorus emerges from the texture of the orchestra — behind you. Perhaps in surround sound?
Renée Fleming, Lieder, June 14
An album of Brahms, Schumann and Mahler. I’ll pass.
The B-52’s, Cosmic Thing (Expanded Edition), June 28
It took a while for me to warm up to the B-52’s rougher early work because my first exposure to the band was the slick and polished Cosmic Thing.
Torche, Admission, July 12
I have three of the band’s four albums, which gives me enough familiarity with their work to look forward this upcoming release.
The Flaming Lips, King’s Mouth, July 19
Oh, so this was an actual new album? When I spotted it on Record Store Day, I assumed it was another one of their oddball projects.
NUMBER GIRL, Kanden no Kioku, July 24
A new live album! Or rather, raiding the archive to capitalize on the reunion.
Vinyl
Midnight Oil, Armistice Day: Live at the Domain Sydney, June 14
Oh, man, was I ever glad to catch Midnight Oil live on The Great Circle tour.
Solange, When I Get Home, late June
Solage’s Blonde to the Endless that was A Seat at the Table. How’s that for a difficult analogy?
Everything But the Girl, Amplified Heart, July 5
I’m surprised this album hadn’t been reissued on vinyl before now. Could we get a repress of Walking Wounded too?
NUMBER GIRL, SCHOOL GIRL DISTORTIONAL ADDICT, Aug. 7 NUMBER GIRL, SAPPUKEI, Aug. 7 NUMBER GIRL, NUM-HEAVYMETALLIC, Aug. 7
The Jet Set Records vinyl reissues in 2015 were pretty much sold out before they hit the stores, so jump on these pre-orders if you want to hear NUMBER GIRL in glorious analog.
A decade ago, I wrote a series of entries ranking my favorite albums from 1985 to 2004. My collection has expanded greatly since then, particularly in the last five years. So I wanted to see what has changed in 10 years.
Here’s my matrix of the most important years in music for the last 4 decades:
2010s: 2015 (so far)
2000s: 2002
1990s: 1998
1980: 1987
The years adjacent to the ones listed are also pretty pivotal, which is the case for 1999. The list doesn’t change much, but a lot of great music came out that year.
NUMBER GIRL, SCHOOL GIRL DISTORTIONAL ADDICT
Shiina Ringo, Muzai Moratorium
Utada Hikaru, First Love
ACO, absolute ego
Nina Hynes, Creation
SUPERCAR, Jump Up
The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin
Port of Notes, Complain Too Much
Mandy Barnett, I’ve Got a Right to Cry
The Kiss Offs, Goodbye Private Life
Other favorites from the year:
L’Arc~en~Ciel, ray
Jordan Knight, Jordan Knight
eX-Girl, Kero! Kero! Kero!
NUMBER GIRL, DESTRUCTION BABY
OBLIVION DUST, Reborn
UA, turbo
Moby, Play
Maná, MTV Unplugged
Dr.StrangeLove, Twin Suns
The Roots, Things Fall Apart
Fantastic Plastic Machine, Luxury
Asylum Street Spankers, Hot Lunch
Café Tacuba, Revés/Yo Soy
A retrospective addition of SUPERCAR bumps L’arc~en~Ciel to the extended list. Futurama was the first SUPERCAR album I owned, and I liked it so much, I was hesitant to explore the band’s early work, out of fear it wouldn’t live up.
As it turns out, Futurama was the last of SUPERCAR’s great albums. The first two albums are classics in their own right. I’ve yet to dig into Ookeah! and Ooyeah!
I’ve only added Moby, The Roots and Fantastic Plastic Machine to the extended list, but albums by Wilco, Rage Against the Machine, Built to Spill and Mos Def could have made it on there. I just wanted to avoid the kind of crowding we saw in 2002 and 2003.
![[Kaji Meiko - Yadokari]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025363350_f.jpg)
![[John Zorn - Baphomet]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/JohnZornBaphomet2020323978_f.jpg)
![[The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/TheFlamingLipsYoshimiBat308141_f.jpg)
![[Kylie Minogue - Impossible Princess]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/KylieMinogueImpossiblePrincess.jpg)
![[Art of Noise - Noise in the City]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ArtOfNoiseNoiseInTheCityLiveInTokyo1986.jpg)
![[The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/TheModernLoversTheModern269616_f.jpg)
![[Tokyo Jihen - Ongaku (Music)]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2021268051QD2X_f.jpg)
![[Change - The Glow of Love]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ChangeTheGlowofLove198230823FVFR_f-300x300.jpg)
![[John Luther Adams - Become Desert]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/JohnLutherAdamsBecomeDesert-300x300.jpg)
![[SUPERCAR - JUMP UP]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/SupercarJumpUp-300x300.jpg)