There’s nothing quite like finishing work at the end of a long week, taking a trip to your favorite record store and browsing the shelves for something new to listen. As you journey home, the excitement builds in anticipation for the crisp sound from that new vinyl. You get home, slide the record out of its sleeve and gently place it on the turntable, lift the arm of the record player and carefully place it on the edge of the record. You take a seat, close your eyes and listen. Magic!
In decades gone by, in a time before MP3s, CDs and even cassettes, vinyl records were the only way to listen to music whenever you wanted. They were why many artist and songs lived on. Outside of the radio and live concerts, vinyl was the only way to listen to songs like The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” the poker-inspired song “Desperado” by the Eagles and David Bowie’s “Life On Mars?” In the 21st century, music lovers have much more choice in terms of mediums in which to listen to their favorite artists, yet for many, vinyl is still something some people want. If you’re one of these people, here are some records you should consider adding to your collection.
We put together this small collection of records that will suit just about any taste and mood. These up-and-coming artists are undoubtedly carving out a spot in the industry all their own.
The Internet – ‘Hive Mind’
Released in July 2018, this is the fourth album by the American R&B group The Internet. Well received by critics, Carl Anka from the music news website (and former magazine) NME described The Internet has “five artists approaching their zenith.” “Hive Mind” has big shoes to fill as the band’s third album, “Ego Death,” received a nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the Grammy Awards. However, fans have had a long wait as the band members used the three years in between these albums to release their solo work.
Noname – ‘Room 25’
Room 25 is the debut album by the jazz rap and neo-soul artist Noname. The album tells the story of a two-year period in the artist’s life, including her relocation to Los Angeles from Chicago as well as a short relationship she had during that time. Noname began her career in her native Bronzeville neighborhood where she performed slam poetry and raps in 2010. The album received widespread acclaim, scoring 94/100 on average through review aggregator Metacritic.
Mitski – ‘Be the Cowboy’
Japanese-American indie rock artist Mitski released her fifth studio album “Be the Cowboy” in mid-August 2018. Like the others in this list, the album received widespread acclaim from critics who seem to have appreciated Mitski’s move from very personal topics to lyrics that are more conceptual in nature. It’s probably her best album yet, and with a Metacritic aggregate score of 87/100, it seems that most critics agree.
Joey Purp – ‘QUARTERTHING’
Like the Internet, Joey Purp kept his fans waiting for another release since his 2016 mixtape “iiiDrops.” To coincide with the release of this latest project, Joey Purp also announced a tour across the U.S., with events held across the country, including New York, LA and Chicago. QUARTERTHING is an exciting sequel to iiiDrops’ last project, and it chronicles his past on the streets of Chicago, taking the listener on a journey on the ups and downs of that world. Joey Purp also used the album to send a message to people who wronged him in the past, although he doesn’t allude as to what they did.