Idles

The Best Vinyl Releases Of February 2024

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vinyl
Uproxx

Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.

Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of February below.

Paul McCartney & Wings — Band On The Run (50th Anniversary Edition)

Band On The Run vinyl
UMe

The end of The Beatles was a sad moment for music, but the silver lining was that it led to Paul McCartney forming Wings, a band that enjoyed a beloved run of its own. The group’s defining third album, 1973’s Band On The Run, turned 50 recently, so now we have a new vinyl reissue of the album. The 2LP edition includes a treat for fans: an “Underdubbed” Mixes Edition of the album, of which McCartney himself explains, “This is Band On The Run in a way you’ve never heard before. When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that’s an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed.”

Get it here.

Amy Winehouse — Frank (Reissue)

Amy Winhouse Frank vinyl
UMe

We lost Amy Winehouse far too soon, but the pair of albums she left behind is special. It all started with Frank in 2003 and the album turned 20 years old recently. To celebrate, we now have the coolest-looking version of the album, a lovely new picture disc vinyl pressing.

Get it here.

The Who — Quadrophenia (Reissue) and The Who By Numbers (Reissue)

Who Quadrophenia
UMe

The Who were masters when it came to making music that rewards close listening. Now, the sonic details of two of the group’s finest albums, Quadrophenia and The Who By Numbers, can be enjoyed better than ever with these new vinyl reissues, which got a half-speed mastering for the occasion.

Get Quadrophenia here. Get The Who By Numbers here.

Issac Hayes — Hot Buttered Soul (Reissue)

isaac hayes vinyl
Craft Recordings

As part of their Small Batch vinyl series, Craft Recordings has come through with an audiophile-friendly version of an Isaac Hayes classic, which features lacquers cut from the original tapes. Ultimately, Craft proclaims this release to be “as close as the listener can get to the original recording.” As the name of the reissue series suggests, this isn’t one to take your time with, as it’s limited to only 3,000 copies. The overall packaging of the reissue is also stunning.

Get it here.

Idles — Tangk

Idles Tangk vinyl
Partisan

Uproxx’s Grant Sharples wrote of the latest album from UK rockers Idles, “The Bristol post-punk band Idles used to operate in one mode: loud, abrasive, and often furious. Their sheer volume was their main signifier, but now they’ve partially softened up, adding more subtlety to their anthemic tunes. On Tangk, their fifth record, the intensity remains, but rather than going in a purely punk direction, they make their noisy guitars and unrelenting drums a bit more rhythmic.”

If that sounds good to you, the band is selling the LP in a number of neat-colored vinyl editions.

Get it here.

John Coltrane — A Love Supreme (VMP Edition)

Coltrane Love Supreme vinyl
Vinyl Me, Please

Reissue kings Vinyl Me, Please have an impressive new edition of the John Coltrane classic A Love Supreme. It’s one for completionists: The 8LP box set features the album itself, as well as “every live and alternate take.” If you wanted the ultimate experience of one of jazz’s most iconic recordings, this is it.

Get it here.

Grandaddy — Blu Wav

Grandaddy Blu Wav vinyl
Dangerbird Records

After some time away, Grandaddy has been back at it over the past few years. February yielded the indie favorites’ sixth album, Blu Wav, and the blue marble vinyl pressing is a gorgeous way to enjoy it.

Get it here.

MGMT — Loss Of Life

MGMT Loss Of Life vinyl
Mom + Pop

Similarly, MGMT also pressed their latest LP on some vibrant vinyl colors, like the tangerine version seen above. In her review of the project, Uproxx’s Carolyn Droke wrote, “As a whole, Loss Of Life shows MGMT have gone full circle and come back to their foundations as an indie band, both sonically by shedding the dark melodies of 2018’s Little Dark Age in favor of a more buoyant sound, and literally by signing to an independent record label.”

Get it here.

Usher — Coming Home

Usher Coming Home vinyl
gamma

Usher had a bigger February than anybody with his Super Bowl Halftime Show and his new album, Coming Home. The performance was the headline news, but if you’re not sleeping on the new LP, Usher has it available on slick clear vinyl.

Get it here.

Helado Negro — Phasor

Helado Negro Phasor
4AD

Helado Negro has been consistently rock-solid for over a decade now, busting out a new album usually at least every couple years since 2009. His eighth LP, Phasor, arrived earlier this month, and you have options in terms of vinyl aesthetics. There’s the “coke bottle translucent green” pressing pictured above, or a standard black if you’re more of a tried-and-true traditionalist.

Get it here.

Idles Release The ‘When The Lights Come On’ Video In Nightvision

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Bristol-based post-punk band Idles released Crawler, their fourth album, last month and it has kept them at the top of the ranks of the UK punk scene’s resurgence. Co-produced by Idles guitarist Mark Bowen and the typically hip-hop focused Kenny Beats, the album is furious, filled with caustic music that wants to pierce your chest plate and punch you in the heart. Breakneck bass and drums pair with singer Joe Talbot’s metaphysical lyrics. Uproxx’s Steven Hyden sums it up by writing that “This kind of music is so heightened that is bound to elicit equally charged reactions. Some will hear it as rousing and even potentially life-changing music; others will find it strident to the point of irritation.”

It’s not always easy to listen to, but it’s pure and is clearly a vessel for seeking greater truths about ourselves. Enter the video for “When The Lights Come on,” filmed in nightvision and sending up suburbia. Talbot calls the song a “poem of light and sound exploring the cold light of day.”

Idles are playing New Year’s Eve with The Strokes in Brooklyn and then are going off on a headlining tour through Europe, South America, and a range of music festivals from there. See full dates and get tickets here.

Crawler is out now via Partisan Records. You can watch the video above.

Idles Tap Slowthai To Lend A Verse On Their Raucous ‘Model Village’

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Idles shared their latest LP Ultra Mono back in September, which included the track “Model Village.” They’ve now linked up with their friend and fellow UK musician Slowthai to feature on a new version of the song, which they debuted on a special episode of vocalist Joe Talbot’s Balley TV series.

Talbot’s Balley TV first began as a quarantine entertainment show. The latest episode aired a month before Ultra Mono‘s release but this week, Talbot and his band took over House Of Vans in London to record an hour-long episode with musicians Katy J Pearson, Deep Tan, and Nuha Ruby Ra. They were also joined by Slowthai for a raucous performance of their new “Model Village” track, which injects even more energy into the already lively tune.

Sitting down for an interview with Talbot after their “Model Village” rendition, Slowthai talked about his overarching goals with his music. The rapper said he just hopes to inspire others to be themselves and share their own viewpoints with the world:

“I think the aim of life is that you’re born, you learn, you pass on your knowledge. It’s about sharing, discovering, communicating, and coming together. So my thing is being able to take what I learned and give my opinions and people can either steer me in the right direction or I can change their viewpoint. I think with music, it’s always to spark a discussion. People are people at the end of the day so they’re influenced how they’re influenced. But I think it’s a responsibility to just share my viewpoint and mainly bring some kind of joy, even though a lot of my music is miserable, and help people who are from a less fortunate place or haven’t had the opportunity to see that they can do what they want and be who they want to be. They haven’t got to follow no rules or guidelines on the way the world expects them to be. Be yourself, don’t give a f*ck, and do it with a smile on your face.”

Listen to Idles and Slowthai’s “Model Village” single and watch their performance on Balley TV above. Pre-order a 7-inch vinyl copy of the song here.

Slowthai Is Launching His Own Happyland Festival With Idles, Beabadoobee, And Others

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Getty Image

Event organizers are confident that the pandemic is finally starting to see itself out, as they’ve been planning concerts and festivals, mostly for towards the end of 2021. Now Slowthai has decided to get into the festival game, as he is launching his own, Happyland.

The event, presented with Goldenvoice (the folks behind big events like Coachella), will take place on September 25 at County Cricket Club in Northhampton, UK. Alongside Slowthai, the inaugural lineup also features Beabadoobee, Idles, Easy Life, Ethan P. Flynn, Greentea Peng, Izzie Gibbs, Pa Salieu, and Shygirl.

A statement accompanying the announcement reads, “Happyland with happy folk. The place where we can laugh and joke. The place you can be yourself without judgment, expectations and impressions of someone else. The space from the shackles of the everyday. The mountain where we climb to runaway. Imagine what you’ve never had when you come to Happyland… you will never be sad.”

He also wrote while sharing the news, “starting my own festival in my hometown!!! NN to the world… this has been a dream of mine forever. i’ll see you at the happyland.”

When it comes time for the festival, the rapper could have some new music out, as he said earlier this year he was making great progress on his next album.

Happyland tickets go on sale on May 14, so learn more about the festival here.

Glastonbury Is Hosting A Big Livestream Concert With Coldplay, Damon Albarn, And Others

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It was announced at the top of 2021 that Glastonbury will not be hosting a festival this year (for the second year in a row) due to the pandemic. So, while thousands of people won’t be taking to the festival grounds this summer, they can enjoy a newly announced livestream concert that organizers are hosting.

“Live At Worthy Farm” is a ticketed livestream event that is set for May 22. As the name suggests, the show will take place at Worthy Farm and will feature Coldplay, Gorillaz’s Damon Albarn, Haim, Idles, Wolf Alice, Jorja Smith, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, DJ Honey Dijon, and other currently unannounced performers.

This news shouldn’t surprise fans who have been following Glastonbury’s goings-on in recent months. In January, festival founder Michael Eavis said he wanted to do something to mark the festival’s anniversary: I would like to do something smaller somewhere around the anniversary date of when we started, which was the 18th of September 1970. I would like to consider possibly doing something around that time.” In December, Emily Eavis also noted, “We’re actually looking into the possibility of streaming some things from here if we can’t run the full show next year. We really want to get busy with planning some gigs — even if they’re to be streamed!”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.