Pop
The Best Vinyl Releases Of June 2022
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 June below.
Bartees Strange — Farm To Table
After generating a ton of buzz with his 2020 debut album Live Forever, Bartees Strange returned just earlier this month with Farm To Table, a genre-spanning album that’s full of compelling moments. As for the vinyl, there’s a cool-looking striped version (the one above) or a classic black LP. Regardless of what edition you get, the vinyl release of the album has a song, “Daily News,” that’s only available on this physical pressing. Order it now for an October ship.
Get it here.
Elton John — Madman Across The Water (50th Anniversary Reissue)
Elton John had a huge 1971, as he dropped a live album with 17-11-70, a soundtrack for the movie Friends, and later in the year, a proper studio album, Madman Across The Water. Now we have a 50th-anniversary edition of it and it’s a big one, as the 4-LP box set includes a 40-page booklet with introductions by John and Bernie Taupin, photos and essays, a reproduction 1971 reproduction poster, and more.
Get it here.
Diiv — Oshin (10th Anniversary Reissue)
Diiv was one of the most critically respected indie groups of the 2010s and it all started with Oshin. That album turns 10 this year, which the group is celebrating with an expanded 2-LP edition. The first LP contains the regular album as we know it, while the other one has original Oshin demos and two live songs, including the previously unreleased “Yuk.”
Get it here.
Angel Olsen — Big Time
“Out with the bangs, in with the twangs,” a clever ad for Angel Olsen’s new album reads. The country-leaning LP is one of the finer albums of the year so far and now it can be one of the finest albums in your vinyl collection, too. Unfortunately, the clear green edition pictured above is sold out as of this post, but the still-available black vinyl never goes out of style.
Get it here.
Los Angeles Philharmonic — Hollywood Bowl: The First 100 Years
We’ve had the Hollywood Bowl for a hundred years now and now the Los Angeles Philharmonic has unveiled a massive 7-LP box set of performances from the storied venue, a healthy 55-recording mix that features performances from Death Cab For Cutie, The Doors, James Brown, the Philharmonic conducted by John Williams, and a bunch of others that convey how important this iconic space has been and remains. (Also, you even get a free tote bag!)
Get it here.
The Walkmen — You & Me (Sun Studio Edition)
The Walkmen, sadly, are no more, but we’ll always have the music. 2008’s You & Me, one of their most beloved albums, has now gotten a deluxe new vinyl version, dubbed the Sun Studio Edition, which is fully remastered and comes with a fourth side of unreleased tracks from the time, recorded at Sun Studio for PBS.
Get it here.
Beach Boys — Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys
Artists are competing for the unofficial “song of the summer” title for 2022 right now, but if we’re talking all-time, it’s hard to beat the Beach Boys. Well, the group, which celebrates 60 years this year, so they’ve reissued their 2003 Sounds Of Summer compilation, which collects 80 songs from 1962 to 1989, making this a great catch-all option to fill a Beach Boys-sized hole in your vinyl library.
Get it here.
Beastie Boys — Check Your Head (30th Anniversary Reissue)
It’s been 30 years since Beastie Boys dropped the classic Check Your Head, so what better way to celebrate than with a new deluxe 4-LP edition? This limited reissue was originally released in 2009 and has been out of print for a good while, and goodies like remixes, live versions, and B-sides make it an especially desirable release.
Get it here.
The Kills — No Wow (17th Anniversary Reissue)
17th anniversaries aren’t a common one to make a big deal about, but for The Kills’ second album No Wow, it’s worth it. They’ve shared a limited deluxe reissue of the 2005 album that presents two distinct versions of the album: the original and a new mix by Grammy winner Tchad Blake. Furthermore, the deluxe edition has a gold foil gatefold LP jacket, black-and-gold smoke vinyl LP, an exclusive 5×7 print, and a four-page booklet.
Get it here.
Bright Eyes — I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
One of Vinyl Me, Please’s latest records of the month is the Bright Eyes classic I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. The LP was widely considered one of 2005’s best and this may be the best vinyl release of it, as the marbled red vinyl is gorgeous and it comes with a listening notes booklet.
Get it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
PinkPantheress And GoldLink Get To Dancing Through Their Remix Of Drake’s ‘Massive’
Drake’s new album Honestly, Nevermind has earned all types of reactions from his peers and fans. Questlove called the album a “gift” and added, “Only people not wit the program are people who don’t move their bodies. That ain’t sexy yo [shrugging emoji].” Vince Staples spoke about the uniqueness of the album and noted that he “did that in 2017.” Regardless of the reviews that the album has received, Honestly, Nevermind still topped the Billboard 200 to become Drake’s 11th No. 1 album and it also broke Apple Music’s dance album record for most first-day streams. Now, other artists are remixing tracks from the project.
The first pair of artists to do so is GoldLink and PinkPantheress who joined forces for their own take of “Massive,” one of the more popular records from Honestly, Nevermind. GoldLink leads the way with a timid entry that’s follow-up by a brief beat break. With additional production from Scottish producer Sam Gellaitry, GoldLink returns to the song filled with energy. Later on, PinkPantheress makes her with entry with her soft vocals for a solid contribution to the song.
You can listen to GoldLink and Pantheress’ remix of “Massive” above.
Honestly, Nevermind is out now via OVO Sound/Republic. You can stream it here.
Calvin Harris Announces The ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol 2’ Release Date And Features
Calvin Harris’ first Funk Wav Bounces album, which was released in June 2017, has become something of a cult favorite among dance music fans, who’ve agitated for a follow-up ever since. Harris recently began the rollout for Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, dropping its first single, “Potion” featuring Dua Lipa and Young Thug, in May. Today, he finally shared the project’s long-awaited release date: August 5. He also teased the guestlist via a short video of waves crashing on a sunny shore with the names flashing across the screen.
Those names include 21 Savage, 6lack, Charlie Puth, Chloe, Halsey, Jorja Smith, Justin Timberlake, Latto, Lil Durk, Normani, Offset, Pharrell, Pusha T, Shenseea, Snoop Dogg, Stefflon Don, and Tinashe.
— Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) June 29, 2022
— Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) June 29, 2022
Ironically, there couldn’t be a better time for Harris to return with Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, as a new wave of dance music — particularly dance music crafted by some of the world’s biggest entertainers — appears to be cresting. Just weeks ago, Drake surprise-dropped his club-influenced new album, Honestly, Nevermind, prompting a renewed interest and discussion of Black musicians in the art form, then Beyonce followed up with her new single “Break My Soul,” which even had national news programs looking up vocal house legend Robin S. to get her take on the out-of-nowhere revival of Black house music.
You can pre-save Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, out 8/5 via Columbia Records, here
Ariana Grande Stalker Arrested After Violating Restraining Order by Breaking Into Singer’s House on Her Birthday
Megan Thee Stallion Sang Katy Perry’s ‘Thinking Of You’ And It Might Lead To Them Collaborating On A Song
Megan Thee Stallion is never afraid to show off her fun side as we’ve seen multiple times in her career. She recently teamed up with Cardi B to display her football skills with some help from the Los Angeles Chargers, and prior to that, Megan and Normani had a grand ol’ time at prom for the former’s Off Thee Leash Snapchat series. Recently, Megan showed off her laid-back spirits during some time on Instagram Live as she was seemingly doing her hair and makeup. It was here that she launched into singing mode as she delivered a cover of Katy Perry’s “Thinking Of You.”
Omg yes hot girl Katy ! Let’s do a song
— TINA SNOW (@theestallion) June 29, 2022
omg lez duet ily Meg THEE katycat @theestallion
https://t.co/rJR8GqLLF6
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) June 29, 2022
It was quite the entertaining moment as Megan was hilariously off-key as she cruised through the 2008 song’s chorus with a bottle of hairspray in hand as her microphone. Towards the end of the video, Megan noted that the song was one of her favorites as an eighth grader. A fan recorded the livestream moment and posted it on Twitter, and soon enough, Katy Perry herself caught wind of it and shared a response. “Omg lez duet ily Meg THEE katycat @theestallion [blowing a kiss emoji],” Perry wrote. Megan replied, “Omg yes hot girl Katy ! Let’s do a song [fire emojis].”
With that, it’s only a matter of time until Megan and Katy release a song, one that would be their first collaboration together.
You can view Megan’s cover of “Thinking Of You” and Katy’s response in the posts above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Lizzo Does ‘Carpool Karaoke’ To Sing Beyoncé And Reflect On Her Influence: ‘She’s Been My North Star’
Weeks away from her upcoming second major-label album, Special, Lizzo stopped by The Late Late Show With James Corden for the show’s “Carpool Karaoke” segment.
Lizzo and Corden kicked off the karaoke session with a performance of her hit single, “Good As Hell,” which was released in 2016 but reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019. Later, the two sang “Juice” from Lizzo’s 2019 major-label debut album, Cuz I Love You. Corden then surprised Lizzo, a well-trained flautist, by pulling out a flute from the back seat. Lizzo, who has been playing flute since she was 12, then shows off her flute skills. Lizzo that she calls her own flute “Sasha Floot,” named after her fellow Houstonian Beyoncé’s alter-ego, Sasha Fierce.
“When I was shy, or when I didn’t think I was cool, and when I was getting picked on, I would listen to Beyoncé in my bedroom, and it would transport me,” Lizzo said. “I would feel something. I would feel like my life is going to be better. There’s hope for me. When I dropped out of college and I was really depressed, I listened to [Beyoncé’s sophomore album] B’day on repeat. I would just sing B’day all the time, and I was like, ‘I’m gonna be a singer, I’m gonna be a singer.’ The way she makes people is how I want to make people feel with music. She’s been my north star.”
The two then sing Beyoncé’s hit single, “Crazy In Love.”
Other high points in the episode include Lizzo previewing the album’s title track, before she revealed that she grew up in The Church Of God In Christ and wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music growing up.
“Would you have been allowed to listen to Lizzo’s music?” asked Corden
“Early on Lizzo, yes,” Lizzo replied. “But when Lizzo started cussing, no. I’ve pissed a few family members off.”
Toward the end of the episode, the two perform Lizzo’s most recent hit single, “About Damn Time.” They are later joined in the park by Jaeden Gomez, who created the song’s TikTok dance, as well as a large group of people, creating a flash mob.
Check out the full segment above.
Special is out 7/15 via Atlantic. Pre-save it here.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Inaugural Big Climate Thing Festival Will Feature The Roots, Haim, Khruangbin, And More
So it turns out that at the moment, the climate could be doing better. There are some people out there trying to do something about that, including the folks at Climate Control Projects and Brian Eno’s EarthPercent with their latest endeavor: the first-ever The Big Climate Thing festival.
The inaugural event, intended to raise awareness and take action about the climate crisis, is set to go down at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium from July 16 to 18 and the lineup features The Roots, Haim, Khruangbin, The Flaming Lips, Gary Clark Jr., Courtney Barnett, Sheryl Crow, The Weather Station, Sunflower Bean, Bonny Light Horseman, Guster, Pom Pom Squad, and others.
JUST ANNOUNCED: The Big Climate Thing is happening at Forest Hills Stadium on September 16, 17, and 18. Join @khruangbin, @haimtheband, @theroots, @theflaminglips, @sherylcrow, @courtneymelba and more special guests at the party for the planet.
there. https://t.co/Ai6UEARfrH pic.twitter.com/IyI2FljjiV
— TheBigClimateThing (@bigclimatething) June 27, 2022
The Weather Station’s Tamara Lindeman told Rolling Stone, “I think music, along with all the cultural industries, have spent way too long sitting back on this issue. I believe music plays a primarily emotional role in people’s lives, and as such I think it has huge potential in pushing us to recognize our tangled emotions around this topic. When I imagine a stadium full of people coming together for a climate event centered on music, what I imagine is an enormous opportunity to feel a solidarity that has been so missing here. I truly hope that an enormous in-person event can have some power to bring people together and create some common experience around climate, and push those in attendance to examine their climate feelings and push through them enough to act.”
Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming also notes, “I believe that music is one of the most powerful communication tools we have on this planet, way deeper than just words could ever express. Music has to power to influence people’s decisions by touching their hearts and relating to them on the human condition. We are all facing the same problem: this is all our home and it happens to be on fire. If we can figure out how to properly utilize music in this era of the climate crisis, I know more good could be done.”
More info about the festival, including ticket information, can be found at the Big Climate Thing website.
Haim Explain How Their Recent Drake Meet-Up Was A Coincidence ‘Like Something Out Of A Movie’
Around this time last month, Drake and Haim met up in Toronto, with Drake sharing a smile-heavy photo of the encounter and writing, “Just met the Beatles.” While it made sense that the two would meet in Drake’s hometown, what hadn’t been made clear is how Drake and Haim actually crossed paths. Now, though, the Haim sisters have shared how it happened: pure coincidence.
According to a new NME interview, the story goes:
Alana: “We literally landed in Toronto, and went to the first restaurant we saw… it’s like something out of a movie. We were at this random restaurant and Drake showed up.”
Danielle: “It sounds like folklore, like a mythic story.”
Alana: “But that’s what happened!”
Este: “We were straight-up wearing our clothes from the plane, to see Drake.”
Alana: “Well, we didn’t know! It’s pretty crazy.”
Este: “But that’s what I’m saying, we didn’t know and he showed up and I was wearing pajamas and Uggs and no make-up and acne medication, to meet Drake.”
Alana: “It was great.”
As for what the band’s up to now, Alana said, “We’re always writing, it never stops. I think the biggest thing is being away from touring for two years was the most heartbreaking for us, we’ve always considered ourselves a touring band. We love playing live, and we just did our tour in the states and in a couple of weeks we get to do our UK tour, and we’re just so excited. We’re playing The O2 arena!”
Check out the full interview here.