This edition of Vinyl Rewind leans forward without losing sight of the past. From an indie classic finally getting proper weight, to a new imprint built on accessibility, to deeply personal funk, maximalist live-document excess, and ritualistic psych born from loss and renewal — these five releases show how vinyl culture keeps evolving. Not everything here is a reissue, and that’s the point. These are records meeting the moment in very different ways, all worth your attention.
The Flaming Lips — Clouds Taste Metallic (Rhino Reserve)
Original Release: 1995 | Rhino Reserve Release: 2025 | Format: 1×LP, 180g Vinyl, Rhino Reserve Series
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Why It Matters:
Often overshadowed by what followed, Clouds Taste Metallic is the Flaming Lips at their most feral and fearless — a psych-rock sweet spot where noise, melody, and surreal humor collide. This Rhino Reserve pressing gives the album the weight it deserves, spotlighting the band’s pre-millennial weirdness and reminding us how crucial this era was to their anything-goes ethos. It still sounds like a band discovering new shapes in real time.
Collector’s Note:
Lacquers cut by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab and pressed on 180-gram vinyl as part of Rhino’s audiophile-leaning Reserve series. A clean, high-quality presentation that finally treats this cult favorite like a cornerstone.
Groove Classics — Launch Titles (Music On Vinyl)
Original Releases: 1960s–1980s | Series Launch: February 13, 2026 | Format: 1×LP, 140g Black Vinyl
Featured Titles: The Byrds – Greatest Hits, Jaco Pastorius – Jaco Pastorius, Nina Simone – Sings the Blues, Sam Cooke – Live at the Harlem Square, The Highwaymen – Highwayman
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Why It Matters:
Groove Classics isn’t chasing scarcity — it’s chasing sustainability. This new Music On Vinyl imprint is about making foundational albums easy to find again without cutting corners on sound or presentation. Whether it’s Nina Simone’s emotional force, Sam Cooke’s incendiary live set, or Jaco Pastorius redefining the electric bass, these records remain essential. Groove Classics lowers the barrier without lowering the standard.
Collector’s Note:
All titles are pressed on 140-gram black vinyl with faithfully reproduced artwork. No color variants, no gimmicks — just durable, high-quality pressings meant to be played often. First wave lands February 13 with pre-orders coming soon.
Parlor Greens — Emeralds (Colemine Records)
Original Release: 2026 | Vinyl Release: March 27, 2026 | Format: 1×LP, Color Vinyl (Emerald Green / Gold Variants)
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Why It Matters:
Emeralds finds Parlor Greens locked in and fully themselves. Funk, soul-jazz, gospel, and R&B collide in tight, joyful instrumental workouts that feel lived-in and purposeful. The record carries weight beneath the groove — shaped by personal loss and collective healing — without ever losing its forward motion. It’s confident, soulful, and deeply human.
Collector’s Note:
The Colemine exclusive emerald green with evergreen and yellow splatter variant was limited to 500 copies and sold out quickly, making it one to hunt post-release. A gold vinyl version remains available. Could easily be one of Colemine’s strongest modern releases to date.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard — North American Tour 2024 Compilation (Fuzz Club)
Original Performances: 2024 | Box Set Release: 2025 | Format: 8×LP Deluxe Box Set, 180g Color Vinyl, Hardcover Photo Book
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Why It Matters:
This isn’t just a live album — it’s a monument. Fuzz Club’s North American Tour 2024 compilation distills 39 shows into an 8-LP behemoth curated by the Gizzhead community itself. Every track is freshly mixed and mastered from the original stems, capturing the band’s sheer scale, stamina, and unpredictability. It’s maximalist in every sense, and proudly so.
Collector’s Note:
Limited to 250 hand-numbered copies, this deluxe box includes eight 180-gram colored LPs, metallic-laminated packaging, and a 320-page hardcover photo book shot by Makayla Guthrie. Fuzz Club does a great job with these releases and this one is no different. Another solid collector piece for King Gizzard fans that attended any of these shows — shipping now.
Scattered Purgatory (破地獄) — Post Purgatory (Guruguru Brain)
Original Release: 2026 | Vinyl Release: January 30, 2026 | Format: 1×LP, Limited Color Vinyl (Half Grey / Half Clear)
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Why It Matters:
Emerging after a long pandemic-era pause, Post Purgatory is Scattered Purgatory’s most focused and emotionally resonant statement. Blending drone, kosmische psychedelia, doom-metal weight, and electronic precision, the record reflects on time, loss, and renewal through a distinctly Taiwanese lens. It’s immersive, patient, and quietly devastating — a record that rewards full, uninterrupted listening.
Collector’s Note:
Pressed on limited half-grey / half-clear vinyl via Guruguru Brain. A striking physical edition that mirrors the album’s balance of clarity and shadow.
Closing Groove
VR-007 is about momentum — not nostalgia for its own sake, but music pushing forward through memory, craft, and reinvention. Whether it’s a classic finally getting its due, a new imprint widening access, or artists turning grief into sound, these records remind us why vinyl still matters: not as an object frozen in time, but as a living, evolving medium.
A lifelong fan of new music—spent the '90s working in a record store and producing alternative video shows. In the 2000s, that passion shifted online with blogging, diving headfirst into the indie scene and always on the lookout for the next great release. Still here, still listening, and still sharing the best of what’s new.
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
