This edition threads together generations of reinvention — from Athens’ loudest storytellers and New Wave machines to rediscovered Madchester ghosts and the next big Brooklyn art-punk band. Every groove here hums with legacy, rebirth, or revelation.
Drive-By Truckers – The Definitive Decoration Day
(New West Records, 4-LP Box Set – November 14 2025)
Original Release: 2003 | Reissue Date: November 14 2025 | Format: 4-LP Box Set (Remixed & Remastered + Heathens Live at Flicker Bar)
Pre-Order: Drop the Needle HERE
Why It Matters:
The Truckers’ 2003 Southern-rock opus gets its due with a full remix from producer David Barbe and remaster by Greg Calbi, plus an unreleased acoustic double album from Athens ’02. A document of grit, grief, and redemption, Decoration Day finally sounds as epic as its mythology.
Collector’s Note:
Cut at Abbey Road Studios, featuring a 40-page book by biographer Stephen Deusner. Variants include Indie Exclusive Olive, Seasick Records’ Light Blue w/ Burgundy Splatter (150 copies); HeAthens Exclusive Color Red & Black Marble vinyl (Athens, GA – New West Office Pick Up); and New West Exclusive Burgundy (1000 copies).
Gary Numan – Telekon (Expanded 45th Anniversary Edition) (Beggars Banquet)
Original Release: 1980 | Expanded Edition Release: December 12 2025 | Format: 2-LP Black Vinyl (Expanded + 4 Bonus Tracks)
Pre-Order: Drop the Needle HERE
Why It Matters:
The third chapter of Numan’s “machine” trilogy gets a vault-raiding refresh with four previously unheard cuts, including “Like A B-Film.” Still metallic, alien, and human at its core, this Abbey Road remaster cements Telekon as a cornerstone of electronic pop.
Collector’s Note:
Three versions available — Super Deluxe rainbow-sparkle black vinyl with replica 1980 tour booklet, Standard Expanded black vinyl, and CD edition with revised art by Michael Speed. If you can’t find a copy of the Super Deluxe at Numan’s webstore – search around as its available for order at other retail outlets.
Rogue Wave – Out of the Shadow (Deluxe Edition) / Descended Like Vultures (20th Anniversary Director’s Cut) (Sub Pop)
Original Releases: 2003 / 2005 | Reissue Date: March 27 2026 | Format: 2 LPs (Colored Vinyl Represses + Bonus Tracks)
Pre-Order: Drop the Needle HERE
Why It Matters:
Zach Rogue’s introspective indie pop returns with expanded editions of his first two albums — dreamy, melancholy, and melodically dense enough to remind us why early-2000s Bay Area indie still hits hard on wax.
Collector’s Note:
Out of the Shadow on emerald green, Descended Like Vultures on clear pink; both include original tracklists and bonus material from the era.
Joanna – Hello Flower (New Feelings)
Original Recording: 1989–1990 | First Release: December 5 2025 | Format: LP (Recovered ¼-Inch Tapes)
Pre-Order: Drop the Needle HERE
Why It Matters:
Long-buried Madchester energy reborn after 35 years. Hello Flower captures the working-class pulse of ’89 Manchester with a sixties spark and Hacienda swagger — the lost link between acid house euphoria and jangly indie soul.
Collector’s Note:
First-ever press from recovered tapes; 1st pressing LP limited to 200 copies. The 1st edition comes with an exclusive ‘Live at Queens Hall’ bonus CD as well as a double sided full color insert and custom sticker on the cover. 180 gram vinyl.
Geese – Getting Killed (Rough Trade Exclusive Edition) (Rough Trade / Partisan)
Original Release: September 26, 2025 | Exclusive Edition Release: February 26, 2026 | Format: Cream w/ Red Splatter LP + Bonus 7″
Pre-Order: Drop the Needle HERE
Why It Matters:
Brooklyn’s art-punk phenoms hit their stride on Getting Killed — an album that crashes post-punk, psych and pop into one sizzling statement piece. This new edition originally sold out quickly and they doubled the pressing size so I would not delay if you would like this version. The Rough Trade edition makes owning it feel like a rite of passage.
Collector’s Note:
Rough Trade exclusive cream with red splatter vinyl + bonus 7″ (“100 Horses” / “Half Real”). Limited to 1500 copies; includes OBI strip and insert art unique to this run. There is also a Dinked Edition UK Cream with blue splatter effect vinyl* with the Bonus 7”. Limited pressing of 1500 copies.
Closing Groove
Five decades of artists still chasing the spark — from Southern storytellers to machine-age icons to rediscovered northerners. Each groove here carries its own ghost, and together they remind us why vinyl’s magic is equal parts memory and resurrection.
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/
