Vinyl From The Vault

The Boojums “The Boojums”

sfilzen — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 17:28:30 +0000

The Boojums “The Boojums” 2025. Limited edition red vinyl (and sleeve), Having Fun Records. The debut LP from Nova Scotia’s The Boojums. They’re a tight, lo-fi, hard rocking three piece power pop garage rock band and it’s my first listen/first exposure. I think we picked this up last month when we were in Toronto (I’m delighted to learn that this album was partially funded/supported by the Canadian government, Factor Canada – an arts organization from what I can gather, plus what looks like a coalition of Canadian radio broadcasters. Imagine, real public funding for the arts!). The riffs are heavy, the drums thundering and the vocals reminiscent of 80’s/90’s punk and grunge with a dash of Waits-gravel. My top track is “Garden of the Sun” which leans garage punk – the video looks like it came from a well-worn VHS tape from 1985. Also great are the dance-punk opener “Outta My Head” and angular, thrashy single “Wings of Fire.” Other tracks lean more garage pop and/or 80s rock (like Springsteen with jangle) like “Football.” Heavy indie pop, too, like on the grooving “Gravy” and “Dan’s Transmission” upon which the sole female member, bassist Sara Johnston, takes over lead vocals. If this was one of the LP’s recommended by Toronto’s excellent Sonic Boom record store clerk, she made a great pick.

The post The Boojums “The Boojums” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

GGOOLLDD “Boyz”

sfilzen — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:41:52 +0000

GGOOLLDD “Boyz” 2015. Deluxe edition, limited edition on blue cassette. Gloss Records It’s a perfect summer day, a crime to be indoors, I’m taking the Vault to the patio and firing up my new, old-school portable cassette player. Formerly from Milwaukee, the dream-pop synth-forward GGOOLLDD released a few versions of their debut full-length Boyz. This version has a couple of demo versions and different remixes from other releases (I believe we have a different variant, entitled Gold +, on vinyl). The sound is lush and decadent, the perfect aural backdrop for my current garden view which is exploding with flowers, leaves, trees, bees, birds, butterflies and even a couple of hummingbirds. That view is also incredible distracting (in the very best of ways) so my ears are only half-focused on the album. The title track/lead single had quite a buzz around it back in 2015 and was covered extensively-ish by local indie media. It is catchy and ABBA-danceable for sure. Their “theme song” “Gold” is a tad more upbeat and also fun; the instrumentals “Love Me Like Honey” and “STFU” are like dream sparkles. Another top pick is “For the Night” (which, along with the instrumentals, will be a perfect backdrop for nighttime firefly watching).

The post GGOOLLDD “Boyz” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

The Little Roosters “Live!”

sfilzen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:48:57 +0000

The Little Roosters “Live!” 1983, Wrapping Great Music, featuring Alison Moyet (Yazoo/Yaz) and Garrie J. Lammin (The Bermondsey Joyriders). Seeing the name Alison Moyet on the cover, let’s just say I had expectations and preconceived notions about what this live album would sound like and those were proved 100% inaccurate! Not a bleep bloop Vince Clarke/Yazzy synthpop note to be found – just hard-rocking guitars and beats. Moyet’s appearance is also super-muted; I’m not sure she sings lead on any of the tracks. This live LP (no date or location noted, it’s also the label’s only release so likely a bootleg) is straight-up pub rock, with some glam and r&b influences. Their sole S/T album release, from 1981, was produced by Joe Strummer so that gives an idea of their fans/audience. The sound quality is pretty decent for an early 80’s bootleg live record. Most of the tracks are written by the band (Lammin in particular) – “Ain’t Proud” is particularly funky and “Scared” is glammy with some punk sneer and attitude (the full title really should be the chorus “Scared the shit right outta me!”). The encore “People Breakdown” must have been their “big hit” as it was the only single released on a somewhat major label (Polydor, 1981) and it’s just a good rock-n-roll song and I’m fairly certain this is where Moyet is actually at the mic. There are a few covers, mostly by American blues musicians. “Pills” is great, written by Bo Diddley but The Little Roosters’ version has much more in common with the New York Dolls’ cover. The Roosters cover of The Temptations’ “Just My Imagination” takes Motown to the pub – it’s raw and fun. So despite the somewhat false advertising of Moyet’s involvement, it’s a nice glimpse into the rock/pub scene of the early 80’s.

The post The Little Roosters “Live!” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

Duran Duran “The Crystal Ship”

sfilzen — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 18:17:45 +0000

Duran Duran “The Crystal Ship” bootleg, 2025/1993. Parachute Recording Company. Double live album recorded for live FM Broadcast at Momentum Arena, Pretoria, South Africa on April 24th, 1993. It’s my birthday today and I usually have a stash of Duran vinyl I haven’t listened to or written about in my collection. This live LP is one of the more unusual ones that I picked up recently: the versions of the songs are radically different than almost any other live albums I’ve heard. “Planet Earth” has a whole string section and “Hungry Like the Wolf” has strings, too, plus an enthusiastic acoustic guitar and different backup vocals (which prompt Simon to most definitely go “off-script” for this classic track). “Ordinary World” is lush, elevated with that (fortunately less enthusiastic) acoustic guitar and Simon’s vocals are stellar (a note here that the photos on the LP covers are closer to 2023 than 1993 – Simon definitely did not look like that, nor was Dom playing guitar for them – 1993 was the Warren Cuccurullo era). Simon’s intro to “Come Undone” is hilarious – suggesting that instead of wearing one’s best, clean underwear just in case, he thinks it might be better to go without completely, then launches into a Cure-esque guitar intro (not Simon, that’s probably Warren); the song is slinky and suggestive. The intro to “The Chauffeur” is a total head-scratcher though: Simon talks about a guy in a car on hot day in July on Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles (while in South Africa? Ok?) before the song starts (it’s beautiful once it gets going though the spoken-word moment is a bit jarring). Of course I didn’t write the song but the dirty streets of LA are absolutely not what I envision for this song. The first LP ends with the bootleg’s namesake “The Crystal Ship” which is, of course, a Doors cover. “Girls on Film” is also really unusual – orchestral strings, lyrical embellishments like I’ve never heard, a bit of jazzy free form action: absolutely nothing like the original. “Notorious” is funky as always, but the instrumentation seemed off and a bit out of key (same with the backup vocals) and fortunately they didn’t mess with “Save a Prayer,” sticking pretty faithfully to the original (just a bit more finger-picking on the acoustic and a whisper of strings). On Side 4 there is one other cover: “Success” by Iggy Pop is really fun; but then “Wild Boys” is the most subdued version imaginable before they launch into the finale of “Rio” which is as glorious as it always is.

You can view the entire performance here:

The post Duran Duran “The Crystal Ship” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

Sugarhill Gang “The Best of Sugarhill Gang (Rapper’s Delight)”

sfilzen — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:41:57 +0000

Sugarhill Gang “The Best of Sugarhill Gang (Rapper’s Delight)” 1996. Two LP comp of classic rap/hiphop from 1979-1985. While technically not the first recorded/released, the single “Rapper’s Delight” is credited as the first rap song to be introduced to the masses; it reached #36 in the US and went to #3 in the US, #1 in Canada. The epic/full length version takes up the entire first side of comp, lasting a whopping 14+ epic minutes and was, jaw-droppingly, recorded in a single take. Funky AF, co-writing credits were given to the funk-masters Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (after a threatened lawsuit for lifting “Good Times”). The beats, the lyrics, the vibe have been endlessly copied, sampled and continue to influence multiple music genres almost 50 years later. It is on many big-name “best of” lists and is included in both the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry and the Grammy Hall of Fame. Also of note on the this comp – and my top picks – are “8th Wonder” and “Apache,” both from the 1981 LP 8th Wonder; “Apache” a cover of a cover (the first recording dates back to Bert Weedon‘s 1960 single; Sugarhill Gang’s a reworking of the 1973 Incredible Bongo Band‘s version, there has been a ton of others too). Plus singles from 1983’s Rappin’ Down Town “The Lover in You” and “The Word is Out,” from the 1984 LP Livin’ in the Fast Lane “Kick it Live from 9 to 5” and “Livin’ in the Fast Lane” and the non-album single from ’85 “Work, Work, the Body.”

The post Sugarhill Gang “The Best of Sugarhill Gang (Rapper’s Delight)” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

Jack White “Hypnotize (demo)”

sfilzen — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:10:49 +0000

Jack White “Hypnotize (demo)” 2003/2023. Third Man Records, part of the Vault Package no. 55 on red glitter vinyl. Today, July 9th, is Jack White’s birthday (b. 1975). This 7″ single was included as a bonus in the Third Man Vault release that also had the White Stripe’s Elephant XX album for its 20th anniversary: a direct-from-the-original multitrack tapes MONO remix of the LP that left in gems like studio banter before and after takes of the tracks. The 7″ is “Jack White’s original solo demo of “Hypnotize” in two markedly different mixes here. Recorded on 4-track reel-to-reel sometime in 1998 and “gifted” to the local Detroit garage band the Hentchmen as a song White felt was more in their style than his at the time. Come a few years later, with the Hentches having done nothing with the tune, Jack reclaimed it for he and Meg, and their frenetic take quickly became a long-standing fan favorite.” (from the Vault website) The first version of “Hypnotize” is a rough n’ ready very lo-fi, garage-guitar forward version of the song and the second is a piano-heavy version that would have felt at home in an 1800’s saloon (the piano is definitely out of tune). The b-side is the original, first take version of “You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket.” None of the three songs are available on the web but both tracks appear in their finalized version on Elephant.

The post Jack White “Hypnotize (demo)” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

Milli Vanilli “Girl You Know It’s True”

sfilzen — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 17:25:44 +0000

Milli Vanilli “Girl You Know It’s True” 1988. Hansa Records. German 12″ single, another Berlin acquisition from the same truly bizarre record shop as a lot of our other Germany finds – I think the weird owner was mildly impressed that I knew Milli Vanilli was a German “group” put together by producer Frank Farian (also responsible for the most excellent Boney M). This is also a sort-of Fab Morvan appreciation post (he’s the surviving member of the Malli Vanilli duo) for NOT performing at this week’s national performance farce: he backed out about a month ago along with most of the other booked artists; we have very few records of the other artists who were invited and who backed out, but if I find more I’ll get to those too in the next week or so.

“Girl You Know It’s True” was first written and performed by the US group Numarx in 1987. I’m fairly certain it didn’t chart but the track gained some popularity in the European dance club scene and came to the attention of Frank Farian. Milli Vanilli “recorded” their version and it went to #1 in Germany and to #2 in the US, #3 in the UK. I bet you are singing it now, it was that popular and infectious…and infamous. The track appeared on their 1988 debut German LP All or Nothing and then again on the US 1989 release Girl You Know It’s True. Farian was notorious for putting together bands that didn’t actually perform the material – they would lip synch and dance (which is HARD and I give the performers props for doing it) – but this was not admitted either on the record credits or in “live” performances. According to Wiki “The duo [Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus] served as the public faces for singers Charles Shaw, John Davis, and Brad Howell [all American musicians], who Farian thought were talented musicians but lacked a marketable image.” In July 1989 the backing track for “Girl You Know It’s True” skipped and looped at a live MTV performance and Milli Vanilli fled the stage. Then in early 1990 their LP won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1990 but the award was revoked later that year when Farian finally admitted that Morvan and Pilatus didn’t sing a single note on the LP. To this date it is the only time a Grammy award has been taken away; their label Artista dropped them from its roster and deleted their album and its masters from their catalogue, also making Girl You Know It’s True the largest-selling album to ever be deleted plus a court ruling allowed any American who bought the album to get a partial refund. (wiki). I admit to disparaging the band back then but I have much much greater sympathy for them now, after understanding the individuals’ background, their situation and the industry as a whole (in a nutshell: it’s pretty slimy, underhanded, greedy and dishonest). Along with the single version of “Girl You Know It’s True,” there is also a “Super Club Mix” and the track “Magic Touch.”

The post Milli Vanilli “Girl You Know It’s True” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

Jon Spencer “Songs of Personal Loss and Protest”

sfilzen — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:51:48 +0000

Jon Spencer “Songs of Personal Loss and Protest” 2026. Shove Records. The latest from the blues explosion man along with his backing band: Kendall Wind and Macky Spider Bowman (The Bobby Lees). The LP insert is hilarious – it’s a long list of possible band name considerations (funniest include “Jon Spencer & the Smartphone Addictions,” “Emerson, Spencer, Lake & Palmer,” most accurate include “Jon Spencer & the Devastators” and “Jon Spencer & His Badass Band) with the final “Jon Kendall Spider” for the win plus an album subtitle “Stink & Fuss.” It’s been a bit over six months since we last saw Spencer perform (December 2025 at Turner Hall in Milwaukee) so I’m not entirely certain if any of the tracks from Songs of Personal Loss and Protest were played but I feel like maybe my top pick “Knock ‘Em Out” may have been – it’s an absolute ripper and ass-shaker with a vibe that both harkens back to vintage Blues Explosion songs (“Blues Explosion Man”) and looks forward/is contemporary with his young bandmates providing propulsive, high energy rhythm. Besides having the trademark Spencer sound, many also have his sense of humor, too, like on “Orange Slice Blues” (on which he brings levity to his anxiety) and another fave “Wet & Wild.” Though the album is rocking, fun and funny, he says about the record: “These past few years, there has been a lot of emotional conflict and personal loss — the passing of time takes its toll. Losing friends, losing family, and all of this set against a world gone topsy turvy, where it feels like we are losing basic freedoms… I’m trying to balance a lot of things, but the answer is always rock ‘n’ roll.”

The post Jon Spencer “Songs of Personal Loss and Protest” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

Kim Gordon “Play Me”

sfilzen — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:31:02 +0000

Kim Gordon “Play Me” 2026, Matador Records. We caught Kim Gordon’s set last night at Summerfest – my first time seeing her solo; I did see Sonic Youth back in 1991 opening for Neil Young and Social Distortion (the “Smell the Horse” tour: great lineup, terrible sound as the noise rock/grunge/hard rock/punk mashup tour was done no favors with the now-demolished Bradley’s Center concrete echo chamber). She’s an icon for sure; still cool AF with close to zero crowd banter – mostly just “thank you’s” – and an air of disinterest. The bulk of her set were tracks from her third solo release Play Me and since this is my first time sitting down for a listen, I wasn’t familiar with any of the songs. Honestly, if this wasn’t Kim Gordon I wouldn’t own the LP or gone to see the show. I absolutely appreciate her artistry and creativity but experimental trip-hop with trap vocals is not really my jam. My top track is “Busy Bee,” co-written by Dave Grohl (he plays drums on the album but sadly did not play this song at the show last night) – it’s way beatier than most the album and also features sped-up dialogue between Gordon and Julia Cafritz (who was in Pussy Galore with Jon Spencer) from an episode of MTV Beach House that Gordon and Cafritz guest-hosted in the 1990s. The title track “Play Me” is also pretty good, as is the lead single “Not Today.” I’m not a fan of autotune at all and while I understand its inclusion both on the LP and at the show last night, it still gives me pain (“Black Out” in particular). Finally of note is the last track “ByeBye25” which is “a reworking of the single “Bye Bye” from her 2024 album The Collective, with updated lyrics based on words flagged [censored] by the second Trump administration. It was accompanied with a black-and-white music video showing Gordon walking through a construction site. Proceeds from the single and associated T-shirt went to Noise for Now, a non-profit organization based on reproductive rights.” (Wiki)

The post Kim Gordon “Play Me” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

The Notwist “News From Planet Zombie”

sfilzen — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:01:05 +0000

The Notwist “News From Planet Zombie” 2026. Marr Music. Limited edition indie record store orange vinyl variant. Even though it’s been two months since we were in Berlin, I’m still slogging through our vinyl haul from that trip. We picked up The Notwist’s latest LP upon the recommendation of the very odd record store owner (33rpm Records); I have never heard of this Munich-based band but they’ve been around for a LONG time. From their Bandcamp page: “The Notwist, formed in 1989, then consisting of Martin Messerschmidt, and brothers Micha and Markus Acher — released their self-titled debut album on Subway Records a good thirty years ago [in 1991], a unique tightrope walk between melodic independent, metallic rock and explosive hardcore parts…” Their most recent release News From Planet Zombie certainly doesn’t have any hardcore but it is really really lovely, leaning heavily into the melodic indie pop vibe (“The Turning” feels super early aughts alt/college radio: lo-fi angular jangle with some retro xylophone-esque bleep-bloops that eventually descend into a bit of a rager), though some tracks do rock out, like “X-Ray” plus there’s some indie grit on “Who We Used to Be” as well. The Notwist cover Neil Young’s “Red Sun” and it’s a shimmering atmospheric delight. They also cover the Lovers 2009 “How the Story Ends” – a band and song I do not know but Bandcamp tells me they are indie folk-pop group hailing from Portland, Oregon by way of Athens, Georgia and Notwist’s version is great: the lyrics on News From Planet Zombie are all sung in English and I could really only hear any obvious German accent on that cover and musically it is exceptionally layered; landing both sweet pop and experimental art rock. For all of 33rpm Record dude’s weirdness, he certainly steered us in a good direction with this album.

The post The Notwist “News From Planet Zombie” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.