Vinyl Therapy: Animal Collective (2016)

Sleeve paintings by Brian DeGraw (and stickers) from

the vinyl edition of the Painting With Animal Collective LP.

Vinyl Therapy: Portgual. The Man, The Black Keys & The Horrors

Above: Portugal. The Man's 2013 Evil Friends LP

Below: The Black Keys' 2006 Magic Potion LP

Both of these LPs were very thoughtful gifts from Dan Feldman, a student 

who surprised me with these two records just before graduating a couple of weeks ago.

Below: Luminous by The Horrors

Released in June of 2014, this is a fantastic progression

of their sweeping, atmospheric sound (with just a bit more groove).

Vinyl Therapy: Morrissey "Your Arsenal" (2014 Remaster)

The 2014 remaster of Morrissey's rollicking 1992 album "Your Arsenal".

  The remastering process has managed to balance the sound levels and embolden

 certain rhythmic elements without deadening the gruff immediacy of some of the LP's louder,

 more aggressive tracks. The ballads contained within emerge from the scrub-down richer in scope.

Vinyl Therapy: Beck "Morning Phase" (2014)

Brand new vinyl from Beck, who has created yet another masterpiece of sound for 2014.

"Morning Phase" is an melodic, introspective series of songs that are rich in verse and lush in sound.

The Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (2012 Vinyl Remaster)

Images of the 2012 remastered vinyl LP box set version of 

The Smashing Pumpkins' 1995 double album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness.

The Smashing Pumpkins: Oceania (2012)

Some people call this Billy Corgan's return to form...

I just call it a great Smashing Pumpkins album: The double vinyl LP of SP's Oceania. 

Well done, Mr. Corgan… But the vinyl edition should have come with a free MP3 code.

Vinyl Therapy: Goldfrapp & Sheep, Dog And Wolf (2013)

The lush and darkly cinematic masterpiece that is Goldfrapp's "Tales Of Us" (above)

and the richly textured rock and folk-tinged opus that is Sheep, Dog & Wolf's "Egospect" (below).

Vinyl Therapy: Depeche Mode "Delta Machine" (2013)

32 years after their debut album, Depeche Mode have released yet another fantastic collection of brand new songs.  My admiration of this band, and what they have achieved, only seems to grow as the years stretch onward.  On Delta Machine, they've written a collection of songs that they say are akin to their 1993 album Songs Of Faith And Devotion.  While that is true in some areas of the production, this album could have actually been called Songs Of Damnation And Redemption for many of its lyrical elements.  No other band makes soundscapes or blends analog and electronic elements quite like Depeche Mode.  There have been many imitators over the years... all of them easy to identify.  The truth is that no other artist (or group) will come close to reaching the breadth of their sound palette or the depth of feeling that they can conjure.  It's amazing to note that they're not only one of the few acts that rose to fame in the early 80s that are still thoroughly engaged in the pop music game, they're one such act that still enjoys commercial success and sellout tours at large venues across the globe. 

And while we're at it, they can kick ANY other band's ass in terms of live performance... Just sayin'.