Vinyl Pre-Order Roundup: Ryan Adams, Father John Misty, and Migos
Won't vouch for what's going on inside the White House at the moment, but if the start of this year is any indication, 2017 is gonna be a hell of good one for new music. Here's some recent highlights to keep an eye on.
Ryan Adams, Prisoner: End of World Edition
Not a huge fan of Ryan Adams' music (discovered him late), but definitely admire the guy's passion for the music-geek lifestyle. He's due for a Two Tickets to Merchandise feature, but for now point your eyes in the direction of what he's got going on with the deluxe edition of his upcoming new album, Prisoner. For one, the box opens up into the stage diorama you see at the top of this post, complete with 2D "action figures," lights, and sound. That's amazing, but lets talk about the actual vinyl for a second. Instead of one or two records, he's made a colored 7" for every song, complete with original artwork for each (also shown above). There's also 17 B-sides, a video game, and more surprises included. If I had an extra $150 to drop on something like this, I'd definitely do it. Prisoner is out Feb. 17. The deluxe edition ships in mid-March and you can get the full details and view photos (which you really should) here.
Father John Misty, Pure Comedy Deluxe
Josh Tillman once sold me a t-shirt. At the time, Tillman had already launched a solo career under the moniker J. Tillman and joined Fleet Foxes as its drummer. During Fleet Foxes' first tour, the band was working its own merch booth, and I distinctly remember Tillman rummaging through an American Apparel gym bag full of freshly-printed shirts for the size I had requested. One of us has come a long way. Tillman has since reinvented himself as peyote-folk-lounge messiah Father John Misty, and released two excellent albums that are spun regularly in our house. His latest, Pure Comedy, was just announced and arrived with an awesome video for its title track, which is really required viewing. The Pure Comedy deluxe edition comes with two 12" discs, a die-cut, customizable jacket with four interactive “background” sleeves (shown above), a poster, and a (while supplies last) a limited 7” vinyl single featuring the song “Real Love Baby” on the A-side and unreleased track, "Rejected Generic Pop Song, March '15 #3” on the B-side. Pure Comedy is out April 7, and you can lock in the pre-order here.
Migos, Culture
Atlanta rap-trio Migos have been gradually building a name for itself largely through mixtapes, but most recently broke through to the mainstream with the inescapable hit, "Bad and Boujee," which just reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Bad and Boujee" is one of those songs your brain starts craving for another listen shortly after hearing it, and you're probably going to be encountering it at various points through the rest of the year. Migos has this habit of stutter-stepping through rhymes, rapping in offbeat rhythms that sometimes seem to counter the speed of the beat, and when it works it sounds incredible. Culture is the second proper album from Migos, and while its non-"Bad and Boujee" singles so far— "T-Shirt," "Call Casting," and "What The Price"— don't reach the same heights, they're still solid. Advance word on Migos' Culture has been positive (it's out tomorrow, January 27), and I'm digging the gold vinyl they're releasing above. Grab it here.
