Ringo Deathstarr - Pure Mood [12", LP]

PURE MOOD by RINGO DEATHSTARR is already out for some time now. Despite the fact it was listed at #13 in my Finest Vinyl of 2015 list, i hadn't had the time yet to write something about it. It's their fifth album, and i must say it's yet another awesome release by this Austin TX trio. And it's loud! Heavy Metal Suicide reminds me of the louder songs by Smashing Pumpkins (like Bullet With Butterfly Wings or Zero) while Big Bopper definitely has a Slow-vibe (one of MBV's best songs).

Show Me The Truth Of Your Love on the other hand is as gently as can be. My favourite track is Guilt. I think it's actually one of the best songs they ever did, with Alex' sweet vocals over a a really powerful groove. Also this song sounds a bit like Smashing Pumpkins, which in this case isn't all that weird because Jeff Schroeder plays some guitar on it. All in all, this album rocks. Colour Trip is still my favourite Ringo Deathstarr album, but this one comes probably right after that now. And if i'd had the time to play it more often before i made that yearlist, it would've been in the top 10 somewhere. Ah well, who cares. Club AC30 made 500 vinyl copies: 250 on "lemonade yellow" and 250 on "minty green". I've got that last version as you can see on the picture, and it looks pretty cool.

Label: Club AC30

Cat.nr.: AC3012111

Year of release: 2015

SIDE A:

01. Dream Again

02. Heavy Metal Suicide

03. Stare At The Sun

04. Show Me The Truth Of Your Love

05. Big Bopper

06. Guilt

07. California Car Collection

SIDE B:

01. Frisbee

02. Boys In Heat

03. Never

04. Old Again

05. Acid Tongue

Ringo Deathstarr - God's Dream [12", EP]

GOD'S DREAM by RINGO DEATHSTARR came out only on CD in Japan on the Vinyl Junkie label late 2013, with a slightly different tracklisting. The first vinyl pressings were released in the US on Neon Sigh/Noyes Records in March 2014, and a month later we finally have the European version on Invada for Record Store Day 2014. The European version has a yellowish cover instead of a greenish one, and it replaces the song See You with Over There. This version is on yellow vinyl and there are only 500 copies made. That's about as limited as i personally like to see RSD releases to be made, to be honest, and i think Invada did a great job with that. I don't know how it is with the US pressings since i don't own one (yet), but while the sleeve and centre labels show Shut Your Eyes as the closing song for side A and Chainsaw Morning as the opening song for side B, it's actually the other way around. Minor detail of course, because it's the music that matters. And Ringo Deathstarr can do little wrong in my eyes. I've become a pretty big fan of this band over the past years, and this new release is right up there with their previous work. They have some pretty cool guest appearances this time around as well: Jeff Schroeder of Smashing Pumpkins, with whom they toured a few years ago, on Chainsaw Morning - and Adam Franklin of Swervedriver on Flower Power and Nowhere. The last one being my favourite song; for now, at least. I've only listened to the EP a few times so far so that might change over the next few weeks.

Label: Invada
Cat.nr.: INV113LP
Year of release: 2014

SIDE A:
01. Bong Load
02. God's Dream
03. Flower Power
04. Chainsaw Morning *

SIDE B:
01. Shut Your Eyes *
02. Over There
03. Nowhere

* tracklisting on the sleeve and centre labels mix these tracks up

The Fine Vinyl's Finest Of 2012

The last day of the year, so time for a round-up of 2012's best albums.

I think that 2012 has been a good year in music. Some really great albums were released this year. Both albums by bands that've been around for a while, and debut full lengths by new bands. So it wasn't too hard for me to come up with a shortlist for the 10 best albums of the year. Before i knew it, i had written down about 20 albums. Some of the albums on that list that didn't end up in my Top 10 are for example, in no particular order: The Laughing Stalk by Woven Hand, People Now People by Wooden Constructions, True by Violens, Spine Hits by Sleepy Sun, Oceania by Smashing Pumpkins and Worship by A Place To Bury Strangers. All very good albums that i still enjoy giving a spin on my record player.

But which 10 albums are my personal favourites of 2012? The Fine Vinyl's Finest of 2012, so to say? Here's the vinyl countdown:

10. PIPE DREAMS by WHIRR

09. GLITTER by DEAD MELLOTRON

08. OBSERVATOR by THE RAVEONETTES

07. MAUVE by RINGO DEATHSTARR

06. MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER by MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER

05. GHOSTORY by SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS

04. COEXIST by THE XX

03. TOY by TOY

02. LONERISM by TAME IMPALA

01. OSHIN by DIIV

It was a pretty hard choice what was going to be number 1 and 2 on my list, but i made up my mind: DIIV made the best album of the year. An album that i can hear over and over, without getting bored of it. On the other hand, that counts for all other albums in this Top 10. Like said, 2012 was a great year in music :)

Ringo Deathstarr - Mauve [12", LP]

Having become a massive RINGO DEATHSTARR fan by now, their new album MAUVE was an instant buy for me. Nothing new here, but that's not what we'd expected anyway. Just a damn good noisy indie rock / shoegaze album, heavily distorted and with seductive vocals, inspired by any band that's cool like Sonic Youth, Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. Can't wait to see them live in two months when they're coming over to play at Le Guess Who fest in Utrecht.

Label: Club AC30
Cat.nr.: AC309121
Year of release: 2012

SIDE A:
01. Rip
02. Burn
03. Drain
04. Slack
05. Brightest Star
06. Drag
07 Fifteen

SIDE B:
01. Girls We Know
02. Nap Time
03. Waste
04. Do You Wanna?
05. Please Don't Kill Yourself
06. Wave

Ringo Deathstarr - Rip [7"]

RINGO DEATHSTARR will be releasing their second full length ("Mauve") in a few weeks. This 7" on nice deep blue vinyl that just came out of the album's opening track RIP, is the first single from that album. Great stuff once again and i can't wait until the album's spinning on my record player.

Label: Club AC30
Cat.nr.: AC309117
Year of release: 2012

SIDE A:
01. Rip

SIDE B:
01. Scene

The Depreciation Guild / Ringo Deathstarr - Split [7"]

A nice split 7" on the Club AC30 label. Two members of  THE DEPRECIATION GUILD joined The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart when the first band disbanded. To my opinion, their song on this split 7" has a bit of a Cocteau Twins / The Sundays feel to it. The RINGO DEATHSTARR song is an uptempo one with some slower parts. Reminds me a bit of MBV during their early period on Creation.

Label: Club AC30
Cat.nr.: AC306087
Year of release: 2009

SIDE A:
01. THE DEPRECIATION GUILD - Dream About Me

SIDE B:
01. RINGO DEATHSTARR - Tambourine Girl

Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip [12", LP]

COLOUR TRIP is RINGO DEATHSTARR's debut full length. A lovely album full of shoegaze, noise and dreampop. The first pressing was on clear yellow vinyl, but i am actually happy i have a copy of the second pressing because the bubblegum pink colour fits better with the artwork. Both pressings were done in 500 copies by the way.
Like the other releases i have of them, bought at their show with the Smashing Pumpkins in Amsterdam, 2011.

Label: Club AC30
Cat.nr.: AC308021
Year of release: 2011

SIDE A:
01. Imagine Hearts
02. Do It Every Time
03. So High
04. Two Girls
05. Kaleidoscope
06. Day Dreamy

SIDE B:
01. Tambourine Girl
02. Chloe
03. Never Drive
04. You Don't Listen
05. Other Things

Ringo Deathstarr - Sparkler [12", LP]

SPARKLER was released already on CD in 2009, but it finally saw the light of day on vinyl in 2011. It's a compilation of older tracks and demos by RINGO DEATHSTARR. Like already written earlier, i love this band's sound. Bought this one at the same show as the Shadow EP. It's one out of 800 on blue/white swirled vinyl.

Label: Club AC30
Cat.nr.: AC308091
Year of release: 2011

SIDE A:
01. Swirly
02. Starrsha
03. Some Kind Of Sad
04. Down On You
05. Sweet Girl

SIDE B:
01. In Love
02. Summertime
03. Rats Live On No Evil Star
04. Your Town

Ringo Deathstarr - Shadow EP [10"]

This SHADOW EP is one of the vinyls i bought at RINGO DEATHSTARR's support show for the Smashing Pumpkins, in Amsterdam last year. I knew the band already but it was the first time i saw them live, and i was pretty much blown away. Although the stage was a bit too big for them, it was a really good show.
This EP came out late 2011 and is filling the gap between their first album (Colour Trip) and the upcoming second, which is planned for later this year.
I love this band's sound. It's kind of a mixture between The Jesus And Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and A Place To Bury Strangers. The song Just You is a cover of Angelo Badalamenti's tune that was featured on the second season of Twin Peaks.

Label: Club AC30
Cat.nr.: AC308104
Year of release: 2011

SIDE A:
01. Shadow
02. New Way

SIDE B:
01. Prisms
02. Just You