Audra Limited Edition Cassette Reissues for Audra & Going to the Theatre

In celebration of the 15th Anniversary of my band Audra's second album - Going to the Theatre - we are releasing limited edition cassettes for the two albums originally issued on Projekt Records in 2000 & 2002. This will be the first time either have been made available on cassette. Both are colored, hand-numbered and limited to only 100 each. Pre-orders are now being taken exclusively at the Audra Bandcamp Store.

More pics and video clips below - for additional info, visit the Audra site

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The Best Albums of 1992: Honorable Mentions

We hope that you enjoyed our huge feature on The Best Albums of 1992. If you happened to miss it, please click here.

There were so many great releases that didn't get included in the Best Albums of 1992 feature - since we limited ourselves to the Top 15. In this post you will find 15 more albums that Sarah and I selected that needed to be represented. A track from each album is added to the playlist at the bottom - and we threw in 60 extra songs that we thoroughly enjoy. We hope you do too! So without further delay, here are our Honorable Mentions for 1992.

(text version below image)

Bel Canto - Shimmering, Warm & Bright

The Boo Radleys - Everything's Alright Forever

Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos

Helmet - Meantime

Human Drama - The World Inside

Kitchens of Distinction - The Death of Cool

Lou Reed - Magic and Loss

Material Issue - Destination Universe

Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Are You Normal?

Sinead O'Connor - Am I Not Your Girl?

The Sisters of Mercy - Some Girls Wander By Mistake

Stone Temple Pilots - Core

The Telescopes - s/t

Tom Waits - Bone Machine

Singles - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Annie Lennox - 'Love Song for a Vampire' from Bram Stoker's Dracula Soundtrack

Aphex Twin - 'Xtal' from Selected Ambient Works 85-92

The B-52's - 'Good Stuff' from Good Stuff

Beastie Boys - 'So What'cha Want' from Check Your Head

The Beautiful South - 'We are Each Other' from 0898

Bigod 20 - 'Like a Prayer' from On the Run maxi-single

The Black Crowes - 'Thorn in My Pride' from The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion

Blind Melon - 'No Rain' from Blind Melon

Bob Marley and the Wailers - 'Iron Lion Zion' from Songs of Freedom

Buffalo Tom - 'Taillights Fade' from Let Me Come Over

Concrete Blonde - 'Someday' from Walking in London

Cracker - 'Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)' from Cracker

Daisy Chainsaw - 'Love Your Money' from Eleventeen

David Bowie - 'Real Cool World' from Cool World Soundtrack

David Byrne - 'She's Mad' from Uh-Oh

Deep Forest - 'Deep Forest' from Deep Forest

Del Amitri - 'Always the Last to Know' from Change Everything

The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - 'Television, the Drug of the Nation' from Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury

Erasure - 'Take a Chance on Me' from Abba-esque EP

Faith No More - 'Midlife Crisis' from Angel Dust

Gavin Friday - 'Wind and Rain' from Adam 'N' Eve

Happy Mondays - 'Stinkin' Thinkin'' from ...Yes Please!

The House of Love - 'You Don't Understand' from Babe Rainbow

INXS - 'Not Enough Time' from Welcome to Wherever You Are

The Jayhawks - 'Waiting for the Sun' from Hollywood Town Hall

Juliana Hatfield - 'Everybody Loves Me But You' from Hey Babe

L7 - 'Pretend We're Dead' from Bricks are Heavy

Leonard Cohen - 'Waiting for the Miracle' from The Future

The Lemonheads - 'It's a Shame About Ray' from It's a Shame About Ray

Madonna - 'Rain' from Erotica

The Magnetic Fields - 'Love Goes Home to Paris in the Spring' from The House of Tomorrow EP

Manic Street Preachers - 'Motorcycle Emptiness' from Generation Terrorists

Megadeth - 'Symphony of Destruction' from Countdown to Extinction

Moby - 'Go' from Moby

Moodswings - 'Spiritual High (State of Independence) Part II' feat. Chrissie Hynde from Moodfood

Moose - 'Soon is Never Soon Enough' feat. Dolores O'Riordan from ...XYZ

Neneh Cherry - 'Trout' feat. Michael Stipe from Homebrew

Nirvana - 'Molly's Lips' from Incesticide

The Orb - 'Blue Room' from U.F.Orb

Pavement - 'Summer Babe (Winter Version)' from Slanted and Enchanted

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - 'They Reminisce Over You' from Mecca and the Soul Brother

The Pharcyde - 'Passin' Me By' from Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde

Prince and the New Power Generation - 'Sexy MF' from Love Symbol Album

Ramones - 'Poison Heart' from Mondo Bizarro

Rollins Band - 'Low Self Opinion' from The End of Silence

Screaming Trees - 'Nearly Lost You' from Sweet Oblivion

Siouxsie and the Banshees - 'Face to Face' from Batman Returns Soundtrack

Sonic Youth - '100%' from Dirty

The Soup Dragons - 'Divine Thing' from Hotwired

Stereo MC's - 'Connected' from Connected

Sugar - 'If I Can't Change Your Mind' from Copper Blue

Supreme Love Gods - 'Souled Out' from Supreme Love Gods

Suzanne Vega - 'Blood Makes Noise' from 99.9F

The Tear Garden - 'Romulus and Venus' from The Last Man to Fly

Television - 'Call Mr. Lee' from Television

Thomas Dolby - 'I Love You Goodbye' from Astronauts & Heretics

Throwing Muses - 'Firepile' from Red Heaven

The Verve - 'She's a Superstar' from The Verve EP

White Zombie - 'Thunder Kiss '65' from La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1

XTC - 'Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead' from Nonsuch

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The Best Albums of 1992

We are back with another Best Albums feature from a year gone by - if you missed 1987, check that out after you're done here. So let's go back 25 years... to 1992. If you owned a PC back then, you were most likely using the Windows 3.1 operating system. The first George Bush was in his final year as the President of the United States, until Bill Clinton beat him and Ross Perot out in November's election. After 30 seasons, Johnny Carson signed off for the last time as host of The Tonight Show. The Los Angeles Riots broke out after the acquittal of 4 police officers responsible for the beating of Rodney King. Sinead O'Connor caused a massive fuss after ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live. Wayne's World, The Bodyguard, Basic Instinct, Sister Act (yes) and Home Alone II were tearing it up at the box office. As the world lost Marlene Dietrich and Anthony Perkins, Miley Cyrus was entering the world like a wrecking ball.

On to the lists. As always, Sarah and I enlisted the help of several of our regular contributors & friends to select Top 15 albums. In addition, everyone handpicked a track from each album for you to enjoy in our Best Albums of 1992 Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page (unfortunately there are a few albums not available on Spotify - we encourage you to locate those elsewhere). If you'd like to share your own 1992 favorites, please comment below. We will be back at the end of the week with a list of our honorable mentions. Oh yeah, stay tuned to see which year is coming next!

Bret Helm

Life on this Planet | Audra

15. Shelleyan Orphan - Humroot

14. Blind Mr. Jones - Stereo Musicale

13. Social Distortion - Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell

12. Ride - Going Blank Again

11. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Honey's Dead

10. The Sugarcubes - Stick Around for Joy

09. Red House Painters - Down Colorful Hill

08. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream

07. The Church - Priest=Aura

06. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People

05. The Cure - Wish

04. Morrissey - Your Arsenal

03. James - Seven

02. Peter Murphy - Holy Smoke

01. Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience

Sarah Quarrie

Life on this Planet

15. The Sundays - Blind

14. The Mission - Masque

13. Daniel Ash - Foolish Thing Desire

12. Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion

11. Social Distortion - Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell

10. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Honey's Dead

09. Inspiral Carpets - Revenge of the Goldfish

08. The House of Love - Babe Rainbow

07. Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies

06. Faith No More - Angel Dust

05. The Charlatans - Between 10th and 11th

04. Pulp - Separations

03. Peter Murphy - Holy Smoke

02. James - Seven

01. Curve - Doppelganger

Jesse Deitermann

Saturday Night Music Club

15. Xymox - Metamorphosis

14. The Farm - Love See No Colour

13. The Mission - Masque

12. Peter Murphy - Holy Smoke

11. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Honey's Dead

10. Catherine Wheel - Ferment

09. Inspiral Carpets - Revenge of the Goldfish

08. Ian McCulloch - Mysterio

07. The Sugarcubes - Stick Around for Joy

06. Morrissey - Your Arsenal

05. Pulp - Separations

04. Lush - Spooky

03. Ride - Going Blank Again

02. The Cure - Wish

01. The Charlatans - Between 10th and 11th

Jason Jones

Okinawa, Japan

15. Madonna - Erotica

14. Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky

13. Ministry - Psalm 69

12. Sade - Love Deluxe

11. The Church - Priest=Aura

10. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream

09. Daniel Ash - Foolish Thing Desire

08. Ian McCulloch - Mysterio

07. The Cure - Wish

06. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Honey's Dead

05. Public Image Ltd - That What is Not

04. Death in June - But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?

03. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People

02. Peter Murphy - Holy Smoke

01. Morrissey - Your Arsenal

Ron Marrs

New Orleans, Louisiana

15. White Zombie - La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1

14. Drop Nineteens - Delaware

13. Ultra Vivid Scene - Rev

12. Peter Gabriel - Us

11. Shadow Project - Dreams for the Dying

10. Diamanda Galas - The Singer

09. Rage Against the Machine - s/t

08. Curve - Doppelganger

07. Sonic Youth - Dirty

06. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head

05. The Afghan Whigs - Congregation

04. Daisy Chainsaw - Eleventeen

03. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Honey's Dead

02. PJ Harvey - Dry

01. Come - 11:11

Tim Brown

London, England

15. Alice in Chains - Dirt

14. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People

13. k.d. lang - Ingenue

12. Stereo MC's - Connected

11. Annie Lennox - Diva

10. Cowboy Junkies - Black Eyed Man

09. The Sundays - Blind

08. Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch

07. Bruce Springsteen - Lucky Town

06. The Cure - Wish

05. The Sugarcubes - Stick Around for Joy

04. Everything But the Girl - Acoustic

03. 10,000 Maniacs - Our Time in Eden

02. Beautiful South - 0898

01. Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & Days in the Life of...

John Magness

Uttoxeter, England

15. Lindsey Buckingham - Out of the Cradle

14. The B-52's - Good Stuff

13. Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists

12. Indigo Girls - Rites of Passage

11. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People

10. The Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray

09. Sugar- Copper Blue

08. Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience

07. Neil Young - Harvest Moon

06. Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch

05. The Cure - Wish

04. Morrissey - Your Arsenal

03. Bruce Springsteen - Lucky Town

02. Everything But the Girl - Acoustic

01. The Sundays - Blind

Rob Clark

Rockford, Illinois

15. Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life of...

14. The Charlatans - Between 10th and 11th

13. Peter Murphy - Holy Smoke

12. Cowboy Junkies - Black Eyed Man

11. Uncle Tupelo - March 16-20, 1992

10. Soul Asylum - Grave Dancers Union

09. Shawn Colvin - Fat City

08. Lucinda Williams - Sweet Old World

07. Concrete Blonde - Walking in London

06. Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience

05. XTC - Nonsuch

04. Del Amitri - Change Everything

03. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

02. The Tragically Hip - Fully Completely

01. Peter Gabriel - Us

Sierra Anna Jones

Okinawa, Japan

15. Catherine Wheel - Ferment

14. Drop Nineteens - Delaware

13. PJ Harvey - Dry

12. Ride - Going Blank Again

11. Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind

10. Pale Saints - In Ribbons

09. Skinny Puppy - Last Rights

08. The Church - Priest=Aura

07. Peter Murphy - Holy Smoke

06. Curve - Doppelganger

05. The Cure - Wish

04. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Honey's Dead

03. Lush - Spooky

02. Death in June - But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?

01. Morrissey - Your Arsenal

Jaymz Todd

Saturday Night Music Club

15. TLC - Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip

14. Ministry - Psalm 69

13. Rage Against the Machine - s/t

12. Dr. Dre - The Chronic

11. PJ Harvey - Dry

10. Nine Inch Nails - Broken EP

09. Leather Strip - Solitary Confinement

08. Morphine - Good

07. Soul Asylum - Grave Dancers Union

06. Danzig - Danzig III: How the Gods Kill

05. Blind Melon - s/t

04. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

03. James - Seven

02. Catherine Wheel - Ferment

01. The Cure - Wish

STATS

86 different albums appeared in this feature

Which ones made it onto the most lists?

The Cure (7), Peter Murphy / The Jesus and Mary Chain (6), Morrissey (5) and R.E.M. (4)

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Planet Rotations #232: Single Suite 1

In the age of digital music, we tend to skip through albums, listening to one or two tracks - missing some of the deeper cuts that may be brilliant. We are huge fans of the album format, and love to experience the entire collection the way the artist intended. Listening to one or two songs is like randomly reading a few chapters of a book and expecting to understand the completed work. Like all music lovers, we love to share what we're listening to and discover some new things from friends.

In this week's edition of Planet Rotations, Sarah and I have handpicked some great singles that have been released in advance of their respective albums. This will be an ongoing series designed to keep you up-to-date on new releases that should be hitting your ears. All tracks are collected in the Spotify player at the bottom of this post.

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Bret's 6

Lana Del Rey - Love

from Lust for Life - release date to TBD on Interscope

Ride - Home is a Feeling

first new album in 21 years! - from Weather Diaries - out June 16th on Witchita

Robyn Hitchcock - Mad Shelley's Letterbox

from Robyn Hitchcock - out April 21st on Yep Roc

Slowdive - Sugar for the Pill

first new album in 22 years! - from Slowdive - out May 5th on Dead Oceans

Dreamcar - Kill for Candy

features members of AFI & No Doubt - from Dreamcar - out May 12th on Columbia

Liv - Dream Awake

features Lykke Li, members of Mike Snow & Pete Bjorn and John - album title & release date TBD

Sarah's 6

Mark Lanegan Band - Beehive

from Gargoyle - out April 28th on Heavenly

Feist - Century (featuring Jarvis Cocker of Pulp)

first new album in 6 years - from Pleasure - out April 28th on Universal Canada

Pumarosa - Dragonfly

from The Witch - out May 19th on Fiction

Echobelly - Anarchy and Alchemy

first new album in 13 years - from Anarchy and Alchemy - out May 26th on band's label

Beach Fossils - This Year

from Somersault - out June 2nd on Bayonet

Saint Etienne - Magpie Eyes

first new album in 5 years - from Home Counties - out June 2nd on Heavenly

Listen to our ongoing Spotify Planet Rotations Playlist!

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Saturday Night Music Club #40: Record Store Day 10th Anniversary Edition

We are back with a new edition of Saturday Night Music Club! The SNMC started up as an idea I had years ago - to recapture the feeling of being a kid and getting together with your friends in the basement to listen and discuss music. Over the last few years we've re-capped our monthly get-togethers with a video feature. For the time being, we are replacing the video aspect of the SNMC with a blog feature, where each member of the club will briefly discuss their record. A track from each album (when available) is collected in an ongoing SNMC Spotify playlist at the bottom of this post. So please listen in and enjoy the tunes along with us.

This month's theme: The 10th anniversary of Record Store Day is coming up on April 22nd - and to celebrate, we had to bring an exclusive RSD release from a past year. Let's take a look at what everyone brought...

Miles Davis Quartet - s/t

 Original Release: Prestige | 1954

When was this re-released:

Record Store Day Black Friday 2011

Purchase Location:

Zia Records | Chandler, AZ

About this RSD edition:

Limited to 1800 copies in the U.S. | 10" translucent dark blue vinyl

Favorite Song:

When Lights are Low

Why did you add this record to your collection:

Miles Davis was the first artist that I studied in the jazz program at Arizona State University in the early 90s. I thought the album cover was super cool - and how about that lineup: Mingus, Silver, Roach, Blakey, Heath!

Describe this album in one sentence:

A record that needs to be in everyone's collection - from the casual jazz listener to the aficionado

Lush - Split

 Original Release: 4AD | 1994

When was this re-released:

Record Store Day 2016 as part of the Origami Box Set

Purchase Location:

Stinkweeds | Phoenix, AZ

About this RSD edition:

5 LP Box Set | Limited to 2000 copies | Split is on red vinyl

Favorite Song:

Light from a Dead Star

Why did you add this record to your collection:

Because it's Lush and they represent my youth right along with The Charlatans, Ride and Echo & the Bunnymen

Describe this album in one sentence:

Ultra shimmery dream pop blast... did I mention hazy?

School of Seven Bells - Put Your Sad Down EP

 Original Release: Vagrant | 2012

When was this re-released:

Record Store Day 2014

Purchase Location:

Zia Records | Phoenix, AZ

About this RSD edition:

Limited to 300 copies

Favorite Song:

Painting a Memory

Why did you add this record to your collection:

One of my Top 10 favorite bands

Describe this album in one sentence:

Happy/Sad - re-released shortly after the passing of Benjamin Curtis

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Original Broadway Cast Recording feat. Neil Patrick Harris

The original first cast recording - with creator John Cameron Mitchell - was released by Atlantic in 1999. The soundtrack for the film version was released by Hybrid in 2001. This is the first time the Hedwig opus has been pressed to vinyl

When was this released:

Record Store Day 2015

Purchase Location:

Stinkweeds | Phoenix, AZ

About this RSD edition:

Limited to 2600 copies | Pink vinyl

Favorite Song:

Midnight Radio

Why did you add this record to your collection:

Favorite movie / favorite soundtrack (next to Grease 2)

Describe this album in one sentence:

Glitter bomb magic stick

Various Artists - Wake Up You!

The Rise and Fall of Nigerian Rock 1972-1977 Vol. 2

 Now-Again | 2016

When was this released:

Record Store Day 2016

Purchase Location:

Zia Records | Phoenix, AZ

About this RSD edition:

2 LP Set with 104 page book | Limited to 1600 copies

Favorite Song:

Theodore Nemy - Come Back

Why did you add this record to your collection:

Cool, rare songs

Describe this album in one sentence:

Must-have 70s Afro Rock

July - s/t

 Original Release: Major Minor / Epic | 1968

When was this re-released:

Record Store Day 2014

Purchase Location:

Stinkweeds | Phoenix, AZ

About this RSD edition:

Limited to 850 copies | Dandelion splatter colored vinyl | Mono | First reissue in the U.S.

Favorite Song:

Dandelion Seeds

Why did you add this record to your collection:

Because it's killer and I will never see an original copy

Describe this album in one sentence:

One of the best psychedelic records ever made

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