Albums to Watch for in March 2020

March is here, which means a brand new month of new music. This month will see some big releases on the calendar, including long-awaited works from Mandy Moore, Boomtown Rats, Pearl Jam and more.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, loves new music. That’s why we’re looking ahead at some of March’s most highly anticipated album releases. Here are eight that we think will be worth a listen.

1.       Mandy Moore, ‘Silver Landings’: It’s been 11 years since pop songstress Mandy Moore released her last album, ‘2009’s ‘Amanda Leigh.’ After having a successful acting career in the interim, Moore is back with ‘Silver Landings’ this week. The album is said to be very different than the bubblegum pop she came to prominence for, instead leaning more towards “something that feels sunshiny and airy and natural, something you could listen to driving up and down the PCH with all the windows rolled down on a beautiful weekend day.” (3/6)

2.       Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, ‘Blue Moon Rising EP’: The band’s fourth EP in a little over a year, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are set to release ‘Blue Moon Rising’ this week. The 5-track EP features three new songs (including one originally written for Oasis back in 2008) and two remixes. (3/6)

3.       Boomtown Rats, ‘Citizens of Boomtown’: Boomtown Rats have reunited and are releasing their first album of new music in 36 years this month. According to Rolling Stone, the album “has the classics Rats sound,” but “with many modern twists,” with frontman Bob Geldof adding, “We made this album for 2020.” That description is apt if you listen to the album’s first single “Trash Glam Baby,” as the song has a gritty rock sound reminiscent of 70s British punk. (3/13)

4.       Deap Lips, ‘Deap Lips’: Deap Vally & The Flaming Lips came together late last year to form Deap Lips with the collaboration releasing its debut self-titled album this month. Spin called the album’s debut single “Hope Hell High” a mix of “Deap Vally’s bombastic, sludgy rock sensibilities softened a bit by Coyne and Drozd’s psychedelic tendencies.” (3/13)

5.       Adam Lambert, ‘Velvet’: Though he has been spending a lot of time with Queen lately, Adam Lambert is moving forward in his solo career with his latest album, ‘Velvet.’ The album heads in a classic rock – funk direction, inspired by his work with the legendary band. Lead single “Roses” has a big feel, blending funk and pop in a warm, full way. (3/20)

6.       Brian and Roger Eno, ‘Mixing Colours’: The first collaborative album between famed producer Brian Eno and his brother, ambient composer Roger Eno, ‘Mixing Colours’ has been a long time coming (According to Pitchfork, some of the works on the album go back to 2005). Brian said of the album’s songs, “These pieces are very Impressionistic and very much to do with sonic quality, sonic colour.”  First single “Celeste” is a piano-driven instrumental piece with a relaxing tone and sunny feel. (3/20)

7.       Pearl Jam, ‘Gigaton’: Pearl Jam return this month with ‘Gigaton,’ their first album in 7 years. The music heads in a more eclectic, experimental direction, with guitarist Mike McCready saying in a statement that making the album “was emotionally dark and confusing at times, but also an exciting and experimental road map to musical redemption.” First single “Dance Of The Clairvoyants” is a different, more electronic sound than the band has opted for in the past, but still manages to rock hard. “Superblood Wolfmoon” changes direction again, this time heading towards garage-rock.  (3/27)

8.       Coriky, ‘Coriky’: Featuring Fuguzi’s Ian MacKaye and Joe Lally and The Evens’ Amy Farina, Coriky will be releasing their debut solo album together this month. First single “Clean Kill” is a laid-back jam with a rough-around-the-edges sound and almost ska-like cadence that breaks off into some chaos towards the end but finds its way back. The song could be forshadowing an album that might be a bit more melodic than what their previous bands are known for, but also just as brash and up-front as you’d expect. (3/27)

There are a lot of highly-anticipated albums heading to shelves in the month of March. From works years in the making to interesting collaborations and beyond, there is much to look forward to. Check out some of our new release picks above and let us know what new albums you’re excited to listen to in March.

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Discover music new and old at Vinyl Bay 777. As one of Long Island’s top independent record shops, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. Whether you’re looking for something new to you or to rediscover the classics, we have you covered. And with more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Albums to Watch for in February 2020

We’re only a month into 2020 and the music being released is getting more and more epic. February is looking just as good with a lot of highly anticipated albums set for release in the next month from the likes of Justin Bieber, Green Day, Ozzy Osbourne, BTS and more.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, loves new music. That’s why we’re taking a look at some of the new albums hitting shelves in February. From the highly anticipated to the highly recommended, here are seven albums (and a few more) we think will be worth keeping an eye out for.

1.       Green Day, ‘Father Of All Motherf******’: A noted departure from the pop-punk/arena rock sound Green Day has cultivated over the last three decades, ‘Father Of All Motherf******’ finds the band experimenting with a new Motown-meets-garage rock sound. While I can take or leave “Fire Ready Aim” content-wise, I find a certain appeal to singles “Father Of All” and “Oh Yeah” in terms of groove and style. These are influences that came to the forefront in Foxboro Hottubs (a completely different band that just happens to share a few members) and it’ll be interesting to hear how they put the Green Day spin on it. (2/7)

2.       Stone Temple Pilots, ‘Perdida’: ‘Perdida’ is supposed to be an album unlike anything Stone Temple Pilots have released before. An acoustic album recorded with “unexpected instruments,” including flute, alto-sax, vintage keyboards, guitarrón and Marxophone, ‘Perdida’ is meant to showcase the emotional place these songs come from. Many of the tracks were written by singer Jeff Gutt about the “difficult moments in his life,” leading to a vulnerability you don’t always get from the full-fledged rock sound.  It will be interesting to hear a different side of this iconic band with this new album. (2/7)

3.       Huey Lewis and the News, ‘Weather’: It’s been 10 years since Huey Lewis and the News released ‘Soulsville’ in 2010. Since then, a lot has happened, including Lewis’ 2018 revelation that he’d been suffering from hearing loss brought on by Ménière’s disease that ended the band’s touring prospects. Even with the diagnosis, he and the band will be releasing a new album, ‘Weather,’ in February. Their first featuring original songs since 2001’s ‘Plan B,’ ‘Weather’ finds the band back to their 80s Americana rock sound. Singles “While We’re Young” and “Her Love Is Killin’ Me” sound as if no time has passed. (2/14)

4.       Justin Bieber, ‘Changes’: It has been nearly five years since Justin Bieber released ‘Purpose,’ which featured his most mature music to date, as well as his biggest hits ever. Since then he’s done even more growing personally, taking a wife and dealing with the harsh realities of life (a.k.a. his struggles with Mono and Lyme Disease). Beiber is ready to face the world of music again with is upcoming album, ‘Changes.’ While I don’t quite understand the appeal of “Yummy,” there are plenty of people who seem to love it, as it debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Because of this and the hype surrounding its release, ‘Changes’ is guaranteed to be one of the biggest album releases of the year. (2/14)

5.       BTS, ‘Map Of The Soul: 7’: K-pop superstars BTS had a big year in 2019 with their EP ‘Map Of The Soul: Persona,’ breaking chart records left and right. The band’s upcoming full-length, ‘Map Of The Soul: 7,’ is poised to be even bigger. In pre-orders alone, the album blew past three million units, breaking the record they set with ‘Persona.’ Listening to the album’s first single, “Black Swan,” there’s a definite pop and hip-hop influence, but also a classical one with a beautiful string arrangement accompanying the beat, together guiding the song’s rather deep lyrics. If you’re into K-pop, I’m sure this will be an album not to miss. (2/21)

6.       Ozzy Osbourne, ‘Ordinary Man’: Osbourne has had one heck of a year, first with all of the side-lining injuries and then with the latest diagnosis of Parkinson’s. The one lifeline, what brought him back from the brink, is the music. In all of the chaos, Osbourne wrote a full album, set for release this month. His first in nearly a decade, the singles released so far prove that while his physical strength may be going, his ability to write great songs has not. “Under The Graveyard” and “Ordinary Man” are personal, thought-provoking tracks that find the Prince of Darkness looking back at his life and career while still managing to rock. (2/21)

7.       Five Finger Death Punch, ‘F8’: According to Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory, the band’s upcoming album, ‘F8,’ represents a “rebirth” for the group. It’s their first album since frontman Ivan Moody got sober, which is very much reflected in the album’s songs. You can hear the reflection and a bit of anger in the album’s first single, “Inside Out,” which was written about Moody’s addiction and the people and relationships that suffered because of it. Bathory says that the album sounds like the band, but it’s not the same band. Fans should definitely look forward to finding out what that means next month.(2/28)

Further Listening:

·         Best Coast, ‘Always Tomorrow’: (2/21)

·         Nada Surf, ‘Never Not Together’: (2/7)

·         Oh Wonder, ‘No One Else Can Wear Your Crown’: (2/7)

A lot of highly anticipated albums are set for release this February, as well as some hot LPs you didn’t know you needed to hear. Check out some of our upcoming album picks above and let us know what albums you’re looking forward to in February in the comments below.

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Discover music new and old at Vinyl Bay 777. As one of Long Island’s top independent record shops, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a wide variety of genres. Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. Whether you’re looking for something new to you or to rediscover the classics, we have you covered. And with more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Bands Reuniting on the Road in 2020

The world loves a good reunion tour. Getting to see your favorite disbanded band one more time can be exciting for fans nostalgic for the “good old days.” Lucky for us, 2020 already has a handful of big name reunion tours announced, many just in time for the summer festival season.

With a whole lot of reunions in the news, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of the most anticipated. Whether it’s only been a few years since disbanding or nearly a decade, here are seven reunited groups heading out on tour in 2020.

1.       My Chemical Romance: One of the biggest announcements of 2019 was when mid-2000s “emo” favorites My Chemical Romance announced that they were getting back together. The band has already played one very successful show together in Los Angeles, CA and will be heading overseas in 2020 to play shows in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. This past week, the band announced another UK show, only this time they also included two minutes of unheard music that have fans wondering if a new album could be on the horizon from this reunion too.

2.       Mötley Crüe: Another of the biggest tour announcements late last year was that of hair metal legends Mötley Crüe. The band had signed a “cessation-of-touring” agreement in 2015, which the group symbolically torched in the tour’s announcement video. It doesn’t feel like Mötley Crüe have gone anywhere, given that the band has recorded and released new music in the last two years (though not a new album, they haven’t done that since 2008), but it is that success that prompted the band to do their first tour in half a decade in the first place. The North American tour kicks off July 7 in Miami, FL and wraps up September 5 in Los Angeles, CA with a stacked line-up of openers including Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

3.       Pussycat Dolls: Mid-2000s girl group the Pussycat Dolls are getting ready for their first tour in nearly a decade. Disbanding in 2010, the girls went their separate ways towards their own solo careers, the most successful of which being that of Nicole Scherzinger (whose most known for being a reality competition judge these days). The group got back together (sans Melody Thornton) for a performance on ‘The X Factor UK’ (which Scherzinger judges) late last year and will be heading out on the road for the ‘Unfinished Business’ tour around the UK in April. New music is also on the horizon, as the group debut a new song, “React,” during their ‘X Factor’ performance.

4.       Rage Against The Machine: It’s hard to believe that Rage Against The Machine’s last reunion was already eight years ago, but the political rap-metal band is back again! So far, the reunion tour is limited to five west coast dates around their appearances at the 2020 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April.

5.       Faith No More: It’s been five years since metal outfit Faith No More capped off their first reunion with their last album, ‘Sol Invictus,’ and disbanded after a year of touring. Now the band will be returning to Europe for a festival tour throughout June and July. A new album, however, may not be in the cards, as Roddy Bottum said in an interview with ‘Kerrang!’ that the band has “no plans right now to record any new music.”

6.       Bright Eyes: Conor Oberst has not been a stranger to the music scene over the last ten years, presenting his own solo works and leading various groups, the most recent of which was the duo Better Oblivion Community Center with Phoebe Bridgers last year. But after nine years, Oberst is getting his most well-known band back together, Bright Eyes. It was announced this week that the band had signed to Dead Oceans and will be releasing their first album since ‘The People’s Key’ in 2011. A short tour was also announced, featuring dates in Tokyo, Japan in March, Los Angeles, CA in May, Queens, NY in June and an appearance at the End of the Road Festival in the UK in September.

7.       Circle Jerks: Punk Rockers Circle Jerks’ debut album ‘Group Sex’ turns 40 this year and the band is celebrating by playing their first shows together in nearly a decade.  Dates announced so far include Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas, NV and the Wiesen, Austria, Berlin, Germany and Munich, Germany dates of the re-launched Punk In Drublic Festival.

With disbanded acts in pop, indie rock, metal and punk gearing up to reunite on the road in 2020, now’s the time to see them live before it all goes away again. Check out the reuniting bands listed above and let us know what bands you’re excited to see/would like to see reunite in the comments below.

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Find music from many of these reunited bands and more at Vinyl Bay 777. As one of Long Island’s top independent record shops, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres to suit most music fans. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Albums Turning 20 in 2020

It’s hard to believe that 2000 was 20 years ago. The turn of the century brought about a lot of culturally important albums that would define where music would be heading in the new millennium. Pop artists from the late 1990s would further establish their careers in the bubblegum sphere that defined those early years of the 2000s. Bands who found their niche earlier in the previous decade would continue to reinvent themselves as musicians and songwriters for an ever-changing world. 2000 also saw the emergence of new artists and sounds that would have a major impact on what tastemakers would be listening to another decade later.

In the spirit of nostalgia, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look back at some of the most important albums of 2000. From one-hit-wonders to pop, hip-hop and rock’s heavy hitters, here are 10 albums from 2000 (and a few more) celebrating their 20^th anniversary milestone.

1.       Radiohead, ‘Kid A’: ‘Kid A’ was a controversial album when it was first released in October of 2000, but eventually became one of, if not THE most revered of the band’s works to date. Radiohead’s fourth studio album was supposed to be a departure from the guitar-rock sound they had been known for all throughout the 1990s, instead opting for a more synth-heavy touch. Pitchfork described it at the time as “the sound of a band, and its leader, losing faith in themselves, destroying themselves, and subsequently rebuilding a perfect entity. In other words, Radiohead hated being Radiohead, but ended up with the most ideal, natural Radiohead record yet.”

2.       Coldplay, ‘Parachutes’: It may not be their biggest-seller or even the band’s favorite album of theirs, but Coldplay would not be in the position they are today without the success of debut album ‘Parachutes.’ “Yellow” was a breakthrough track for the band, first at college radio and then on a wider scale. It led to the album reaching double-platinum status and an even more revered album, ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head,’ two years later.

3.       *NSYNC, ‘No Strings Attached’: Freshly independent from the slug that was Lou Pearlman after several years of legal issues, *NSYNC were ready to show off who they really were, and ‘No Strings Attached’ was the magnum opus that did so. The hysteria that ensued after the release of first single “Bye Bye Bye” said it all for the kind of career trajectory the group and pop music in general were taking in the early 2000s. ‘No Strings Attached’ became the best selling album of the year and led to a first-week sales record that would not be broken for 15 years. Justin Timberlake became a star. The album still holds weight today, as *NSYNC mania has increased with nostalgia for the late 1990s and early 2000s coming into fashion.

4.       Britney Spears, ‘Oops…I Did It Again’: After the runaway success of Britney Spears’ 1998 debut ‘…Baby One More Time,’ the singer “did it again” with her sophomore effort, ‘Oops…I Did It Again.’ Thanks to singles “Oops…I Did It Again,” “Stronger” and “Lucky,” the album sold half-a-million copies in its first day and more than 1.3 million in its first week, a record for sales by a female artist that would also last for 15 years. The album proved that Spears had staying power past her first album, as well as the place pop would take in the musical spectrum over the decade.

5.       Linkin Park, ‘Hybrid Theory’: The debut album from “nu-metal” juggernauts Linkin Park, ‘Hybrid Theory’ introduced the world to the band’s aggressive sound and personal, emotion-fueled lyrics. “One Step Closer,” “Crawling” and “In The End” found endless rotation on MTV and radio, leading the album to sell millions of copies and going on to become the “best selling debut album of the 21^st century.”

6.       Green Day, ‘Warning’: By no means their most popular (the album didn’t sell as well as any of their previous releases), ‘Warning’ brought Green Day into the new millennium with as much brash force as their 1990s fare, only with a little wiser, more eclectic touch. Songs like “Minority” and “Macys Day Parade” marked the first time the band got truly political on a record, giving rise to what would be coming from them just four years later.

7.       Dashboard Confessional, ‘The Swiss Army Romance’: The debut album from Dashboard Confessional (the solo project of Further Seems Forever’s Chris Carrabba), ‘The Swiss Army Romance’ is a necessity for anyone who claims to be into “emo.” Led by single “Screaming Infidelities” the album is full of passionate, at times self-deprecating lyrics and acoustic melodies meant to be sung along to at the top of your lungs.

8.       P!nk, ‘Can’t Take Me Home’: P!nk’s debut solo album ‘Can’t Take Me Home’ proves she’s always been a no-nonsense powerhouse pop singer, acrobatic live shows or not. “There You Go” was the big “f--- you” that most of the pop princesses weren’t doing with their music. The rest of the songs follow suit in being fiercely independent, slightly rock informed pieces.   

9.       Eminem, ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’: After finding a bit of fame the previous year with ‘The Slim Shady LP,’ Eminem returned in 2000 with the even more polarizing ‘The Marshall Mathers LP.’ While the album had its humorous, tongue-in-cheek moments with songs like “The Real Slim Shady,” it also got dark and violent with songs like “Stan” (about an obsessed fan who kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend) and “Kim” (which made up a scenario where he killed his wife). Despite the album’s intense nature, it became one of his most successful, selling more than 20 million copies worldwide and going diamond in the US.

10.   Baha Men, ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’: Hard to imagine, but “Who Let The Dogs Out” (both the single and album of the same name) turns 20 this year. The song became inescapable that year, and even breaking the top ten on charts all over the world. It continues to be used during sporting events to this day (although not as heavily).

Additional Selections Turning 20:

·         Nelly, ‘Country Grammar’

·         Matchbox 20, ‘Mad Season’

·         Nelly Furtado, ‘Whoa, Nelly!’

·         Outkast, ‘Stankonia’

·         Papa Roach, ‘Infest’

·         Eve 6, ‘Horrorscope’

·         Disturbed, ‘The Sickness’

The musical landscape has changed a lot in the last 20 years. However, looking back on the popular albums of 2000 gives you a unique perspective on where certain trends came from. Reminisce with us on the albums above and let us know about your favorite albums turning 20 in the comments below.

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Fuel your nostalgia at Vinyl Bay 777! As one of Long Island’s top independent record shops, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres from throughout many decades. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.