Greetings and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If this is your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, re-releases… you name it, we probably have it. Kick off your shoes, take a seat, open a cold beer and get your wallets out because it’s time to get going. Let’s get going!
Check out this week’s video edition of Record Radar, brought to you by our friends at Punk Rock Radar:
Green Day’s American Idiot celebrates his 20th birthday this year and gets the same boxset treatment as his older brother Dookie last year. This 8-LP set includes numerous B-sides, bonus tracks, as well as previously unreleased demos and live recordings. And as if that wasn’t enough, you also get two Blu-Rays (one of which contains a brand new American Idiot 20th anniversary documentary), a 36-page book, and a flag. 1-2-3-4 Go! Records has the best deal on this box set I’ve ever seen: $189.99 with free shipping, and if you buy it through the Shop app, you’ll get an additional 5% off your order.
But wait, there’s more! If box sets aren’t your thing or you need to collect every variant, there’s also a standalone 20th Anniversary American Idiot Double LP on red and black splatter vinyl (no demos, bonus tracks, etc.). Honestly, this looks cooler than the 50/50 split colorways in the box set. If you buy this And the box set, you might as well buy both from 1-2-3-4 Go! as shipping is free for orders over $75. If you only buy the 2xLP and don’t qualify for free shipping, Amazon is cheaper.
But wait, there’s more! And this is for all the fart-sniffing audiophiles. Because Sound Matters’ One-Step Edition of American Idiot costs almost as much as the box set, at $119.99 for the double LP alone (if you buy from 1-2-3-4 Go! Records) ($124.98 elsewhere). Here are some words from the fart-sniffers at Because Sound Matters:
“American Idiot was recorded digitally and mixed on analog tape. These original flat master tapes were then carefully transferred to 192/24 WAV files, which ultimately became our audio source for the one-step pressing.
We used the Neotech VR900-D2 180g vinyl blend, which is the so-called Super Vinyl or Clarity Vinyl blend – the best in the world.
Levi Seitz of Blackbelt Mastering (Linkin Park, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Beyonce, etc.) cut the multiple finishes required. Being a huge Green Day fan himself, Levi already knew every little sound on this legendary album.
Dorin Sauerbier of Record Technology, Inc (RTI) has been refining records for decades and is considered the best in the world. He has also performed more one-step processing than anyone else. This is a crucial step in the process to ultimately deliver the absolute best sounding version of American Idiot ever.”
I think that’s enough American Idiot for now; let’s move on to something else. A bit of ska perhaps? Keep Flying has released a live version of their latest EP daylightsimply titled Daylight Live. This is very limited and 1/3 of the variants are already sold out, so head over to Smartpunk Records and grab the record while you still can. And if you get the chance, catch these guys live! Check out their upcoming tour dates here.
The Groovie Ghoulies’ 2001 Freaks on Parade The EP is being reissued as an LP with 6 bonus tracks and a brand new cover by Tom Neely. It is available on Godzilla Green vinyl from Eccentric Pop (US) and Stardumb Records (EU) and on Fiery Orange vinyl from 1-2-3-4 Go! Records (I swear they don’t pay me – maybe they should!).
A new(?) clear variation of Blink 182’s Entry of the state has turned up on their webstore. I’m not 100% sure if it’s a brand new pressing, as Discogs lists a clear variant released in Europe last year, but it’s at least the first time this has been available in the US. On a related note, it looks like a good chunk of Blink’s back catalogue – including Holiday Ranch, Cheshire Catthe self-titled album TOYPAJ and Neighborhoodsis back in print and in their online store, all with the same release date of August 14th.
An equally suspicious “new” translucent yellow colorway from MxPx panic has shown up on Amazon. The same thing happened earlier this year when an opaque yellow variant of the same record showed up unannounced on Amazon and shipped in April. It was legit, I got it, and it came with the middle label of a Casualties record on the A-side (lol). This one is still in stock at some record stores. Maybe this one is the same, maybe it’s different, only one way to find out!
So that’s all folks. Another Record Radar is up. Just a short one this week! As always, thanks for tuning in. If we missed something (very likely) or if you all want to let us know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram and we’ll get on it. Enjoy your weekend and don’t spend too much money on spinning records (or do, I’m not your dad). Until next time!
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