Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of December below.
Bo Burnham — Inside (The Songs)
Is Inside (The Songs) a comedy album? If you’re the Recording Academy, you might not think so. Regardless, the album and its parent Netflix special were some of the year’s most talked-about pop culture, and now the music is available on vinyl. That means you can listen to songs about the internet on a format that pre-dates it.
Get it here.
Fucked Up — David Comes To Life (10th Anniversary Edition)
Matador has spent a good chunk of the year reissuing some beloved releases from across their catalog, and the latest album to get that treatment is Fucked Up’s David Comes To Life. This 2-LP edition is pressed on “lightbulb-yellow” vinyl, and if that isn’t enough, the group is embarking on a brief tour in January, during which they’ll perform the album in full.
Get it here.
The New Pornographers — Mass Romantic (21st Anniversary Reissue)
Speaking of Matador, here’s another rerelease from the label, of The New Pornographers’ Mass Romantic. That LP turns 21 years old this year and this new edition of it comes with a bonus 7-inch, Letter From An Occupant, that includes two rare B-sides, “The End Of Medicine” and “When I Was A Baby.”
Get it here.
Cults — Cults (Deluxe 10th Anniversary Reissue)
Cults had a hit on their hands with their 2011 self-titled debut album, and now the beloved LP is ten years old. The band is celebrating that milestone with a special anniversary vinyl edition that features, alongside the original album, three bonus tracks pulled from the original recording sessions. The reissue is limited to just 1,000 total copies spread across three distinct pressings: 250 copies on gold vinyl, 250 on black and milky clear colored vinyl, and 500 on standard black vinyl.
Get it here.
Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On (50th Anniversary Edition)
There’s not much more to say about What’s Going On, as essentially every music fan knows how excellent and important the legendary Marvin Gaye project is. The album turned 50 years old in 2021 and this new anniversary edition is now the best way to enjoy the project on your turntable. The 2-LP release features direct-to-analog mastering and four rare tracks making their debut on vinyl, including a previously unreleased “stripped” version of the title track.
Get it here.
Pom Pom Squad — Ow EP
Ow, the 2019 EP that preceded Pom Pom Squad’s 2021 debut album Death Of A Cheerleader, wasn’t released on vinyl, but that changed this month. It comes pressed on cream white vinyl with a red label, a simple but striking visual accompaniment to the album art.
Get it here.
Fela Kuti — Vinyl Box #5
Partisan Records is working through a massive Fela Kuti reissues series, and they got Coldplay’s Chris Martin on board to help with the fifth installment. He helped curate this new collection, which features Why Black Man Dey Suffer, Noise For Vendor Mouth, Kalakuta Show, Excuse O, Ikoyi Blindness, Original Sufferhead, and Overtake Don Overtake Overtake. Each album is presented here with meticulous detail, as the art for all of them was carefully re-created from the original vinyl pressings.
Get it here.
Aeon Station — Observatory
The Wrens released The Meadowlands in 2003 and fans have been waiting for its follow-up ever since. Well, this month, one sort of arrived, as Kevin Whelan made (with help from Greg Whelan and Jerry MacDonald) a new album called Observatory, under the name Aeon Station. While this may not be the continuation of The Wrens that fans had in mind, its at least something and the striking blue vinyl will look real sharp spinning on a turntable.
Get it here.
Danny Elfman — Big Mess
Danny Elfman stays busy as one of the most esteemed purveyors of film and TV scores in the industry, but 2021 brought Big Mess, his first non-classical solo album since 1984’s So-Lo. Now he has wrapped up the year with a massive box set version of the project, a 4-LP edition that’s limited to just 1,500 copies. Aside from the core album, it includes Elfman singing a duet on “True” with Trent Reznor, as well as goodies like a life-size light-up model of Elfman’s hand, a 60-page hardcover art book, and more.
Get it here.
E-40 — The Hall Of Game (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
As the year comes to an end, take a minute to be thankful for Vinyl Me, Please, who have spent 2021 and the years preceding it busting out exclusive vinyl reissues of some classic releases. Their current hip-hop album of the month is a winner: E-40’s The Hall Of Game. This edition is pressed on exclusive 2-LP “Rapper’s Ball Red” Galaxy vinyl and comes with a booklet of listening notes.
Get it here.
Gorillaz — Gorillaz (20th Anniversary Reissue)
Damon Albarn has been dominating the virtual band space for two decades now with Gorillaz, meaning the band’s self-titled debut album celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the band has unveiled a super deluxe vinyl box set, which includes early demos and rarities, along with a “previously unknown 27-page DMC dossier of leaked documents, memos, faxes, and some early Jamie Hewlett drawings.”
Get it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
