If You're a Vinylholic & you know it, Listen Up.

It should be pretty evident by this point in time that I (Emz) am a vinylholic. Seriously, vinyl cures the soul whenever I'm feeling down, and there's nothing better than treating yourself by buying a new piece of wax for the collection at home. This past weekend I paid a visit to Amoeba Music in San Francisco, and as always - walked out an extremely satisfied customer.  Known as the "The Worlds Largest Independent Record Store", I consider Amoeba to be a staple if you're ever in SF (and don't forget to visit the original location in Berkeley along with the one in Hollywood, too!) 
I'm all about supporting your local record stores, but in case you happen to live in an area where there unfortunately isn't one, visit the Amazon links provided instead. I've never appreciated Amazon Prime this much until now.

 

Picture You Staring by TOPS (via Arbutus Records)

I've yet to catch this four-piece from Montreal in the flesh, but their sophomore release is filling the void until I do so. "Way To Be Loved" & "2 Shy" are essential tunes that will never grow old for these ears.

 

Peripheral Vision by Turnover (via Run For Cover Records)

I'm legitimately obsessed with this band, and could go on and on about how much I love Turnover's latest album, but that's already been taken care of.. 

Sprinter by TORRES (via Partisan Records)

This is Mackenzie Scott's (aka TORRES) second full-length, but this time around it's released via an independent record label based in Brooklyn/London. This record is raw to the bone, and . Sprinter was the May release for Vinyl Me Please, and i'm not sure how the VMP edition ended up at Amoeba, but there wasn't any hesitation from the first time my eyes recognized the cover. It's filled with extra special goodies, and at this current moment I'm already in the process of becoming a member, and I think you should too! For fans of Waxahatchee & Sharon Van Etten, dig into her discography ASAP. 

Middle America by Netherfriends (via Kilo Records, RIP)

Shawn Rosenblatt (who plays under the moniker "Netherfriends") released Middle America back in 2012, and in short, it's an eclectic mix of songs that are easy on the ears. Shout-out to Ethan from Source Weekly aka @ethos83 who introduced me to this album via "Columbus, Ohio." Each song is named after a different city, and the extremely cool part about that concept is "Middle America was recorded during a year long project in which Netherfriends wrote and recorded a song and performed in all 50 states."
 Pretty neat if you ask me. 

Brotherhood by The Chemical Brothers (via Virgin Records)

AHHHH. Did you know I'm a huge fan of The Chemical Brothers? It's true, it's very true indeed. I've been on the hunt for Brotherhood for what feels like forever, and it's a record that's filled with older gems such as "Do It Again", "Star Guitar", and my personal favorite "Galvanize." If you're looking for something to keep those feet tapping and the vibes flowing, this is the album for you. P.S. Don't ever pass up an opportunity to see them live, such as the upcoming Hard Summer 2015.