Essential Alternative / New Wave Records on Vinyl

Bjork's fantastically diverse debut solo album from 1993. Those of us who were around back then probably remember seeing the "Human Behaviour" vide...

Dreampop essential! By the time Cocteau Twins released Heaven Or Las Vegas, they had been perfecting their singular sound for nearly 10 years, reco...

Groundbreaking third album from Iceland's queen of pop, Bjork. With the release of Homogenic Bjork shed her Icelandic pixie image. The album's star...

First reissue of Stereolab's fifth studio album 1997! Their sound here had tightened up even more (read: less rock-ish) since Emperor Tomato Ketch...

HEAD LIKE A HOLE, BLACK AS YOUR SOUL!!! Nine Inch Nails debut album reissued in all its original glory. Back in 89 I was just a young goth trying t...

Maybe the best album from J. Spaceman's Spiritualized. At least that seems to be what the critics thought. We'll let the fans argue amongst themsel...

Depeche Mode's epic live album reissued! Originally released in 1989, 101 chronicles the final show of UK synth pop gods' 1988 Music For The Masse...

Sophomore studio album from Black Marble. It's Immaterial finds Black Marble in a transitional phase. Originally composed of Chris Stewart and Ty K...

Post Rock opus from Chicago rockers. Hailed as one of the best albums of the genre, Slint had already broken up by the time the album truly made i...

In case you needed a clear illustration of how exactly Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris arrived at something like the hooligan sing-a-...

Debut full-length from Birmingham, England’s Broadcast. The Noise Made By People came after the band signed to Warp Records and spent nearly three ...

There's so much to the Breeders' Last Splash. The sophomore album, from what was originally Kim Deal's side project from the Pixies, packs in a be...

Straight outta Stockton! The classic debut LP from Pavement. Whether you're a diehard fanboy that still cops Malkmus solo records or one of the hat...

Seventh studio album from Britain's new romantic legends The Cure. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me was originally recorded between 1986 and 1987, and was...

Stereolab's fourth studio album, expanded on triple vinyl (the original pressing was a smushed single LP)! Definitely one of their more accessible...

While Head Over Heels retained traces of the metallic postpunk nihilism that defined their first album and early singles, Treasure finds the Coctea...

30th anniversary expanded reissue of the most successful studio album from Alternative rock royalty, The Lemonheads. Though mostly gaining its slig...

The Cocteau Twins’ very first breakthrough in a career littered with breakthroughs: Treasure established them as the flagbearers of postpunk’s swir...

What do you do when your current band decides to take a break? Start another one! After meeting while their respective bands were touring together,...

"What has happened to us? What will happen to the vampire cult?" Stratosphere is the coveted debut album from San Jose slowcore / space rock / "exp...

Sixth studio album from New York's Sonic Youth. Goo was originally recorded in the spring of 1990 and was the band's major label debut. Following t...

I have a folder with every Lab review written for the site. There's definite themes that emerge when you read the older ones. Let me set this one u...

Seminal shoegaze band's 2nd album reissued! The follow up to what might easily be one of the best albums in the genre (Nowhere), Going Blank Again ...

"Document is R.E.M.'s tribute to the work ethic. A snapshot in time, a true documentary, this meticulously-crafted creation pays homage to the grou...

Me and Stony have a mighty addiction to Belle & Sebastian. This is B&S's second album from 1996, generally considered their best album thus...

"1985 Compilation Reissued On Vinyl LP, includes 'The Killing Moon' & 'Bring On The Dancing Horses'! By the release of Songs To Learn & Sin...

Live album from Manchester's The Smiths. Rank was recorded in 1986 at the National Ballroom in Kilburn, London. This was about six months before th...

Floating Into The Night is Julee Cruise’s first album, produced and arranged by Angelo Badalamenti with David Lynch writing the lyrics. Cruise’s pr...

One of the more drone oriented albums from the space rock powerhouse. After the success of Dots And Loops Stereolab took a break from releasing re...

"The debut album from New York-based Talking Heads is a slice of brilliant schizophrenic pop. David Byrne (guitar and vocals), Tina Weymouth (bass)...

Mozmentous. I kinda dread getting these foundational records of my teenage years in. I feel the need to write a confessional blurb, then Woodman wi...

Debut studio album from Northampton's Bauhaus. In the Flat Field was originally recorded in 1980 after the band had wrapped up a 30 date tour. The ...

I'm actually glad I didn't get into the Smiths until I was like 22. Let's face it, if my gothy neighbor or whatever gave me their first album on ta...

Abundantly fruitful, some may call it a reward. Flashy singles 'People' and 'Master' draw you in; 'Somebody' and 'Blasphemous' cut into your single...

Sophomore studio album from Los Angeles' Blind Melon. Soup was originally recorded between 1994 and 1995, and was the band's final album following ...

"By now, you know the story: J Mascis, Lou Barlow, & Patrick 'Murph' Murphy, meet in Amherst, MA. J, Lou & Murph start a band. Said band go...

Kate's sixth studio album, now on deluxe 180 gram vinyl. By 1989, Kate Bush had five albums under her belt and was already an icon with her own ver...