Ten Choice Picks For Record Store Day 2019

Words: Saam Das

Yes, every day is record store day but today is the official 2019 Record Store Day - the twelfth annual iteration of a day that is a celebration of independent record stores across the world, driven by new and special releases. We've collated a list of ten choice picks from Record Store Day 2019, and in a change to our regular programming, you can view the list in reverse alphabetical order below.

Listen: Weezer - Africa [Toto Cover]

Words: Saam Das

Okay, so where did this come from? Weezer covering Toto's absurdly brilliant 1982 smash 'Africa'. Well, it turns out it was basically all down to one person on one Twitter account, the aptly named @WeezerAfrica. And comes just days after the band released a cover of another Toto track, 'Rosanna'. Have a listen to both tracks below.

New Weezer (again)

Seven Weezer songs from their upcoming album leaked this week. Courtesy of Drownedinsound.com user 'abp114', you can listen to them all on Muxtape [link]. I've got a couple of the mp3s here for you, and lead single 'Pork And Beans' can be streamed in full on weezer.com

This post has undergone numerous updates but finally I give you my "low down" on a couple of the Weezer tracks to emerge. Firstly, 'Everybody Get Dangerous' appeared in my other Weezer post about new material but in crappy preview form, from its appearance in not-so-hit film '21'. A probable future single, albeit in need of a radio edit with the last thirty seconds being the musical equivalent of talking, but not saying anything. It starts off sounding like the Top Gear theme tune. Its catchy chorus and jokey lyrics will undoubtedly annoy a lot of listeners. If you persevere however, you arrive at a magical dreamy interlude that makes it all worth it. Before that chorus smacks you in the face again with a frying pan or any other unsubtle smacking object of your choosing.

Now for the headliner of this post, 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn)', metamorphosing famous Shaker hymn 'Simple Gifts' into the surf-pop 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. This a 6 minute epic that has been compared to American Idiot-era Green Day, MCR's 'Welcome To The Black Parade' and even Weird Al Yankovic. All those comparisons are valid and that means people either think it's the most amazing Weezer track in years or think it is utterly abysmal. Either way, I thought I might as well offer my indepth thoughts. You can listen along at [The Hype Machine] or download the song below.

0.01 - The anticipation of a live crowd...
0.06 - ...obviously a receptive one, as they're already applauding
0.10 - err twinkly piano?
0.33 - police sirens?! Possibly consider this a warning about imminent nerdy rapping.
0.35 - Rivers 'Fred Durst' Cuomo starts rapping.
0.40 - Rivers 'sex talk' Cuomo. "Soon I'll be playing in your underwear" is topped by "You come like a dog when I ring your bell". Phwoar.
0.58 - "EEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY". The Fonz was never this pervy.
1.00 - Crunching riffs. Still sounds more like Limp Bizkit than Weezer.
1.26 - I don't think I'll ever be more pleased to hear Rivers' whiny vocals and a bit of acoustic guitar.
1.51 - Fuck yes, more songs need a marching band meets shaker hymn vibe.
1.57 - "No more words will critics have to speak". Unfortunately, false.
2.17 - Rivers 'Stevie Wonder' Cuomo. Go go gadget falsetto.
2.43 - Tempo change, nice. Beginning to sound like a mish mash of Pink Triangle and Hash Pipe.
3.08 - Wait, this is starting to sound like Maroon 5?!
3.16 - On second thoughts, it is actually 'Shine' by Take That [Youtube]. Oh dear?
3.33 - Thankfully, a tempo change and futuristic synth pop rescues the day. "I am the greatest man that ever lived". Steady on, Rivers.
3.58 - RADIOACTIVE. The greatest radioactive man that ever lived - Dr Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk.
4.07 - Rivers 'spoken word' Cuomo. "Somebody said all the world's a stage". William Shakespeare/Elvis Presley reference.
4.30 - "If you don't like it, you can shove it. But you don't like it, you love it". Rivers = badass.
4.36 - The vocal effect on "stage" is stuff Rivers has been using on his "let's write a sawng" project [YouTube]. Well worth a quick look to see how it's going.
4.37 - Choral bliss.
4.54 - Turbo boost on those harmonies.
5.10 - These drums, guitar, melody etc = a perfect Weezer chorus
5.42 - Enough with the false endings already!
5.43 - Yeah, I'm screaming with frustration too.
5.45 - A nice gospel burst to finish us off.

So that was my run through of the track, which despite the odd hiccup is easily my favourite Weezer track to emerge in the last five years. In fact, possibly my favourite post-Pinkerton track but that's getting a little ahead of myself. The other tracks that have appeared from the Red album range from mediocre to good but listen to them yourselves on that Muxtape link and let me know what you think. The future's bright, the future's..............red?

WEEZER - THE GREATEST MAN THAT EVER LIVED (VARIATIONS ON A SHAKER HYMN)
WEEZER - EVERYBODY GET DANGEROUS

New Weezer - Automatic & Everyone Get Dangerous

So while the recent preview of new single 'Pork And Beans' has got everyone excited about Weezer again, it's overshadowed some other new Weezer stuff appearing/possibly appearing on album six, "the Red album". 'Automatic' is a track that will be appearing on the new s/t album and has cropped up in a remix format (to soundtrack the new Gran Turismo game). The other new track, 'Everybody Get Dangerous' was played in the background of recent film '21' and may be appearing on the album.



Now I don't think Weezer have ever been mentioned on here, which is pretty weird considering they are pretty much my favourite band. Or at least their debut album, 'Weezer' ("the blue album"), has been my favourite album ever since I was about 16. The output in recent years hasn't been quite so great, even my low expectations of Rivers Cuomo's solo album of demos weren't met but could we be seeing a return to form?

There's been a lot of talk about how Weezer's record label (Geffen, owned by Universal) have been prompting a more commercial sound but it's difficult to tell if that's actually going to be the case. Sure, we've got some idea from the previews but 30 seconds clips will never tell the whole story.

What's really quite interesting is hearing Rivers step aside from vocal duty. Apparently, the new album will feature songs written/sung by all the members and I've got one of those songs today, 'Automatic'. Except it's a remix. And 40 seconds long. But it's got Pat Wilson singing! The other track 'Everybody Get Dangerous' is a short clip from the movie '21' and considering it's not on the official soundtrack, this could be the best you'll get from it. Assuming it doesn't appear on the album or as a b-side, of course. Anyway, have a listen, make some judgements if you want. All I'm going say is that, I'm optimistic and excited for the new album!

Weezer - Automatic (LA Riots Remix) 43 SECOND PREVIEW [Yourfilehost D/L]
Weezer - Everybody Get Dangerous 46 SECOND PREVIEW [Yourfilehost D/L]

'Automatic' was ripped from the new Gran Turismo 5 computer game trailer [link], while 'Everybody Get Dangerous' was shamelessly stolen from fansite Weerez.com [link]. 'Pork And Beans' will be downloadable on April 22nd and the new album's out on June 16/17th.

Dare I believe it but supposedly there are some Weezer UK dates (Manchester and London) in June, a little googling will lead you to a source but it isn't the most reliable! So don't get your hopes up. Fingers crossed though!

Now for some pork and beans fun, what's your favourite Weezer track? Pork Triangle? El Porko? Only In Beans? I know, I know....lame.