What a start to ring in the new (collecting) year! It’s the Fairmounts debut album, released in 2013 on CD and in 2014 on vinyl. Musicwise it was one of my favorite releases last year. Pop punk á la Screeching Weasel or Teenage Bottlerocket at its best. This album is so damn catchy, you’ll become addicted at the first listen. So I’m beyond stoked to have this unique copy now.

It’s on white and clear with blue and red smoke split vinyl. This one also has a screen-printed sleeve, just as the standard screen-print version. The only difference is that the colors of the sleeve match the color(s) of the vinyl. Only eight (!) of those were made, and they all are different.

The music is still great. If you haven’t yet, go check it out.

So stoked!!! Do I need to say more? Yes? Ok.

I think for every collector it’s great to get a special collectible item of a valued release. For me, one of the top 3 albums in 2013 was the Night Birds’ Born To Die In Suburbia. I like the fact that they only do black vinyl releases, but try to make them special by doing different covers, labels or screen-printed jackets. For Born To Die In Suburbia Grave Mistake Records did a standard and a screen-printed, hand-numbered jacket. The screen-print is black on white. When I saw that the test press also has a jacket of the same kind only being red on white, I immediately knew that I need to get my hands on one of those babies. And now, finally, here it is. Still stoked, and forever will be.

There’s not much to say about Let’s Face It, the hit album of the god-fathers of Ska-Core, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones originally released by Big Rig in 1997. Songs like The Impression That I Get or Rascal King are well-known all over the globe.

This is the 2013 re-issue of that classic album by Asbestos Records on translucent red/opaque white split vinyl with a hand-numbered obi-strip, limited to 100 pieces, also known as the “737 edition”. Surprisingly, the re-issue has one track less than the original album. The original vinyl only bonus track Wrong Thing, Right Then has been left off of this pressing. Still, it’s an incredibly good album that gets you in the right mood if you feel like partying or simply dancing your ass off. It’s a must-have for any ska-fan.