Mike Mettler

The Flaming Lips are one of those bands that have always endeavored to create their own sonic universe, and we almost never know exactly what planet we’ll be on when we drop the needle on their latest vinyl venture and/or most recent archival collection. Case in point — the 180g 5LP baby-pink vinyl box set for July 2002’s Yoshimi Battle the Pink Robots being released (finally!) on April 14, a collection that includes the remastered core album, demos, non-album tracks, live radio sessions, and many other live tracks galore. In a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Flaming Lips visionary vocalist Wayne Coyne discusses the ins and outs of the making of the Yoshimi vinyl box set, how the word “realize” became such an integral part of the band’s songwriting, and how a few hundred test tapes fueled the beginning and the end of one of the album’s most enduring songs. Read on to realize all the LP-related Yoshimi details. . .

We’re very much looking forward to all the new analog gear expected to be shown at this year’s AXPONA in Schaumburg, Illinois from April 14-16, and Luxman has already given us an advance taste by letting us know they’ll be introducing their brand-new flagship PD-191A turntable at the big show. Read on to get all the respective specs, features, and stats about this cool, vintage-looking new ’table. . .

There’s a special intuitive connection certain musicians share that cannot be qualified in technical terms, but can instead be described as being both magical and mysterious. Case in point: the 60-years-and-counting musical mindmeld between lead vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent, the twin driving forces behind British invasion stalwarts The Zombies. Still going strong today, The Zombies are on the precipice of the imminent release of their seventh studio album, Different Game, which comes out in fine 1LP form on March 31 via Cooking Vinyl. In a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Zombies vocalist Colin Blunstone discussed the connective sonic tissue between Different Game and their 1968 masterpiece Odessey and Oracle, why he prefers hearing songs like “Time of the Season” in mono, and why the Odessey album benefitted from some things The Beatles left behind in EMI Studios while they were recording their legendary June 1967 Sgt. Pepper album. Read on to glean all the properly seasoned details. . .

Blood, Sweat & Tears were on top of the world — and then, suddenly, they weren’t. A new documentary titled What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears? seeks to set the record straight. Read on to see what BS&T co-founding drummer Bobby Colomby and AP editor Mike Mettler discussed when they got on Zoom together earlier this week to talk about the impetus for the documentary, the secrets contained within the runout grooves of certain records he produced, and his view of what the best-sounding Blood, Sweat & Tears track on vinyl is, and why. . .