Vinyl Me, Please Unboxed: Bruiser and Bicycle ‘Holy Red Wagon’

Good things comes in 12 inch packages. Delivering limited edition vinyl pressings of new and classic albums directly to your doorstep, VMP operates under a simple philosophy: The Album Lives! With a carefully curated catalog of new and hard to find releases, the subscription service is more than just a record club, it’s a lifestyle choice for folks who wish Record Store Day could happen every month … in their living room.

Here’s how it works. You send Vinyl Me, Please some of your hard-earned money and they send you one vinyl pressing of an album they feel is Essential to any record collection.

Now, the subscription is not quite what it used to be these days, as VMP has made some pretty radical changes to how things work. That includes essentially ending the record of the month format – a fact that is already proving problematic for many longtime members. VMP has wisely posted a full breakdown of the new formaton its FAQ page, and I highly recommend reading it before you sign up for a subscription.

As for how the sub works, every single month means you will have a chance to grab a copy of previous VMP selections from the archives – including the company's recent reissue of Oliver Nelson's and Eric Dolphy's jazzy classic Straight Ahead – or choose from a slate of super-limited releases pressed exclusively for Vinyl Me, Please.

Word to the wise, the store is now officially open to the general public with no restrictions. And word on the street is that VMP may not be in the best state financially. So, if there's an in-stock item you're interested in, it's probably in your best interest to pick it up sooner rather than later.

As for this month's box, I opted to try out one of the company's VMP Rising selections in Bruiser and Bicycle's Holy Red Wagon. Here's a look.

For The Love Of Vinyl, Please DO NOT BEND

So, at this point in time, I should go ahead and warn you that things look to be pretty up in the air for Vinyl Me, Please at the moment, as rumors continue to grow regarding the company’s financial well-being. Those rumors would seemingly be backed up by the fact that the company has recently laid off a few key staff members, and has not announced any new records for a few months now. So, we’d wholly encourage you to take those factors into consideration if you’re thinking about subscribing to the service or purchasing items from the store. 

As of this writing, however, VMP is still processing and delivering new orders for in stock items. But they do appear to be capable of still making delivery of subscriber’s monthly records. That last fact is evinced by the arrival of my most recent box, which contained Vinyl Me, Please’s exclusive pressing of Holy Red Wagon, the second album from Albany, NY indie rockers Bruiser and Bicycle. 

If you’re like me, you’d never heard of the band prior to Vinyl Me, Please announcing this album’s release. That’s because the band was very new on the indie scene when it was announced. Just to be clear, Holy Red Wagon was not officially an album of the month on any of VMP’s normal tracks. Rather, it was released as part of the company’s VMP Rising set, which puts the spotlight on up-and-coming artists the company thinks should be on your radar. 

After my first spin of Holy Red Wagon, I could not agree more with VMP’s assertions about Bruiser and Bicycle, as the band delivers one of the more adventurously out there records I’ve heard of late. And yes, the album will no doubt be a hit with folks who appreciate the work of bands like Animal Collective, Yo La Tengo, and even Stereolab, among other indie stalwarts.

That’s not to say Bruiser and Bicycle are merely mimicking the work of those other bands. Quite the opposite is true, as the 12 songs that form Holy Red Wagon don’t sound exactly like any thing you might’ve heard from those bands in the past. But the experimental approach to song craft, as well as an affinity for out-of-the-ordinary instrumentation that have become trademarks of those groups is well on display throughout Bruiser and Bicycle’s sophomore, which is a bit Earthier in nature than those other outfits are known for.

So much so that listening to the record for the first time can be a bit overwhelming. But you’ll no doubt find that Holy Red Wagon is a deeply rewarding record on second, third, and fourth listen, with the album’s sonic nuances and acrobatic melodies becoming more apparent, and more engrossing with every spin. Ditto for vocals and lyrics, which are a little tough to absorb on first listen, but become one of the album’s strongest attributes when you go back for more

Cover Matters

As far as album covers go, this little beauty fronting two burning candles is pretty much perfect for the two-man team behind Bruiser and Bicycle. Even more so as tho O.G. image was apparantly painted a friend of the band.

There's more art, and a complete rundown of the lyrics from Holy Red Wagon on the inside of the gatefold sleeve.

And on the back cover, you guessed it, there's more art to be found there too.

There's also a hand-numbered tag there that displays how limited copies of this first-time press are. I got #582 of the 600 copes Vinyl Me, Please pressed.

There's also some vital stats about this VMP pressing on both the album's hype sticker and OBI-strip.

With things at Vinyl Me, Please looking to be on the uncertain side, it would seem the company is no longer packing a newsletter magazine into the box for subscribers. However, the VMP gang did throw a little schwag into this month's package … which is kinda cool.

The vinyl is, of course, the real schwag we're looking for every month. And this red pressing of Holy Red Wagon is quite the stunner.

Yes, there's two of them in there, as Holy Red Wagon is a bit of a sprawlign work if indie art rock.

In case there's any question, either is set to stun on your turntable. Though, for obvious reasons, red doesn't quite pop as much as other colors on my deck.

Give VMP a Spin

How's it sound? Like a modern-day tapestry or painting brought to vivid life in the form of music. I honestly could not be happier with Vinyl Me, Please for putting the spotlight on both Holy Red Wagon and Bruiser and Bicycle, as both are well worthy of being discovered by as many rock lovers as possible. If discovery is what your after, you could do a lot worse than a vinyl record club in that endeavor. While Vinly Me, Please may be on shaky terms at the moment, for the time being they are still helping people kick out the proverbial jams vinyl style on the home front every month. And there are still plenty of artists and music worth discovering in the company's online storefront. Happy spinning, friend!