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babybaby_explores is a post-punk/ noise-pop trio hailing from Providence, RI. Originally a “pseudo research concept project” that morphed into a legit band, they’ve been active for a while, but Food Near Me, Weather Tomorrow is described as their first album to be officially released, pressed to 180 gram opaque brown vinyl by No Gold Records, the label co-founded by Andrew Angus of the band Liars. Although babybaby_explores has toured with fellow Providencians Lightning Bolt, the sound of this album’s ten songs is much nearer to The Slits gone electro-punk. Available March 3 in an edition of 500, it’s an impressive debut.

Formerly known as Baby; Baby: Explores the Reasons Why that Gum is Still on the Sidewalk, the tighter monikered babybaby_explores consists of Lids B-day on “effected vox” and sampler, sam m-h (a.k.a. m-h m-h) on electric guitar, and Gabe C-D on bass and drum machines. Their album was recorded and mixed by noted engineer Seth Manchester at Machines with Magnets and mastered by the equally distinguished Heba Kadry, and its title is a combination of the two most common phrases entered into the Google search engine.

As the reader might’ve gathered, humor plays a major role in what babybaby_explores has cooked up on Food Near Me, Weather Tomorrow, However, I find it necessary to make the distinction that their music as it plays doesn’t hit me as particularly joke oriented; instead of funny, babybaby_explores is just fun (and this is where the comparison to The Slits is the strongest).

And also freaky (or, in their preferred spelling, fweaky). Opener “Gum” offers vibrant, reverberating hunks of layered echo, sprightly vocal lines capped with looped hiccups, murky rants, spring-loaded rhythms, and guitar that alternates between woozy ripples and shards of angular clang. Simultaneously imbued with post-punk spirit and unequivocally new, the whole effectively communicates the trio’s appealing oddity.

Vinyl comeback: The US musicians who sold the most physical singles: One of the most surprising comebacks of the digital age is the rising number of Vinyl LP sales. According to Luminate, 43.5 million LPs were sold in the U.S. last year, up more than 48-fold compared to 2006 when the vinyl comeback began. Vinyl LPs have also become increasingly popular as collectors’ items for fans, who listen to music digitally but still want to own a physical object. As we witness the evolution of physical music sales, experts from Offline Marketing Company, Oppizi reveal the top 10 US artists of all time who have sold the most physical copies of their music. The research analyzes the most recent data from Chart Masters, which takes the top US music artists of all time and calculates the number physical single sales units sold.

Boston, MA | The Vintage Underground curates both the styles and sounds of Boston: For decades, anyone taking a stroll on Boston University’s West Campus had two nearly back-to-back options for scouting out new music: Hitting a show at The Paradise Rock Club, or venturing into the belly of In Your Ear Records’ underground shop. But when In Your Ear shuttered that longstanding Boston location last August, the neighborhood’s vinyl selection miraculously didn’t evaporate — it just got a makeover. On the heels of In Your Ear’s departure from 957 Commonwealth Ave. last autumn, a new store called The Vintage Underground has moved in, bringing a fresh selection of music to the same well-worn basement space. The shop is the hybrid of existing local businesses Vivant Vintage and Cheapo Records, offering a “best of both worlds” stock that ranges from leather jackets and tarot-themed tote bags, to rare LPs, CDs, and rows of fashionable music memorabilia. “Cheapo’s owner, Bob Perry, was a friend and customer of In Your Ear for over 20 years, so he was thrilled to carry on their legacy,” employee Rosie Deaderick tells Vanyaland.

Meadowhall, UK | Sheffield band Lina and the Lions play live at HMV Meadowhall launch in celebration of music on vinyl: A Sheffield ‘retrowave’ band will play live at the launch of HMV’s new store in Meadowhall – just like it was 1990. Lina and the Lions have been invited to kick off the record store’s new residency on the Lower Arcade with their 80s new wave sounds. The retailer is moving after 33 years on the High Street and says its new shop will be ‘better fan-focused’ and sell more than 20,000 products – including 4,700 vinyl albums. Lina, who sings lead and plays bass, said there was something special about non-digital music. The band has released six singles, two EPs and an album. She added: “The reopening of the store is a special moment for HMV and music lovers alike, as it’s clear to us all that there’s something special about tangible music—something digital just can’t replace.” Lina and Lee Feltham (guitar) met as young teens in a Sheffield pub and formed the band in 2020. With drummer Bradley Mitchell joining them live, their sound ‘fuses classic 80s new wave with glimmering synthesizers and bass lines’.

Bingley, UK | Radiohead’s Philip Selway visits Bingley record store: Radiohead drummer Philip Selway signed copies of his latest solo album, Strange Dance at Five Rise Records, Park Road, Bingley, yesterday (Sunday, February 26). Five Rise Record posted a number of pictures from Mr Selway’s shop visit on its Facebook page, writing: “Wow what a day…. A huge thanks to Philip Selway for coming to good old Bingers!! “What an absolute gent he was, Mr Selway. you’re welcome back anytime! “And most of all a huge and massive thanks to everybody who came today, we wouldn’t be here without you. “Thanks to Philip for coming… and to everyone who came out!” His Bingley album signing visit in Bingley is one of a number of appearances he is making to record stores across the country to mark the release of his LP. Radiohead are seen as one of the biggest British bands of the last 30 years. They initially found fame with their 1992 single ‘Creep’ and their popular albums include Kid A and OK Computer. Radiohead were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.