Record Store Day 2009 Preview
If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that this Saturday, April 18th, is Record Store Day. An important day indeed for music lovers and pop culture aficionados since it represents at its core exactly what I am trying to achieve in this medium. That is, get people excited about music in particular and the undeniable thrill it evokes. Nothing beats that nervous wave of excitement that happens when you find that special disc you’ve been looking for forever. Or that special discovery that is made when something new delivers the promise you had hoped it would. The iTunes Store sure hasn’t been able to quite deliver that thrill yet. But that brick and mortar shop that I call my second home, you’ve captured my heart. Ahhhhh independent music store, you are a fickle mistress but I love you so.
This one my friends, is not to be missed. It is on this day that thousands of independent record stores around the world will be hosting in-store performances, handing out freebies, holding sales, and selling dozens of RSD-exclusive releases pressed in tiny enough editions that they might not last through the day. There are dozens of them, mostly on vinyl; many of them are just analog versions of material that's already or imminently on CD, but the best-sounding ones offer otherwise unavailable material. Matador Records, in particular, has risen to the challenge with a Pavement live LP and Sonic Youth split singles with Beck and Jay Reatard. (Sadly, word is that new Modest Mouse and Elvis Costello singles promised for this year's Record Store Day, as well as a reissue of New Order's "Temptation"/"Hurt" 7", won't be ready in time.) Here's a quick and updated guide to all the RSD exclusives that I was able to track down.
Bad Religion: Bad Religion 7" [Epitaph]
Black Kids: Wizard of Ahhhs 10" [Almost Gold/Columbia]
Booker T.: "Warped Sister" 7" [Anti-]
Camera Obscura: "French Navy" 7" [4AD]
Brandi Carlile: "Downpour" 7" [Columbia]
Leonard Cohen: "The Future" 7" [Columbia]
Dandy Warhols: Earth to the Remix E.P. Volume Two CD [Beat the World]
The Decemberists: "The Rake's Song" 7" [Capitol]
Bob Dylan: "Dreamin' of You" 7" [Columbia]
Gomez: "Airstream Driver" 7" [ATO]
Heaven & Hell: "Bible Black" 7" [Rhino]
Jane's Addiction: "Mountain Song" 7" [Warner Bros
Jenny Lewis: "Carpetbaggers" 7" [Rhino]
Lykke Li/El Perro Del Mar split 7" [Rhino]
Magnolia Electric Co.: "It's Made Me Cry" [Secretly Canadian]
MC5: "Kick Out the Jams" 7" [Elektra]
My Morning Jacket: Celebración De La Ciudad Natal CD
Queen: Queen's First EP CD [Hollywood]
The Smiths: "The Headmaster Ritual" 7" [Rhino]
Bruce Springsteen: "What Love Can Do" 7" [Columbia]
The Stooges: "1969" 7" [Elektra
The Thermals/Thao Spoonful's "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?"
Various Artists: Blood on the Tracks LP [Domino]
Various Artists: Sampler CD [Universal Republic/Universal Motown]
Tom Waits: Live 7" [Anti-]
Also reported to be available on Record Store Day:
Akron/Family: "Everyone Is Guilty"
Andrew Bird/Loney Dear split 7"
Black Moth Super Rainbow: "Born on a Day"
Blitzen Trapper: "War Is Placebo"
Cold War Kids: Live at Fingerprints CD EP
Cursive/Ladyfinger(ne) split 10" picture disc
Flaming Lips/Black Keys split 7"
Flight of the Conchords: "Pencils in the Wind"
Grizzly Bear: "While You Wait for the Others" / "He Hit Me" (Live on KCRW 7")
Guided By Voices: Hold on Hope LP (appending the Plugs for the Program EP)
Iron & Wine: live CD
Jesus Lizard: "Inch" 9x7" box set
Oasis: "Falling Down" remix 12"
Obits: "I Can't Lose"
Pavement: Live in Cologne 1997 LP
Russian Circles/These Arms Are Snakes split 12"
Sonic Youth/Beck split 7"
Sonic Youth/Jay Reatard split 7"
Various Artists: History of Def Jam 4xLP
Various Artists: Records Toreism LP [Thrill Jockey]
Various Artists: This LP Crashes Hard Drives LP [Numero Group]
Vetiver: "Wishing Well"
Whiskeytown: "San Antone"
So shut down the computer and get out there to your favourite independent Record Store. Buy an armload of discs and goodies and remember again the thrill that comes with these discoveries.
As far as I am concerned this one should be a national civic holiday.
I’ll get working on that.
Pop Levi's Dusty Fingers from Yours Truly on Vimeo.
If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that this Saturday, April 18th, is Record Store Day. An important day indeed for music lovers and pop culture aficionados since it represents at its core exactly what I am trying to achieve in this medium. That is, get people excited about music in particular and the undeniable thrill it evokes. Nothing beats that nervous wave of excitement that happens when you find that special disc you’ve been looking for forever. Or that special discovery that is made when something new delivers the promise you had hoped it would. The iTunes Store sure hasn’t been able to quite deliver that thrill yet. But that brick and mortar shop that I call my second home, you’ve captured my heart. Ahhhhh independent music store, you are a fickle mistress but I love you so.
This one my friends, is not to be missed. It is on this day that thousands of independent record stores around the world will be hosting in-store performances, handing out freebies, holding sales, and selling dozens of RSD-exclusive releases pressed in tiny enough editions that they might not last through the day. There are dozens of them, mostly on vinyl; many of them are just analog versions of material that's already or imminently on CD, but the best-sounding ones offer otherwise unavailable material. Matador Records, in particular, has risen to the challenge with a Pavement live LP and Sonic Youth split singles with Beck and Jay Reatard. (Sadly, word is that new Modest Mouse and Elvis Costello singles promised for this year's Record Store Day, as well as a reissue of New Order's "Temptation"/"Hurt" 7", won't be ready in time.) Here's a quick and updated guide to all the RSD exclusives that I was able to track down.
Bad Religion: Bad Religion 7" [Epitaph]
Black Kids: Wizard of Ahhhs 10" [Almost Gold/Columbia]
Booker T.: "Warped Sister" 7" [Anti-]
Camera Obscura: "French Navy" 7" [4AD]
Brandi Carlile: "Downpour" 7" [Columbia]
Leonard Cohen: "The Future" 7" [Columbia]
Dandy Warhols: Earth to the Remix E.P. Volume Two CD [Beat the World]
The Decemberists: "The Rake's Song" 7" [Capitol]
Bob Dylan: "Dreamin' of You" 7" [Columbia]
Gomez: "Airstream Driver" 7" [ATO]
Heaven & Hell: "Bible Black" 7" [Rhino]
Jane's Addiction: "Mountain Song" 7" [Warner Bros
Jenny Lewis: "Carpetbaggers" 7" [Rhino]
Lykke Li/El Perro Del Mar split 7" [Rhino]
Magnolia Electric Co.: "It's Made Me Cry" [Secretly Canadian]
MC5: "Kick Out the Jams" 7" [Elektra]
My Morning Jacket: Celebración De La Ciudad Natal CD
Queen: Queen's First EP CD [Hollywood]
The Smiths: "The Headmaster Ritual" 7" [Rhino]
Bruce Springsteen: "What Love Can Do" 7" [Columbia]
The Stooges: "1969" 7" [Elektra
The Thermals/Thao Spoonful's "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?"
Various Artists: Blood on the Tracks LP [Domino]
Various Artists: Sampler CD [Universal Republic/Universal Motown]
Tom Waits: Live 7" [Anti-]
Also reported to be available on Record Store Day:
Akron/Family: "Everyone Is Guilty"
Andrew Bird/Loney Dear split 7"
Black Moth Super Rainbow: "Born on a Day"
Blitzen Trapper: "War Is Placebo"
Cold War Kids: Live at Fingerprints CD EP
Cursive/Ladyfinger(ne) split 10" picture disc
Flaming Lips/Black Keys split 7"
Flight of the Conchords: "Pencils in the Wind"
Grizzly Bear: "While You Wait for the Others" / "He Hit Me" (Live on KCRW 7")
Guided By Voices: Hold on Hope LP (appending the Plugs for the Program EP)
Iron & Wine: live CD
Jesus Lizard: "Inch" 9x7" box set
Oasis: "Falling Down" remix 12"
Obits: "I Can't Lose"
Pavement: Live in Cologne 1997 LP
Russian Circles/These Arms Are Snakes split 12"
Sonic Youth/Beck split 7"
Sonic Youth/Jay Reatard split 7"
Various Artists: History of Def Jam 4xLP
Various Artists: Records Toreism LP [Thrill Jockey]
Various Artists: This LP Crashes Hard Drives LP [Numero Group]
Vetiver: "Wishing Well"
Whiskeytown: "San Antone"
So shut down the computer and get out there to your favourite independent Record Store. Buy an armload of discs and goodies and remember again the thrill that comes with these discoveries.
As far as I am concerned this one should be a national civic holiday.
I’ll get working on that.
Pop Levi's Dusty Fingers from Yours Truly on Vimeo.
2 comments:
I share your enthusiasm - I am all giddy and excited like a kid about to enter a candy store.
I am taking your sound advice, my friend, and shutting down the computer for a wee bit and heading down to Sloth Records. And you know that anything that drags me downtown on a Saturday has got to be earth-shattering. I have a wishlist the length of my arm.
And just in keeping with showing solidarity with independent efforts, we're then going to watch some shorts at the Calgary Underground Film Festival. Woot!
Happy shopping, Sean!
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