Hey! It's Record Store Day!

Record Store Day ("RSD") started as a small promotion done to boost sales at local record stores that were getting slammed by big box stores in 2007.  The the ensuing 7 years, and a growing vinyl revival, it evolved into a bit of a retail/audio/cultural phenomenon.  RSD have added a few smaller "RSD's" throughout the year ("Back Friday" in November for instance) but the biggie is in April.  Record labels have responded to the growing number of sales, by making rare releases, B-sides, live recordings and covers of well known artists, picture disks, remix albums, special singles, and early releases of remastered albums available and only available at the stores themselves.  But also, record stores that sell used vinyl will sometimes haul out some special collections and their best stuff for that day, so it isn't a bad time for used record shopping either. 

Nothing says Record Store Day like Poutine - parked
outside of "Record Archive" waiting for hungry shoppers ...

It's going on NOW as we write this, as in "why are you reading this?  If you are in the US or UK, get thee to your local record store!"

Sometimes record stores have a band playing, sometimes they have food (see picture for one example), sometimes they have both.  Sometimes none of that.  But what they will have is dozens of albums and singles (this year probably over 200 titles, we didn't count).  We noticed a large number of CD's as well, for the people who don't (yet) have a turntable.

This year's haul

But, here is our advice on how to approach it:

1.  Get there early.  I know.  This sounds like some sort of hipster version of Black Friday.  It's not that.  There are people that camp out to be of the first to get inside when the store opens.  Don't be them.  This is about music and running across a particular surprise - we think it spoils it a little bit by waiting all night to buy something, but that's just us ... however, though, trying to get to the first store within an hour of it opening isn't a bad way to start.

2.  Don't scrutinize the list picking targets.  Many record stores won't get many of the "limited" pressings, and limited editions are usually obvious (picture disc, or single, or a big label saying this is 345/500 right on it).  Just get there reasonably early and go through the records looking for bands you recognize, and see if there are versions you might think it is fun (they always seem to have one to two David Bowie singles in picture disc format, and some albums that are a single on one side by the original artist and a cover by another artist on the other side - which we have altogether too much fun trying to find.)

Strange Single found at RSD!  1 track on inner groove at
33 1/3 and the rest looking like a broken record
(A single released by Paramore for those keeping score!)

3.  Keep in mind it's a lousy way to do "music discovery."  The albums you'd want to hear by an artist you might discover might be re-released on RSD - but if so, it'll be available later, too, so there isn't much of a hurry on them.  Most of the time, a RSD release is an obscure live performance, or a bunch of "B-sides" that will be of interest only to dedicated fans or record collectors.  But if you'd want to get the "Lou Reed Covers James Taylor" special RSD box set (edition of 200), don't let us stop you ...  We have a singles rule, though.  For a single, if you see something that looks like it could be fun - grab it, why not?

4.  Go to more than one store.  But before RSD scrutinize the local record shops open in your area that are participating.  Expect to go to 2-3 of them, because the mix or records they will get will be different.  We always hit, in our city (Rochester, NY):  Record Archive, The Bop Shop, Needle Drop Records, and, if we're feeling really ambitious, House of Guitars (possibly the best selection and least organized music store we've ever seen.  Added bonus is that they are one of the top guitar shops in the US ... so you never know who you will run into in the "music instrument" section of the store).

Of course, the above is roughly how we do it.  Some folks target one or two albums and try their hardest to find it, which could satisfy the treasure hunter.  There really ins't a wrong way to go about it if in the end you end up with a disc or two you like and had a little fun in the process.

We think that RSD adds to the growing "culture" of Vinyl, and if you can, participate!  Get out there!  Go now!  Shoo!