Friday, April 15, 2011 11:39AM - By Joseph Oliveto
Tomorrow is Record Store Day, and although we live in a digital age when record stores are about as outdated as calling Russia “The Soviet Union,” they can still offer more pleasure to a music fan than any iTunes playlist ever could. Computers may have given us convenience, but they have also robbed us of a crucial experience that all consumers of popular music should have: browsing the aisles of an independent record shop and discovering an album that you didn’t even know you wanted.
Thankfully, Record Store Day exists to remind us that these places are out there, and they deserve our love and support. Here’s a roundup of the way people are marking the occasion.
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010 12:24PM - By Travis Woods
Despite the fact that nearly the entirety of the recording industry is crumbling in the face of illegal downloading, at least one aspect of the biz is not only holding its own, but continues to thrive in the face of sagging numbers—vinyl record sales, according to Pitchfork. April 17th of this year marked the annual Record Store Day, in which independent record stores are celebrated with various artists releasing rare/ unreleased material on vinyl. And according to Neilson Soundscan, 2010’s Record Store Day marked the single biggest day for vinyl sales in the history of Soundscan, which began recording music sales in 1991.
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Wednesday, March 31, 2010 10:47AM - By Travis Woods
In over-the-hill hard rock news: The Quietus reports that Black Sabbath and Metallica will be teaming up to release a limited edition (only 1,000 copies) split picture disc on April 17th, otherwise known as Record Store Day.
The vinyl disc, which will displays the band’s respective logos on either side, is set to feature an alternate version of Sabbath’s “Paranoid” (different lyrics), while Side 2 will feature Metallica’s “Frantic” as remixed by UNKLE. As only 1,000 copies of the record will be made available, it’s sure to become a collector’s item, though I’m going to assume that it’s the Black Sabbath side of the disc that’ll be moving units, rather than the already-available remix of one of Metallica’s worst songs from their undeniably worst album.
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Monday, March 22, 2010 11:52AM - By Jeffrey Hyatt
Record Store Day is fast approaching, and fans visiting local independent record stores on April 17 will have an opportunity to pre-order the new, limited edition EP by The Smashing Pumpkins, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope Vol 1: Songs For A Sailor.
The pre-order is exclusive to independent record stores; the official release for Teargarden… is May 25th via Martha’s Music / Rocket Science Ventures.
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 6:30PM - By Morelli
In celebration of Record Store Day earlier this April, The Bad Plus performed live in their hometown, Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the Electric Fetus. I like how drummer Dave King’s technique cuts the rhythm just enough to make it interesting, and pianist Ethan Iverson gives the band’s jazz fusion his own classical touch.
The store crowded to see the local jazz power-trio perform songs from their new album For All I Care, which they released in February. The album is a collection of covers which added Wendy Lewis’ vocals to their established formation. Watch another video from the same location after the jump, with Lewis singing Nirvana’s Lithium:
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Monday, April 20, 2009 6:20PM - By Morelli
Indie and major labels produced 82 limited-edition exclusive releases for Record Store Day, and most of the indie stores sold considerably better than last year’s Record Store Day. Michael Kurtz, executive director of the Music Monitor Network, told Billboard that “the majority of the stores had matched last year’s volume by mid-afternoon.”
Reportedly, long lines formed outside stores the night before, and the consensus is that vinyl sold more than ever, to all ages. But is Record Store Day directed towards an older, more reminiscent public? Kurtz said that stores were surprised to see “the massive amount of young people coming into stores looking for vinyl.”
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Thursday, April 9, 2009 4:30PM - By Morelli
Independent record stores are declining in numbers. The Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) reports that just 300 indie record stores remain in the entire United Kingdom, down from over 1000 a decade ago.
The industry shift to online music consumption has also plagued major retailers, as we reported in January, but stores are trying to fight back with the second annual Record Store Day on April 18, when more than 1000 stores worldwide will offer in-store events and performances.
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