Record Store Day, now in its fourth year of existence, is a celebration of those wonderful little stores that actually still sell physical music (shocking, I know). Merchants around the country (some 700 participants) take part in selling exclusive Record Store Day releases, and many of them hold in store events. This year, RSD takes place this Saturday, April 16th. If you're a collector, and in New York City, it's a great day to stock up and spend some cash. Here are some highlights Fucking Nostalgic have deemed awesome.
Exclusive Record Store Day Releases:
If you're a Big Star fan, and I hope you are, then you know that Third is one special album. By the time the record was released the band was practically a studio project, consisting only of Alex Chilton and drummer Jody Stephens. Throughout the recording sessions neither even considered it a Big Star project until it became time to actually market the finished product. But don't let that deter your opinion of it. Third is great. Also worth noting that 1 in every 300 copies of this release will contain an actual test pressing from the 70's.
Though Kerplunk! and Dookie will always hold a special place in my heart, I have not been a big fan of Green Day's output since those records released some 17 years ago. That is, of course, unless they're paying tribute to hardcore punk game changers Husker Du. This exclusive 7", part of the Side by Side series of RSD, has the original Husker Du track from their Candy Apple Grey album on one side, and Green Day covering it on the other. Should be interesting...
This EP by Nirvana was originally released in Australia and Japan as a promotion during their tour there. Nothing more than a collection of b-sides already released on singles here in the US, it's still a great selection of songs, most of which ended up on their compilation Incesticide. Two Vaselines covers ("Son of a Gun" & "Molly's Lips), "Turnaround" by Devo and "D-7" by the Wipers comprise the covers, while "Aneurysm" (different from the Incesticide version) and "Even in His Youth" comprise the Nirvana originals. Only 6000 copies of this limited edition EP are being released, so if you find your hands on this, hold onto it! Also check out Magic Sundae Radio's special podcast tribute to Nirvana.
Live at the Old Waldorf holds the distinction of being a live recording of Television's last American tour date up until their 1992 reunion, which took place on 6/28/79. Apparently a bootleg that circulated amongst fans for years, the radio show broadcast will get its official release on Record Store Day as a 2LP White Vinyl exclusive. Featuring performances of "Venus," "Foxhole" and of course "Marquee Moon," it also ends with a cover of the Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," a staple of their live shows. Buy this.
This exclusive release is a 7" containing songs from the long-lost sessions for the Velvets' fourth album, which according to the Record Store Day's website "capture[s] the Velvet Underground at a fascinating transitional point between the understated intimacy of their self-titled album and the focused melodic rock of their next release, Loaded." The record will contain "Foggy Notion" b/w "I Can't Stand It". The Velvet Underground on vinyl is a force to be reckoned with, so I'm always down with more.
This release just sounds amazing. If you're a fan of Floyd's earlier work, such as Piper at the Gates of Dawn (which was recently dissected in our Reviews from the Attic section), you'll know that they were a hotly different group from the well-known later releases such as Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. This 180 gram white vinyl release contains two rare performances from the Syd Barrett-led Pink Floyd during their first ever studio recordings; a seventeen minute version of "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Nick's Boogie" contained within a gatefold cover and a printed inner sleeve. Drooooool.
Now that that's out of the way (sorry for the drooling), if you're in New York City, the cornerstone of record shops, you can check out the very large list of official Record Store Day part on their official site. Most stores of course are in Manhattan, but there's a fair share of great shops in Brooklyn, two of my favorite being Earwax Records on Bedford Ave, and Academy Records on North 6th. Happy shopping!
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