FJ - Record Store Day Recommendations

FJ-10 Record Store Day Releases Worth Picking Up (http://www.fretboardjournal.com/blog/10-record-store-day-releases-worth-picking)

Vinyl recommendations for everyone's music interests.

jaime

I think it's a crying shame that so many of the Record Store Day exclusive releases are only available on vinyl. It means the day's not a celebration of independent, brick-and-mortar record stores, but rather a celebration of a format that most people don't buy anymore.

When I first read about Record Store Day and all the exclusive releases "on vinyl and CD," I excitedly put a reminder on my calendar. I found out a local record store was participating, and I made plans to go there. Later on, I looked at the list of releases on the RSD site, saw that everything I was interested in was only being issued on vinyl, and reluctantly deleted the reminder from my calendar. For me, there's no point in going.

If the point of Record Store Day was to get lots of people to indie record stores by offering them music they can't get online or at their usual big-box stores, the fact that so much of that music is only on vinyl undermines the day's whole purpose. If, on the other hand, the point of Record Store Day was to get a few more people to buy music on vinyl...for some reason...then I guess they're going about it the right way.

I didn't bother this year, there wasn't one thing that grabbed my attention at all. Last year was awesome, it was worth the line for the Superchunk/Coliseum Misfits cover split alone, not to mention the fact that my favorite band (Transit) put out a 7". This year...what, Little Richard? Ok, I admit, that was cool, but besides that...

I think it's a crying shame that so many of the Record Store Day exclusive releases are only available on vinyl. It means the day's not a celebration of independent, brick-and-mortar record stores, but rather a celebration of a format that most people don't buy anymore.

When I first read about Record Store Day and all the exclusive releases "on vinyl and CD," I excitedly put a reminder on my calendar. I found out a local record store was participating, and I made plans to go there. Later on, I looked at the list of releases on the RSD site, saw that everything I was interested in was only being issued on vinyl, and reluctantly deleted the reminder from my calendar. For me, there's no point in going.

If the point of Record Store Day was to get lots of people to indie record stores by offering them music they can't get online or at their usual big-box stores, the fact that so much of that music is only on vinyl undermines the day's whole purpose. If, on the other hand, the point of Record Store Day was to get a few more people to buy music on vinyl...for some reason...then I guess they're going about it the right way.

The point is that it's called RECORD Store Day. The reason for vinyl-only releases is so they can press up a minimum number and sell them in limited quantities and once they are gone they are gone. It just isn't as special when it is a CD or a download now is it? Besides most new vinyl releases come with a download card so you can have a copy for your I-pod/MP3 player. So why go to the trouble of releasing a CD?

I'm listening to to the vinyl copy of Junta I picked up!

Plus there's a record show in town tomorrow so I'll be pawing through the used stuff hoping to find some clean classics!

Headed that way...
Got sidetracked by the GC scratch and dent, and the local prep schools book and CD, record etc. sale...picked up a couple of CDs and a Smothers Brothers album:rolleyes:
So I'm happy

I have never actually bough much at RSD, Much like Comic Book Day, the local shops are pretty low key in participation, usualy a few things by the counter, but nothing like the dozens of titles listed.

The point is that it's called RECORD Store Day.
So...the term "Record Store" means a store that only sells vinyl?

I don't think so. And neither do the people behind Record Store Day. Here's the statement from their web site:

"This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day[...]."

(Emphasis mine.) Clearly, the people who created and organize Record Store Day don't believe it's just about vinyl.

It just isn't as special when it is a CD or a download now is it?
It would already be special just because it's only available at your local, independent record store. Making it available only in a format I can't listen to doesn't make it more special to me; it just makes it music I can't listen to.

And I know I'm not alone. I know the great majority of music consumers today don't have turntables at home and have been buying music on CD or in download form for the past 20-plus years. If Record Store Day is about celebrating independent stores and the art of music, it makes no sense to exclude most of the music-buying public. If your goal is to draw more people to indie record stores, why make the exclusives available only in a format most people don't buy today?

Besides most new vinyl releases come with a download card so you can have a copy for your I-pod/MP3 player. So why go to the trouble of releasing a CD?
I haven't seen any indication of that in the RSD site's descriptions of the stuff I was interested in. When I sent an E-mail to the RSD people asking if there were really only a handful of CD releases, the E-mail I got back from one of the founders didn't say anything about a download card. Can you point me to your source for this information that most of the vinyl-only Record Store Day exclusives come with a download card?

There are two shops in the Nashville area we go to, but it is usually mixed in with doctors appointments as it is an hour drive to get there. We like Grimey's and The Great Escape for their used albums. We find good stuff at both.

Sales of vinyl records have increased every year for the past six years.



And have increased 25% from 2.8 million sold in 2010 to 3.5 million sold in 2011.


So, Record Store Day really is about vinyl. It is a trend that is only gaining in popularity, possibly as a result of sound quality improvement over MP3's.

Or, possibly because vinyl is just cool.

And yes, most new vinyl being released comes with a digital download card. The source for this information comes from someone who spends quite a bit of time at my local record shop.

Sales of vinyl records have increased every year for the past six years.



And have increased 25% from 2.8 million sold in 2010 to 3.5 million sold in 2011.


So, Record Store Day really is about vinyl. It is a trend that is only gaining in popularity, possibly as a result of sound quality improvement over MP3's.

Or, possibly because vinyl is just cool.

And yes, most new vinyl being released comes with a digital download card. The source for this information comes from someone who spends quite a bit of time at my local record shop.

I know of at least three shops that have stopped selling CDs.
and only sell vinyl and cassettes. Non of these stores sold vinyl or accepted it in trade even two years ago. Now the adult consumer, is buying cds at mass marketers or via amazon and CDs are of little interest to most young people, who prefer downloads, so CDs are a dead end for a small shop.

The future of small record stores is in vinyl and the buying experience that surrounds it.
Not unlike tobacconists, and cigars, and liquor stores and fine wine, micro brews etc.

I haven't seen any indication of that in the RSD site's descriptions of the stuff I was interested in. When I sent an E-mail to the RSD people asking if there were really only a handful of CD releases, the E-mail I got back from one of the founders didn't say anything about a download card. Can you point me to your source for this information that most of the vinyl-only Record Store Day exclusives come with a download card?

Most new vinyl releases come with a d/l card or a CD. It's kind of the standard these days. But it depends on who's putting out the record, not the RSD organizers.

Sales of vinyl records have increased every year for the past six years.

And have increased 25% from 2.8 million sold in 2010 to 3.5 million sold in 2011.
Seriously, that's amazing. (Or bewildering. Let's go with amazing. :razz:)

But how do sales of vinyl records compare to sales of CDs and downloads?

Albums sold on CD in 2011 totaled 227.5 million. Albums sold via download accounted for another 103.1 million. Grand total: 330.6 million. That makes 3.5 million vinyl records look like a blip on the radar.

Maybe my mistake was in assuming Record Store Day was about saving the traditional, independent record store by driving customers to their local shops who would normally buy a CD or a download from a big chain or iTunes. If it's just about celebrating an audiophile/ironic hipster niche that accounts for about 1 percent of music sales and cementing indie record stores as places that cater mostly to them, great. Mission Accomplished. It's just a shame that there won't be too many more Record Store Days, since that business model means the death of independent record stores just about everywhere but college towns and major metropolitan areas.

Maybe someone will start an Independent Record Store Day that's actually about bringing some of the music market back to local, brick-and-mortar music stores.

The record store I stopped in today was packed, and people were even buying CDs too. But they always do pretty good business.

Most new vinyl releases come with a d/l card or a CD. It's kind of the standard these days.
If that's the case with the RSD special releases, that's great. I've seen no indication of it on the Record Store Day web site, though. If most of the LPs and 7" singles being offered as RSD exclusives include a download card or a CD, all they had to do was say on the web site "LP w/ download card" or "LP w/ CD" instead of just "LP."

They didn't. So either these vinyl releases don't come with download cards or CDs, or the Record Store Day organizers left out some vital information that could've drawn many more people to their local record stores. So, again, the event isn't actually about getting people to their local record stores who normally wouldn't go there. It's about catering to people who already buy vinyl...people who probably already visit their local record stores on a regular basis.

Which is fine -- except that Record Store Day could be about saving those indie record stores by attracting new customers, and it's apparently not.

Or, if it is about attracting new customers...they're really doing it wrong.

Awesome.

How do sales of vinyl records compare to sales of CDs and downloads?

Albums sold on CD in 2011 totaled 227.5 million. Albums sold via download accounted for another 103.1 million. Grand total: 330.6 million. That makes 3.5 million vinyl records look like a blip on the radar.

Maybe my mistake was in assuming Record Store Day was about saving the traditional, independent record store by driving customers to their local shops who would normally buy a CD or a download from a big chain or iTunes. If it's just about celebrating the audiophile/ironic hipster niche that accounts for about 1 percent of music sales and cementing indie record stores as places that cater mostly to them, great. Mission Accomplished. It's just a shame that there won't be too many more Record Store Days, since that business model means the death of independent record stores just about everywhere but college towns and major metropolitan areas.

Maybe someone will start an Independent Record Store Day that's actually about bringing some of the music market back to local, brick-and-mortar music stores.

In my experience there are very few stores remaining outside the areas you mentioned. I live in a small city (60k) and our last store (Sam Goody:roll:)
closed 5 years ago. You can buy mass market CDs at Target and WM and Books a Million. That seems to keep most people happy.
The only other stores I encounter are older shops that sell 45s to collectors of 50sand early 60s rock and roll, do wop and Mowtown..
I'm not really understanding what and where these shops that you feel the need to save are..

double post!

I'm not really understanding what and where these shops that you feel the need to save are..
Well, I live in a town of less than 50,000 and there's an independent store here called Rainbow Records. They participated in Record Store Day. I honestly don't know how well they're doing. I don't know if they're on the brink of succumbing to Best Buy and Wal-Mart, or if they're doing great. But I like the fact that there's at least one indie record store in my little town, and I'd love to think they'll be around as long as they want to be.

Do the people behind Record Store Day share my feelings on this? When I read the "About Us" statement on the recordstoreday.com web site, I thought they did. Maybe they don't. Or maybe it's the artists and the record companies who choose the formats for Record Store Day releases, and it's they who don't share my feelings about local, independent record stores. I don't know. But it does seem like there's a significant disconnect somewhere. Am I entirely alone in this?

If that's the case with the RSD special releases, that's great. I've seen no indication of it on the Record Store Day web site, though. If most of the LPs and 7" singles being offered as RSD exclusives include a download card or a CD, all they had to do was say on the web site "LP w/ download card" or "LP w/ CD" instead of just "LP."

They didn't. So either these vinyl releases don't come with download cards or CDs, or the Record Store Day organizers left out some vital information that could've drawn many more people to their local record stores. So, again, the event isn't actually about getting people to their local record stores who normally wouldn't go there. It's about catering to people who already buy vinyl...people who probably already visit their local record stores on a regular basis.

Which is fine -- except that Record Store Day could be about saving those indie record stores by attracting new customers, and it's apparently not.

Or, if it is about attracting new customers...they're really doing it wrong.

You seem pretty angry about this....

I get what you're saying about RSD in general, but I can't imagine anything getting the public, en masse, to start shopping at record stores again. Hell, even Best Buy is closing stores, people aren't buying physical product in physical stores at all anymore.

The 7" releases most likely don't come with a d/l, but as I said albums generally do. And in browsing of the LPs, it looks like many of them are vinyl releases of things already released on CD, or re-releases of old records, or tracks "from an upcoming release." In other words most of this stuff is out there (or will be) already, they are just putting something special out for us uber-geeky fans.

I'm sure the RSD organizers simply put the info on their website that they are given by the labels. They aren't releasing this stuff, they are just letting us know what is being released.

FWIW - my Phish record came with a d/l card of this new mastering. And the vinyl sounds amazing!

Well, I live in a town of less than 50,000 and there's an independent store here called Rainbow Records. They participated in Record Store Day. I honestly don't know how well they're doing. I don't know if they're on the brink of succumbing to Best Buy and Wal-Mart, or if they're doing great.But I like the fact that there's at least one indie record store in my little town, and I'd love to think they'll be around as long as they want to be.


:confused:

If you care so much about this record store, why don't you actually go in there and look around? Maybe even buy something?

You seem pretty angry about this....
Do I? I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me what I wrote that leads you to that conclusion, because I'm not at all angry, and it certainly wasn't my intention to create that impression.

:confused:

If you care so much about this record store, why don't you actually go in there and look around? Maybe even buy something?
:confused:

What on earth gave you the idea that I don't shop there?

"When I first read about Record Store Day and all the exclusive releases "on vinyl and CD," I excitedly put a reminder on my calendar. I found out a local record store was participating, and I made plans to go there. Later on, I looked at the list of releases on the RSD site, saw that everything I was interested in was only being issued on vinyl, and reluctantly deleted the reminder from my calendar. For me, there's no point in going."

My thought was that this seemed a bit "dramatic" and I too sensed that you were upset. Life is full of disappointments..as I said the shops that I frequent, (most are a 50 mile or so round trip) carry very little on RSD but most years I happily go anyway, as I always find something in the used rack, or a release from a artst that is not participating in RSD, or it's just a fun way to sped a day with other music lovers. The lack of material in your format of choice is a bummer, and to not attend is your choice but to disparage "ironic hipsters" ( a common occurance on here...:roll:)audiophiles and urbanites, college students and vinyl for the impending death of the small town
record store seemed like a bit of " raging at the machine" in a oddly reversed way...

The lack of material in your format of choice is a bummer, and to not attend is your choice but to disparage "ironic hipsters and others of that ilk" ( a common occurance on here...:roll:) and dump on urbanites, college students and vinyl for the impending death of the small town
record store seemed like a bit of " raging at the machine" in a oddly reversed way...
Wow. I dumped on urbanites and college students? For the impending death of the small-town record store? You're willing to put an extraordinary amount of self-contradictory words in my mouth that I never wrote....

...and I'm the one who's coming off as angry? Okay, then! :wink:

:confused:

What on earth gave you the idea that I don't shop there?

I guess it was how you wrote, "I honestly don't know how well they're doing." My bad....

I guess it was how you wrote, "I honestly don't know how well they're doing." My bad....
Yeah, I don't actually go over their books when I go in there. I'm not an accountant -- let alone their accountant -- so I assume they would consider that a bizarre request. So, yes, I honestly don't know how well they're doing. Totally weird, huh?

Wow. I dumped on urbanites and college students? For the impending death of the small-town record store? You're willing to put an extraordinary amount of self-contradictory words in my mouth that I never wrote....

...and I'm the one who's coming off as angry? Okay, then! :wink:

"Maybe my mistake was in assuming Record Store Day was about saving the traditional, independent record store by driving customers to their local shops who would normally buy a CD or a download from a big chain or iTunes. If it's just about celebrating an audiophile/ironic hipster niche that accounts for about 1 percent of music sales and cementing indie record stores as places that cater mostly to them, great. Mission Accomplished. It's just a shame that there won't be too many more Record Store Days, since that business model means the death of independent record stores just about everywhere but college towns and major metropolitan areas."

Obviously my bad..

So did any one actually GO to RSD, and score anything cool....?

"Maybe my mistake was in assuming Record Store Day was about saving the traditional, independent record store by driving customers to their local shops who would normally buy a CD or a download from a big chain or iTunes. If it's just about celebrating an audiophile/ironic hipster niche that accounts for about 1 percent of music sales and cementing indie record stores as places that cater mostly to them, great. Mission Accomplished. It's just a shame that there won't be too many more Record Store Days, since that business model means the death of independent record stores just about everywhere but college towns and major metropolitan areas."

Obviously my bad..
Quoting my post is better than putting words in my mouth...but it doesn't explain how you misinterpreted me. How is saying that independent record stores will soon only exist in major cities and college towns equal to blaming urbanites and college students for the death of the indie record store? Seems to me, it's pretty much the opposite of that. But then, that wouldn't make a good argument, so into my mouth go your words. :razz:

So did any one actually GO to RSD, and score anything cool....?

Maybe you missed it above, but I got Phish's Junta - released for the first time on vinyl! :mrgreen:

And, yes, I got it at a record store in the college part of this medium-sized metro area. The place was filled with hipsters too. :cool:

In hopes of getting this thread back on track, I picked up an RSD 7" Springsteen single, and the Empire Records soundtrack (on gold vinyl). I also walked out with a part-time job somehow...