Tomorrow is Record Store Day, which is obviously better than every other holiday and, like, 100 times better than Columbus Day. Several things make this true:
1. It celebrates the resurgence of vinyl records, the greatest form of music known to man — an indisputable fact
Sorry, MP3s, cassette tapes, gramophones, 8-tracks, Betamax and compact discs: You just don’t compare. Not only do vinyl records have a warmer, more authentic sound quality to them, they wholly embody the idea that having a well put-together, tangible product is the best musical package money can buy. Lyric sheets, band photos, posters, bonus album artwork, psychedelic vinyl — you can’t get these things (at least not in the same capacity) on other mediums. Did we mention that vinyl sounds better? All are tantamount to the vinyl resurgence of which we are currently in the midst. People do still buy music, you know.
2. Free beer, in many cases
Even if you have to pay for it, beer is pretty great. But on Record Store Day, lots of places will just give the stuff away until it runs out. But remember: Drink responsibly, and buy music irresponsibly.
3. Live music, in many cases
Sure, you can see live music in almost any city on any given night. But how often do you get to see live bands perform while drinking free beer and perusing record style aisles for exclusive releases? Exactly.
Here’s who you can see tomorrow at various Oklahoma shops:
Starship Records & Tapes, Tulsa: Chuck Dunlap, Red Dirt Rangers, Who & the Fucks, The Daddyo’s, Pillage People, Contra, Cucumber & the Suntan’s, Helen Kelter Skelter
Guestroom Records, Oklahoma City: John Moreland, Beau Jennings
Guestroom Records, Norman: The Easy Lovers, Applied Music Program
4. Hundreds of exclusive releases from some of the best musicians around
There are literally hundreds of new releases and reissues on Record Store Day each year. Here’s what we’re most looking forward to:
Aha – Take on Me 7-inch
Ryan Adams – Come Pick Me Up 7-inch
Courtney Barnett – Kim’s Caravan 12-inch
Black Star – Fix You Up/You Already Know 7-inch picture disc
David Bowie – Changes 7-inch picture disc
Buzzcocks – The Way 7-inch colored vinyl
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Rough Raw and Amazing 2 x 12-inch vinyl
Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood LP
D’Angelo – The Charade 7-inch
Miles Davis – The Prestige Vol. 2 10-inch vinyl box set
The Decemberists – Picaresque LP
J Dilla – Fuck the Police / Love 7-inches
Bob Dylan – The Basement Tapes 180 gram mono LP
Brian Eno – My Squelchy Life 2 x 12-inch vinyl
The Everly Brothers – 15 Everly Hits 12-inch vinyl
Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear 7-inch colored vinyl
The Flaming Lips – Bad Days / This Here Giraffe / Brainville 10-inch colored vinyls
Marvin Gaye – How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) 7-inch vinyl
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – Selections from Getz/Gilberto 10-inch colored vinyl
Gram Parsons/Lemonheads – Brass Buttons 7-inch colored vinyl
Grizzly Bear – Horn of Plenty LP
Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze/Freedom 7-inch vinyl
Joan Jett – Flashback 2 x 12-inch colored vinyl
Jurassic 5 – Quality Control: The Wood Box vinyl box set
The Kinks – Kinksize Hits / Kinksize Session / You Really Got Me (Live) 7-inch vinyls
Mark Kozelek – What’s Next to the Moon 12-inch vinyl
Manic Street Preachers – Holy Bible 20th anniversary 12-inch picture disc
Mastodon – Atlanta 12-inch picture disc
Mclusky – Mcluskyism LP
Midlake – Live in Denton, TX 12-inch vinyl
of Montreal – Snare Lustrous Doomings 2 x 12-inch colored vinyl
OFF! – Live from the BBC 10-inch vinyl
Okkervil River – Sleep and Wake-Up Songs LP
Oneohtrix Point Never – Commissions II LP
Charlie Parker – The Charlie Parker Story 12-inch vinyl
Dolly Parton – The Grass Is Blue 12-inch vinyl
Otis Redding – Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul 2 x 12-inch vinyl
Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians 2 x 12-inch vinyl
The Replacements – Replacements EP 10-inch vinyl
Simon & Garfunkel – Homeward Bound/Leaves That Are Green 7-inch vinyl
Frank Sinatra – Songs for Young Lovers 10-inch vinyl
Sly and the Family Stone – Live at the Fillmore East 2 x 12-inch colored vinyl
Stooges – Have Some Fun: Live at Ungano’s LP
Surfer Blood – Astral Coast LP
Swans – 12″ EP 12-inch vinyl
Twin Peaks – In the Morning/In the Evening 7-inch vinyl
William Tyler – Desert Canyon 2 x 12-inch vinyl
Vampire Weekend – Step 12-inch colored vinyl
Violent Femmes – Happy New Year 12-inch vinyl
Wu-Tang Clan – Protect Ya Neck 12-inch vinyl
5. It celebrates the fact that there are a bunch of awesome, locally owned businesses that sell music in the greatest form known to man
This is probably the most important reason why Record Store Day is the greatest holiday of them all. Outside of donating to charity or working for the Peace Corps, there are few things more noble in this world than shopping at your local record store. On Record Store Day, you can get piles of records at discounted prices, while doing all of the things listed above. So get your asses out to your local shop and do your civic duty as a music fan.
Honorable mention: The official Record Store Day onesie
For a full list of Record Store Day releases and participating locations, visit recordstoreday.com.
