Tomorrow Is Vinyl Saturday...

 

...and you know what that means: It's an official reason/excuse for yer vinyl-centric EIC to buy more wax! Yes, it's true — the folks who bring us that wonderful annual spring event, Record Store Day, are presenting Saturday, June 20, as the inaugural Vinyl Saturday. Among the day's sweet exclusives are limited-edition offerings from the likes of Wilco, Green Day, Pete Yorn/Scarlett Johansson, and Modest Mouse. So get on out to your favorite rekkid store and do yer vinyl duty. And feel free to look for me at my preferred haunt in NJ, Vintage Vinyl. Happy hunting, y'all... —Mike Mettler, S&V EIC

April 18 is Record Store Day!

Worried about the demise of independent record stores nationwide? Then make a date to visit your local "mom and pop" shop this Saturday, April 18 — the second annual Record Store Day.

Bands will play. Special releases will be available. And despite the logo above, this isn't only about vinyl; it's about everything that your local record store offers. Including little things like music knowledge and customer service.

For a complete list of participating stores, product exclusives, in-store performances, and related events, go to recordstoreday.com.

Last year, my photographer son Tony and I went to 4 Record Stores in 1 Record Store Day. Visit that link to get a taste of what the second RSD will be like.

Alas, I will be unavoidably otherwise engaged this Saturday, so I won't be able to do another multistore mecca. But I hope to visit at least one shop before the sun goes down.

Don't let the sun go down on your local record store. Spread the word about Saturday, go to the store, buy some stuff, and buy some more stuff. You'll be glad you did.

— Ken Richardson

4 Record Stores in 1 Record Store Day

That's what my photographer son Tony and I accomplished last Saturday (April 19) on the first annual Record Store Day. As I announced here previously, RSD is an effort (spearheaded by indie-shop organizations) to remind people that, yes, record stores still exist. And on Saturday, some participating shops had specials, and some even had in-store appearances, such as the one you see above: The Parlor Mob at Jack's Music Shoppe. For more on that and the other three stores that Tony and I checked out, click below.

Get Thee to a Shoppery!

What's a "record store"? If you've never been to one, it's time for you to paddle away from your computer keyboard's virtual Amazon and enter the real world of bricks and mortar. And if you're, ahem, an older buyer who hasn't been to one in a while, it's time for you to remember the future. (Band? Nationality? Year? Famous guy who joined them later? Answers below.)