Vinyl Geeks Rejoice! Record Store Day 2016 Is This Weekend!

Time to Get Spinning

Clean your stylus’ vinyl fans, ‘cause Record Store Day 2016 is almost upon us. Apr. 16 – THIS SATURDAY! – is the big day so make sure to clear your schedule as there are some dynamite releases hitting stores this week.

Don’t know what Record Store Day is? Short answer – it’s the indie record store community’s attempt to turn music fans off of digital media and drive them back to buying physical copies of music … preferably in brick and mortar shops. If you’re looking for the full story – click here for the down and dirty details. As you can see, Record Store Day is the perfect opportunity for you to shop locally and support your community – not to mention an outstanding chance to lay your hands on some seriously choice wax.

Now that you’re up to speed, let’s have a look at some of the more interesting releases hitting shelves come Saturday. But take note: these releases are all limited pressings. You’ll be lucky to find more than a couple of these at any given shop this week. If there’s a title you’re absolutely dying for on this year’s list, then do not sleep in come Saturday. Be at your local shop the second they open and thank me later.

Here’s a list of items I’ll be queuing for myself:

• The Appleseed Cast – Peregrine 10^thAnniversary 2LP Reissue (12″- 2000 copies) – Hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since the emo-kings released this post-emo rocker, but here we are. And this is an album that begs for revisiting.

• Emmylou Harris – Wrecking Ball 3LP Deluxe Edition (12″- 5000 copies) – This Daniel Lanois produced album from 1995 was reissued a couple of years ago, but not like this. Remastered from the original Lanois recordings, this gut-wrenching collection of songs from country-folk legend Emmylou Harris is full of the stark emotional landscapes and ass-kicking, love-lorn honesty that Harris is so well-known for … and now it comes with an extra disc of bonus material. Emmylou Harris. Bonus Material. Score.

• Superchunk – Tossing Seeds: Singles 89-91 (12″- 900 copies) – This killer collection of Superchunk 7″ releases from their formative years has been out of print for about a decade now. Merge Records fans should also note that Tossing Seeds was the first 12″ the label ever released and that this reissue has been remastered based on the original recordings. More than just a nostalgia trip, this release is a pure-shot of rock & roll from the early days of one of America’s most underrated bands.

• The Autumn Defense – The Green Hour (12″- 500 copies) – This isn’t quite the Autumn Defense release I was hoping for. Their sophomore release Circles is still the most complete (and now most elusive) release that John Stirratt & Pat Sansone of Wilco have released through this fantastic side-project. But beggars cannot be choosers. And any fan of this band’s Big Star inspired pop are sure to revel in the first vinyl pressing of their debut album.

• James Bernard – Original Score: Nosferatu (7″- 500 copies) – Sadly, this is not a release of Hans Erdmann’s original 1922 score. The majority of that score, it seems, has been lost forever to the sands of time. But way back in 1997, Hammer Horror maestro James Bernard cobbled together enough pieces of the original to craft his own version of that score. This sick 7″ release features Bernard’s score as played by the City Of Prague Philharmonic from a 1997 performance.

• Lester Young – Blue Lester  (12″-1500 copies) – Lester Young (aka Prez) was one of the unsung saxophone greats through much of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. You may not know his name, and if that’s the case then this collection of his prime Savoy Records is an excellent jumping in point. If you’re already a fan of Young’s work, then this release is an absolute essential.

• Lush – Origami 5LP box set (12″- 2000 Copies) – If you haven’t heard, Lush is getting back together. And they’re releasing this Box Set to celebrate. Lush. Box set. I really can’t add much to that equation. Get your best gazing shoes on and get your hands on this insane release.

• Jay Farrar – Sebastopol/thirdshiftgrottoslack (12″- 1000 copies) – Sebastopol remains the lone bright spot in the former Uncle Tupelo & Son Volt frontman’s mostly forgettable solo career. That’s not entirely a bad thing, ’cause this album is chock full of the woozy, alt-country stylings that Farrar and his Uncle Tupelo bandmates practically invented. The real treasure here is the release of Farrar’s accompanying EP, thirdshiftgrottoslack – which condenses everything that made Farrar an intriguing musical figure into five nearly flawless country-pop songs.

• David Bowie – The Man Who Sold The World (12″ picture disc – 5000 copies) – As expected, the Record Store Day crew has stepped up their Bowie love in hopes of paying homage to The Starman by getting his music into the hands of the next generation. You probably know this album already – and you may even own a copy. But there’s no such thing as too much Bowie. And this picture disc release is pretty damn slick.

• Clint Mansell featuring Kronos Quartet – Original Score: Requiem For A Dream (12″-5000 copies) – Dreams do come true. Clint Mansell’s devastating score to this 2000 film may be the best original score ever composed. I’ve been begging for a vinyl release for longer than I remember. Now it’s here. I will own this album. And if you get in the way of that come Saturday morning … I’m likely to throw you an evil eye like you’ve never felt before … and then buy it the second you post it on eBay. You bastard.

Trust me, there’s more. If you want the full list of releases, check out this handy PDF from the RSD team. Wanna find the closest participating record store? Click here.  Happy hunting, my friends.